The Witch's Destiny (Silver Witch Chronicles Book 5), page 7
“How would they even help us?” I asked.
Neither of them answered at first until Traian muttered, “It’s your idea.”
“You remember how you were able to kill that shark in North Sea with your magic while under water?” Padrick asked.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“The sirens could flood the building while you disable the explosives with your electric magic.”
I shifted slightly to face Padrick. “Are you kidding me?”
“I said the same thing,” Traian said. “If they’ll even help us.”
“First of all, how the hell would they be able to flood the building without destroying the buildings around and the humans not noticing?” I waved in the direction of Seattle. “Second, what if the explosives are triggered by magic and the water doesn’t work?”
“It’s a risk we have to take.” Padrick turned to me. “I don’t want you turning yourself in to save Ari, but I don’t want him dying either.”
The elf’s face may have had a calm collected appearance, but a blend of sadness and worry filled his eyes.
Ciprian pulled up to us and tossed a letter to Padrick. “Mr. Black delivered this to me this morning. He said the rest of Grace Greene’s communications will be delivered by his assistant as Mr. Black will be going into hiding.” He turned his bike and went back down the road.
I resisted the urge to grab the envelope. I hadn’t gotten one of my grandmother’s letters in a long time, but this one had Padrick’s name on it. Up until now, I never considered that she’d set up timed correspondence with anyone besides me. How arrogant of me.
“How many of these have you gotten from her?” I asked.
“Not many. This is the fourth one since you were born.” Padrick slid the finger under the sealed flap and perforated the top of the envelope.
I turned away to give him privacy. Whatever was written there was between him and Grandma Grace. I didn’t care that she was actually my biological mother. Gloria, my bio sister had raised me and as far as I was concerned, she was my mother.
Not even a moment later, Padrick handed me the letter.
“Why?” I stared at him.
“Because it has to do with the rescue mission.” He turned and stepped back, rubbing his chin.
I unfolded the letter and began reading.
Dear Padrick,
I know your beloved has been captured. But I’m warning you right now, do not try to rescue him. His time has come and nothing you do at this moment will change the outcome. If you try to attempt rescue, you will only lose more valuable resources and people that you will need for the final battle.
Love,
Grace
PS. Everly, I know you are going to read this, so I might as well include you in here too. Stella will be okay. Focus on the battle to come. And please use the silver dollar and acorn wisely.
I stared blankly at the letter in my hand. Everything inside me revolted at her advice. She’d already seen most of the big events in my life before I came into this world and planned every step of my life. It wasn’t Eva, it was my own fucking biological mother who had planned every turn of my way. How could I have been so blind?
Smoke tickled my nose before I noticed that the sheet of paper in my hand had caught fire, but it was too late.
“Ah!” I jumped back as pieces of ash fell to the snow. “Damnit.”
Traian placed a hand on my shoulder. His presence had a similar calming effect like Storm’s contact, and I welcomed his touch. Especially after so many months without it.
“What did she mean about a silver sand dollar and acorn?” Padrick folded his arms across his chest.
I sighed and pursed my lips. “I came across a silver sand dollar and an acorn in the last week.”
“And you didn’t bother to tell me?”
Traian tensed ever so slightly at Padrick’s annoyed tone. I touched his hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m used to his crap.”
A velvety chuckle filled my mind and warmed my belly. God, it was wonderful being connected to him and communicate this way with him.
“I don’t have to tell you everything,” I said.
“Yes, you do!” Padrick shouted.
This time Traian let out an almost inaudible low growl—a warning.
Padrick took a deep breath and held a hand up. “Sorry. I’m letting my emotions get the best of me.”
“If it’s any consolation, I don’t agree with the letter.” I shrugged. “We should go and attempt to rescue. Not doing so is heartless.”
“Glad we agree on that. But you still haven’t answered my question. Where did you get those silver talismans?”
I reached inside my waistband and pulled out the small leather pouch containing the two silver items. I let them drop into Padrick’s palm but didn’t tell him where they came from. It didn’t seem relevant.
“I’ve seen the silver sand dollar before. It’s what you use to bargain or call a favor from the sirens, but this acorn is completely foreign to me. Never seen one in my entire life.” He turned the metallic nut in his palm. “It’s got an energy signal. But to whom is it calling?”
“Squirrels?” I half-joked, but then the words of the rodent I’d seen before Ciprian arrived replayed in my head.
When I scanned the forest for the group, they were far away. In fact, they scurried from tree to tree as fast as they could to get away from the cabin. Maybe the acorn scared them off.
“We could use the sand dollar to get the sirens to help us,” Traian spoke.
“Exactly. This is our ticket.” Padrick nodded, and handed them back to me. “Even though you won’t tell me where you came in possession of these items, I advise keeping them close and safe until needed at the last moment.”
I stowed them back into the pouch and returned it to my waistband. “Now, let’s convince the rest of the group.” I yawned.
“I will do the convincing. You and Traian should take a small rest to recharge for the battle to come.”
Traian took my elbow. “He’s right. We need to rest. We won’t be of any use to anyone as tired as we are.”
