Page 27 of Forty Deaths Till Us Part

The clan members huddled near the walls, attempting to make themselves smaller, but a single speck of the dust in those tiny satchels was a death sentence to every person in the room. Except me and the dark faction holding them hostage.

I reached the bottom stair and the mercenaries closest to me moved to allow me within the circle they had created around Brigid. She looked like a black-robed princess among her dark knights and her sneer alerted me she was enjoying being the center of attention. Ursula hadn’t noticed the envy of hersecond-in-command or her need to be in control. She would bring this entire world to the brink of destruction with her bid for power.

“Brigid, if you wanted to chat, you simply could have called.”

Brigid smiled. “I can’t infect you over the phone.”

Part of me was happy she thought she could kill me, but that meant she was going to kill everyone else in the room when she unleashed her deadly retribution. “Why do this Brigid? You would have been the high priestess soon. Ursula is getting up there in age.”

“The old bag would never have retired. I would have been in my sixties before the mantle was passed.”

“So you are starting a war because you are impatient.”

One of the mercenaries turned. “Shut up Blood Witch. We are only here for you. Nobody else needs to die.”

I arched an eyebrow. “She already attacked the overseer. He was infected by the compound. When he dies, it’s war. Surely you know this.”

Several men glanced at one another. “She lies. Brigid didn’t attack Rene.”

I realized Brigid had manipulated the ex-PSO members. They hated the vampires. That was obvious, but they hadn’t signed up for an all-out war. “Do you want to tell them, or should I?”

“There is nothing to say.” Brigid raised her arms in the air with a malevolent smile.

My power rose within me, flaring outward like an iridescent bubble. It encased Brigid and the mercenaries, forming a glittering barrier between the clan members and the lethal powder in their hands. This protection was not limited to magic and while it looked like anyone could step through it, that was the illusion. Fortunately, Brigid was more interested in hurting me than worrying about the kind of ward I placed over us. Shehurtled a flaming ball of fire, which I countered with one of my own. The two powerful forces collided in the air as sparks burst around us in a shower of embers. The air crackled with an electrifying energy as our magics sought dominance over the other. I was a witch on a mission and if I failed, Rene would die. I stood unwavering, as I tried to come up with a way to force Brigid’s compliance. Magic was the obvious choice, but she seemed as powerful as me. She stood with tendrils of her shroud warping around her robes, though she remained visible. Still, her presence cast an ominous shadow over the foyer and those who watched within it.

The clan seemed to hold its breath, as she sent energy balls and black shadows to rob me of my life. While I was new to this level of power, my instincts had been honed over the years of harnessing the purest energies. They guided me through the barrage of spells and incantations. When she sent a web of dark matter hurtling toward me. Tendrils of light swirled around me, forming an intricate web of protection, while Brigid hissed in anger.

With each flick of our wrists and each whispered word, our magic surged forth in a breathtaking display of power and will. My spells were of the light, and seeking protection. They wove intricate patterns of radiant energy that accented the beauty of the foyer. But her magic was a tempest of shadows, fueled by hate that sought our destruction. It seethed with malice and crackled with dark intent.

As our magic clashed, the air grew thick with tension and smoke filled the protection bubble, obscuring our view of the room. The floor beneath us trembled as another energy blast collided in midair and the castoff cracked the opulent tile. But Brigid was unrelenting, and her spells were fueled by a tenacious hunger for dominion and death. Her shroud ofshadows stretched and twisted, forming nightmarish specters that threatened to break.

As the battle raged on, the floor bore the scars of our conflict. Black patches of tar and gouges in the once-pristine tile created an apocalyptic effect as the mercenaries all ducked, attempting to avoid the surrounding chaos. They had been trapped inside my protection and many were regretting their decision to help the mad witch battling me. In the depths of our struggle, I noticed a decline in the strength of Brigid’s power. Her expenditure of magic had exacted its toll. Mine was waning as well, and I prayed for a miracle if my protection shield fell.

“Raven, constrain Brigid, so I may speak with her.” Rene’s voice echoed around me, even though I couldn’t see him. Why hadn’t I considered his natural abilities?

With a final burst of determination, I channeled the force within me, and a radiant whip of light pierced through the shadows. The air shimmered with a blinding brilliance, ropes of light wrapped around Brigid’s torso. She screamed as her power began to wane and her spells faltered. With a triumphant exhale, the surrounding shroud receded, leaving her like a lassoed animal for all to see.

I turned to the mercenaries huddled at the edges of my protection spell. “Drop the pouches or you will be tied up like a roped steer.”

The mercenaries dropped the lethal compound, and I retracted my spell. The bubble dropped to reveal an empty room, except for Rene and his death dealers. He had used my protection to send the clan members to safety, but he looked worse than ever and both Quinn and Val were forced to help him stand. They had dressed him in simple black pants and a T-shirt, but his arms were completely gray as was most of his face.

“Can you get the antidote?” I asked.

Brigid continued to struggle with her lasso made of light as Rene approached her. “I can invade her thoughts. It was kind of her to deliver her mind to me.”

“No!” she hissed as Cassara extended her staff and her spear glinted against the overhead light of the chandelier. Val and Quinn helped him to the center of the room, where he placed his granite-like fingers against her temple.

Rene was quiet as he scanned her memories. “I have it. When I am stronger, I will have another... chat with her. I am too weak to press her further without killing her.”

Brigid spit on his shirt, then turned to me. “Raven helped create the compound that is killing you overseer. She may make an antidote, but she won’t be able to make it in time to save you.”

“I never helped create anything like that,” I snapped.

Brigid sneered at me. “But you did. Star Canyon is the main ingredient. You grew it so beautifully, but now you are a monster, and you no longer have access to the seeds.”

“We will see about that. Rene, text me the ingredients. Cass, will you be coming with me to Powerful Petals, or do you need to stay here and stake Brigid?”

Cass stared at Brigid with open hatred. “Val will kill her if she so much as breathes wrong.”