Chapter 276: Battle
I was more than happy to fight again. Galleytrot had shrunk back down to his normal still-gigantic size, but I saw his shoulders shudder as he gathered his power. I knew he could handle the werewolves, leaving me to fight Jean Marc and Kristophe with Sunny's help. No problem. So as the two Dumont boys emerged from the darkness, the older smirking at me while the younger blew me a kiss, I knew we'd be fine.
They were toast.
Problem was, they had their own plan.
I felt her move before I could turn, reached out with my power to keep her from lighting the pyre, but Rosetta was faster than me this time, the spark of magic she used fed by her sorcery, igniting the kindling in a whoosh of super heated air.
My hasty shield protected Sassafras from the worst of it, but I was thrown further out, away from the flames, falling to my knees from the pressure of the heat wave. Sunny flickered beside me, all of her rage focused on the werewolves.
I let her and Galleytrot deal with them, pouring all of my magic into killing the fire. It only took me a moment to realize this blaze was fed by something I didn't understand and refused to go out.
"We have to get out!" I floated Sassy's body toward me, coughing on smoke now billowing out of the barn toward the huge hole I'd made. It was clear the whole place was about to go up, the ancient wood crackling overhead as the flames climbed to light the rafters. Fire raced across the ceiling toward the open loft hatch. If there was anything at all up there, it would catch immediately.
From the whoosh of air and the sudden explosion above, I knew I was right.
The werewolves hemmed us in, yelping and scurrying out of the way as the flames licked out toward them, but they held their ground. Two Chosen woke, staggered to their feet and escaped past the Dumonts.
Who let them go.
Let them go.
I knew it was important, the information mattered, but I couldn't string the thoughts together to figure out why. I had more important things to worry about.
"Give us the demon boy." Jean Marc gestured, his lavender magic oozing toward the cocoon of blue power protecting my friend. "And we might let you live."
No way. I lashed out instead, driving him and his brother back. "Come and get him."
Galleytrot howled suddenly, dancing to the side as a large chunk of ceiling let go, falling on his back. He roared in fury, green and red magic lashing out and forward, driving the werewolves back. Sunny flickered, appearing next to one of the weres, her hand landing a blow so hard the werewolf staggered and fell to his side.
I formed a curtain of family magic around us then, feeling the pulse of power holding back the fire. But it licked at my shielding, burning its way through. No ordinary fire at all, but fed by something that ate through the very protections I'd learned to rely on.
We were running out of time.
Galleytrot's magic dove deep under the ground, emerging behind the werewolves in a shimmering green wall, driving them forward into the flames with us. I looked up, at the ravening inferno, knowing if the beams fell on my shield we'd be killed. I had to get Sassy and the others out immediately.
My demon formed a wedge of her own flames, driving it before us like the prow of a racing ship. The werewolves parted before it, pulling back as the raging flames of the magical fire around us roared with a life of their own. I could see the fury in the Dumont's faces as their plan began to fall apart and allowed myself a moment of satisfaction.
We were going to win. And then I was going to ignore Sunny's advice and I was going to kill them both.
"Help us!" One of the Chosen reached out and grabbed my leg. "Please, don't let us die here."
I jerked myself free, forcing myself to ignore the moans and choking coughs coming from all around me. They'd made their bed, decided to take on my family. They deserved what they got.
So why was I hesitating? Damn it, I could save us and Sassy or I could save these miserable ingrates who would have happily watched me burn.
"We can't let them die." Sunny panted in my ear. "We're not like them, Syd."
Stupid conscience. Stupid, stupid.
Fine. "Guard Sassy with your life." I flung him forward, into the arms of my enemies, Sunny flying out to protect him. "Galleytrot! Help her!"
He rushed forward, snarling and growling, tossing werewolves aside like child's toys. I had to trust they would keep my friend safe. I had to. Because I had a job to do.
I turned, flinching from a falling beam crashing nearby. A hail of sparks punctured my shielding and scored my jeans. I squeezed the crystal in my fist and tapped into the demon power trapped inside, pulling all of my magic to me. I only had one chance to save everyone and I had no idea if it would work.
