The blast slammed into us and we landed on the ground several few away. Stars shone behind my eyelids and for a moment I couldn’t catch my breath. It took a few beats to come to, and process what had happened. I stood, but my ankle gave way under me.
Davin. I searched for him and finally spotted him. He’d been thrown further from me. I limped to his body, motionless on the ground in a broken pile. I opened my mouth to scream, dropping to my knees. If any sound came out, it was camouflaged by the snapping and crackling of flames. There was a small gash across his forehead and a trickle of blood dripped down the side of his face. It could have been so much worse. Still, I didn’t dare touch it. Not after what happened to my mom and the others.
Venus stalked toward us, her head tilted to the side with a look of fake compassion as she approached. Her green eyes brushed over him, and she clucked her teeth. “Your basketballer doesn’t look so good. Wonder if he’ll make it to the playoffs.”
Blood trickled down Davin’s face and she leaned in to wipe it away. Examining her blood-stained finger, she glanced up at me with a quick smirk before she licked it clean.
My world swayed.
“Hmmm. He’s still breathing. A fighter ‘til the end,” she cooed.
She reached out her hand to touch him again, but this time, as my rage boiled over a surge of heat rushed to my hands. With a force I didn’t anticipate, I shoved her away from Davin, striking her with everything inside me. Her body literally blew across the ravine, and landed on the graveled edge of the road. For a moment she didn’t move, but I knew she wasn’t dead. It was never that easy to destroy evil. After a moment, she rose. Her smile was gone and her green eyes were full of malice and hatred.
“Stay away from him, you evil witch.” My hands were raised, ready to slam into her again.
Venus gave a disturbed frown, and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Rude,” she said, “Haven’t you heard? It takes an evil witch to know an evil witch.” Then she laughed. “If I wanted Pretty Boy dead, he’d be dead. Count yourself lucky he’s not. Yet.”
Smoke billowed like a black tornado reaching for the sky and spilling out in all directions. I dropped back to the ground next to Davin to examine his head wound. He’d lost a lot of blood and he was unconscious but breathing. How do I get him out of here before she finishes him off?
“I’m going to be there to see the look on your face as everything and everyone you love is ripped from your arms. And I will be there to watch you suffer and squirm, right before I peel the flesh from your bones.” Venus brushed her crimson curls off her shoulder. “Now, unless you want this to be the moment you watch your childhood pal take his last breath, give me the grimoire.”
In the distance sirens wailed. The fire trucks would be here soon to extinguish the blaze.
Davin was barely breathing. His face pale and bloody. He’d been a part of my life forever. The one friend I could turn to when my gifts got me into trouble, as they often did. I couldn’t let him die.
“As soon as Adrius gets back, it’s yours. Just take it and leave.”
She came toward us and stood over Davin’s body. “I want more than your book. We both know Adrius will never be free to love me until he’s free of you.”
“Come at me then, not Davin. I’m the one you want dead.” I stood up and braced myself, willing the magic recessed within me to surface. I could feel it just agonizingly out of reach.
Davin stirred. He pushed himself onto his feet, leaning into the tree for support.
His lips moved, but more breath than voice came out. “What’s going on?” He staggered forward and Venus caught him.
Confused blue eyes shifted back and forth between us. “Everything all right?” He touched his forehead and winced.
I wanted to run to him and drag him away from this unending nightmare. I stayed where I was because I knew it would only make things worse.
“Never better,” Venus purred, stroking his chest, then she pushed his head back against the tree. “You should stay still, you’ve had a terrible accident.”
A surge of wind blew through the trees. A flock of black crows took flight from the branches, squawking into the night as the winds howled. Dust and leaves swirled around us, filling the air with debris.
“Venus, stop,” I shouted. “We’ll give you what you want.” But the winds were too loud.
She straddled Davin’s legs. Then she pressed her mouth to his and pinned him in place with an R-rated kiss.
I forced myself not to gag. We’d been so close to ending this.
A twig snapped behind me. My pulse quickened, but it was a soothing reminder that Adrius and Zanthiel were near.
Venus turned her head, keeping a hand pressed against Davin’s chest. Her dangerous glare said she’d heard them too.
Davin’s eyes were open but his body was unnaturally still. Blood from his head had thickened and was caked from his hair to the side of his neck.
“You’re just in time,” Venus shouted.
She spoke into the darkness. The words brushed against my ears with a sting.
Then she kissed him again. But not a normal kiss. This was something else. Something lethal.
Davin’s body began to thrash wildly.
A scream tore from my throat. “No!” I lunged at her.
A strong arm looped around my waist preventing me from going any further.
“Wait here,” Adrius said sharply, as he brushed past me.
“Venus.” His voice bellowed into the storm. “Stop this. I’m here.”
Peeling her mouth from Davin’s, she turned with a scowl. Her glowing green eyes lit up at Adrius. Immediately she waved her hand, and the winds stopped. The howling ended, filling my ears with a vacuum of silence. Then she pulled back away from Davin. And his body slid, cold and lifeless to the ground.
