Chapter 789: Teamworkd
She blocked me. Of course she did. But that didn't keep me from attacking her again.
And again.
And again.
The power I released ricocheted around the room, hitting the walls, the slab, passing through Alison, reverbing back from Max as he protected himself.
Can you help me? I threw my need at him, heard him grunt.
I will feed you what I can, he sent. But right now I am the only one keeping this house from collapsing.
Crap. Never mind, I sent. And thank you.
Let Max go. Focused on Ameline. Panted a little as I pulled back, felt her for weakness. There had to be weakness. Just look at her. But no, nothing. Not a hint of a way through the shields surrounding her.
No matter the power she expended, she had accessed the magic of the chamber. When I tried to tap into it myself, the same shielding blocked me, the reason, I understood now, for its sadness.
Thanks to the magic she hoarded behind her wards, we were equal.
Maybe so, my vampire sent as I fumed over the truth. But she carries souls who do not wish to be in her company, does she not? Magicks that would rather return to their rightful owners?
Very true. Instead of looking for a way inside, I reached for the individual powers making up her maji.
And found them. Demon, one I didn't know, his masculine energy still and quiet. Sidhe, Cian, so familiar because he was Liam's, also silent. The hungry power she'd stolen from Belaisle, a black pit always seeking more sustenance. And Gram. The blue magic flickering, barely registering, in a coma.
My own egos roared at them, prodded. We did our best to wake them, even the family magic tried to stir the witch power inside Ameline. But even as I did, as we did, she laughed in my face.
"I've learned from my times taking souls, liberating power." She bounced Gabriel higher as he slipped down her grasp. "I know now how to make them quiet, to be mine at last."
They were more than quiet. Almost blank. Like she'd killed something vital inside them.
No, not dead, my demon growled. Just sleeping.
And might give us the edge we need, my vampire sent, soft and speculative.
Explain, I sent.
We work as a team. She laughed a little. For the most part.
Even my demon chuckled through her anger.
But Ameline is at a disadvantage, Shaylee sent. Yes, brilliant.
Thank you, my vampire sent. Perhaps our individual strengths can be of advantage when she only has herself to lean on.
As always. Ameline was alone and I had everything. No wonder she wanted me to love her in her sick and twisted way. I could see it on her face even now, feel a thrum of it run through her magic. And while I knew I could play that card, try to convince her we could work together, I just couldn't go there.
Was too bad a liar. And my son...
Let's try it, I sent. And let my egos loose.
Again we attacked, this time in concert, but also as individuals, my maji power not suffering for it as I privately feared. Instead, we seemed even more powerful, working as a team. We'd fought together so many times I think it was natural for us now to work as one while using our own strengths against Ameline, in perfect accord with each other. Sidhe, demon, witch, vampire and sorcery came together and flowed apart in perfect harmony.
As we did, for a moment, I felt Ameline wither and weaken, but not from the force of our attack. But under the realization I wasn't alone.
And she had no one.
She flinched as she felt me winning, her alter egos unable to keep up as she tried to divide herself against us and failed over and over again. I grinned, took a step closer.
Until Ameline released the shield around her and drove her power into Gabriel.
Wrapped it around his little heart.
His eyes flew wide, struggles ceasing. Locked gazes with me. Shuddered.
And my own heart stopped beating. My power dropped off, hitchhikers falling still as we locked into place, terror forcing us to stop.
Stare.
Hold our breath.
Hadn't we used this same threat twice already?
Were ready to make good on it, too. And despite Fate's assurances Gabriel would survive, Ameline's mention of a new path of fate made me doubt.
The sounds of battle came closer, finally penetrating Max's shield as it weakened. I felt it falling, the pressure of the house above in his magic as he fought to keep tons of mansion from collapsing in on the maji chamber. But the fight, our imminent deaths by crushing, none of it mattered.
Only Gabriel. And Ameline's power around his heart.
And then, Alison's ghostly form flew at Ameline, lashed at her. With a startled snarl, Ameline's power withdrew a little from my son's chest, even as she struck Alison with a black film of magic.
