37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Celeste

" Y ou might want to step back," I said as I picked up my skirts and strode toward the barrier that shimmered gently around the city. I could see the glowing lights of the massive buildings in the distance, but the spell distorted them like I was looking through dirty glass.

The magic pulsing within the ward was truly impressive—I couldn't have done all of this by myself without exhausting every last bit of the power I currently had. But then again, it had taken a whole Coven to create it and I was sure that sustaining it was draining them faster than they could figure out their next move. So I was going to make it for them.

"Be careful," Roman warned, and when I glanced over my shoulder, he was standing just a few steps away, his body tense like he was ready to charge at the first sign of anything going wrong. Most of the werewolves had heeded my warning, but Malakai, Beleth, and Isaac were right behind him, looking at the ward like it was an enemy they didn't want to face.

Turning away from them, I raised my hands and buried my bare feet into the soil. Whispers rose among the shifters, but it was hard to focus on their words when the magic in my veins started to sing .

Truth be told, taking down this ward would have left me spent if I had tried breaching it head-on. The spell above was perfect, but the foundation was feeble. If crawling out of the earth hundreds of times had taught me something, it was that if the roots were weak, the whole thing could easily fall under the right pressure. And the tethers that held the spell together… they were like trees. Now was the time to uproot one of them.

I dropped to my knees and dug my fingers into the ground, ignoring the dirt that stained my white dress. My power erupted, coiling around the base of the spell. Inch by inch, it twisted it towards me until I felt the first fracture. Gasps of surprise and awe made me look up just as the crack appeared above the surface, spreading through the dome of the ward.

Smiling, I sent another wave of magic down, willing it to twist, push, and bend until the whole thing collapsed. More cracks surged, and the air sizzled with energy, like a storm was about to break out and rain fire and brimstone upon us.

I felt it when it happened—the final break that made the spell crumble.

"I'd cover your eyes if I were you," I shouted, shielding mine as the barrier glowed brighter and brighter. The words had barely left my mouth when a powerful thunder echoed, swallowing all the noise in the world. A moment later, the ward exploded.

The magic slid over my skin, tangling into my hair and clothes where it turned into dust that vanished with the wind. Once my ears popped, the sounds returned, and with them, the shouting came. It took me a moment to realize it wasn't of pain or panic, but howls of joy and victory.

A pair of arms caught me from behind, raising me to my feet, but I was too focused on running my hand through the space where the ward used to be to make sure it was fully gone.

"You did it!" Isaac's voice made me turn just as he squashed me against him. "You really did it! It looked so easy!"

"Don't sound so surprised," Roman chided as the werewolf released me. "She told you she would. Celeste always keeps her promises."

He gave me a small wink while Malakai and Beleth approached.

"Very flashy," Beleth pointed out, dusting his shoulders from the specks of magic that continued to flutter in the air. "Can we go now? Aren't you two supposed to fuck to solidify your bond or whatever? "

Isaac glared at him, but I sensed desire shoot through our bond, making my own body heat up. Feeling Roman's hand on the small of my back, all kinds of fun ideas sprung to mind, but as much as I wanted to indulge in them, I knew this night was far from over.

"Isaac, incoming!" Allison's voice called just as the air on the other side of the now-shattered barrier rippled. One after another, witches translocated into the space, their magic flaring around them the moment their feet touched the ground.

Isaac and Roman grabbed my shoulders at the same time, dragging me behind them. I tripped on my dress and stumbled back into a hard chest, a pair of tattooed fingers gripping my waist to steady me.

"A bit overdressed for a fight, aren't you?" Beleth scoffed in my ear and before I could reply, his shadows slid around my legs, tearing the fabric off until it dangled around my knees in uneven strips. I glared at him, but he just shoved me forward, crossing his arms like he was planning to just watch the show. I waited for the anger to come, but the lack of it in his gaze made me turn around without a word.

By the time I circled Roman, ignoring his warning look, the witches had gathered closer, with the ones on the front looking ready to wreak havoc on us all. Their eyes widened when they recognized me, and I smiled back at the familiar faces.