I hated that they were both right and that I had no chance resisting. I leaned into Traian, feeling defeated and sighed.
But the next moment, a massive explosion rocked the forest floor.
Chapter 19
“It’s Ciprian,” Argo spoke from above. “Five mages appeared out of nowhere and ambushed him.”
He showed me what he saw, and I gasped at the carnage. Five lines of black converged on one point. Motorcycle parts lay strung all over the pavement five hundred feet past the barrier.
Traian stiffened and I grabbed his arm. I knew he could see what I was seeing.
“Don’t,” I warned.
“Fuck,” Padrick cursed and kicked the snow.
The door of the cabin swung open. Strigoi and Romani came pouring out into the meadow. Leo came last. His face was grim.
“They’re too close and they’re killing us one by one,” Leo grunted.
I saw the silver magic light up through the vârcolac’s veins. The increase of energy through the group gathering outside hung thick in the air. Both strigoi and the Romani were ready to go to war. Even Padrick twitched.
“What are you doing?” I hissed. “Calm yourselves. This is exactly what he wants. For us to react so he can off more of our people.”
“But where will it stop if we don’t react now?” Leo glared at me but then scrunched his brows as he sniffed the air. “What did you burn?” His gaze dropped to the ashy remains of the letter that had been in my hand.
“Grace foresaw Ari’s capture and told us not to attempt rescue,” Padrick spit out the words like they were bitter herbs. “Like hell. She has a token that we can use to have the sirens help us.”
“Dracu burn us to hell, like we’ll enlist those conniving witches to help us.” Leo balled his hands into fists so tight the veins popped out of his skin.
“Yet, you’ll work with strigoi.” I looped my hand around Traian’s arm. “And an elf. The time to discriminate against other creatures is over. We must work together if we are to survive this war. And you of all people should know this.”
“She’s right,” Traian said. “Too long have we fought against others with magic, mostly because Octavian wanted us to be divided.”
“Do you think those filthy whores will help us? When have they ever helped, without asking an impossible price?” Leo’s voice increased in volume.
I felt pulled in a million directions. I wanted to run as far from this place as possible, fight, rescue, find more allies to help, and someone to put a silver knife through my heart and make it all go away. Multiple emotions surged through my body. One second, I wanted to go on a killing rampage, the next, I felt defeated with guilt and froze with fear. I needed to get it together.
“We try to rescue Ari now. We each will need to leave this compound from different directions. We can’t take any of the main routes we’ve taken so far. Mindy, Satra, Padrick and I will need to make many of the disguising medallions. Each person always needs to have at least two on them when leaving the compound.”
The orders came out of me with more confidence than I felt inside. I hadn’t even thought about anything that I’d said beforehand. It’s as if I knew what to do and say. Maybe it was the part of Evelina still living inside me or possibly Eva. Who knew? Regardless, my words struck a chord with the others.
Padrick nodded and headed back into the cabin. Leo and Cornell both mumbled in agreement and began going over details of unexplored routes into the city. Almost everyone returned inside except for Traian and a couple of the other strigoi.
I turned to him as his hand cupped my chin. “What can I do to help?” he whispered.
“Do you remember how to use your bow?” I met his gaze.
Red specks flashed across his eyes. “It’s been a while. As in a couple of hundred years.”
“Then you need to brush up.”
Justina approached us from the shadows of the trees and held out a quiver full of arrows with a beautifully carved bow strapped to the side. She bowed her head and retreated once he’d taken them into his hands.
Traian slowly untied the bow and ran a hand across the etched wood before pulling an arrow from the quiver. He put the arrow into the bow, aimed at a knot in a tree a hundred feet away, and released it. The arrow cut through the air and lodged into the bark with a soft ping. Watching him do something that has been as natural as breathing sent warm flutters through my belly. He couldn’t be sexier and more beautiful. And he was mine.
Mindy and Bogdan returned to the meadow—her eyes wide and lines of worry lined her forehead.
“We’ve got work to do,” I said.
Her chin trembled. “Yes, we do.” Bogdan led her to the cabin steps.
Traian released several more arrows in the span of two seconds and turned to me. “It’s like riding a bike.”
“I could watch you all day, but I have to go inside and help. I trust you’re not going to run off without me.”
“My love, I’m never letting you out of my sight.” He strode over and pulled me into him. “We are one forever.”
He kissed me so deeply, I could have melted into a puddle right there at his feet. For that moment, I forgot about the impending doom, death and destruction, and only Traian filled my mind. As long as he was with me, everything would be okay.
Chapter 20
Ten of us left the compound. Bogdan and another vârcolac, four strigoi guards, Padrick, Traian, me, and Argo. We approached the southern port buildings from different directions. Each paired with a strigoi except me. I could communicate with Padrick, Traian, and Argo. Traian communicated with the strigoi, which in turn communicated with the vârcolacs. We all wore the invisibility medallions for extra protection.
I flew on Argo, also in invisibility mode, from above and used my witch’s vision to inspect the building. The black and red threads of magic instantly appeared as I examined the explosives strung together all the way into the center of the building—where Ari hung from chains laced with magic. Every entrance into the building, including the walls and ceiling, had been spelled. Even if we barged in through the roof, we’d trigger the reaction.
