Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

“ W hy don’t they tuck tail like their leader? Or change sides?” Nana asked from behind me. “I guess we can’t all be blessed with intelligence.”

My snort was lost in the cacophony of clashing steel, snarls, and the crackle of unleashed magic. There was no responding when my breath was coming in ragged gasps. Her question was rhetorical anyway. My forearm wiped the sweat dripping down my forehead and stinging my eyes. A sharp pain in my abdomen made me freeze in place. Was something wrong with my babies? They each rolled at the same time as if in response to my worries.

My arms shot up to protect myself from the claws coming at me. Distraction was not good in battle. Thankfully, Aidon's blade flashed through the gloom and sliced through the creature with deadly precision. His face was a mask of grim determination, and his muscles strained with every swing.

Stella stood beside me, her hands glowing as she fired bolts of magic. Each one struck true but was taking its toll on her already pale features. I’d bet anything she was still trying to wrap her mind around being the chosen one. The magic Nana sent forth illuminated the darkness the sirens thrived in, making it easier for Layla and Murtagh to stalk their prey. I’d thought all the sirens were gone before. This was why I was better with my family by my side. I grinned when the sleek, predatory wolves lunged and snapped with relentless ferocity.

Exhaustion gnawed at the edges of my resolve and I could see the others were getting just as tired. Aidon's swings became slower, and his breath more labored. Stella's energy bolts came less frequently, and her hands trembled with the effort. We had a chance to win this. Our enemies were just as tired. That was why the lead siren's skin was flickering with dark scales. She was losing her control over the shift. That happened when creatures capable of changing forms were fatigued.

“You should listen to Nana and give up!” Aidon's voice cut through the noise as he taunted the lead siren. He parried a swipe from the siren's sharp fingernails. He spun, but she evaded his blade. Unfortunately for one of her friends, Aidon delivered a devastating slash that sent the creature reeling. Its screech was a horrific sound. It was music to my ears when more filled its place.

I gritted my teeth, focusing my remaining energy on a shockwave that sent a group of sirens sprawling. Beside me, Stella fired another bolt. Her face was etched with exhaustion and determination. “We can't keep this up much longer,” she panted as her eyes darted around the cavern in search of any reprieve.

“Just a little longer,” Nana urged in a steady voice despite the weariness in her eyes. There was the strong woman who had helped raise me. I got my grit from her and my mom. Without them, I wouldn’t have been deserving of Hattie’s magic. And I hadn’t realized precisely how astonishing they were until I was facing a divorce after a twenty-year marriage. Nana raised her hands and threw another spell. “We have to hold on,” she told us.

Layla growled deep in her throat, her fur bristling as she tore into a creature that ventured too close to us. Murtagh was equally ferocious and held the line beside her. Their coordination was flawless and fierce.

In the midst of the chaos, the lead siren's gaze locked onto Nana. With a malicious grin, she lunged, her claws extended and aimed for Nana’s throat. “Nana, look out!” I screamed. The words tore from my throat, but the warning was almost too late. The siren's claws were a breath away from slashing into her.

Tseki roared and shifted in a blur of motion. I expected him to crush us all in his reaction. Nana treated him like her grandson and gave him the family a Tainted witch named Myrna had stolen from him. Scales erupted along Tseki’s skin as he transformed into his partial dragon form. His massive frame interposed between Nana and her attacker. With a powerful swipe of his claws, he sent the siren crashing back against the cave wall.

Nana looked up at Tseki eyes wide with shock and gratitude. "Thank you," she breathed, quickly regaining her composure and magic to defend him.

Tseki remained steadfast with his half-dragon form, making a formidable shield. “Stay behind me,” he growled, his voice deeper and more resonant with his dragon strength.

The lead siren recovered and snarled with fury. Her eyes narrowed as she assessed her new opponent. She raised her hands, energy crackling menacingly between her fingers. "You cannot win," she hissed. Gone was the musical quality. Now, her voice was a grating sound that made my skin crawl. "This is our domain. "

"Not for long," I shot back, summoning the last reserves of my strength. I directed a blast of energy at the lead siren, hitting her square in the chest. She staggered, and I summoned more power for another attack. Stella, Aidon, and Nana joined their magic with mine, creating a brilliant wave of light that pushed the sirens further back.

The lead siren screeched in rage. She wavered as our combined light engulfed her. The remaining creatures faltered as well. Their strength was tied to hers! It was like a lightbulb went off in my head. Hope flickered in my heart. The fight was far from over, but we weren’t out of this yet.

"We end this now!" Aidon shouted as he obviously saw what I had. He raised his blade high. It became a rallying point for our battered spirits. We reassembled our remaining strength, gathering every ounce of power we had left. The cavern filled with the combined force of our magic and might. It was much easier to reach into the dregs of my reserves and pull out more energy when I was in my twenties. Sheer stubbornness was the only way I was able to muster anything more at that moment.

The lead siren’s presence became more menacing and her power more palpable as she did the same. Several curses slipped from my mouth. She shouldn’t have anything left, dammit. Her eyes glowed with an eerie light, and a cruel smile played on her lips. The cavern was a battlefield of chaos and desperation. Aidon's blade flashed as it sailed toward the lead siren. Somehow one of her people managed to throw herself in front of the assault. Aidon sliced through the newcomer with a swift practiced motion. He didn’t let up as he continued trying to reach the lead siren.