Edna Whitmore, the Head Witch of the Coven of the Guiding Hand.

Tenzin Hhandu, the Head Witch of the Coven of the Divine Spirit.

Shen Meihui, the Head Witch of the Coven of Sacred Knowledge.

Three of the most powerful and dangerous witches in the whole world and naturally, the ones that either thought me an abomination or a high risk that required immediate extermination. Of course, they'd be here now. I was just surprised Mariam wasn't with them to complete the usual quartet. Their Covens had been trying to destroy me as ardently as the Order. Perhaps even more so.

"We should have known," Edna spat, her mouth twisting with distaste. "Every time something bad happens, you're always involved. Don't you get tired of causing trouble, Ancient one? Or, after all those lifetimes, the only thing that matters to you now is bringing misery to your kind?"

I smiled, the words sliding past me like an inconsequential echo. At least there was no name-calling this time, which was probably because of all the people behind my back. Not that I needed them, not with so much power still brewing inside of me.

"Yes, making trouble for you is very high on my priority list. Right between sucking cocks and running for my life because my kind decided I was evil for something I did hundreds of years ago," I replied with the same smile, although it was getting harder to keep it up.

"You killed your fellow witches barely eighty years ago!" Edna snarled, her magic turning red while it slithered up her arm like a snake. "Or were you just protecting yourself again because they attacked you without cause?"

Frustration made my skin bristle, but I ignored the feeling just as I ignored Isaac's reverberating growl. There was no way Edna didn't know the truth about that night, about the witches that had been working with the hunters, about the children that had been taken, and about the fire that had covered it all. Her Coven's purpose was to know everything and make sure the humans never found out about us. It didn't matter if she knew why that happened; she knew it did.

My eyes slid to the witches behind them, to faces I remembered from the Samhain ball and others entirely unfamiliar. Most had to be Regina's Coven with the way they were glaring at the shifters, but there was a small group around Edna that looked entirely too focused on her.

"I'm tired of defending myself in front of people who don't listen, so go ahead. Make me your villain again." I shrugged, crossing my arms and checking my nails. Dirt had slipped beneath them when I sank them in the ground and I made it my point to look like getting it out was more important to me than the conversation we were having. "Spin whatever lie you want for the masses. The ones who matter to me won't believe you, anyway."

"You are a disgrace!" Tenzin spat, the earth rupturing beneath her feet as she took a step forward. I looked up from my nails to meet her gaze, studying the twisted expression that I knew all too well. "You choose those animals over your own kin!" she continued with the same derisive sneer. "This is why everyone hates you. Not because we are jealous or afraid. You always choose others over your fellow witches!"

"Well, my fellow witches haven't given me a reason to choose them, have they?" I cocked my head. "Are you here to fight? Because I'd like you to get it all off your chest so I can tell you what's going to happen from here on out."

Unflattering murmurs erupted from among the witches, their expressions getting more and more frustrated as the collective glow around them intensified. Behind me, I could hear people shifting, ready to let their anger out on those who hurt and banished them from their homes.

"Celeste," Roman said softly, but I didn't miss the note of reprimand in his voice. I glanced over my shoulder and he raised an eyebrow, no word necessary to convey the look in his eyes.

‘We have a plan,' it said. I sighed.

The witches quieted, and I turned just as Edna was lowering her hand.

"Stand back," Roman warned someone, but I didn't bother checking who. A shifter, no doubt, maybe even Isaac since his rage and thirst for blood were getting hard to ignore through the bond.

"As much as I would love to bring you all to your knees," I said, trying not to sound too threatening, "we have a bigger fish to fry." A few murmurs came from behind me, sounding both surprised and angry, but I ignored those, too. "As it stands, something even worse is threatening us all and it will be in everyone's best interest to—"

"For fuck's sake, fight already!" A voice groaned in frustration and I glanced around in shock, half expecting to see Beleth complaining. But when our eyes met, his were dark and full of tension, just like they had been when he faced Alastair.

The voice had been male, so it couldn't have been any of the witches, but why would one of our own undermine me while I was speaking? The answer came when a figure stepped from the deep shadows of the trees. A large, glowing rune was branded on his forehead, with more running around his neck and wrists.

