Chapter Fourteen

August

Nova screamed as the shackle exploded from Harvest’s spell. I had no flesh, but my ears rang as Nova’s arm burst apart. The nasty crack in her bones was like a stab to the heart, knowing she was in pain. The blast couldn’t hurt me, but I still staggered backward from the force of it. Nova’s left hand went flying, smacking the cave wall with a thwack. The severed hand twitched once, and bile rose in my throat.

It fucking disgusted me to know I caused the pain. While I had every intention of freeing Nova, nothing could have prepared me to see her ripped in half. She was bent on one knee, blood squirting from her severed limb. Like I was her servant, I dropped to my knees in front of her as my skin returned.

Her head drooped as she swayed. “What are you doing?” she slurred. “Change back. Hurry and take another band off my other wrist!”

“Does this mean the ones on your left arm are gone?” I asked.

“No. The two you didn’t unlatch will still be on my arm when it grows back.”

“Fuck.” I pulled at my hair.

She narrowed her eyes. “August, you’re wasting time.”

My mate was strong. I knew she would be if she had been stuck with Harvest all those years, but how was she still alive with those wounds? If she fell unconscious, I could remove them without her experiencing the pain. Her dark skin was paler and the pink complexion around her left eye was whiter from blood loss. My essence woven through hers floated toward her missing limb. Already, the tendons, bones, and muscles grew back, starting at her elbow.

I’m sorry, Nova.

I reached out and unhooked all three from her right wrist. Using one hand, I pulled at them. Nova screamed again. Fire lit into my chest and hand as the bands detonated. I didn’t know how many of the three I got off. I was glad I didn’t use both arms since the explosion tore my arm apart. Blood covered the surrounding ground around us. My left arm was already growing back quicker than hers. She shared my abilities, but I didn’t think she’d ever tried reaching into the powers given to her through our bond. She didn’t know. I would have to show her everything.

“What… were… you thinking?” Her voice was a mere whisper. “Change back into the scary thing. They’ll be here.”

“If you’re going to suffer, I refuse to let you do it alone,” I promised. I wouldn’t let her experience that pain alone. If that was the price of her freedom, I’d gladly pay it a thousand times over.

Nova’s face paled as she gazed behind me. I sensed the proxy immediately as his power rippled in the air like a small storm slapping into me from behind. I stood and stiffened as pain shot into my back. Blood spewed from my mouth as a sword burst out of my stomach. The blade twisted, and I gripped the weapon with my right hand to stop the movement. Shit. It was like my guts were being chopped, then stirred.

I gritted my teeth as the agony ripped into me.

“Why did you have to stand right when I moved? I aimed for the heart.” That proxy was the fucker who kidnapped Joy. I recognized his pathetic voice.

I locked eyes with Nova and wished I hadn’t. Terror consumed her, twisting and morphing those lovely features of hers. She thought that someone had caught us. She peered straight through me like I failed to save her again, but I hadn’t. That day couldn’t end until she returned with me, no matter how long it lasted.

“You…” she said and then face-planted into the ground.

What was she going to say to me? You pig-headed idiot? Or maybe, You fool?

With a roar, I pushed myself off the blade.

“I don’t think so,” the warlock muttered, wiggling the blade. The fucker was using his magic. His voice was too distant for him to be right behind me. I guessed that meant I should use my power, too.

Materializing my scythe, I morphed it into hundreds of tiny daggers and sent them out behind me. I didn’t know where he was. The sword’s movement stopped, and I reached back and yanked it out of my back. No matter how many times I’d pulled a weapon from my body, the pain was no less excruciating. I screamed, but didn’t waste time as I spun around. Sliding out of my flesh, I became skeletal again. I wouldn’t risk being trapped by a weapon again. I wasn’t immune to magic in either form, but most physical attacks couldn’t harm me while skeletal.

The warlock stood several yards in the distance. A black barrier kept the daggers away from him. The warlock was a proxy, which meant he was powerful, but killable. Nova and the proxy were so different from each other. Nova allowed me close, despite my power, because she wanted to inflict damage. Even before becoming immortal, I believed my little star would still be reckless. The warlock would do everything in his power to keep his distance. The coward waited until we had left Prudence and Joy to kidnap Joy. Nova was a far superior proxy to him. All I needed was to get close. No amount of magic would protect him once I broke through his shields.

“You’re not taking her from me.”

From… him? I stalked toward him. “I already planned to kill you for kidnapping, Joy. Don’t provoke me further. I can make dying last a while.” When his hand moved, I faded, then re-faded into the trees above him. “I bet you’re thinking you’ll escape.”

The warlock lifted his head. His black barrier darkened around him as if he threw more of his magic into it.

“Yes, I do.” He grinned. “And I’ll be taking Nova with me.”

Something really pissed me off about the proxy warlock.

Several roars shook the trees. I glanced around to see the forest was on fire. Trees snapped in two as three dragons flew, more like plowed, through them.

