97. Anna

97

Anna

The outer ring of rocks on the hill were etched with symbols and held offerings to the elements. Water from the largest river on the mountain. A feather willingly given from a bird. Earth enriched and blessed. And fire sparked from the kindling of the land.

Words from the spell rose up in my head as I was marched through the circle. Below me, an enormous audience had gathered. Most of the wolves were grotesque and foaming at the mouth. It seemed to take all of their energy to be still. Those who weren't mutated seemed so small, but there was nothing innocent in their gaze as they watched.

In the silence, I heard someone roar Lunessa's name and then mine. Turning my head, I watched in horror as Jax and London were hauled to the front of the audience and forced to their knees. My gaze locked on to his, but there was nothing either of us could do.

My chains were attached to one of the inner rocks, and on the other side, Lunessa, also dressed in white, was chained to the same. She looked surprisingly in great shape for someone who had screamed less than two hours ago. The third rock of our circle contained an urn, and my heart ached.

Lucy.

Strange music rose up from behind us, drums and deep humming as Maeve walked to the center. Behind her, his still body dragged through the dirt in chains, Finn lay motionless.

Was he dead? Why was he even here? He wasn't needed for the spell.

Roars of triumph sounded below, and I watched as Maeve glided toward us. She was also dressed in white, her hair down and flowing free in the wind. Her skin practically glowed under the moonlight.

"Indigo Peak," she shouted. "Our time is finally here! You have been patient while you suffered. Patient while I made promises that were years out. I have put you before my mate. Before my children. And now, you will reap your rewards as I soon will stand before you as your queen!"

The crown below thundered with joy, and I felt Jax's panic turn to blind fear. I did what I could to try to soothe him. None of this was his fault. He'd fought with every breath, and now he would watch me die.

"My son was to stand by my side, ready to be your alpha, but he has betrayed me," Maeve snarled. The cries quickly turned to boos. "With his last breath, he will see what he has lost, and another will take his place."

A second man entered the circle, with the cheers of others, and he sneered down at Finn.

The music stopped, and a loud drum sounded as witches poured out from the audience and stood behind the stones. They clasped hands, looked to the sky and began to chant.

"Magic of the mountain," Maeve shouted. "Hear my cry. The blood of my daughter, sacrificed for you."

Picking up the urn, she dumped it over and let the blood spill into the earth. Horrified, I turned my head and looked away.

Sitting the urn down, she walked over to Lunessa. The man handed her a knife, and she held it high over Lunessa's body. Below, I could hear London roaring, but it was a vague muted sounded under the chants of the witches.

"The blood of the kin, sacrificed for you."

I screamed as the knife came down, driving into Lunessa's neck. She slumped over the rock, and Maeve turned to me. Her eyes glinted wildly.

Ignoring her, I watched in horror as Lunessa reached up weakly and removed the knife. There was nothing I could do to stop her blood from pouring into the earth, but I wasn't going to stand here and let her die. There were no pack bonds to connect us, but we were blood. We were kin. That was a connection just as grounded as wolf magic, and I sought it out and reached for her. Her eyes opened in surprise as she felt my magic, and I did my best to close her wounds.

My last gift before I died.

A mother does what she can for her child.

The ghost of my mother popped into my head, and I stared up at Maeve as she began to speak.

"The blood of a ternary, a body housing the three gifts you've given us. Witch magic. Wolf Magic. Fae Magic. Sacrificed for you."

All that magic draining you. Wasn't even meant to be yours.

My father's voice. I didn't even flinch as Maeve hand rose in the air over me.

Now you've gone and gotten knocked up with some other fucker's baby.

My baby. Time stopped as I turned my head and stared at Jax. Evalina had been so sure that we could stop this if we'd just stuck together. If we'd stayed by each other's side. We had our ups and downs as we struggled to figure out the solution, but it was never me and it was never him.

It was us. It was what our love had created.

A gift.

I closed my eyes and sought out my wolf. Scarred but no longer scared. No longer isolated and alone. She had more strength than Maeve could ever fathom, and she blossomed inside me, ready for me.

Around her, my magic swirled. It had been locked away for so long. It wasn't something my mother had done. It was something she had manipulated me into doing. I was in control of my magic.

And in that second, as Maeve's knife came down, I gave it up.

A gift , I told the life growing inside of me. A gift for you.

It felt right. It felt like it was always right. Like my father's words were echoing what I already knew. The magic was never meant to be mine. I wasn't meant to harness it. I was just meant to house it until I could give it to its true owner.

My child.

The blade slashed across my arm, and I stared up at Maeve with a growing smile on my face. Blood poured into the earth, and she stood with her arms outstretched wide.

"Come to me," she screamed. "Magic of the mountain, grant me the power to cleanse this mountain and begin anew. I am your servant, and I will be their queen."

The music stopped and an impossible hush fell over the mountain.

Nothing happened.

Maeve frowned. "I am ready," she screamed. "Let me be your vessel."

"Sorry, Maeve," I murmured as I pushed myself up from the rock to stand. "You lose."

Whirling around, she glared at me. "What have you done?"

"I beat you," I said simply. "All that planning, all those seers, and not a single one of them told you the truth. I was indeed on the path of standing here, a broken ternary, too weak to do anything but bleed for you, but instead, I am here as proof that this mountain is not broken. These wolves are not broken. The only thing broken is you, and I bested you. I beat you because of him."

"I will bleed you dry!" Maeve howled.

She leapt toward me, but Lunessa also leapt to my rock and grinned at me.

And then she glowed.

The land rumbled under us, and Maeve stopped and gasped as Lunessa threw her hands up in the sky. "You are mine!"

The roar sounded over the mountain and half the witches in the circle collapsed. Rising up in the air, Lunessa sparkled, and chaos sounded. I turned my head to see wolves and witches appear.

My wolves and witches.

Somehow, Lunessa had harnessed enough power to magnify her own abilities, and she teleported half the Blood Diamond pack here.

With a scream, Maeve turned and launched herself at me, but a wolf had caught her in mid-air and sank his teeth into her neck.

Maeve died, and Finn, crouching over her body, howled.