Page 22

Chapter 22

Andy

N iamh took the nullifier, and Elijah took the amplifier. Then we all repositioned, split into two groups, staying within shouting distance, but far enough apart to reap the benefits of the individual artefacts.

My magic washed through me with renewed strength the moment the spell ended and the nullifier was out of range. I groaned in relief and shook out my hands, sucking in deep breaths as my equilibrium returned, along with some of my senses.

But I didn’t get long to reacquaint myself with normal—if a bit amped up—functioning. We were still in the middle of a fight. Killing spells. Spells to maim. Shots fired by mundane weapons. Attacks from both SA agents in uniform and cultists dressed like ordinary people. The assault came from everywhere, and even though we still had shields up, I felt far more exposed without the double layer of protection offered by the artifacts.

The rebels were here now, coming at the cultists and SA from two sides, while we focused on picking off adults wherever we could. It wasn’t the big, epic display that I knew Bella had been hoping for, but still, we were making a difference.

Slowly but surely, we were winning.

I looked up from casting a stun spell on a group of cultists and realized that nearly all of the SA people had disappeared—either downed or run off to save themselves. There were probably a bunch of them holed up in the SA building behind their wards and magic.

Most of the remaining cult forces were children and the magically enslaved. We did our best to hold them off without harming them. But we were kind of at a stalemate.

“Stun them!” Bella commanded, gesturing for her people to start downing the children and slaves.

“No!” I shouted back to her from across the square. “You’ll hurt them!” There was never any guarantee with magic that strong, and it was especially hard to predict the effect it would have on young children. Some of them were bound to react poorly.

But Bella ignored me and started knocking people out.

“Bitch,” I muttered.

Dyre patted my back. “It’s better than killing them. We can’t just stand here letting them try to kill us all day. We need to find the people in control.”

I huffed. I knew he was right. But that didn’t mean I had to like it.

I was contemplating what spells I might know that would be the gentlest on the slaves—while daydreaming about strangling my crazy sister—when I felt the weirdest sensation… like magical déjà vu.

I stopped what I was doing, frozen in place. I couldn’t breathe. My lungs suddenly refused to expand. That magic. That feeling of calmness and safety that settled over me… I spun in place, my eyes darting around the area, looking for a miracle.

“Andy?” Elijah said in concern, placing a hand on my arm. “Are you okay? What is it? A spell?”

I shook my head. “No, I… do you feel that?” I glanced around at the others, who were all scattered in a loose circle nearby, carefully fending off tiny attackers. “Doesn’t anyone else feel that?”

Aahil was a few feet away, drawing circles of fire, trapping groups of slaves inside, where they couldn’t get close enough to hit us with their spells. I watched as his head suddenly whipped to the side. He looked around, much as I just had. Then his glowing gold eyes met mine. “Lovell…”

I nodded, my hand going to my chest to press against the growing ball of painful yearning there. “I feel it too.”

Dyre frowned at us both, then shook his head. “No. It’s a trick. Another artefact. Some cult prank to catch us with our guard down.” But he didn’t sound so sure.

Then I saw them.

They emerged from an alley, like an ethereal figure stepping out of a dream. Willowy grace. Silvery platinum hair that rippled in the breeze as they walked rapidly toward us, framing the most beautiful, unearthly turquoise eyes. I couldn’t see anything else, my gaze riveted on them, afraid to look away for even a second and have them disappear again.

A song reached my ears over the remaining noise of the fight, sweet and powerful, lulling me into calm. Spreading safety and peace, like a lullaby, a siren song urging everyone to be at ease. It cancelled out whatever weak magic the cult had been using to spread fear and despair.

I let out a choked sound, pushed one of Dyre’s corpse guards aside, and tripped over a few bodies as my feet moved without my telling them to.

“Hasumi?” Tears made my vision watery, and I still couldn’t breathe right, the air sawing into my lungs in short, harsh bursts while my heartbeat pounded in my ears . “Hasumi!”

Graceful arms wrapped around my waist as I hit the water weaver with enough force to knock us both over. Hasumi steadied us, their musical voice a whisper against my hair. “My sweet witch. How I’ve missed you.”

“You’re alive,” I sobbed against their shoulder. Their clothes were baggy and grungy, clearly stolen from someone much larger, and well-used. The shirt I snuffled into smelled like cigarette smoke and sweat. But under that, Hasumi. Fresh, clear water and that something that was uniquely them. I clung to their slender frame and bawled like a baby, completely ignoring my surroundings.

A flare of heat at my side let me know I wasn’t the only one who was overcome. But Aahil’s voice was sharp and angry when he spoke. “Where have you been? You were alive this whole time, and you let us think you were dead?!”

I reached out a hand blindly, fumbling for him, then wrapping my fingers around the jinn’s wrist. “Aahil,” I choked out. “It doesn’t matter.” My fingers burned where I touched his skin, seared by the fire magic that he was struggling to contain. But I held on tight. “It doesn’t matter. They’re here now.”

