Page 20 of Lunar Desires (Celestial Magic #2)
RILEY
I clambered out of the car into the rain. The water helped cleanse the ashy taint from my face, the cold air aiding with breathing, and the Aurora blood helped me resist some of the toxic effects of the smoke.
Didn’t stop me hunching over to cough my lungs up, though.
By Hecate! Did I hear Uncle Jonathon yelling somewhere in the vicinity?
Dad…
Mum…
Juliet…
The things we’d seen…
I couldn’t think about them right now.
Isaac ushered me away from the car, taking me to the verge. “I—” He coughed. “Fuck. Did you hear him?”
Still hunched, I brought up phlegm, my chest feeling stuffed with cotton wool covered in ash.
God, how much smoke had I inhaled? If I wasn’t The Moon, I’d probably be in a coma.
Snot and tears ran down my face from all the coughing. But I straightened, finally reaching the end to the hacking. My blood buzzed, helping me stay upright and healthy.
Ish.
The sound of running preceded a figure coming in fast to my right.
I turned in time to see Uncle Jonathon rushing us.
Isaac reacted first, blasting him with Defensive Sunshine.
Brilliant sunlight ignited the road, bathing it in a luminescent golden glow along with enough terrific heat to make a summer’s day gasp.
Jonathon roared, stumbling forward, landing on his knees. He flung an arm over his eyes.
A tickle of warmth kissed my skin, the brightness doing nothing to my peepers. Being a sacred witch granted me immunity from its effects; the same for him when it came to my Moon Illusion.
“Turn it off!” our uncle whined.
Although he possessed a trace of celestial power, it wasn’t enough to protect him.
Good!
“You fucking scum!” Isaac cried, intensifying his sunlight.
I glanced right, spotting the others on the opposite verge shielding their eyes. But not Drake. He stood there with his head bowed, his fingertips blue.
Erm, was this really the time to scry?
Jonathon got to his feet, his emaciated face dripping with sweat.
I snared him with my magic, then flung him into the ground. He landed on his side, his arm bending beneath him with a mighty crack.
His screams brought me joy.
I hope it hurts so damn much!
Okay. Time to move the burning car, the flames licking around the edges of the broken windows resisting the rain.
No way would I let it go bang so close.
Wait…
Make this worthwhile.
A smile lifted my lips, wreathed in darkness.
Yeah…
I grabbed the pathetic creature who used to be The Moon, dragging him toward me. Aw, poor him. Look at the sunburn blistering across his skin.
“What are you doing?” he wailed.
Having pulled him close enough, I threw him into the car. He went straight through the back passenger window, headfirst into the flames. His legs kicked, slamming into the metal, his screams of agony sickeningly fabulous.
“Whoa,” my brother said.
“Now for round three,” I said, using Tidal Pull on the car and sent it hurtling down the road, straight toward a big tree spot lit by Isaac’s light.
I lifted a hand, wriggling my fingers. “Toodles.”
The car struck the tree and went up in a ball of fire, the explosion sending shockwaves across the road. I staggered back, the flames clawing at the sky.
“Still The Moon!” I bellowed, stewing inside my inner cauldron of rage. “You’re done.” I inched closer to the inferno, the stink of rotting flowers thick in the air, as it always was when this arsehole appeared.
“Riley?” Isaac said, his sunlight dimming.
Something red glinted in the light on the ground close to the car.
A gemstone?
“Mud!” called a voice, followed by a clap.
What the?—
My body collapsed into a puddle of liquid mud.