Chapter 13

THIRTEEN

COLLINS

Murder was not something I ever thought would be on any agenda of mine, and yet here I was ready to cut a bitch . . . or several. Adrenaline flooded my body and tiny puffs of my magic danced around my fingertips. My wings fluttered behind me, and I found myself fighting to keep my feet on the ground.

“Nervous?” Sandra, my mother and bad ass Nephilim protector, stood by my side in her usual gold and silver body armor. She had a sword in her hand and looked ready to battle. We all were.

I shook my head. “Just ready to get this done.”

“Me too.” Bash stood on my other side with his shoulders back and head held high.

Without another word, we all stepped through the portal and into Third Realm. Instantly, I was greeted with the feeling of belonging here. I knew my purpose was clear and why I had to do the dirty work. Bash’s family was a cancer that needed to be removed from the beating heart of this world. The fae here needed a chance to live.

I sucked in a deep breath of the sweet, crisp air. There in the distance were the floating crystal islands. Before, the sky used to be so clear and I could see them perfectly. But now, gray clouds drifted around them, dropping snow over the peaks. An infinity waterfall fell from one. But it was frozen into solid ice. Farther away, I knew there was a small town of fae who were doing their best to live in a world that was slowly freezing over because Tephine had lost their Chaos Stone. I looked out in search of any sign of billowing smoke. They’d moved farther into the forest, where the trees became more dense. I hoped they’d find the cover they were looking for from the elements. It made me want to hurry our plan along, but I knew we had to be careful and do it all the right way.

The emerald stone from Aryk felt heavy in my pocket. I was happy mom had the necklaces on to block me from reading her mind. I had to concentrate on what we were about to do, and hearing her thoughts would be a distraction. Bash moved in closer to me and pulled his necklaces up over his head and placed them over my head and around my neck. They lay on my skin and I felt so safe and warm with them. I knew they’d protected Bash for years. I felt their connection to him deep within their grains. They adored him almost as much as I did. I laid my hand over them, giving them a silent message that I’d return them to him soon, and that seemed to please them.

Let’s go , his smooth, deep voice passed through my head, and I gave him a nod.

Mom pulled her sword from her side and held it at the ready. She gave me a nod, and her golden wings popped from her back.

Bash’s wings popped too. “Remember, she’ll love the opportunity to knock me out, so wait until she gets close enough to do it.”

I nodded. I didn’t like the idea of using him as bait, but there was no other choice now. Tephine would be on guard, and the only thing stronger than our need to be cautious would be her need for vengeance. “I don’t like it, but I’ll do it.”

His wings fluttered and his feet lifted off the ground. I followed along with him with mom at my side. Every time I returned to Third Realm, I was shocked by its beauty and the way I felt being here. It was so wild, so alive, like one big crystal buzzing around me. We flew over the open fields covered in a thick layer of ice and under the floating islands out toward the crystal forest, where snow gathered on the crystal canopy. Trees made entirely of crystals stood tall and imposing. The crystal forest extended out as far as the eye could see. The canopy wasn’t a typical forest-green with swaying leafy branches. Instead, the trees were all different colors and glowed at random times, as if there was some kind of secret song being played and only they heard the beat.

Bash landed deep in the forest, and I dropped down beside him. Mom was right behind us. I stood with my eyes closed for a moment, trying to feel where Marigold would be. It wasn’t hard to find her. A normal amethyst felt peaceful and caring, like being wrapped in a blanket of comfort. But Marigold’s wouldn’t. I knew the stones were held captive and had been altered by their hosts. I concentrated harder, searching for the poison apple. Then it hit me like a burst of aggressive energy.

“Found her.”

Move under the trees, Bash's voice spoke into my mind.

I moved away from him, leaving him a small clearing. Mom ducked down beside me, and we stayed waiting there in the shadows. Bash waved his hand and his black smoke seeped from his hands. The shadows creeped up around us, hiding us in darkness that no one would be able to see unless he wanted them to.

Lure her here. I’m ready, his thoughts rang through my mind.

I hated this part. Using my soulmate as bait was a whole new level of bullshit I didn’t want to engage in. But here we were. I placed my hand on the ground and let my magic pulse through the world. It vibrated across the land, and I felt it deep in my body. I hooked onto Marigold’s stone and gave it a hint to come to us. Hello, stone. She wants revenge on her brother. Bring her to us and I’ll set you free. When I felt the stone pulse back toward me, I knew we’d get her here. I knew Marigold would walk into that clearing to try to kill him. My heart hammered in my chest, and I felt my hand quiver.

Mom placed her hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Breathe. We can do this. I’m right here if you need me.”

Bash crouched down to the ground and started digging in the snow. The plan was to look like he was busy, like he was scheming and up to something so that she’d ambush. Bait had to seem like an easy target so Bash had to seem unprepared.

I sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. I can do this. I can do this . Marigold’s power moved closer and closer. I felt it growing stronger with each second. She couldn’t resist the pull I had over her stone.

Marigold dropped to the ground in front of where Bash was crouched. She lifted her chin and smiled down at him with a sneer on her lips. “Little brother, what a shock.”

“Sister,” was all he said by way of greeting.

Marigold was always something to see. Her eyes were an uncanny shade of purple. They almost glowed as bright as the amethyst stone in her chest. She wore a long, chiffon purple dress that was cut into a low V and open on both sides. A small chain held the dress together on each of her hips. She was pale and slim, as most of his family was, but what stood out the most about her was her flaming red hair. It flowed from the top of her head down to her hips. A white, fluffy fur coat hung off her shoulders down to her elbows, like the cold and snow didn’t bother her in the least.

