Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

T ime stilled as Kirnen clutched his disintegrating chest. A guttural scream escaped his dry lips as the flames devoured his skin. The once-powerful death dealer was wasting away before my eyes, consumed by the fire I had unleashed upon him.

The crackling sound of the flames saturated the air, mingling with his agonized screams. My eyes remained fixated on his crumbling corpse, with a mixture of dread and vindication twisting in my gut. The orange and yellow hues danced across his agonized face, casting an eerie shadow that seemed to reach toward me. A whispered reminder of my actions.

As the flames continued their relentless assault, his skin blackened and peeled away, before crumbling into gray ash. A shiver skated up my spine as I comprehended the weight of what I had done. I had harnessed my elemental power, this benign force, and unleashed it in a destructive manner on another being. The power I wielded was exhilarating and terrifying, but I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that gnawed at my conscience.

When a final burst of fire exploded from Kirnen's chest, a plume of ash erupted where the vampire had knelt. The flames consumed him entirely, leaving only a swirling cloud of dust and the faint scent of burnt flesh in the air. The sight was both mesmerizing and horrifying as a squeak escaped from my lips.

As the last traces of smoke dissipated into the air and his ashes settled on the floor, I froze with a heavy breath. The weight of my actions shrouded me like a heavy cloak, a haunting reminder of the darkness I was capable of. Kirnen's disintegrating flesh had not only destroyed him physically, but ignited a turmoil within my own soul. I was the prophesied Blood Witch.

Guilt washed over me as I grappled with the choices I had made. I had taken a life, no matter how misdirected it might have been. The power I had tapped into had come with a cost that I was unsure I could pay, making me wonder if I could ever find redemption for what I had become.

In the wake of my remorse at Kirnen's death and the manner in which I allowed his demise, a dark shroud began to form close to me. I had seen Brigid's special ability several times, and I backed away, knowing she would step from her perfect hiding place any second. As her black robes emerged from the shroud, Dimitri stepped through the protection spell separating me from Cass and the rest of the clan.

His suit was perfect, and it was obvious Brigid had ensured nobody touched him, but his sneer was vicious as he approached me. "Kirnen was a fool. He declined Brigid's protection spell and now I must kill you myself. I prefer not to engage in such unpleasantness personally, but exceptions can be made for the king's whore."

I grunted. "You are just pissed because neither Cass nor I would have anything to do with you. Cassara was right. You are pathetic."

Dimitri hissed as he pulled a small dagger from his suit jacket. It didn't look that imposing, but if I knew Brigid at all, that blade was dipped in poison. Since I was cut off from Rene and his powerful blood, I trusted that the traitorous witch could kill me, given time.

My mind reached for the familiar thread in my mind. Jana?

I'm here, Mom.

My relief was palpable, but I kept my eyes trained on Dimitri . Did you get a hold of Rene?

I just got off the phone with him. He should be on his way to you now.

There was an explosion of wood at the door as Rene burst in and splinters erupted around the startled mercenaries. Their surprise was mirrored by the dark witch creating the barriers between me and the clan, but she flinched when Rene smashed against her barrier, and she was forced to drop all but the one separating us from Rene. She sucked in a breath when he smashed against it for the second time.

With her power focused on the growling overseer intent on my freedom, it left the mercenaries without any defense against the skilled death dealers. One by one, the black militia force fell by vampire hands until they were standing beside Rene, rushing the protection barrier.

Part of me wanted to unleash my power on Dimitri, to watch him burn as Kirnen had, but another part of me cried out in misery and pain. In the end, I was too weak to fight two assailants and Brigid was the more powerful of the two. I cursed under my breath as Dimitri used his preternatural speed to disappear through the open wall. A sliver of orange dusted the horizon as dawn threatened and I secretly hoped Dimitri smoldered in the sun before he found refuge.

Brigid was powerful, but she was also intelligent. With the mercenaries slain and Dimitri gone, she was alone. The shroud began to form around her, and I was well aware she would disappear in that effective glamor if it was allowed to escape her fully.

In that pivotal moment, as Brigid's fingers extended, weaving the threads of her powerful shroud, I knew only my power could halt it. The air seethed with anticipation, and a storm of magic swirled around me like a wind tunnel. With fierce determination, I focused on my own magic, the natural force that flowed through my veins and anchored my soul.

I stretched out my hand, trembling with the intensity of my building power, and directed my magic toward the thickening shroud. The air crackled with white energy as my power blasted into hers, bringing light to the darkness. I staggered under the strain and noticed she did as well, as the tug of war between our forces escalated. I desperately tried to unravel the threads of her shroud before it could envelop her and whisk her to safety.

As I poured my energy into the struggle, the protective barrier around us shimmered like a cocoon of light. It was weakening between her expenditure of power to form the shroud and the repeated attempts by Rene and the clan to breach its defenses. In the end, Brigid decided that she would rather fight me than Rene and the clan, and she reinforced that shield after the tendrils of the shroud began to dissipate.

Brigid's eyes blazed with fury as her shroud diminished under my relentless assault. Her lips moved with whispered incantations, as she called on a darkness that sent shivers down my spine. But I continued my assault, with my magic pushing against the tide of her malevolence. We both had protection barriers in place now, but she was fighting on two fronts.

With a final surge of energy, I focused on her black robes and used the last of my reserves. The dark witch's shroud shattered like broken glass, dissipating like mist in the morning sun. She staggered back, exposed and vulnerable, as her hold over her magic weakened, and Rene burst through her protection spell. I planned to channel my magic and knock her off balance, but Cass was far quicker than I.

Cass picked Brigid up by the throat and hissed at her with extended fangs. For a moment I thought she would bite the witch scratching her wrists and kicking her torso, but Cass simply twitched her wrist, and the resounding crack of Brigid's neck chilled my entire body as I slumped to the floor. Rene was at my side in seconds as Cass dropped Brigid's body unceremoniously to the floor.

My shoulders shook as I turned toward Rene, and the first tear escaped my eyes. Crimson tears flowed down my cheeks and stained his shirt. It wasn't Brigid I wept for. It was the betrayal and the fact she had forced Cass to kill her. She had manipulated so many people, including the coven high priestess and even with her death we would have to deal with the ramifications of her betrayal. We would still have to hunt down Dimitri and those who followed him, but without the powerful witch to aid him, it was only a matter of time before the death dealers and PSO officers caught up with him.

Cass knelt down and touched my shoulder. "You okay, honey? You had me worried there for a moment."

I sniffed before turning toward her. "I am sorry about Kirnen. He forced me to... kill him."

Cass grunted. "He was a traitor. He deserved what he got. I am only sorry you were forced to take care of that yourself. It was my job to protect you."

I shook my head. "You aren't a witch, Cass. You have no way to fight, one as powerful as Brigid. No vampire, with the exception of Rene, stands a chance against a senior witch."

The death dealers stood in silence, staring at me. It took me a moment to discern their looks of admiration. While my methods were different from theirs. I had proven far more powerful than the second-in-command of the coven. I had no idea if I could beat Ursula in a fight, and it was an experience I hoped to forgo. For now, the coven high priestess was avoiding a confrontation, and it was largely because the human delegate was furious with her. She was one small incident away from being disposed of, and she knew it.

Rene helped me to my feet, but my head spun as I stood. The ringing in my ears increased before I heard Rene shout my name and the room went dark.