Page 7 of The Path of Blood and Betrayals

A whisper of a thud stops me dead, gravel kicking out from under my boot.

It’s a small drum on the edge of my consciousness. A beat that pulls all my attention, hair rising on the back of my neck.

Without prompting, my magic swirls through my veins, pooling in my hands. It’s reacting to another presence—something it can control. Something with blood.

Someone ishere.

My eyes scan the village again, searching for a face to go along with the drum picking up pace in my skull.No one is there.All the Witches are asleep and beasts do not enter our borders.

Who is it?

I take another step. No crickets chirp and the bog-snakes who hide in the ponds don’t croak. They should be making noises, drawn to the full moon.

Dread unspools from my gut making my forefinger twitch as another drum echoes inside my head. Another heart. Then, there, another.

Another.

Another.

“Oh no,” I breathe as the thudding grows in strength, numbersincreasing. No longer one, it sounds like a chorus of battle drums slamming against my ears.

Anticipation fills my chest as my fingers twist, reddening fingertips the only sign of my magic responding to the threat.

It’s an attack.One that will decimate this sleeping Coven if I don’t move.

Feet pounding, I make it up the incline, chest heavy as I slam into the twins’ doors. It swings open, banging on to the far wall as pictures and decor shake.

Tay stands there, a glass of water in hand, eyes wide.

“Max? What is it?” His silver eyes narrow. “What happened?”

Panting, I struggle to answer, gesturing to the door. Fingers trembling, I point as Nafre appears, tugging a purple silk robe around her shoulders.

“Max,breathe. What happened?”

My heart pounds harder as the drums grow louder in my ears. Gods, I only have moments and my mouth won’twork.

Gulping, I finally spit out, “Attack.People, coming here.Hurry.”

Just as I get it out, a burning arrow flies into the house, burrowing into the far wall. Nafrejumps back as I shout and before I can comprehend, a roar of heat hits my back.

Turning, I cover my mouth as the twins come to my side. Whereas moments before the village was quiet, sleeping, it’s a chaotic mess as people scream and a fire rages along the thatch roofs.

The wall of heat is so great, but we don’t think. We run right into the fray.

Chapter 3

Max

Screaming, I drop to my knees, body crouching as flames leap over my head.

They surround me, cutting off all my air. The fire pulses with anger, melting windows and scorching beautiful gardens. Women shout for children who wail and men hurry with buckets of water. It’s chaos and ithurts.

It hurts tobreathe, to stand still, to see another home burn to ash. It’s my nightmare come to life and I’m paralyzed with terror.

Standing, I turn in time to see a Crimson soldier clad in red dyed leather and a black cloth mask stalk closer to me, sword drawn.

Blood is splattered on his chest. Witches blood, people who live in this Coven, who never asked for any of this.