Chapter 23

"Get away from us,"Lucy warned Lily, standing over Braxton like a shield. "I swear to the goddess that if you and that asshole agent don't leave right now, I'll kill him. I'll do it. I will."

"And spend the rest of your life locked up in prison?" Niko asked from behind Lily. They'd busted in the back door and were now inside the small house that sat high on the hillside so that it had a view of the Sound. It had taken them a few hours for the wolf to lead them to the house, and then they'd spent time staking it out, determining where Braxton was and what kind of protections Lucy had used.

Niko and Lily had disabled more than a handful of magical traps before they'd even been able to look in a window. But when they finally did, they'd realized that Lucy was even more insane than they'd previously assumed. Niko said it was a byproduct of siphoning other witches' magic. It would slowly make one go insane. Lucy had apparently spent a number of years stealing magic. Katerina was just her latest victim.

"I'll die before I go to that hellhole," she spat. "If I'm lucky, I'll take both of you with me."

"Fat chance," Lily said with a dismissive snort. She could feel the power radiating off the other witch and knew she would be a challenge, but Lily had something more powerful on her side.

Love.

Every witch knew that love always trumped greed and hatred, and those were the two emotions that ruled Lucy.

"Watch me!" Lucy unleashed a torrent of magic on Lily, but the Befana witch was more than ready for her stream of toxic magic.

Lily instantly put up a magical reflective shield that sent Lucy's magic rebounding. The magic slammed into the far wall, causing a loud crash as it crumbled.

"My house!" Lucy cried.

"If you're dead, you won't need it," Lily reasoned and sent her own stream of magic at the crazy witch.

The two were locked in a duel, each of them pouring everything they had into the fight.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lily spotted Niko running over to Braxton to help him out of the fray. Lily was grateful and made a mental note to thank him later. She could handle Lucy. As long as Braxton was safe, that was all she needed to know.

"He's mine! He's bound to me!" Lucy called. "He'll never be yours."

"He already is." Lily's voice was calm as she poured all of her concentration into the magic she needed to take down Braxton's ex. One way or another, she was leaving that house with Braxton, preferably with the curse broken.

The two stayed locked like that for what seemed like hours but was probably only minutes, while Niko tried to get Braxton out of the house and out of the fray. But Braxton had come around and was refusing to go. He wasn't leaving Lily. Not while she was battling Lucy.

Frustrated, Niko told him he'd better take care of himself and then got to work on making a holding circle. It was part of the plan. Lily would attack Lucy and force her into the circle, where she'd be held until a team from the Magical Task Force could arrive to take her away.

Lily wished Braxton would stay out of the fray, but she couldn't blame him. If the situation was reversed, she wouldn't leave either. Her hands were tired from pouring magic out at an unprecedented rate, but she didn't let up. In fact, she concentrated harder and sent Lucy stumbling back a few paces. She was almost there. Just a few more steps and they'd have her. The assault worked to break Lucy's concentration, and she caught herself as she was going down.

Lily took full advantage and sent a bolt of power that was intended to knock her right into the circle. But just before the assault hit her, a photo frame came out of nowhere, and Lucy dodged to the right. The silver frame barely grazed Lucy, but the magical bolt missed and put a giant crater in the wall.

Off to the side of her, Lily heard Braxton curse and she assumed he was the one who threw the picture frame.

Lucy let out a cry of frustration and sent two bolts of magic, one with each hand, though she didn't send them toward Lily. They hit their intended targets. Brax and Niko went down in a tangle of limbs.

"You're going to pay for that!" Lily cried and prayed that Braxton and Niko were okay. They had to be. She'd never survive it if she lost Braxton now. She took a step forward, her entire body vibrating with rage. Lucy's eyes were bloodshot, and she looked as deranged as Lily felt. With her two allies out of commission, Lily poured everything she had into defeating Lucy.

Sweat poured down her face, and her limbs started to tremble. She wasn't sure how long she could keep this up, but she'd go as long as needed in order to defeat this woman who'd reigned terror on too many people to count.

Good had to win over evil. She believed that with all her soul.

She pictured Braxton's smiling face when they were out on their hike and felt a renewal of energy. Something soft brushed against her skin, and she realized the white wolf was there, giving her strength. Thank you, she mouthed to the creature.

Then with every bit of determination she could muster, she took a step forward and sent one last bolt of magic right at Lucy's chest.

The other witch froze in place, her magic vanishing from the dust-filled air. Lucy fell backward, right into the circle Niko had formed before she'd taken him down.

Silence filled the small house as Lily walked over to the body lying there. As she peered over the other witch, the air felt thick with magic, and suddenly all the magical energy that Lucy had consumed over the years rushed into Lily, sending her to her knees as she retched from the awful intrusion of the magic she hadn't asked for.

Her vision blurred, and the last thing she heard before she passed out was Braxton's voice.

"Lily? Lily? I've got you. Don't worry. I've got you."

* * *

You did well. Your mother would be very proud of you, a strange voice said in Lily's head.

Lily blinked up at the familiar ceiling, her limbs as heavy as molasses. She glanced around and recognized her old room at her grandmother's house and thanked the gods that she was still alive.

