Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 115860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
I swallow. “Bram raced here to help me fight for you, even after he dismissed me from the Doomsday Brethren. He’s risking his life. I can’t desert him and the others.”
Lucan’s smile tilts with pride. “Go. We’ll be waiting.”
The three of us exit the cell and make our way up the stairs, me to join the battle, Lucan and Sydney to leave Mathias’s premises and teleport.
Shock stands at the top of the flight, blocking our entrance. “Do you have the book?”
Sydney clutches it to her chest. “You’re not taking it from us.”
With a growl, Lucan reaches for his wand, then stops. “I want to do this with my bare hands.”
Then he punches Shock in the jaw. The leather-clad wizard recoils, stumbling until his backside hits the concrete. Then Lucan draws out his wand. Shock freezes instantly, as if his arms and legs have been bound tightly. I worry that Lucan has already drained too much of his energy, but I understand his need to hurt the bastard who took his mate.
“I hope you enjoyed your cheap shot,” Shock growls. “It’s the only one you’ll get.”
“If I had more energy, I’d kill you. This isn’t over.”
“Anka is with me.” Shock manages to look menacing, even immobilized.
“For now,” Lucan concedes. “Not forever.”
Then he takes Sydney by the hand, leads her past Shock, up the stairs, and into the coming morning.
I race toward the sounds of battle, rounding the corner to find chaos unleashed. Marrok and Tynan are carving through a dozen Anarki zombies, their blades flashing. My heart clenches as I think of Brian, my fallen friend. I swear silently that I’ll destroy Mathias’s cursed sphere, whatever it takes.
Duke and Ice grapple with robed wizards near the stairs, while Bram and Mathias face off by the fireplace.
“You’re outnumbered,” Mathias sneers.
Bram’s reply is cool and unruffled. “We’re better trained.”
I creep up behind Mathias, catching Bram’s imperceptible nod. The element of surprise is ours.
“Even Merlin’s famed grandson is no match for me,” Mathias snarls, whipping out his wand. A cloud of black smoke erupts between them, hurtling toward Bram.
I spring into action, driving my foot into the back of Mathias’s knees. He crashes forward, wand clattering away. Rage fuels me as I grab his hair, slamming his face into the tile. The crack is sickening but satisfying. I channel my newfound magic, conjuring invisible bonds to secure him.
Mathias’s eyes, rimmed with blood, burn with hatred. “You should be dead.”
“Surprise,” I snarl, dropping to my knees to search him. My fingers close around the glass sphere in his pocket. “This won’t be ripping out another soul.”
“If you destroy it, there won’t be a hell deep enough for you to hide in,” Mathias warns.
“If you keep turning my friends into Anarki, I’ll rip your stones out through your nostrils.” Then I smash the sphere against the tile, relishing its destruction.
“I’m going to kill your pretty little mate slowly and make you watch,” he vows.
I refuse to show him that his threat rattles me.
“Right now, you’re going to die,” I growl, ready to end this once and for all.
Before I can deliver what I hope will be the killing blow, Bram’s scream pierces the air. Black smoke engulfs him as Mathias’s witch, Rhea, charges toward us, wand raised. Tynan tackles her and takes her down, but Anarki swarm in our direction.
I whirl to face them, only to find Mathias gone.
“Fuck!” Ice’s shout echoes my frustration.
The battle that follows is a blur of fists and magic. I dispatch zombies left and right, their black blood spattering the floor. Disappointment burns in my gut. I wanted to be the one to end Mathias, for Bram, for Brian, for Sydney’s safety.
Finally, we defeat the last of the Anarki, and an eerie calm descends. I rush to Bram’s side, clutching him as he writhes against the choking black cloud around him.
Duke appears, looking battle worn. “Bloody hell. He needs help. Now!”
I nod, fear clawing at my throat. “What is this black cloud?”
“Never seen anything like it. But if it came from Mathias, it’s something very bad, I fear. Are Sydney, Lucan, and the book safe?”
“Yes. And that damn sphere is destroyed,” I confirm. “Mission accomplished.”
Or at least that objective. But as I look at Bram’s contorted face, one question haunts me: at what price?
The victory feels hollow with Mathias still at large. As I try to stabilize Bram, I can’t shake the feeling that this is just the beginning. Sydney is safe for now, but the war is far from over. And I’m done running from it. Whatever comes next, I’ll face it head-on—for Sydney, for my newfound family, and for the magical world I’ve finally accepted as my own.
Chapter
Sixty-Six
Back at Bram’s manor, afternoon sunlight streams through the windows. I watch Duke and Sabelle prepare the transcast mirror for Sydney so she can keep magickind informed. Lucan bursts in—with the rest of the Doomsday Brethren behind him.