Page 1 of Forty Deaths Till Us Part

CHAPTER 1

Fear strangled my heart as my magic swirled around me like a dark tornado. Maybe I was the blood witch, and no amount of sugarcoating would change my destiny. I could feel the reality of my surroundings shift as if I were tearing the fabric of time and space. Long tendrils of shadow wrapped around me like inky fingers as the training facility began to fade away.

I tried to stop what was happening, to halt the geyser of power erupting from my core, but the boundaries of the room continued to blur as my magic responded to some ancient call within. It was a primal power intent on my survival, and the cut at my throat had unleashed something I couldn’t control.

The air crackled with energy as my hands fisted at my sides and I prayed I didn’t destroy everything and everyone around me. Amidst the tsunami of chaos, I heard Cass call out.

“Raven, you need to control it. I can’t see you.”

Cass confirmed my fears. I was creating a shroud. Probably the same magic the traitorous witch was using to pop in and wreak havoc before disappearing without a trace. My body was still in the room, but an experienced witch could hide inthe shadows and bend light around themselves, so they were invisible to the naked eye.

“I can’t stop it,” I yelled. My power surged again, and I closed my eyes tightly to attempt to rein it in. The rookie mistake of Kirnen’s blade had set off a rush of power that threatened to overwhelm me. There were legends of powerful witches who had destroyed themselves because they possessed too much power and didn’t learn to control it. There hadn’t been a witch like that for hundreds of years, but here I was, about to obliterate myself.

The shroud was like a one-way mirror. While Cass could not see me, she and Kirnen were fully visible. The rookie death dealer stumbled to his feet with an expression of shock and trepidation. While he couldn’t see me, he could sense the power pulsating in the room as Cass stared at me with determination. I knew that look. She would sacrifice herself to save me, but she had no idea what to do.

Part of me was surprised Rene hadn’t busted down the door and demanded me to stop. I tried to draw on my training as a young witch and anchor my power, but I had possessed so little when I was alive those techniques did nothing to lessen the flow and the shadows consumed me further, as if my very essence were slipping away.

Cass reached for the bolas she had dropped on the ground when my magic had blasted outward. I hadn’t seen it burst from her hand, but she had likely been more concerned about me and Kirnen.

She hoisted the weighted cord and began to spin it in the air. Her eyes flicked from one side of the shadows to the other and I knew she was guessing at my location within it. The stones at the end spun so quickly I could no longer track them and when she released them, it was like a propeller in the air. This time they were aimed low, and I yelled when they impacted my knees.

The force sent me forward, but the thick cord held my legs fastened together and I crashed to the floor with a loud thump. The shadows began to rise, attempting to feed off my power as the room trembled, but the darkness began to fade and Cassara’s eyes focused on me, alerting me I was within her line of sight. My shoulders shook as the last traces of power faded like a receding tide.

I moved to a sitting position as Rene stormed through the door. His eyes went between Cass and me and he looked angry, but unsure. It probably looked like Cass had thrown the bolas to test me.

“What is going on? I felt a disturbance,” he asked.

I began to unwrap the bolas around my legs as Cass stood.

“We had a little incident. I am not sure if it is because I used the bolas on her the first time or if Kirnen accidentally cutting her, had an adverse effect, but her power... exploded.”

Rene knelt down beside me as I pulled the bolas from my body and placed it on the floor. “It wasn’t the weapon. When Kirnen cut me... something happened. My power expanded. Or I accessed something dormant. It is hard to explain, but I didn’t have any control over it. I’m just glad Cass was here to use the bolas on me.”

Rene helped me to my feet. “It’s the reason I had one assigned to you. There is nobody to help you with this aspect of your training. Cass will carry the bolas, so if you need assistance, she is there for you. It will not be used to constrain you. Just to diminish your magic if you have an outburst.”

I should have known that Rene would consider the safety of those around me. Hell, that bolas had saved my life. “Thank you. I didn’t realize how much I needed something like that, but Cass thinks I will be able to overcome its effects, eventually. It isn’t like a witch box.”

“I am aware of that, but by the time you learn to circumvent the bolas, you will have learned to control your magic. This is just an interim safety precaution.”

Kirnen and Cass approached us, but I could see the young death dealer was apprehensive. “May I ask how you can be so powerful? I was unaware that any witch possessed such skill.”

Rene put his hand on the small of my back. “It is because she is mine. Kirnen you will keep these events private from the clan. You may only discuss any concerns about this incident with Cass or the other death dealers.”

Kirnen nodded. “Raven, I did not mean to cut you. My blade slipped when you countered my last attack. I assumed since you were a fledgling, you would be slower. There is no excuse for my error.”

Guilt was a bitch, and I hated it. He felt this event was his fault.

“Kirnen, I had no idea this would happen, so there’s no way you could have. Vampires heal from a simple cut. I should never have blasted you into the weapons wall and for that, I’m sorry. All I can do is promise that I’ll have more control the next time we spar.”

Kirnen looked me over cautiously. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, and he had every right to be leery of me. Had he been human, he would be dead right now? “May I return to my quarters? I didn’t rest after returning home. I apologize again for cutting you.” He nodded respectfully to Rene when the overseer released him by motioning toward the door. And he strode toward the exit.

The click of the door closing echoed through the massive room as if we were in a tomb and I put my hand over my eyes to stay my tears. What the hell was wrong with me? I knew Kirnen wasn’t trying to kill me. Nobody did that in front of Cassara. He hadn’t lied when he apologized. He felt responsible for myoutburst. No wonder the clan didn’t trust me. I couldn’t even trust myself.

Rene pulled my hand away from my eyes. “Raven, tell me what happened? Cass looks like she has seen a ghost. What kind of magic did you call forth?”

“That’s a loaded question. I have seen it before, but I never possessed this magic.”

He glanced at Cass. “You have seen it before? You mean you are taught its use in witch school?”