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SPELLS WERE SHOT AT the team. Ciara blocked two spells and blew one back at the witch hunters.
More of them were running up from the basement. They outnumbered the team. The odds looked awful. Ciara couldn’t even count the witch hunters, there were so many.
“We need to go!” Kellan screamed over the chaos, throwing curses at the witch hunters.
It was a light show of curses and other lethal spells.
A witch hunter ran for the stairs while another backed him up, throwing curses at Ciara. The first witch hunter—a strong-looking black-haired man—was getting closer.
And most of her team was just behind her.
She threw a curse at the witch hunter who was trying to distract her and jumped onto the railing. She took a quick look at the one throwing curses at her only to see the witch on the ground. Then she turned her attention to the man about to grab her by her ankle. She kicked him in the face, snatched a knife from her belt and slit his throat.
Blood coated her hands instantly. She sheathed the knife and turned to see a bright light heading her way. A curse.
She dodged it, and it hit the wall behind her, making the structure crumble. She had to use a speeding spell to move herself higher up to avoid the wall falling on her.
At least the stairs were blocked.
Someone grabbed Ciara by her throat. She tried to claw at the hands. The fingers tightened around her throat, and she kicked behind her between her attacker’s legs. She spun around and touched the man with her hand. Using her magic, she hurt the man enough to keep him still while she cut his throat with her knife.
She looked around, trying to see her team members. More witch hunters were coming upstairs, using floating spells and such, and she couldn’t see everyone from her team.
But she could see Theresa fighting another witch hunter. Ciara cast a spell at the witch hunter, throwing her against the wall hard.
Theresa turned to look at Ciara, nodding in appreciation.
But it wasn’t over.
A witch hunter tried to grab Ciara, but she dodged him. She sent a curse his way, binding him to the wall. Then another curse, making him drown in a water bubble.
Ciara spotted a man trying to sneak on Bill. Fighting another witch hunter in combat, Bill was too busy to notice. Ciara grabbed her knife and hurried to the sneaking bastard. Before the man could turn around, she swung her knife, slitting his throat.
Bill punched the witch hunter he was fighting. Then again. And again.
Ciara walked past him and cut the man’s throat, not blinking once.
Theresa ran to Ciara and Bill.
Just as a curse approached the trio, Ciara grabbed both Bill and Theresa and teleported to safety.
They appeared in the training hall. Ciara and Bill fell on their knees, exhausted. Theresa leaned against a pole, sighing. Somehow she still had enough strength to stay on her feet.
A second later Ciara looked up. Only the three of them were back.
She forced herself to stand up. “Where—”
Niles and River appeared right in front of Ciara, clinging onto one another for support.
Ciara sighed in relief. She nearly rushed to hug the two when finally Kellan and Declan appeared.
Both Kellan and Declan stumbled onto the floor. A crimson pool formed around Declan in an instant.
“We need a healer!” Kellan screamed, barely getting onto his knees as he helped Declan lay on his back. “Now!”
Ciara ran to help them. “What happened?”
Someone had cut Declan’s abdomen, and he bled onto the floor. His shirt and skin were sticky from the blood.
“He was hit by a curse!”
Ciara fell on her knees beside Declan, putting pressure on the wound.
He wouldn’t get treatment in any hospital in time. Even if they got him there fast, it would take too long for a healer to get to Declan and help him.
“I’ll take him to a healer,” Ciara said.
Kellan nodded as if giving permission.
Ciara grabbed Declan’s hand and teleported them to the Rosslers’ house. She forced herself up and threw Declan’s arm around her neck, so she could drag him to the door. He could barely keep himself on his feet, even with the help.
“You’ll be alright, Declan. You’ll be fine.”
Ciara knocked at the door rapidly, hoping it conveyed urgency to whoever heard. In an instant, Jenna opened the door.
“Please, tell me Mary is home,” Ciara pleaded.
“Mary!” Jenna screamed and hurried to help Ciara carry Declan inside.
