Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 125077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Tix turned to Gray. “Lord Sloane, I think it best that we leave here. You have a contract, and I believe attacking Myrddin’s favorite witches would be deemed in violation of that contract.”
“I’m not attacking. I’m defending my wife,” Gray growled, and I could see he was already getting into battle mode. His horns had started to poke through his hair, his eyes going dark purple. In a moment they would be pure black.
“I don’t think the satans will see it that way,” Tix said with a tsking sound. “Would you like me to evacuate Lady Sloane?”
“Don’t you lay a hand on her, Tix,” Gray ordered.
“As you wish.” Tix then moved to Gray and put a hand on him. “But you know I must protect the house. I cannot allow you to break the contract.”
I heard Gray shout and then he was gone.
“What the actual fuck?” I hissed, shocked to find myself alone with Evan again.
Evan held Puff close and seemed to be readying herself for what was to come. “He can override Gray if Gray’s in danger. His highest purpose is to protect the House of Sloane and its lord. Gray won’t be able to come back. We’re on our own, which is why you should have let Tix take you, too. You can call him but Gray gave him an order not to touch you, and he won’t disobey Gray.”
“Except when it comes to allowing Gray to fight beside his wife.” The words came out bitter, but there was a certain irony to Gray’s predicament. There had absolutely been a time when he would have carted me off if he could. Now he knew how annoying it was to have an overly protective boyfriend. Who I might murder.
“Kelsey, we can’t let them take us both,” Evan said, her tone soft. “Do you understand that if they take the two of us and Gladys back to the Coven House, Myrddin has everything he needs. He has someone who can wield the sword and someone who can prime it.”
“We don’t know that you can prime it,” I whispered back.
“I can. I know it,” Evan said with a surety that made my hands tremble. “As Lee is my dad’s son and Rhys has as much power as Papa, I am my mother’s daughter. I can prime that sword and Myrddin knows it.”
“Then we’re going to get out.” I wasn’t sure how, but I was going to make it happen. “So hide. The longer it takes for them to find you, the better shot we have at the primals waking and saving us. Rose knows what’s going on. She’ll do her best to wake them, and some of the strongest should be able to. Any minute now they’ll breach our doors, and we won’t be alone in this. I assure you those primals might prefer a nonviolent life, but they can fight when they need to. I’m going to have a talk with my bestie. You do whatever you have to to stay out of their hands.”
I turned to the door, but it was already opening.
A witch stepped through, her hands already crackling with magic. I braced myself.
The battle was about to begin.
Chapter Nineteen
Energy cracked out of the witch’s hands, coming for me with the force of a lightning strike.
Gladys seemed to move against my palms, bringing them up above my chest so she caught the hit, absorbing the energy. I had to stand firm or the blowback would have knocked me off my feet.
Something had happened to my sword since the last time I’d held her. She was more powerful than before.
I couldn’t hear her speaking with words in my head, but she was absolutely communicating. I could feel her more strongly than I’d ever before. Her needs seemed to pulse out of her hilt and straight into my brain. She wanted to be primed. She wanted blood so she could unleash hell on our enemies. Magic was something she was normally defenseless against, but she knew she could fight back now and she wanted to.
I shifted again, letting her take the lead so we repelled another lightning strike.
A horrible crashing sound shook the place even as I realized if I hit the next strike just the right way, I could blow it back to her. A howling rendered the air around me, but I focused on my opponent.
The next time she sent a bolt my way, Gladys and I moved as one and shot that fucker right back her way.
The witch screamed as her own magic hit her, blowing her back out into the hall.
“Fen’s here.” Evan put the hellhound down and he jumped at her feet, little bursts of fire puffing from his mouth. Evan had grabbed a small lamp, fashioning a club out of it. “We need to get to him. He’s not great against magic. I doubt he has even a single talisman on him. We’re supposed to be safe here.”