“Little flame,” Hasumi said, their soft voice as calm as ever. “I wanted nothing more than to return to you.” Their graceful fingers stroked through my hair, then reached out to touch Aahil’s cheek. “I was… dispersed. Scattered by the black magic of the cult’s spell. It took more effort than I want to admit to put myself back together. And I was not able to fully maintain my physical form for more than a few moments until just now. Until I was closer to you. Until I was finally reunited with my family. With my mates.”

I pulled away enough to swipe my hand over my wet face and look into those precious eyes I thought I’d never see again. “But it’s been so long… you couldn’t transport to us or something?” I didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth here, but… Aahil was right. It had been so long since we lost our water weaver. It killed me to think of them out there somewhere, scattered and lost, for so long…

Hasumi gave me a soft, wry smile. “I probably could have managed eventually, if I had used all of my regenerating magic. However, there was someone who needed me more.”

I frowned at that. Who could be more important than us, than the people who loved them? But my frown didn’t last more than a second before Hasumi stepped aside and held out a hand. “Come little ones. I know it is frightening, just be brave for a little while longer and you can rest.”

My frown disappeared, replaced by what must be a look of utter, slack-jawed surprise and confusion. Children. Babies, really. Two little red-headed twins, barely more than toddlers, dirty and half-starved. They held hands while the little girl clung to Hasumi’s shirttail with her free hand. They couldn’t be more than five years old, maybe younger. Powerful. The golden glow of both their aruas was so strong it was nearly blinding to my supernatural senses…

And on the little boy’s shoulder, sat my fucking familiar. Bis cringed guiltily and waved a little paw at me. “Hello, mamma.”

I shook my head. I didn’t even bother to ask how he had followed us here. I probably didn’t want to know. “You are in so much trouble, young man.”

Then I turned my attention back to the twins, modulating my voice as I crouched down to eye level. “Hello there. I’m Andy. You poor things, were you out there, fighting?” I gestured at the small skirmishes that still raged around us as the fighting died down.

Both kids looked at me warily, then turned their gazes to look up at Hasumi for guidance. They regarded the water weaver with an unwavering trust, tinged with a bit of awe.

Hasumi just smiled that calm, soft smile and ruffled each of their curly red heads in turn. “It’s okay, darlings. I promise you, these adults won’t hurt you.”

Then those turquoise eyes met mine, and Hasumi gave me a small, gentle shake of their head. “The were being held by the cult, near where we fought in the fae grove,” they said in a hushed voice. “I couldn’t leave them there. I stayed with them while I regained my abilities. Until I could feel you close by. Then I freed them, so I could bring them to where they belong.”

The little girl scuffed her feet, looking around at the circle of big people before glancing up at Hasumi again. “Did you lie to us?”

The soft, sad accusation in that little voice nearly broke my heart.

I watched as Hasumi crouched down and regarded the girl seriously, as if they were addressing an adult, an equal. “I didn’t lie to you, Moon. But I didn’t tell you the whole truth about who I am, either. I wanted to help you and give you comfort. At the time, I thought it was best to let you believe whatever gave you the most comfort. But I’ve never lied to you about my desire to protect you. I’ve only ever wanted to free you from those horrible people and bring you to my own family, where I knew you’d be safe.”

She regarded Hasumi with wide brown eyes that were too old for that little face. “So, you’re not the goddess?”

I arched my brows, regarding Hasumi in silent surprise. They did look ethereal. I supposed the children’s assumption made sense.

Hasumi shook their head. “No, little one. I’m not the goddess. Though, once upon a time, long ago, some people called me a deity. My name is Hasumi. I am a water weaver. An elemental. I was wounded when I met you, and I’ve been recovering over time, which is why I can finally maintain my physical form, after all this time.” They held out their arms in invitation, but didn’t force a hug, letting the children decide what they wanted.

I could sense no magic coming from Hasumi, other than the general calm they were pushing at everyone . They weren’t trying to make the children trust them using magic. They just patiently waited for them to decide whether or not this adult could be trusted.

It was only a few seconds before both children threw themselves into Hasumi’s arms.

The water weaver stood, effortlessly tucking a toddler against each side as if it was easy to just lug around multiple small witches. As if they handled children every day. It was a strange sight. Strange, but… beautiful.

I was getting way too emotional. It had been a long freaking day.

“Well, then,” the water weaver said, arching a brow. “Are we still needed here? Or should we leave the rest to the rebels and our field mage friend and return home?”

For the first time, I could hear a hint of emotion in the water weaver’s voice, betraying their impatience. Hasumi wanted to go home. They didn’t want to win a war or snuff out supremacists. They simply wanted to be back with the people they loved. Back where they belonged.

My heart ached. I wanted that too. But I was barely even surprised when a strident female voice shattered our brief moment of hope.

“Rebels! Give us the Lovell witches,” the prime of the O’Leary coven shouted as she stepped out from the portal that had just appeared, flanked by dozens of strong witches from ancient bloodlines. “Or die like the filthy blood traitors and beasts you are!” she gestured sharply to the side, and a blood-curdling scream rent the air.

It all happened so fast, and shields didn’t seem to do a damn thing to stop whatever magic she used. A bolt of magic tore through the nearest group of rebels, dropping them to the ground as it raced toward their center.

Bella’s scream turned into a choking gurgle as she convulsed on the street.