"You see, I was waiting for you to kill each other and when this bitch won," he waved dismissively in my direction, "I could step in and get my answers, but all you do is talk, talk, talk! I don't have the patience for this!"

My breath caught as my magic exploded from within, creating a ward around me and the others. He just gave me an exasperated look. Holding my gaze, he snapped his fingers, and the barrier shattered with such force that I stumbled into Isaac's arms. In a blink of an eye, my view was obscured by Roman's back, the tension in it so taut, I was sure that his eyes were glowing red and he was baring his teeth. For him to show such a reaction…

Roman shot forward, but before he could take more than two steps, something yanked him up, sending dirt flying into the air as he was launched into the trees like an arrow. The sound of branches snapping and a predator roaring continued for a few more seconds before it all went quiet.

I returned my attention to the stranger just as he lowered his hand, his eyes trained on me. Isaac tried to push me behind him, but I shoved him back, jumping when Edna screamed.

"It can't be! You can't be!"

He ignored her, his focus still on me.

"Where is she?" he asked, drawing closer while his presence filled the air with power that made me feel like a tiny pebble in the path of a giant. "The last thought on her mind before she disappeared was of finding you. So where is she?"

"You're him. You're Mathias," I whispered while horror squeezed my chest even tighter. All the old stories I had heard in my childhood, the cautionary tales that I had never forgotten, all that came rushing in as he stared at me with boredom.

He looked so young, so fragile, so… normal. Yet I could feel it rising in him—the power that could destroy the world.

"Where is Samara?" he demanded again.

I licked my lips, trying to calm down so I wouldn't show him how truly afraid I was. We had hoped that we'd have the support of the witches, that we'd finally unite everyone in this world against his threat, but if he was here now… we might be too late already.

"I don't know," I whispered again, trying desperately to bide for time. I glanced sideways to where Edna was kneeling, her face drained of color and eyes empty of arrogance for once, but when I felt his strange power touch me, I snapped my attention back to him. "We thought she was with you."

His eyes narrowed while he weighed my words, and then he leisurely turned toward the other witches.

"Do you have her?" he asked nobody in particular. They didn't dare speak, looking at each other as if waiting for orders. Even the Head Witches were frozen in fear, their magic surrounding them but staying idle. "I don't have all day. Answer the damn question or—"

Tenzin moved then, her leg sliding over the ground in a circular motion. The earth ruptured, the crevice spreading toward him so fast, even I was too slow to react. A chasm big enough to take two men his size opened, but he remained floating in the air, his expression never changing .

"Move back!" Isaac shouted to his people, and I watched as wolves threw themselves out of the way. One was too slow to react, his hind paws sliding down. I sent my magic to aid him, the spell providing enough platform to step on before he launched himself up and ran to safety.

By the time I turned back, Edna was on her feet and shouting for everyone to attack. One by one, the witches took their positions and despite the fear etched into their faces, they obeyed. The ground shook, and the air cracked with energy and light.

I whipped back just as the shifters rushed to join the fight. I conjured a barrier as fast as I could, separating them from the male witch and throwing them off just when the spells hit him, exploding on impact. With another wave of my hand, a second ward shielded me and the three men at my back.

Holding my breath, I watched the smoke clear.

Despair sank deep into my stomach, but no surprise. Mathias stood in the exact same spot with his eyes closed, nothing on him out of place except for the hair that seemed to have been swept to the side. The earth beneath him was completely gone, leaving a giant crater, charred and crumbling.

"Run," I whispered, taking a step back. "Ru—"

I never got to finish because Mathias' eyes snapped open, blinding light shining through them. The runes on his skin looked even starker while the smell of burned flesh made my stomach turn.

He threw his hands up and the air around us tightened, growing so heavy, my legs started to shake. My magic pushed against his with all its might when I noticed the witches started dropping. The younger sank to their knees first, falling face-first into the dirt while the others followed, even Edna and Tenzin.

