Page 87 of How To Take Down A Cult At The End Of The World

I close my eyes and focus on the magic. It’s here and it’s real. When I flex my fingers I can almost feel it go solid. “Please work,” I whisper and start to direct the magic to the glass in Jaak’s back. I think about the glass vanishing. All of it leaving Jaak and turning into dust. Nothing that could ever harm us. There’s a pull and then a snap, like when you break a stick in your hands and I know it worked before I even open my eyes.

I laugh when I see the wounds in Jaak’s back are glassless. The pieces float by us and just like I imagined, they melt away to dust that blows away and scatters.

Charlie jumps up from his seat. “You did it! Total BWIT.”

“And I’m not done. Someone wants to mark my husband? Hurt himandtry to end the world? No way, pick a lane, buddy.” I put my hands over Jaak’s back and again direct the magic there. I see his back the way it was. Strong and whole, muscles perfect and moving together like art because that’s the way I see Jaak. There’s a flash and then his flesh knits itself back together into one piece. There’s no blood, not even a scratch to let on that his back was ever damaged in the first place.

I press a hand to his skin and smile. “Perfect.”

Charlie claps. “Badass.”

Jaak raises his arms and then stretches before he gets out of his seat and turns to me. “You blessed me once again, my heart. Thank you.” He sweeps me up into a kiss that has me breathless and clinging to him when we break apart.

“I love you,” I tell him softly.

Jaak smiles and brushes my hair away from my face. He traces my bottom lip with his thumb.

“And I love you, Meadow.”

Chapter Thirty Two

There’s a few times in a woman’s life when she comes into her power and tells the world to move. Sometimes it’s with milestones or an achievement. For me, it’s the end of the world. Not ideal, but you know, I can work with it.

Something happened to me today. Maybe it was when I healed Jaak but whatever it was, something woke up and took hold of me and it has me walking with my head high, knowing exactly what we need to do to stop the head mage’s doomsday bullshit.

“Okay, here’s the deal. We go into town and find the source of the blast. We’re going to use your demon twig to do it. If it was drawn to the book, I bet it’ll be drawn to its master. We’re going to keep our eyes open for anyone that looks at us too closely. Like they’re looking for injuries, okay? You see anyone dancing a stupid jig and singing? Sock ‘em.”

Charlie salutes. “Got it. Deck the dancers.”

Jaak winks at me. “As you command, my heart.”

“Exactly. Good, let’s move out. I want to see that demon rat before we go. Can you check it out first? Maybe you can get some information out of it?” I ask Jaak.

“The minor demon will rue the day it laid eyes on me.”

“You’re very sexy when you threaten things.”

“Noted.”

“While Jaak does that, I’m going to lay some protection spells around the book. You want to come with?” I ask Charlie.

“Hells yeah, I do.” He bounds after me when I make for the cellar. “When did you learn spells?”

“I don’t know any. I think I can just do it intuitively,” I tell him. “That’s what I did with Jaak’s back.”

He nods and studies me. “You’re kind of hardcore, Meadow. I mean, you always were but now you know it.”

“I guess I just needed to be more present or have the threat of the end of the world looming over my head to wake up.”

I lift the stones over the book with a flick of my hand. “Does it look normal to you? Notice anything off?”

Charlie bends down and picks the book up. The second he touches it he shudders and falls over on his side. “Fuckkkkk,” he moans.

“Charlie!” I rush to his side and rip the book out of his hands. I half expect it to do whatever it did to Charlie to me but nothing happens. “Charlie, are you okay? Answer me!” I start to pour power into him to get him back to normal but he stops me with a shake of his head.

“I’m good. You juice me up and I think I’m gonna pass out.”

I back off on the magic. “What happened?”