Page 46 of Forty Deaths Till Us Part
The death dealers all fought with a fierce determination that sent shivers down my spine, but their sadness at Kirnen’s betrayal would run deep no matter the outcome. Their movements were fluid and calculated, like the deadly dance of a gazelle that conveyed the years they had spent honing their skills within these very walls. The clang of steel against steel echoedthrough the air, punctuated by the occasional groan or scream as the mercenaries were picked off one by one.
Despite the chaos, I noticed the shimmering bubble at the entrance of the facility. It was some kind of barrier spell, a powerful enchantment that kept the happening within the training facility segregated from the rest of the mansion. The dark magic hummed in the air, a reminder of the potent power of the traitorous witch who wielded it.
My gaze swept across the room, searching for a figure that would stand out among the battle-hardened warriors. Brigid, the traitorous witch who had once been a coven sister, was conspicuously absent. The uncertainty sent a slither of unease through me. Her absence was a mystery that gnawed at my thoughts as I glanced back at Kirnen.
His foot shifted slightly before he swung his weapon in my direction, and I dismissed the errant witch as I unleashed my magic on the opponent before me. The death dealers around me fought with a shared purpose, a unity that had been forged through years of training, purpose, and loyalty. I had to remain vigilant, and I deflected Kirnen’s spear with a quick protection spell while scanning for any sign of Brigid.
“Raven!” Cass yelled.
I didn’t dare look at her as Kirnen circled me, looking for an opening. “Find Brigid. We need to break her barrier. The rest of the clan can’t get near us. She has isolated me. So I assume she is on your side of this bubble.” Brigid was smart. She had segregated me from the death dealers and the death dealers from the door. Compartmentalizing your magic like that was difficult, and it spoke of her skill.
“We can’t find her, but there are more mercenaries than cockroaches,” Cass yelled.
This had to be Brigid’s final stand, and I heard Dimitri yell before my steps faltered.
“Kill Cassara. If we eliminate her and Raven, Rene will crumble. He is too attached to the women.”
Cass moved at the corner of my vision to stand in front of Dimitri. “You are such a pussy, Dimitri. You stand here ordering others to kill me when you aren’t willing to do it yourself.”
Dimitri smiled as a barrier formed between him and Cass. Brigid was hidden in her effective shroud, but she was watching every event and protecting her asset. “Raven is the cause of Davon’s death. Her arrival was the beginning of the end. It doesn’t need to be this way, Cass. At least not for you. Come with me. Denounce the mad king.”
Cass twirled her extended spear. “I would rather suntan in the middle of the day. You are pathetic, Dimitri. Brigid would kill you in a heartbeat if you had one.”
“There is nobody to help you, Cassara. Brigid has ensured that the clan is blissfully unaware you are under attack and more mercenaries are arriving by the second beneath her shroud.”
It was the same spell Brigid had used when I was attacked at the store. Cass had stared at Powerful Petals, only a few feet away, unaware of the events transpiring inside. I had breached that spell by tossing a mercenary out of the window to break that illusion, and it would take something to circumvent her spell now. They had prepared for this attack and with Dimitri’s expertise and assistance, they would overrun the death dealers in time.
Brigid could create an infallible illusion and sound barrier, but there was one connection she couldn’t ward against. I moved deftly to the side, matching Kirnen’s movements as he looked for an opportunity to stab me. Amidst the deadly dance that played out before me. I reached out for the connection in my mind, one forged out of love. It was different now, and it took a moment for me to illuminate the thread that had gone dark when I died. I had never tried to use this connection when I was under duress,but my daughter’s voice whispered in my mind like a beacon in a windstorm.
Mom? Is that you?
Yes, baby. We are under attack. Call Rene on his cell. We need help.
I’m on it; just hold on.
Kirnen swung his spear toward my face and a fireball erupted in my palm and shot toward him. I stared in stunned silence as it penetrated his heart. The flames ignited his skin like papier mâché and spread outward like amber fingers as it consumed his flesh and vital organs. I staggered back as he fell to his knees.
CHAPTER 18
Time stilled as Kirnen clutched his disintegrating chest. A guttural scream escaped his dry lips as the flames devoured his skin. The once-powerful death dealer was wasting away before my eyes, consumed by the fire I had unleashed upon him.
The crackling sound of the flames saturated the air, mingling with his agonized screams. My eyes remained fixated on his crumbling corpse, with a mixture of dread and vindication twisting in my gut. The orange and yellow hues danced across his agonized face, casting an eerie shadow that seemed to reach toward me. A whispered reminder of my actions.
As the flames continued their relentless assault, his skin blackened and peeled away, before crumbling into gray ash. A shiver skated up my spine as I comprehended the weight of what I had done. I had harnessed my elemental power, this benign force, and unleashed it in a destructive manner on another being. The power I wielded was exhilarating and terrifying, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt that gnawed at my conscience.
When a final burst of fire exploded from Kirnen’s chest, a plume of ash erupted where the vampire had knelt. The flames consumed him entirely, leaving only a swirling cloud of dustand the faint scent of burnt flesh in the air. The sight was both mesmerizing and horrifying as a squeak escaped from my lips.
As the last traces of smoke dissipated into the air and his ashes settled on the floor, I froze with a heavy breath. The weight of my actions shrouded me like a heavy cloak, a haunting reminder of the darkness I was capable of. Kirnen’s disintegrating flesh had not only destroyed him physically, but ignited a turmoil within my own soul. I was the prophesied Blood Witch.
Guilt washed over me as I grappled with the choices I had made. I had taken a life, no matter how misdirected it might have been. The power I had tapped into had come with a cost that I was unsure I could pay, making me wonder if I could ever find redemption for what I had become.
In the wake of my remorse at Kirnen’s death and the manner in which I allowed his demise, a dark shroud began to form close to me. I had seen Brigid’s special ability several times, and I backed away, knowing she would step from her perfect hiding place any second. As her black robes emerged from the shroud, Dimitri stepped through the protection spell separating me from Cass and the rest of the clan.
His suit was perfect, and it was obvious Brigid had ensured nobody touched him, but his sneer was vicious as he approached me. “Kirnen was a fool. He declined Brigid’s protection spell and now I must kill you myself. I prefer not to engage in such unpleasantness personally, but exceptions can be made for the king’s whore.”
I grunted. “You are just pissed because neither Cass nor I would have anything to do with you. Cassara was right. You are pathetic.”
Dimitri hissed as he pulled a small dagger from his suit jacket. It didn’t look that imposing, but if I knew Brigid at all, that blade was dipped in poison. Since I was cut off from Reneand his powerful blood, I trusted that the traitorous witch could kill me, given time.