A look back confirmed the shifters were also down, the immense pressure keeping them immobile no matter how much they howled and whimpered. Malakai was on one knee, keeping Beleth up, but for once it was tension that ruled his face, not the usual gentle smile. Isaac crept on all fours, still in his human form, his hand reaching out as if he was trying to get to me.

A dark silhouette shot out of the trees. Roman's clothes were torn, blood marring his pale skin, but none of that seemed to matter to him. Just when the vampire's nails were inches away from Mathias's back, the witch raised his hand.

"No!" I screamed as Roman was yanked up in the air again, then slammed into the ground so hard, it cracked and he fell under. I channeled more of my energy, fighting against the oppressive force pushing me down, but I barely managed two steps before Mathias appeared before me.

I didn't bother attacking; I knew I couldn't even touch him, considering the might he had shown so far. Instead, I raised my chin and stared straight into his eyes.

For a single moment, he seemed content with that. Then he pointed his finger at me before curving it downward. The pressure increased until something in my leg snapped and I screamed as I fell to my knees. The pain blinded me, but I blinked the tears away, bracing myself for his next attack.

"Last chance," he spat, his glare making my blood turn to ice. "Where is… Samara?"

A drop of blood trickled down his nose, but he didn't seem to notice. If he was straining to keep us all contained, it didn't show in his hold on the spell that was binding us.

"We don't… have her!" I snarled, gritting my teeth in silent rage. All that power inside of me and here I was, helpless like a newborn witch. This shouldn't have happened. He shouldn't have happened.

Mathias cursed under his breath, words too quiet to distinguish, then he stepped away from me. I waited for the fatal blow, for any blow, but he just gave me a disgusted look before turning in a circle and sneering.

"Weak!" he shouted over the cries of pain and fear. "You are all weak!" I tried to push against his spell again, but the pressure forced me on my hands, the bones threatening to break. "Say your goodbyes while you still can! Once my shackles are off… I'm coming for you! I'm coming for all witchkind!" Bloody spit flew from his mouth, the runes on his forehead pulsing. "Let's see how you all like… being exterminated without mercy!"

He glanced at me one last time and in a blink of an eye, he was gone. The force keeping us down vanished, and I fell forward, barely catching myself before my mouth filled with dirt. A pair of arms helped me up and a second later, I was running toward the rift where Roman had disappeared.

"Roman!" I screamed when I noticed the dirty, bloody fingers gripping at the edge.

Isaac reached him before I did, grabbing his hands and hoisting him up. I wrapped my arms around his torso even before he was fully up, relief flooding my body when I felt his cold skin against mine. A quick look around told me the others were still alive and mostly unharmed.

The witches were slowly getting back to their feet, translocating away faster than I could stop them. Once the last of them were gone, the shifters swarmed us, their silence and horrified gazes louder than any words.

"Nobody died," Beleth said, looking around with a frown. There was tension in his gaze and the same type of apprehension I felt. We had just faced a goddamn male witch, the most feared creature in the world, and nobody had died.

"Don't look so disappointed," Isaac sneered at him. "He wasn't here for us, so that's why he—"

"No," I whispered when Roman finally raised his head, meeting my eyes and nodding. "It's not because he didn't care, it's because he couldn't. His orders still hold. At least one of them."

Everyone gawked with bewildered expressions.

"You knew about him?" Isaac gasped, a note of betrayal making his voice crack. "How? When? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I asked her not to," Roman said before I could reply. Isaac glared at him, drawing back and leaving Roman to lean on me for support. "We'll tell you everything later. Everything. Right now, we have something more important to do."

"Yeah, get off this plane," Beleth murmured, turning on his heel as if to leave, but when Malakai caught his elbow, he stopped. He kept his gaze averted, though.

I looked at each of the faces staring expectantly at me, forcing myself to meet Isaac's eyes and hold them. I could see the betrayal there, the sadness and hurt, and I knew it was only going to get worse when he heard the rest. Still, when I slid my fingers into his, he didn't pull away.

"We need to find Samara," I said, taking a deep breath that did nothing to calm my terrified heart. "And then… we need to figure out how to beat the unbeatable."