Page 111 of Touched By Moonlight

Chapter 31

This wasa fight I wouldwin.

A fight I must win. Grayson and his betas had come to rescue me and now they would die because of me. They could not fight Kallan on this level. It was like fighting ahurricane.

But Icould.

Maybe Kallan expected me to flee, for he stepped back as I let my powers rise. I could feel the glow warming me from inside, the magick gleeful at freedom atlast.

Flicking my fingers out, letting my magick rise, I beckoned to Kallan. “Bringit.”

As he rushed toward me, he changed form. Not into vapor or even fire or freezing rain, but that damn mist again. Tentacles of fog snaked toward me. Fingers of mist reached for the bare skin of my arms. I released a tendril of magick and the mist screeched like a banshee as droplets sizzled and burnedup.

Freed of the restraints, power danced on myfingers.

Confidence surged. I could dothis.

And then the mist retreated, and horror filled me as a dozen ropes of fire slithered across the ground, burning all in their wake, heading forme.

The ropes turned into snakes of fire, each tipped with a head familiar to me. My best friend, Lily. My sisters and other brothers. Those whom I thought I haddestroyed.

And then… I saw the face of my father, the king, on one of thosesnakes.

Only one thing could have recreated those faces – a Fae who had siphoned their magick before they died, taking it intohimself.

Confidence fled. I staggered backward. “You absorbed their life force, their energy as theydied.”

Kallan laughed as the snakes of fire slithered forward. “Of course. You destroyed the colony. But you forget, dear sister, we pure Fionn Fae can absorb a dying person’smagick.”

He cast a disdainful look at Grayson, who growled deep in his throat. “Pure, unlike the half-breed bastard you took as alover.”

“You took their energy.” It was beyond belief, even for such a loathsome snake as my own flesh andblood.

“Not much to finish, thanks to your magick. I took what they no longerneeded.”

He flicked his hand and the snakes finally reached the porch. I leapt off. Kallan organized them, turning them into a cohesive unit more dangerous than an army ofwolves.

Nicolas and Stephan raced toward the snakes, picking them up and flinging them aside, howling in pain as the white-hot energy burned them. Still they fought, my bravewolves.

A snake seized my leg. I kicked out, the fire not burning, but sinking into my skin, seeking the magick that was the heart ofme.

There were too many of them, like army ants attacking prey. I was the prey, and I was going downhard.

Magick bled from me. I could feel it leaving, as I felt my breath laboring and my heartstuttering.

King Eedmer’s daughter was dying at last, her powers passing on to his beloved son. Hisheir.

Kallan laughed as he channeled energy toward me, the white and black tentacles of magick sinking into my skin and stinging like dozens ofbees.

I must killhim.

But each time I flung my powers at my brother, he simply absorbed it and laughed, growing stronger. Invincible. The snakes abandoned Nicolas and Stephan and covered me now, seeking my magick. Wind whipped at my hair, a fierce screaming as terrible as the shrieks of a dyingFae.

“Sienna, give your magick to me,” Grayson screamed. “Doit.”

Death was close. I could feel it, almost peaceful amidst the burning pain. Maybe I should give up. I reeled back my magick, but it was toolate.

You deserve this, a taunting voice sneered in myhead.