“What’s going on?” Liam ran out of the living room. Seeing the two women struggling, he hurried to help.
The three rushed Declan to the bedroom, and Mary ran in right after.
“H-he was hit by a curse. Can you do something?” Ciara asked Mary.
“Yes.” Mary nodded, already beginning to work on Declan. “Everyone but Jenna, get out now.”
Ciara was too shocked to move, so Liam had to pull her out of the room. He closed the door after them to give his mother and Jenna privacy and to make sure Ciara didn’t see what was happening.
Then he turned to Ciara whose gaze was fixed on the closed bedroom door. “What happened?”
“Y-you heard that thud at the manor, right?” Ciara asked, her voice nearly breaking. Slowly, her gaze fell on Liam, her eyes looking straight into his hazel ones.
He nodded.
“I thought it was someone from my team. I-I asked Kellan about it, and he hadn’t even heard it. We realised it came from the basement, so we went back, because my team was still in there.” Ciara leaned against the wall. “They rushed out of the basement. It was a trap and—”
“Who rushed out of the basement?” Liam asked, stopping Ciara’s rambling and reaching out to brush his fingers against Ciara’s upper arm.
“The witch hunters,” Ciara whispered. “I grabbed Bill and Theresa, and Niles and River were right behind us. B-but Kellan and Declan...” Ciara shuddered. “Kellan grabbed Declan, a-and he was bleeding so much and—”
“Was Kellan hurt?” Liam asked.
“No,” Ciara said, shaking her head. “I need...I need to tell them where Declan is.”
Liam placed his hand on Ciara’s arm to soothe her. “Send Kellan the address.”
Ciara nodded and grabbed her phone. She sent the address to Kellan. Blood on her hands smeared her phone screen, and she realised she was covered in blood.
Liam noticed it, too. He led her to the bathroom and washed her hands. When the blood was gone, he took her to the kitchen.
He made her sit down and poured her some tea that had already been brewed. He flicked his wand to make sure it was warm. Then he placed the cup on the table in front of Ciara. “It’ll help.”
The doorbell rang. Ciara was about to get up, but Liam pushed her back down. He went to the door, knowing it was Kellan.
“Come in.”
Kellan stepped inside, and Liam closed the door behind him.
“Is this your house?” Kellan asked.
“My parents’ house,” Liam told. “My mother is a healer. She’s treating Declan.”
“I suspect it’s better to let her work without disturbance.”
Liam nodded. “I’d say so.” Then he gestured to the kitchen. “Ciara’s over there if you—”
“You should talk to her,” Kellan said, giving Liam a look he didn’t quite understand. Liam didn’t have time to think about it for long, because Kellan continued. “Who is making the decisions in your group these days?”
“We make them together, but you’ll probably want to talk to my father,” Liam said. “He’s there.” He pointed towards the living room.
“Thanks,” Kellan said, nodding, and left for the living room to talk with Ray.
Liam returned to the kitchen to see how Ciara was doing.
“Kellan came?” she asked him.
“Yes,” Liam said, nodding. “Did the two of you break up or—”
“Can we talk about it another time?”
“Of course.”
“What is going on here?”
Ciara and Liam turned to look at Henry who was standing in the kitchen doorway. He had been upstairs, trying to stop the blood flow from his nose.
Ciara grimaced. “I’m sorry about the punch.”
“I would have done the same thing,” Henry said dismissively.
“You sure you could punch like that?” Liam asked Henry, laughing.
Henry rolled his eyes. “Of co—”
The bedroom door swung open. “We need to take him to the hospital immediately!” Jenna exclaimed.
Everyone rushed to the bedroom door.
“I’ll take him,” Kellan said.
“I’ll come with you,” Mary insisted.
“Ciara, go home,” Kellan said before he left with Mary and unconscious Declan.
“Is he allowed to boss you around even on your free time?” Henry asked Ciara when his mother and Kellan were gone.
Ciara shrugged.
“Who’s the younger guy?” Jenna asked.
“Declan. He’s in my team.”