Devilish Game

Page 30

But the red cloaks were so powerful. They shot massive blasts of magic at my friends, concussive booms that bowled over witches like bowling pins.

I climbed faster, my muscles burning. Finally, I reached the top. I stood on her shoulder as I tugged the bag around to my front.

Weak, I leaned against Anat’s head, my body trembling from the magic that pulsed out of her crown. It felt as powerful as she had felt, and it was all bad feelings. Rage and despair and violence. Her warlike side.

I prayed that magic would adhere the broken piece of the crown to the statue, because I had no mortar or glue. I pulled the broken piece of the statue out of the bag and raised it with trembling arms.

Down below, a shout caught my attention.

It was a roar of rage. Of terror.

I glanced down just in time to see a red cloak at the base of the statue. His hands were raised, glowing a violent green.

I’d seen that green before.

The sorcerers had hurled a blast like that at Grey, and it had nearly killed him. This, however, was far bigger. Far more powerful. I could feel it from there. If that hit me, it would kill me in an instant.

But Grey had seen it, too. He stood at the base of the statue, guarding me. The red cloak was right below him, aiming for me. Magic pulsed as he flung his hands upward, throwing the blast of deadly power right at me.

Grey leapt, putting himself between me and the blast, taking the hit straight on and landing on top of the red cloak.

He lay still.

Terror surged through me, fear like I’d never known. But the stone was heavy in my hand, and the battle raged on. Only I could stop it.

Worried tears pricked my eyes as I raised the stone to the crown, pressing it to the broken section. Panic threatened to eat me whole as magic flared. Like a cool breeze, it whispered through the room. The painted lines in the floor faded, no longer able to conduct Anat’s magic.

One by one, it washed over the red cloaks. They dropped like flies, their bodies turning to dust as their cloaks puddled on the ground. The sound of battle faded.

Frantic, I scrambled down the statue, desperate to get to Grey. As I neared him, I felt it.

The bond.

It surged back into me, our mate bond, so powerful that I nearly collapsed.

Whatever he’d done, he’d reestablished the bond. Tears streamed down my face as I fell the final few feet, landing in a pile at his side.

He lay crumpled on top of the red fabric that had once outfitted a cult member. That bastard had turned to dust, however.

“Grey!” I pulled him over, running my hands over his body and reaching for the pulse at his neck. “Grey! Wake up.”

Tears blurred my vision as I pressed my fingertips to his neck, feeling for a pulse.

Figures fell to their knees beside me, but I paid them no attention. I didn’t even know who they were. I didn’t care.

Finally, I found a pulse. Faint and weak, but there.

I dragged my sleeve over my eyes, wiping away tears and clearing my vision. Grey looked even worse than I’d feared.

His face was so pale he looked dead, and his eyes were closed. Deep shadows hollowed out his face, tearing a hole in my chest.

I looked up. “Someone help him. A healer. Something.”

One of the witches rested her hands on him, a frown stretching across her face. “He’s nearly dead.”

“But not totally. Save him.”

Her gaze flickered up to mine, worry in their depths. “I’ll do what I can, but . . .”

“Just do it.” I gripped his hand, fear and hope crashing around inside me. Our bond roared, the mate connection stronger than ever.

Cursed Mate.

That would be back too, but I’d deal with it when Grey was well.

The unknown witch pressed her hands to his chest. Several more witches beat their way to the front, shoving aside their coven members.

“Non-healers clear out,” Beth shouted.

They did as they were commanded, and more women joined us, pressing their palms flat to Grey. Healing magic glowed golden from their palms, flowing into him.

Seraphia joined us, keeping her eyes on Grey. She rested her palm on his forehead, and tiny green plants sprouted up through the broken stone. They leaned toward Grey, seeming to transfer magic from themselves and into him.

I looked up at Seraphia, but she didn’t meet my gaze.

