27. Lewis

CHAPTER 27

LEWIS

I stand, frozen. Terror has ensnared my body. White, blinding light pours from Sammie's hands. Serena staggers back a few paces. The look of horror on her face echoes mine. Oh god. Sunshine, what have you done? I groan through a locked jaw.

Cackles bubble beside me.

The loudest crack slaps through the air. Warmth washes over me. The brightest white flare lights up our surroundings.

Anjelica hisses a curse.

I shift my gaze back to her.

Something tightens around me. The fear that had me rooted to the spot moments earlier has been replaced.

Anjelica's hands are outstretched. She is holding me here by her own ministrations. I track my gaze back to Sammie. She slumps to the snowy ground and collapses, snow puffing up around her as she hits the ground. Snowflakes settle on her face and hair as the color drains from her face.

Fuck. No!

She fucking promised to stay away.

Where the hell is Denver?

Serena drops to her knees and scrambles to where Sammie lies, her chest rising in shallow, irregular bouts. I roar through my teeth at Anjelica. The second she loosens this hold, she is a dead woman. The sluggish beating of Sammie's heart echoes through my head. Through my heart and soul.

"Sammie, wake up! Come on, babe." Serena's words are strangled and desperate.

"I should have known," Anjelica mutters. "Useless girl."

Who is she talking about?

Sammie doesn't move under Serena's rousing touch. Serena pushes to her feet and stalks toward the shadow witch. She throws her hands up, face twisted with hate, tears streaking down her face. Darkness seeps from her palms before shooting through the air toward the older witch. Anjelica releases a hand from my holding pattern and blocks each dark swirling ribbon of attack, one after the other.

"You are a despicable person!" Serena screams, picking up the pace, both hands wielding the dark ribbons at an alarming rate. Anjelica drops her other hand on me and returns fire. Her attack is like nothing I have witnessed before.

She wields lightning like a plaything. It arcs through the air, crackling and hissing like a savage serpent. Serena dodges each one. The shadow witch anticipates Anjelica's plays. How long have they known each other?

Sammie moves, but I don't dare move to where she lies, not trusting lightning not to follow and find its mark in her instead of me. Instead, I lower in a crouch. Like a predator lining up its prey. A low growl is the only warning she gets as I leap toward her.

Too late, the witch drags her focus from Serena to the side attack. My canines descend. The burn in my throat is extraordinary. I sink my teeth into her neck. She staggers sideways. Scrambling in the snow, she bats me away before throwing searing, bone-piercing lightning into me, one hand after the other. I pull on her blood. I don't even want to swallow the filthy stuff.

Hard hands grip my shoulders.

Denver.

What the hell?

I release my hold on her and spin back. He stands, shaking his head. "You can't kill her, brother."

"Why not?" I roar.

"She has other wrongs to undo. There are others." His gaze flicks to Serena.

These two know each other.

"Please, Lewis, I can bind her. But I need her alive. Please." Serena's eyes beseech mine.

I struggle in my brother's hold, Anjelica's blood staining my face, neck, and sweater. The older witch stands on shaky legs. Her face is pale.

"Fine. But then she is put down."

"Solid plan," Denver says.

I push past the two traitors and stagger to where Sammie lies in the snow. Her hands are burned, her face pale. Her breathing is ragged and far too shallow.

"Sammie, can you hear me?"

She doesn't respond. I wrap her face in my hands, sliding one behind her neck. "Sunshine?"

Her breathing stalls.

No.

Please, Sunshine. No!

Footsteps fall in behind me. Serena whimpers, and Denver pulls her into his side. They definitely know each other.

"Can't you wake her up with your blood?" she asks.

I can't risk her dying with my blood in her system and turning. I shake my head. Denver frowns, his brow lowering.

"You may not have a choice, little brother."

"I will not make that choice for her!"

Shuffling in the snow sees all three of us turn.

Too late.

The flash of a silver arc spirals through the air above us and penetrates. Serena and Denver collapse into the snow. An evil smirk slides over Anjelica's face. "Oh, don't worry, they're not dead, only knocked out."