Argo and I flew around the building several times. We didn’t spot any of Octavian’s men or witches anywhere. But on closer inspection, I realized the magic from the building Ari was in spread to the surrounding structures—the ones where our people had taken cover in.
“You guys, all the buildings in this area are rigged. Get out now!” I sent the message to Traian and Padrick. “You need to get back at least five blocks away.”
One by one, I felt them backing farther away, while Argo and I landed on the water. I waited until Traian and Padrick were a safe distance. After seeing the magic inside the buildings, I knew that no amount of water would disarm the explosives. But I had to try. I slipped off Argo’s back into the frigid water of the Sound. Thankfully at this hour, the ferries weren’t operating. The nearest shipping yard in operation during the night was far enough away, that should the building explode the people there would be safe.
I scanned one more time for any humans or creatures in immediate danger but found none—except for the one we had come to rescue.
Maybe Grace was right. This would be a wasted mission. Yet, I had to try. I let my body sink below the surface.
Water, please, help me. I pleaded. I don’t know what to do.
Nothing happened.
I waited and wondered how to call the sirens. We had an hour left before the building would blow up.
“Try calling for Zafora,” Argo suggested.
Feeling silly, I pulled out the sand dollar. “Zafora, I need your help.”
Just then, the sky lit up above the water. Argo growled. As fast as I could, I surfaced just in time to see each of the buildings around Ari’s explode. Padrick’s figure came into full view as he dodged the detonations. He shielded himself while running into the building in attempt to save his lover.
“No, Padrick!” I yelled and scrambled up on Argo’s back. Why did he take his medallion off?
Before we lifted from the water, the final warehouse exploded. Too late, my witch’s vision was blinded by the light of magic release and the fire. I couldn’t tell if Padrick had successfully protected himself from the blast. I looked away, searching for Traian’s energy.
“I’m right here, my love. We are safe,” Traian assured me. “But I feel Octavian. He’s close by.”
The moment he mentioned Octavian, I felt him too. I quickly scanned the area looking for the rotting soul of that man. His presence got stronger and stronger the closer I got to the downtown area and then I spotted him on the top of the tallest building in Seattle. My predator vision zeroed in on the pale girl he held at the edge of the skyscraper.
Stella.
Argo turned in the direction of my sister and flapped his wings harder. This had to be a trap, but I couldn’t help myself. I wouldn’t let him take her too.
“Everly, don’t! It’s a trap.” Traian shouted inside my head, but I didn’t change course.
I kept my eyes on Stella. Her heart fluttered erratically in her chest from adrenaline and too much blood loss. Form her glazed eyes, I could tell she’d been traumatized to the point she’d checked out. Fire burned in my veins when I caught the look of utter pleasure in Octavian’s face. He knew I was coming for him, even though he couldn’t see me.
“Surrender, daughter, and your feeble niece will live.” His voice carried over the water to me.
“Like hell I will,” I muttered.
“Very well, I’ll just take another person away from you.” He bit her neck and then let her drop over the edge.
I threw out a shield to protect her fall but instead hit the side of the building. Thousands of shards of glass rained down with her body. Her screams exploded in my ears.
“No!” I shrieked.
“I can’t fly any faster,” Argo cried as he beat his wings.
I threw out another shield but missed again. But then, out of nowhere, an invisible creature snatched her out of the air. Octavian cursed and then sent a ball of silver fire hurdling down at them. It took me another second to realize it was Traian when he dodged the orb of energy. He landed near the boardwalk by the water and set Stella on the ground. Blood pooled around her head.
I jumped off Argo’s back as soon as we landed and ran to them, throwing a shield around us. “Hold the barrier, Argo.”
He did, while I fell to my knees next to my sister. She sputtered a cough, her gaze distant. Her lips moved but no words came out.
“Stella, stay with me, sweetie.” I placed a hand over the gaping wound at her neck. “I need to give her my blood.”
“No.” Traian removed his invisibility medallion and took Stella’s hand in his. “You are not old enough to sire anyone and she’s on her way out.”
“I have to do this,” I sobbed.
“Are you sure you want to condemn her to this life?”
Traian’s words hit me hard just like the fireballs exploding against the barrier Argo held for us. I didn’t want to curse her into this life, but she certainly didn’t deserve to die either. At least not like this. I looked up at Traian, and for the first time, remembered when he’d showed me how he’d felt that night almost a year ago in the cemetery—the impossible decision he’d made to save me.
“I thought you would understand,” I whispered.
“Everly?” Stella choked on her blood.
I glanced down to find my sister staring wide-eyed at me. “Hey.” I tried to smile through my tears.
“You’re alive, or am I dead?” Blood poured out of her mouth and her eyes rolled back.
“I’m so sorry.” I bit my wrist and let the drops of blood fall into her mouth.
“You have to take her blood first,” Traian spoke softly. “Wait about thirty seconds for your body to absorb it and then give her your blood.”
The thought of drinking my sister’s blood sickened me, but if this could save her, I would do it. I dipped my head to her neck and took three mouthfuls.