The taint, the vampire filth left behind by the Brotherhood, the very power fueling Ameline's inner undead, flowed over Alison while my stomach clenched. She'd been under its control before, only won free when Demetrius attacked her with my crystal.
Alison cried out, fell back, writhing under the devouring shadow, screaming once as it ate through her echo.
And began to change her. I could see the altering of her face, the return to the evil she'd once endured, my focus suddenly split between saving my son and saving my friend.
I threw energy at Alison even as I fought to free Gabriel, knowing I wouldn't have enough magic to do both.
Wouldn't be enough.
Gave it everything I had anyway.
Ameline's triumph rippled over her as she fought back. "I knew your ridiculous caring for others would be your downfall," she laughed. And hit me so hard I crumpled.
Pulled away from Alison, knowing it was too late, barely enough magic left to shield against Ameline. She continued to pound on me, driving me to my knees as my power faded and groaned and gave way under the constant onslaught I was unable to get ahead of.
My vampire screamed, demon roaring her pain, Shaylee sobbing as she fought. The family magic spun in endless circles, my sorcery's blossom closing over as the spark I held was beaten down, siphoned off.
Gabriel sobbed, began to glow with Sidhe fire. But no, not pure green, more like me. Iridescent, though he seemed to cycle through the colors of the powers until he returned to green again. His fighting began again in earnest as the air behind Ameline shimmered and sparkled.
She turned to look, a maniacal smile on her face as she laughed over the sound of his screaming. I could barely hear either of them, my ears dull as I fought to keep consciousness, keep fighting.
Refusing to let my son see me fail.
"It's working!" Ameline spun back to me, eyes full of madness as her skin began to fill out again, her body swelling with my stolen power. But I could see her siphoning it into Gabriel, the thin trail of sparkles leading from her to him, a straight shot into his heart. "He's not old enough for the full affect yet, but this will do."
Gabriel suddenly fell silent, eyes glowing green as she turned back toward the large portal. She stopped pulling power from me, left me there, weak and useless, barely able to lift my head from where I'd collapsed on the stones, to watch as my son's hand lifted, face blank, and the portal opened.
Into blackness as dark and empty as my sorcery.
The Gateway. Gabriel was a Gate, not just a Gatekeeper. But a maker of ways.
But, to where?
A deep and threatening boom emerged from the black as Ameline threw her head back and laughed.
"Come to me," she screamed. "Come and remake this Universe!"
And from deep in the darkness, something approached.
"What?" I barely whispered it, but she heard me. Turned to smile at me with insane scorn.
"The maker of worlds," she hissed. "The dark one of legend. The Creator's foul brother. He will give me everything, for I am his handmaiden."
She was freaking nuts. But regardless her state of mind, whatever was coming toward the Gate that was my son-no matter its real identity-would not be allowed to emerge.
Not if I had to die to stop it.
With the final scrap of power I had at my disposal, the power keeping my heart beating, I reached for the veil.
And exhaled my last breath.
Into failure.
And darkness.
***
Flicker.
Flash.
Sydlynhamitra.
***
Inhaled.
My heart hurt as it thudded back to life, Ahbi's power filling me, stirring my demon.
Grandmother. I showed her what I needed.
And she threw open the veil to home.
To Mom and to Sassafras. To Shenka and Gram and the family.
As I gathered what remained of the family magic, the final trace of it, and pulled back to throw it through the veil.
Only to have Gram seize me with the last of her own magic while Mom's panic almost shattered our connection, and pressed it into my heart.
Save him, she whispered.
And the veil snapped shut.
Felt Gram sizzle inside me, reconnecting pathways long sealed, felt myself wake, pulling magic from the chamber now that Ameline's shields were down as she poked and prodded me. Looked up to find Ameline snarling, shaking Gabriel.
Who fought her with his power even as the Gate he made began to shimmer and fail.
While the gaping red mouth and burning eyes of the creature on the other side roared so loud my bones shook.
I love you, Gram's magic said. Now, finish this.
I gathered the precious power she'd given me.
And threw it at Ameline.
***