Zanthiel emerged from the trees with Abby, both of them covered in soot and ash. Abby stopped short when she saw Davin. Her hand clapped over her mouth.
Venus turned her cold gaze on Abby. “Your turn,” she said.
“Abby, run!” I shouted.
She did, and I lunged at Venus. Adrius tried to stop me, but it was too late.
Venus raised her hands and whispered something under her breath.
My body froze. Unable to move any closer to her. I tried to move back, but I was trapped in an invisible cage.
Both Adrius and Zanthiel lunged at her. Branches snaked out in every direction from the tree behind her. One wrapped around Adrius. He slashed it with his sword, but another coiled around the blade, and ripped it from his grip as he tried to strike.
The same happened to Zanthiel, but the branches were coated in iron. Lethal to the fey. She bound them both to the base of the tree, then turned her attention to me.
Venus curled her fingers around my throat, and smiled. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for such a long time,” she cooed.
“Give this up, Venus. Let her go,” Adrius spoke with stone cold calm. Only the fire lighting his golden eyes from within betrayed his true emotions. “You haven’t killed her yet, for a reason. Because you know it won’t get you what you want. Why ruin it all now?”
Her hand grasped my hair; she yanked my head back tearing a few strands from my scalp. I winced and bit back a whimper.
Adrius stiffened.
Venus released her grip and sauntered toward Adrius and Zanthiel, bound and chained to the tree.
“I have a better idea,” Venus said. “I’ll drain you both of your life force, like you tried to do to me, and leave you with just enough to watch as I kill her.” She pointed at me and smiled sweetly. “Consider it a gift. Repayment for all you’ve given me.” Then she tossed her head back and laughed. “I mean, I can’t think of any other way to repay you for the kindness you’ve both shown. Taking my perfect life and then bringing me back to live one of pure misery. How else can I thank you but by offering you a fraction of the pain you’ve caused me?”
Zanthiel shifted his weight. I knew he’d almost broken free of his bonds.
Her green eyes shot to him and she smiled consolingly. In this light she almost looked like a little girl, with thick red curls tumbling over her narrow shoulders. Only the wicked gleam in her emerald eyes gave away how dangerous she truly was. “Now, don’t try anything heroic, Zan. You know I will end her before you make it across the gap.”
Zanthiel gave her a deadly glare, but remained where he was.
“Venus,” Adrius spoke up, carefully keeping his tone even. “Killing her isn’t going to get you what you want.”
“On the contrary, honey. Killing her is what I want.”
“Your mother tried. It didn’t end well for her. It will end even worse for you.”
“Why?” she snapped in a tone dripping with acid. “You think she’s a threat to me because she murdered my mother and then stole her powers? Well, where are they? I have yet to see her wield any of the magic she claims to possess.” Venus leaned in closer to me. “In fact, I’d say her only worthwhile gift is to stop a human heart from beating, and since she’s too pathetic to use that to her advantage…”
She pressed her nails into my throat, tightening her hold. I gasped from the sting. Adrius flinched. His jaw tightened. A flash of anger rippled inside me. She was hurting him. Hurting them both. And I hated her for that. I’d gladly use my anti-healing powers to stop her heart, except I couldn’t… I glanced from Adrius to Zanthiel. This wasn’t the first time she’d tried to tear them apart. The two of them, as different as fire and ice, united in their mutual hatred of Venus and their love for me. I could never do anything to hurt either one of them. Even if it meant setting them free in order to keep them safe.
“I’ve got the grimoire, Venus. If you hurt them I swear I’ll destroy it.” My words were choked off and strained. “You don’t have to hurt anyone else. Let them go.”
She held on a moment longer, then released me. Then with a wave of her hand the branches fell to the ground like kindling, freeing them both.
I picked up the book and handed it to her with trembling hands.
Zanthiel stepped away from the tree. He paced like a caged tiger. Then became deadly still the way wild cats did, before the kill.
Adrius eyed her cautiously and stepped forward, his rage barely contained behind his stoic expression. “You win, Venus. Neither of us will allow you to hurt her. And you know that in doing so, you will never have me. So let’s just end this.”
“Oh, Adrius. You’re so cute. That is exactly why we’re all here today. To end this. You don’t think I bought your little breakup act.” Her smile sparkled with amusement. “The veil is closing. And I have no desire to spend a single moment more in this place. But I am not leaving without you. Which means if you want her to live, then we leave…” she looked over at Zanthiel and smirked. “All three of us. She lives and you’re back where you’re supposed to be. In love with me. It’s a fair offer. I’ll give you time to think it over, and leave you with this one final gift.”
Black and purple smoke spiraled around her and then flowed from her toward Adrius, entering his mouth and filling him. He gagged, choking and coughing as it penetrated his body.
I shouted his name, but my voice dissipated in the haze. When the smoke finally cleared the last swirls exited his body. The spirals morphed into a massive bird, burst into flames, and then fell to the ground in a rain of ash.