My magic found the weakest points in the barn and wiggled between the cracks. With a deep breath and a surge of magic, I threw everything I had into an expanding bubble I then pushed away from me, the edges flashing in a brilliant explosion of power.
I worried I would fail, that my magic would be insufficient.
I was so wrong.
In fact, in my need I drew too deep. The force of magic impacting the interior of the building was so powerful the entire structure blew outward in a circle of flying shrapnel. I was suddenly standing in the open, chunks of still burning wood landing with soft thuds in the distance. I turned slowly, gaping at what I'd done, ducking as some debris came back to earth in a shower of shards no bigger than my hand.
When I spun to check on my friends, I found everyone on the ground, from werewolves to Dumonts to Galleytrot and Sunny, all staring at me like I scared the hell out of them. Fair enough, since I'd scared myself.
I staggered to my knees, suddenly drained of energy, someone's hand wrapped around my ankle, blocking my magic with just a touch. I shook the contact off, eyes meeting the desperate and terrified gaze of Rosetta. She clutched onto me, refusing to let go, even as I heard Sunny call out for me.
I turned back, jerking my leg free of the horrible little woman, but too late. The Dumont brothers were already up, their power wrapping around Sassafras while Galleytrot roared and threw energy at them. Werewolves piled themselves in the path of his magic, blocking the vampire as well while the Dumonts escaped in a surge of lavender fire.
"No!" I finally tore free of Rosetta, my power surging back, spinning on her in absolute killing rage this time. "What have you done?"
She fell away, gasping for air, clearly spent from the effort it took to muffle my magic.
"I've ruined you," she whispered. "As I've always wanted to."
It took all of Sunny's strength to pull me away.
"Galleytrot's gone after them," she said. "The weres ran the moment their masters fled. We can still track him. But we have to go now."
She was right. But we couldn't just leave the Chosen here, let them go. I was about to reach for Mom when she arrived in a surge of family magic, staggering out of the cloud of blue energy and almost falling in my arms.
"Where is he?" She straightened, recovering. I'd never seen her travel like that before and I knew why. She felt weak from it, her power reduced. But she was clearly desperate enough to risk it.
"Gone." The word came out of me in a snarl. "The Dumonts were here."
Her eyes raked the ground, taking in the Chosen members who huddled, terrified and lost, as if their purpose was gone and they had no idea what to do next. She then took in the destroyed barn, the small fires still burning. I could only guess Rosetta's power kept the fire going, the magical part of it at least. Now that she was almost empty, pushed past her limits, it was only ordinary fire. Mom spun on me as a line of cars rumbled up, headlights shining over us, coven members arriving to help.
"You lost him." Her voice was deep and throaty. "You let them take him. I knew I should have handled this myself. Syd, do you know what you've done?"
My anger ripped out of me in a wave, my magic surging around me in answer. Mom's shock lit her own rage. We stood there, power rippling, facing off. The part of me who loved her, who trusted her in all things, begged me to stand down but I couldn't, just couldn't.
"Ladies," Sunny said very low and soft, "we're losing time."
Mom glared at Sunny. "Stay out of this," she snapped. "You're not welcome in family business."
My power slapped Mom, more of a gesture of contempt than attack. She spun back to me, face an irrational mask while my temper cooled to freezing.
"Reality check," I said. "Get a grip, Mom."
She shuddered, magic fading even as mine did.
"Sunny is our family, in case you missed it." Mom flinched, nodded. I glanced around at the gathered coven who stared at us with hurt and fear. "We need to keep it together."
Mom shuddered for the second time, her expression calming, face settling into coven leader perfect. "Syd," she said, hoarse and caustic, her voice betraying her, "I won't lose him too."
"Agreed," I said. "And we won't, Mom. Galleytrot's gone after them. And if you'll let me finish what I started, I'll join him."
She didn't get a chance to answer. The huge black dog loped out of the trees and joined us, panting as he collapsed to his haunches.
"I'm sorry," he said in his rumbling voice, regret reaching me through the earth I stood on, "but I've lost them." He turned to Mom, red fire dying in his eyes. "He's gone."
***