“You brought pets,” I said while inwardly I groaned. Fuck. We were in the human world. I should have brought Nova to Grim’s woods to argue, but I worried the family would be mean to her. Worse, I feared she’d do her bad witch shit to them. We had enough damage control to do as it was for everything she had done already!

I called the daggers back as one and grabbed my scythe as it floated to me. Our powers and weapons no longer hurt the Harvest’s dragons. So, we had imbued one of Payne’s fangs into our weapons, but I hadn’t been around the family enough to know if it was a success. I’d know soon.

What should I do about the warlock while I killed three dragons?

When I glanced down, though, he was gone. I faded to Nova. The proxy stood beside her with his barrier. I swung my scythe down on top of it. The shield wobbled but didn’t collapse.

The warlock pointed behind me. “I don’t think you should worry about me.”

As I turned, I quickly scooped Nova up right when a spell hit me. There was a stinging pain in my abdomen. My ribcage snapped apart, then I sensed my essence pulling the bones back where they belong. I felt immense heat and had just enough time to fade with Nova before the flames engulfed us. I re-faded back into the woods. As much as I wished to get Nova away from the proxy, I couldn’t leave the dragons there.

Before she revived, I placed her against a tree, turned my head, and yanked two of the bands on her left ankle. She woke up screaming. Pain rattled through my bones from the explosion, but I was fine. She lost her foot and more blood spewed. I wished I had Joy’s or Mom’s ability to heal.

I cupped Nova’s cheek. “I know I said I’d suffer with you, but I’ve got dragons and a pesky warlock to protect you—”

Branches snapped. I didn’t get the chance to turn. Pressure closed around my arm and chest as the dragon’s teeth bit down on me. The beast lifted me into the air. He continued to take me higher, away from Nova, and away from the warlock who tried to take her.

While my hand was stuck inside the dragon’s mouth, an idea came to me. I dematerialized my scythe just so I could materialize it into my other hand—the one inside the dragon’s mouth. The beast’s wail came instantly. He shook his head, loosening his teeth, and I slipped out enough to float mid-air. I thrust the blade deeper into the roof of his mouth before yanking it out. Blood spewed. Hovering beneath him, I swung and cut open his stomach. Flies flew out from the gaping wound and a trickle of blackish stuff oozed out.

I didn’t see how Harvest had dragon corpses flying around. And he kept strengthening them. Payne’s fangs helped my weapon, at least. I could cut into the dragons again.

If I didn’t kill the creature, that should slow him down, at least. I wouldn’t risk any more time away from Nova, so I faded back. The proxy was slinging her over his shoulder when I re-faded.

“ Put. Her. Down ,” I yelled.

His gaze snapped to my empty sockets. “Jesus, you really are horrifying in that form.”

“Why?” I slammed my blade over his shield as the flapping of wings neared. Fuck. Another dragon. One problem at a time. I had to get Nova out of that proxy’s arms. “Do you see your death?” I asked.

“To think you tried to take her from me back then like Harvest, and you try again now!”

I froze mid-swing, staring at the proxy. My thoughts spiraled. Had Joy or Prudence given me the proxy’s name? Why did that suddenly seem so important? I should have listened more. Something about his words twisted my insides. Take her?

“ Boom .” Nova’s soft voice broke through the forest.

A guttural cracking sound rang in the air. The proxy screamed as his chest burst open. Blood and meaty chunks dropped to the ground. Nova slid off his shoulder and stood before him as he staggered. My essence brightened around my bones as I drank her in. Bloodied and ripped dress, she was a sight to behold. “Don’t you dare, Derrick—”

I froze at Nova’s words.

Derrick ported. Derrick. Derrick. No. Fucking no. Not that Derrick.

“He keeps healing elixirs on him.” Nova turned quickly. “If we keep letting him run, we will never kill him.”

“He’s the one who held you and the others captive,” I stated, knowing I had to be right. It made sense for him to be that proxy. The rage inside me bubbled to the surface. My essence moved erratically as I thought back to the times he’d been around my sisters. The hurt he inflicted wasn’t just on Joy and my family. He fucking stole my other family… My long-time enemy was so close, and I didn’t recognize him.

“You mean the proxy who kidnapped Joy, who walked inside my parent’s home as an imposter. The one who fucking smirked at me every time he saw me is the same bastard who…” I thought of the spell she did in those barren woods so long ago. The magic was supposed to protect her from unwanted touches. She was defending herself from Derrick. “You mean our enemy has been right under my nose, and I didn’t fucking know? I’ll kill him!”

Nova raised her hand and yelled, “Boom!” I had forgotten about the other two dragons until I heard their last shrieks. I saw no visible wounds as the dragons fell through the trees, but Nova never attacked the outside. She always went for the organs. She was wicked like that. Branches kept snapping as the dragons descended. Worrying they might drop on us, I scooped her up, causing her to gasp. I faded us, then re-faded several yards ahead.

“They’ll be more,” she said before I could say or do anything. She grabbed my boned hand and lifted it to the collar on her neck, then nodded.

“Forgive me,” I whispered right as her head blew off.