The offensive spells I tossed at her came slower which enabled other creatures and sirens to intercept those as well. At least they were taking themselves out. Next to me, Stella's magic sparked erratically while Nana's fell short of any of the enemy. I was okay with that because it meant she was well out of harm’s way. It took more courage than I ever thought I had for Nana to continue fighting regardless of the danger and how tired I knew she was. I prayed I was like her at ninety.

Layla and Murtagh's wolves were a blur of fur and fangs. Their growls and snarls were a constant background to the clash of steel and magic. Tseki was still partially shifted and tearing through our enemies with relentless fury. It helped that his scaled arms were able to deflect the worst of what the sirens and creatures could throw at him.

Panic threatened to swallow me whole when my magic dwindled, and that pain was back in my abdomen. I had to push myself, but every spell became a strain. Crap. All we had to do was take out the lead siren, and we could end this bullshit. Unfortunately, she seemed inexhaustible. Her movements were graceful yet deadly. She wielded Dark magic with a cruel precision as her laughter echoed through the cavern. Aidon’s black wings flew out of his back. He parried a swipe from one of the remaining creatures standing between him and the siren. His sword sliced through it with a burst of dark ichor.

With a final, desperate surge of power, I directed my power toward the lead siren. Stella and Nana joined forces with me. Our combined magic formed a brilliant wave of energy that struck the siren with unyielding force. She screamed a sound of pure rage and pain. We’d torn a massive hole in her chest.

“We almost have her. Just a little more!” I yelled, feeling the strain in my voice and body. We poured every ounce of strength into the attack, our magic intertwining into a blinding beam of energy. Aidon’s sword joined ours while Tseki, Layla, and Murtagh fought the other creatures.

The lead siren staggered as her screams filled the cavern. Aidon ended things with a powerful swing of his sword. His blade struck true, cutting through her with a finality that echoed through the space. When pieces of her body fell to the floor, the remaining creatures faltered. Their strength was tied to her Dark magic, and we’d dealt them a blow. It didn’t take long for my shifters to cut through them. One by one, they fell beneath Tseki, Layla, and Murtagh’s assault. Silence fell over the cavern, the echoes of our battle lingering like ghosts.

We stood there, heaving and exhausted, surrounded by the aftermath of our desperate fight. The air was thick with the scent of sweat, blood, and magic. Stella's gaze turned toward the mysticall barrier that still held her mother captive.

"Mom," she whispered, her voice filled with longing and frustration. Rosemary's eyes filled with hope and fear.

Stella clenched her fists as a few tears escaped her eyes. "I had hoped," she said through gritted teeth, "that when the lead siren died, her spell would go with her." Her voice was heavy with disappointment and anger.

We stood amidst the wreckage of our battle and the heavy atmosphere left in the aftermath of our desperate fight. Stella's gaze remained fixed on the shimmering barrier that still held her mother captive. Nana stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on Stella's shoulder. “Stella, you are the chosen one of the prophecy. You should be able to get past this barrier. You just need to keep trying,” Nana encouraged her.

Stella snorted, rolling her eyes. “Being chosen is overrated, Nana. I've got a magic hangover and a serious craving for a nap. Whoever selected me needs lessons in providing cheat sheets or instruction books. I can’t do something I don’t know how to do.”

I chuckled and wrapped an arm around Stella’s shoulders. “ We almost had it before the lead siren and Lyra showed up. We need to work together again. We can do this."

Stella nodded, her earlier frustration giving way to resolve. "Fine. Let's get Mom out of there."

We formed a circle around the barrier, our collective energy humming through the air. The familiar tingle of magic spread to my fingertips. "Alright, everyone. Channel your energy into me, and I'll focus it on the barrier. We've got enough weak spots along the outer edges that it should fall if we hit the middle with everything we’ve got."

Aidon, Layla, Murtah, and Tseki formed a protective perimeter. There was nothing left alive in the chamber, but they were taking no chances. Stella, Nana, and I closed our eyes, and the warmth of their power mingled with mine almost instantly.

"Focus on the barrier," I instructed. "Imagine our energy weaving together and striking it like a sledgehammer."

We concentrated, and our magic intertwined into a giant mass of power. When it was too big to hold, I pushed it toward the barrier. There was a resistance like a solid wall. We pushed harder. The barrier quivered, and cracks began to spread across its surface.

“We’re almost through!” I urged.

We poured every ounce of strength into the attack. It didn’t take as much as the first assault. It had to have been weakened by the siren’s death. The barrier groaned under the assault, and the cracks widened. With a resounding crack, it shattered into shimmering fragments that dissolved into the air. We stumbled forward, the sudden release of energy leaving us breathless.

Stella rushed to her mother with tears streaming down her face. "Mom!" she cried, wrapping Rosemary in a tight embrace.

Rosemary's eyes filled with tears of relief and love. "Stella, my sweet girl," she whispered, holding her daughter close. "What is going on here? What was all that fighting about?"

Stella placated her mother, gauging her memory and how the stress of being kidnapped had impacted her. Unlike her children, Stella’s mother didn’t develop magic. It was a good thing with her Alzheimer’s. We theorized that was why. Magic in her hands would be dangerous.

I watched the reunion, my heart swelling with emotion. It had been a long two days of hard fighting and trudging through Lyra’s evil. Rosemary looked around at us, her gaze filled with confusion. “Can we go home now?”

I smiled, nodding. “Yes, Rosemary. Let's go home.”