Page 139 of Destined Dawn

“Is he still alive?”

“Yes … sort of.”

“Damn,” Phoenix mutters, “I should have left you for two more minutes.”

I glance down at my bloodied knuckles. “She didn’t kill him.”

“No, seems she took his magic from him. Drained him.”

I stare down at my uncle, mulling this over.

“We could dump him in a pond. There’s one about a minute’s walk away,” Stone says.

“No, it’s better he’s alive. Better he faces justice. Better he …suffers. Dying is too good for him.”

“Really, man?” Phoenix says, sounding unconvinced.

I pick up the crumpled body of my uncle and sling him over my shoulder.

“Yeah,” I say.

We start the long trudge back up to the mansion, Spencer and Tristan – carrying Rhi – just ahead of us, and I make sure to knock my uncle’s head against several tree trunks as we go.

“It’s really over,” Phoenix says as we reach the mansion.

“Yes,” I say, taking in the sight.

Because the fighting has stopped, it’s stopped completely.

53

Tristan

“Piglet?”

I rest my hand against her cheek. Her body’s warm again now, her magic as strong and as vibrant as it ever was.

Her eyes flicker open and focus in on my face. It takes a moment and then her brow wrinkles.

“Is he dead?” she asks me.

“Not dead. Just, you know, impotent.” I can’t help smiling. Utterly powerless is probably a fate worse than death when it comes to my dad.

“Wh-what happened?” she asks, attempting to push up onto her elbow. I encourage her back down onto the mattress, stroking back her hair from her face.

“You drained his magic.”

“Then why isn’t he dead?”

I shrug. “It seems, Piglet, that you have theability to drain a magical’s magic – drain it completely so it’s not coming back – without killing them.”

“I do?” she says in wonder.

“Yes, and he can’t hurt anyone any longer. He’s currently locked down in the mansion basement. Along with his,” I make a face, “girlfriend.”

“Summer?”

“Yep, someone tied her up and left her on a path.”