The room was silent as the healers worked. In the distance, I spotted more of them tending to their friends. Grey wasn’t the only one wounded, but he was the worst off.

Every second was an eternity. I wanted to scream my rage and worry to the sky, but I swallowed it down.

Finally, he moved.

His eyes opened.

The witches moved back.

“Grey?” Hope flared in my chest. “Are you all right?”

“I’m—” He sat up, rubbing his face. “I’m fine.”

The witches climbed to their feet and melted away. Seraphia disappeared like a ghost. But I only had eyes for Grey. I flung my arms around him, hugging him close. His arms, warm and strong, wrapped around me.

He crushed his mouth to mine, kissing me like he would never let me go. Connection and joy and comfort surged through me, like coming home.

I couldn’t get enough. I wanted to absorb him into me until our two souls became one. It took everything I had to tear myself away.

His gaze searched mine, worried and beautiful.

Everything felt right when we were like this. As if the earth were finally turning on a proper axis after millennia of being off kilter.

Now that our bond was back, I realized I’d been walking around feeling like I was missing a limb.

And yet . . .

We were still Cursed Mates.

Carrow

The next day, I stood in the Shadow Guild tower, once again covered in dust as I tried to scrub out the ghosts that still haunted the place. The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind.

Grey and I had parted almost immediately, not knowing what to say to each other. The temple had begun to repair itself instantly, magic flowing out from the statue of Anat to mend the floors and remove the red paint that the cult members had applied.

We’d lost none of our forces, though there had been some truly gruesome injuries that would take time to heal, even with magic. All of the kidnap victims were home, thank God.

And now I was here.

I’d woken this morning confused and lost. My magic had grown so drastically, and we’d accomplished so much, and yet . . .

Grey and I were still Cursed Mates. All our work to break the mate bond was undone. I’d kept calling him to me unconsciously, weakening Cyrenthia’s spell that had broken the mate bond. Grey’s act of sacrifice to save me must have been the final act that had fully broken the spell. Our mate bond was back.

“You want a drink or something?” Mac asked from my side.

I blinked, startled, and looked up at her. I’d totally forgotten she was there. “What?”

“A drink? Or a break? You look like you need one.”

I dragged a weary hand through my dusty hair. “I could probably use one, yeah. It’s been a long week.”

“It’s not that.”

I shook my head. “Fine. You see right through me. It’s Grey.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. What is there to do?” Memories of how wasted away he’d looked when I’d first seen him after his disappearance flashed into my mind. “If he doesn’t kill me, he’ll waste away. Quickly.”

“Well, he’s not going to kill you.”

If he can help it. He’d said he couldn’t control it when he was too far gone.

I turned back to the piles of boxes in front of me. All were made of wood; most were nailed shut. Maybe there were answers here.

It was crazy, but I sensed it. And with the way my powers were growing, I needed to listen to my instincts. I could save Grey. I would have to.

Epilogue

Carrow

The next day, I stood in the Shadow Guild tower, covered in dust as I tried to scrub out the ghosts that still haunted the place. The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind.

After the battle, the Temple of Anat had begun to repair itself almost immediately, magic flowing out from the statue of Anat to mend the floors and remove the red paint that the cult members had applied. Once the crown had been repaired, she must have regained her power.

We’d lost none of our forces, though there had been some truly gruesome injuries that would take time to heal, even with magic. All of the kidnap victims were home, thank God.

Grey and I had parted almost immediately. The kiss had ended, and we’d realized we shouldn't be around each other. We were still cursed mates. All our work to break the mate bond was undone.

My theory was that Grey’s act of sacrifice to save me must have broken it. He’d thrown himself into that blast without hesitating.

But now what?

Even though the bond had been broken, I’d fallen for him even harder. I wanted to be with him, with or without the bond.

I scrubbed a hand over my face, head pounding. I’d come to the Guild Tower to think about it all—to try to figure a way out of the future that was barreling toward us—but I was no closer to an answer.