She staggers toward where I kneel in the snow by Sammie. "You and your little witch, however, won't be so lucky."

She raises both hands. Silver threads snake through the sky, rising high before plummeting toward us. Sammie jerks, coughing and gasping for breath. I turn back to find her face. Her eyes widen and she throws a hand up. Anjelica's silver threads burst into tiny sparkling pieces like confetti. She tracks their source with her gaze, pushing off the ground to sit up.

"Why can't you just stay down, you interfering little witch!" Anjelica screams.

Serena murmurs and rolls over, pushing to her feet with trembling limbs. Sammie shifts her gaze to her friend.

Anjelica strikes.

Two shards of silver fly into Sammie's chest, disintegrating into nothing as they penetrate their mark. Serena screams. "No!"

Sammie falls back into the snow, her golden curls lying on the soft white around her.

Denver sits up, dazed, eyes scanning everyone before landing on Sammie. Serena lets her hand wind through the air, muttering an enchantment. Anjelica goes for Serena and Denver grabs her, holding her out of the way. Anjelica stiffens before screaming at the younger witch. "How could you do this to your own mother!"

What the hell?

"You were always a flake!" Her insults don't find their mark as the young shadow witch works through the spell; eyes closed.

After a moment, she lowers her hands and opens her eyes.

"There, no more torturing innocent people. You are bound until I say so, Mother ." The last words she forces through gritted teeth.

She drops to my side and takes my hand. I look at Sammie. Her chest has stilled.

She's gone.

I can't hear her heartbeat.

She slipped away while we were all focused on Anjelica.

No. Oh god, Sunshine.

What have I done?

Sobs choke out with every painful breath. I drop my forehead to her chest and grip her coat.

"Lewis," Serena says so softly.

I don't respond.

Sammie is gone.

It is all my fault.

"Lewis, take my hand." Her words are louder now.

"Brother, do as she says."

I rise and fall back on my heels. I run my hands through my hair, ugly groans spilling from my chest. Serena's eyes are lined with silver, and she takes my hand in hers.

"What are you doing?"

" We are getting her back. Do you trust me?"

I stare at her, trying to quell the sobs wracking from my aching chest. If Sammie trusts her, so do I.

After a handful of heartbeats, I nod.

"Good."

She turns her pendant through her fingers with her free hand, muttering something that sounds like another enchantment. Everything blurs.

Sammie disappears.

Everything disappears into darkness for a heartbeat.

I am standing on the damp earth beyond the tree line of the forest flanking our home and the lake. Serena is standing beside me, her hand still holding mine tight.

"What the hell?"

"Shhhh. Wait."

I track my gaze back to the lake. I hardly believe my eyes. The four of us are standing there. The two girls in the pentagram. Me by the water's edge with Anjelica.

How in the world is this possible?

Methodically, the girls work through their spell. How did I not hear them? I scan the area. The leaves of the shrubs concealing them stand as high as a full-grown hedge, but the wind blows toward them. They were upwind. The frigid squall carried away the sound of her voice, along with the scent of my mate I would recognize anywhere. Smart girl.

My chest aches. Her cleverness just got her killed.

"If you want to save her, either way, you needed to intervene before she started dying, Lewis." Serena's voice startles me, reminding me I am not here alone. We are going to get her back . The words chant through my head.

We have to. Sammie cannot die for me. It's fucking unacceptable. "What do I have to do?"

"You have to intervene when I say."

"How do you know when she starts dying? Can you feel it or something?"

"I can edge my way into weakened minds. And when she was dying, I slipped into hers."

"So, you can pinpoint it for me?"

"Yes. Pay attention, you only get a matter of seconds between healing and dying as far as your blood goes."

I nod and fix my gaze on Sammie as she collapses to the snow-covered ground all over again. It hurts just as much as watching her fall the first time. With a clenched jaw and fisted hands by my side, I see her face slacken. The grey wisps of smoke leave her burned hands. The rest plays out as it did mere moments ago.

