45. Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter Forty-Five

Raevyn

I came to a stop a few feet in front of her and took in the woman in front of me.

"Who are you?" I asked, recalling the conversation I'd had with Apollo. "Who are you really ?"

"Figured it out, have you? You always were cleverer than I have you credit for," she said bitterly. "I was born in 1622, when we had more freedom over our craft. I was persecuted for taking things too far into the darker side of magic. But do you know what?" she spat. "I was doing it for the town. Disease was rife and I just wanted a way to save them. We'd tried everything, except dark magic. I saved them, and what did they do? Burned me for it."

"Why now? Why come back now?"

"Because things were just so easy . The Veil fell and things became easier for witches to cohabit with mundanes. It was the perfect time to achieve what I wanted but then you came along and ruined everything."

"Sorry," I said with a shrug. "Guess I scuppered your plans."

"And that stupid mother of yours. Gods, she was pathetic. I'm not surprised you turned out to be just the same. Spreading your legs like a fucking whore."

Anger welled inside me, and I had never wanted to wipe that smug look off her face more than I did now. "That's enough words. Now, you die."

She laughed and held her hands up which sparked bright white. "As you wish."

More minions rose from the ground as she cackled like something from a bad Halloween movie. She thought I was pathetic, that I was weak, but I was about to show her how fucking wrong she was.

I pulled my magic to the surface and slammed it into her chest. She flew backwards, her laugh cut short, and the minions fell to the ground as she lost control of the spell. All around me I could sense the others still fighting the witches, lights sparked in the sky as spells were cast and grunts and screams as wounds were inflicted. But I couldn't concentrate on that now. I had to hope that the guys were holding their own and that they were staying safe. I trusted them to work together, and I just had to hope that they made it out of all this okay.

My grandmother jumped to her feet, seeming more agile than her elderly appearance. No doubt a result of her draining our ancestors of their magic. The ground started to vibrate beneath my feet as she pulled more creatures from the Depths. I threw my magic into the ground, disrupting whatever spell she was casting. She screamed at me in frustration, and I flung my magic at her chest, trying to reach her heart, but I hit a brick wall.

Fuck. Somehow it was protected.

"What's the matter, Raevyn?" she goaded. "Can't find my heart?"

"I'm surprised you even have one," I said as I hurled more magic at it. I could do this. If I could break into Apollo's prison, I could do this.

As I pummelled at the barrier around her heart, she continued to pull daimons from the Underworld. Large Ferrals appeared, huge hounds that were like misshaped wolves. Their snouts too long, their feet too big, but their teeth were long and sharp and would slice through me like butter. Three of them appeared and charged at me. I had to pull my magic from her heart to focus on the beasts. I dodged and rolled, then slammed my magic into the first, stopping its heart. The other two charged at me together, like a unit, I stabbed and jabbed one, leaving it to bleed out on the ground whilst sending my magic into the other. I needed to figure out how to kill more than one thing at a time, but that would have to be a problem for later.

My grandmother staggered back as I hit with the full force of my magic, it was time to end this. I yelled as I channelled everything I could, my scream coming from my core. My arms trembled, knees quaked. Every cell in my body was alight with magic as I poured it into that barrier. I could feel it cracking, shards breaking off as my grandmother roared with rage.

"I call upon those that were before me!" I yelled, hoping that I could remember this chant from one of the old journals I'd read. "My sisters, my friends."

"Stop it!" my grandmother shrieked.

"Aid me in my hour of need. Be my strength—" my knees buckled and I sank to the ground – "my rock, my power."

"No! You won't win!" She sounded crazy now, wild and weak.

She might be right. I was fading. Blood poured from my nose, my eyes. I was tired, but I needed to keep going… needed more…

A hand touched my shoulder, cool and comforting. I looked up and saw the face of my mother.

"Mum?"

"Hello, sweetheart." She smiled, her skin translucent like a ghost. "We're here."

I felt another hand rest on my shoulder and saw another face, one that I recognised from the gallery at the coven house. They were here. They'd heard me. Sweet relief flooded me before I felt a surge of power come from the women of my history.

I felt their power like a physical thing, a warm embrace that spoke of love and support, of faith and hope. A sob wrenched out my throat as I finally felt everything just release within my own heart. For so long I'd struggled to feel part of a coven, and here I was, right at the centre of it.

My power surged and the rest of the barrier turned to dust under the might of our combined power. And there it was. The heart of a twisted, selfish, pathetic witch.

My grandmother fell to her knees, anger and shock twisting her features. "This isn't the end. Mark my words. You'll regret—"

I crushed her heart with one clench of my fist. "No, I won't. I won't regret it at all."

Then she toppled sideways and disappeared into dust.

That was it. She was gone and with it the hold on my other ancestors. Each of them appeared like a ghost, a word of thanks and a blessing on their lips before fading to the afterlife where they belonged.

They all disappeared, until there was just my mother left.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't the mother you needed," she said softly. "But I am glad you have found where you belong, and I am so proud of you. You beautiful, wonderful girl."

Tears filled my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. "I'm sorry I didn't know you better, but I understand more now. Thank you for the sacrifices you made for me."

"Oh, sweet girl." She pressed a cool kiss against my forehead. "Be happy and live ."

And then she was gone.