You'll be okay as long as you don't cast any magic, the voice added.

"Ever?" Lily asked out loud, though she had no idea who she was talking to.

No. Just until the coven is able to release the magic.

"Who are you?" she asked, afraid she was harboring someone else's soul. Why else would someone be talking in her head?

Something cool and wet nudged her hand and she glanced down to see the white wolf was sitting next to her bed, apparently keeping an eye on her. "You're the one talking to me? How?"

Yes. Your mother sent me to watch over you. You can hear me for the time being because of the extra power you carry.

"What?" she gasped out. "When? How?" Lily's brain was a jumble of confusion. Was she hallucinating this?

There was a faint chuckle in the back of her mind before the wolf explained. When your sister Sage battled the witches of Crystal Point in the spring, your mother came to me and said that her girls were coming into their power, and she needed me to watch over you all. I've been doing that ever since. Think of me as a guardian angel of sorts.

"Mom is still watching over us?" Lily asked, tears falling silently down her temples.

Always.

"That's… I don't know what to say." Her emotions had gotten the better of her. "Thank you."

You're welcome, Lily. The wolf turned to go, but when he reached the doorway, he turned back again. Remember, no magic until the coven siphons the excess off. If you don't wait, you'll be cursed with stolen power for the rest of your days.

"I'll remember," she promised and was sad to see the wolf go.

Just call to me in your mind if you need me again. I'll be there.

A weight that had seemed to be on Lily's chest lifted, and she smiled softly to herself, knowing for the first time that even though her mother had passed, she'd never really be gone for good.

"You're awake," Bethany said as she walked into the room, smiling softly.

"Where's Braxton?" Lily asked immediately.

"He's here," her grandmother said patiently. "The healer is with him now. He'll be fine. Lucy shot him up with some potion that was meant to make him more pliable to her gaslighting, but it appears he was stronger than she anticipated. Once they neutralize it, he'll be as good as new."

"What about the curse? If Lucy lost her magic, how can she reverse it?" Lily tried to sit up and found she could barely move. Her limbs were just too heavy.

"Relax, love. The curse is broken. Braxton is no longer tied to her," Bethany soothed. "All of her curses died the moment her collected power drained into you."

Lily laid back on the pillow and said a silent thank you to the universe on Braxton's behalf that Lucy was now out of his life. But dread still plagued her. "Does this mean he's tied to me now?"

"No. Why would he be?" Bethany seemed confused.

"Because Lucy's power drained into me for some reason."

Recognition dawned in her grandmother's eyes. "I see what you're getting at. But no, that's not how it works. The moment her magic left her body, those curses failed to exist. The magic you are harboring is the stolen power from other witches. We need to drain it from you so it doesn't harm your soul. The coven is on their way."

"Could I have stopped it?" Lily asked.

"No, sweetheart. That power needed somewhere to go once Lucy was trapped in the binding circle. You were the only one there to receive it. There was nothing you could have done to stop it. You did not invite this. Don't worry."

"That's a relief."

"I bet it is," she said with a soft chuckle.

Ten minutes later, Serena, Jacinda, and the rest of the coven had gathered around Lily's bed and were all holding hands as they slowly eased the excess power into the ether. With each second that ticked by, Lily felt her soul get lighter and lighter until finally all she felt was peace.

"That went rather well," Bethany said.

The door burst open, and Katerina stumbled in. Her eyes were wild, and there was an air of desperation streaming off her. "I'm here to get my power back."

The coven witches glanced at each other, their eyebrows raised.

Bethany cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, Katerina, it's too late."

Braxton's mother stared blankly at her as if she hadn't heard what she said. "No. You're going to get me my powers back. I am not leaving here until someone fixes what that psycho did to me."

Niko walked in right after her and said, "That's not going to happen."

She spun and poked him in the chest with her index finger. "I've had just about enough of you. I didn't deserve to be harassed for all those years. It's not my fault people are so gullible they'll buy anything if they think it will make them look even five minutes younger."

"That's not why you were of interest to the Magical Task Force, and you know it, Katerina," he said, his eyes narrowed. "Think of it as a blessing that you didn't get your powers back. Now you're not a threat to society. You'll likely just get some probation and you can go on living your life. If you had gotten them back, you'd be looking at a decade or more in prison. I suggest you leave Lily and her family alone now. They can't help you."

Katerina glared at everyone. "You all think you're so high and mighty. You'd never last without your powers either. I don't care what you say," she added when she focused on Niko again. "I'm not living a life without my magic. I'll get it back one way or another." Then she stormed out, nearly splintering the door when it slammed against the wall.

"Do you think she'll be successful?" Lily asked.

All the coven witches shook their heads, but Niko shrugged. "Maybe. If she finds someone willing to siphon power for her. If she does, she'll end up in prison. The MTF isn't going to stop keeping tabs on her just because she's been neutralized. You can't live that kind of life for so long without consequences."

Niko patted Lily's shoulder. "I'm glad you're all right. You're one hell of a witch."

"Thanks." She gave him a small smile. "You're not so bad yourself."