"You were talking to Denver and me when her mind slipped, and I could feel her body and see her thoughts." Serena turns to me, silver lining her eyes. My breath stops as I scan her face. Chin wobbling, she sucks in a breath.

"You were the last thing she thought of." A sob tumbles from her lips. "You can't let her die, Lewis. She is far too loved to leave us all now. The heartache to follow would be inconceivable."

This I know.

I would take her place in a heartbeat.

Sammie refuses to let me.

She is the most selfless person I have ever met.

"Tell me when to give her my blood, to heal her so she doesn't die."

We turn back.

Serena grabs my arm after Sammie protects me for a second time.

"Now. Right after she falls the second time, you have like six seconds before she realizes she is dying."

"Take me back. Now!" I growl.

She forces a sad smile and grabs my hand; her free hand spins the pendant in the opposite direction from last time. A sickening heartbeat later, I am on the ground beside Sammie. Denver and Serena are talking. But this time, she glances at me, her steadying look and subtle nod letting me know we are both where we need to be.

"Can't you wake her up with your blood?" she asks for the second time.

I shake my head.

Denver frowns, his brow lowering.

"You may not have a choice, little brother." Somehow, hearing it the second time is no easier than the first.

"I will not make that choice for her!" I growl this time, and heat seethes through every inch of me.

Shuffling in the snow. The three of us turn. Too late. The flash of a silver arc through the air above us penetrates. Serena and Denver collapse into the snow. An evil smirk slides over Anjelica's face. "Oh, don't worry, they're not dead, only knocked out."

She staggers toward where I kneel in the snow by Sammie. "You and your little witch, however, won't be so lucky."

I inch closer to Sammie, as if my proximity can save her. Anjelica raises both hands. Silver threads snake through the sky, rising high before plummeting toward us. Sammie wakes, gasping for breath. I turn back to find her face. Her eyes widen and she throws a hand up. Anjelica's silver threads burst into tiny sparkling pieces like confetti. She tracks their source with her gaze, pushing off the ground to sit up.

"Why can't you just stay down, you interfering little witch!" Anjelica screams.

Serena murmurs and rolls over, pushing to her feet with trembling limbs. Sammie shifts her gaze to her friend.

Anjelica strikes.

Two shards of silver fly into Sammie's chest, disintegrating into nothing as they penetrate their mark.

Serena screams. "No!"

Sammie falls back into the snow.

Her golden curls lying on the soft white around her.

This is the moment. Six seconds is all I have before healing turns to turning.

I bite my wrist roughly, ripping the skin open for a good flow. The frigid air around us has turned even my blood to molasses and I grip above the bite mark trying to entice it to spill. Parting Sammie's mouth, I hover my wrist above her.

Five seconds.

The blood is slow, welling into small droplets on my skin.

Come on!

Four seconds.

A crimson drop splashes her face, missing her mouth.

Fuck.

I lower my wrist to above her lips. Another droplet hits her top lip.

Three seconds.

I squeeze my arm in a downward motion, forcing the flow through the open wound.

One, two, three, five, seven drops land on her tongue. She doesn't move. Her breathing slows.

Two seconds.

"Hell's fury, don't you dare think you're leaving me, Sunshine." The words are rough.

Vigorously squeezing my arm, a cascade of blood splatters into her mouth, over her teeth and lips.

One second.

"Sammie?"

I close her mouth with a gentle touch and kiss her lips, the coppery taste filling my senses along with her scent. I wrap her face in my hands and will her to respond to the blood, pressing my forehead to hers.

Time is up.

Nothing.

Her chest rises and falls and stills.

"God, Sunshine. Don't you dare!" I growl, loud and low.

Serena hits her knees beside me. Her hand touches mine. She shakes her head as tears cascade down her pale cheeks. Denver stands with his head hung behind her, despair etched over his face.

My throat is thick as short, thin breaths struggle to pass. "What have I done?"