“Ah, he speaks.” She began to walk in a slow circle around him. “Pity. I enjoy when men are silent.”

Bash pressed his lips together. “Sorry to disappoint.”

In my mind, I heard all her thoughts. Behead him first? Offer him up to Mother as a gift? Set him on fire? No, cut off his head and put it on a spike for all to see and be warned about crossing us. How I miss a good head on a spike. Put him to sleep? Offer him to Mother and then torture him to a slow and painful death?

Her last thought seemed to be what she settled on. It was no wonder that in her time on Earth she’d gotten the name Bloody Mary. All I could imagine were those poor humans she’d burned at the stake or cut the heads off of. The chaos this family brought to all the different realms had to end.

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “I find it difficult that YOU could harm any of my sisters . . . let alone kill them.”

His lips curled up in a devastating smile. “I did it with pleasure.”

Her eyes traveled down to where his necklaces would be. “Cocky, aren’t we? Facing me unprotected without your necklaces. Tell me, where is your little Stone Keeper?”

“You’re not worth her time.”

The smile dropped from Marigold’s face and she thrust her hand out. A ball of purple smoke soared toward Bash, and he dodged it, throwing his own ball of power toward her. Her wings fluttered and she lifted off the ground and spun away from it. She hovered over the ground and purple smoke billowed out from her hands and headed right toward Bash. He opened his hands and his black smoke flowed free. Darkness surrounded the clearing, and I knew this was our moment to get close enough to her. I moved from out of our hiding place and inched my way closer.

The black and purple magic twisted together as though they were battling for the upper hand. Bash kept his smoke heavy around the permitter and only withheld a fraction of it to battle against her. His power made it impossible for her to see me. I left mom in the spot we’d chosen. If worse came to worst, she’d jump in too. But it had to be me. I had to touch her stone, and there was only one way I’d get close enough. Her purple magic was nearly to Bash, and I still wasn’t close enough.

Purple magic wove through his darkness, wrapped around his legs, and smacked him right in the chest. The second it hit him, Bash’s eyes fluttered shut and his body dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Marigold threw her head back and cackled. Her eyes were completely focused on him.

“Sleep was too easy for you, little brother. A torturous death will please Mother.” She took a step toward him, and I lunged for her.

Her eyes widened and she jumped back. I reached out for her, and she knocked my arm away. Purple magic billowed from her hands and wound around my body. I shook my head.

“Nice try, bitch.” I motioned to the necklaces hanging low on my chest.

She screamed and turned to run, but mom was right behind her. Mom swung her sword at her throat. But Marigold shot straight up into the air. Without thinking, I followed her. I wrapped my hand around her ankle and let my magic flow down to the ground toward one of the trees. My powers flowed around it, tethering us both to the spot. I yanked her downward, forcing her to the ground. She skidded across the hard crystal surface and smacked into the base of that tree. Scratches marred her arms and legs.

She scrambled to her knees, and I shoved my hand atop the crystal in her chest. My power exploded around her, holding her in place. The amethyst glowed and pulsed a bright purple. Marigold’s chaotic thoughts screamed in my mind but they weren’t in English. I forced my magic into the stone and broke the bond that’d been forced upon the amethyst.

“Take it, it’s yours,” I said to the amethyst I’d just freed.

Tephine had bonded each of her children to a stone from the Crystal-Henge. It wasn’t freely given. She sought more power for her children and took it. The stones belonged to the land. They were not to be used for evil, and Marigold was pure evil. The amethyst glowed even brighter, and I felt its power run through Marigold’s body. I took a step back and grinned. She staggered to her feet. Her arms and legs trembled as she tried to move, but the amethyst’s power spread from her chest. The purple stone forked out over her skin. It looked like the tips of snowflakes and started to cover her from head to toe. The color leeched from her skin, and her breath caught on her lips.

What is this? What did she do? What is th – she gasped for air she was no longer getting. Her thoughts cut off.

The facets of the crystal spread over her body and through her veins. She stood there turning into a statue before me. She opened her mouth to scream, and the stone moved over her so quickly it cut off the last sound she would ever make. She stood before us frozen in time. The stone in her chest glowed a bright purple of happiness. It, too, knew its long imprisonment was over.

“That was interesting.” Mom moved to my side and slid her sword back into its holster.

“The stone took its due. They were never meant to be used like this. So they’ll all get what they deserve.”

I reached out and pressed my hand to the stone in Marigold’s chest. I let my power move over it. It was still trapped within its prison. I forced it to vibrate at first, just a little to wiggle it out, then I did it harder and harder. She started to fall apart piece by piece until, finally, Marigold burst into gritty purple dust that fell at my feet. I held the amethyst in my hand. It warmed to my touch and let a wave of calm roll over my body that I needed after this ordeal.

“ That’s an interesting way to kill her ,” Bash’s inner thoughts were just as deep and rumbly as his actual voice.

I pulled his necklaces off and spun around to face him, handing them out for him. “I let the stones decide how they get their revenge.”

“You’re just a vessel.”

“Right. You prefer beheading.”

He chuckled. “It feels good?”

“I’m glad you get her sense of humor.”Mom shook her head and turned toward me. “We have to move before Tephine realizes what happened here.”

I nodded at both of them. “We have to go to Crystal-henge.”