Second Chapter Preview: A Witch in Time

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A Witch in Time

 

 

 

Chapter One 

 

“What do you think, darling?”

Elise Henney watched as her mother twirled around in the private dressing room at Bloomingdales, the green skirt of her dress swirling around her slim legs. “You look great, Mom,” she replied. “Just perfect.”

“Oh, you should try it on then,” Lara exclaimed. “If it looks good on me, then it’ll look good on you too.” They were, after all, identical in stature—same petite, curvy frame and flaming red hair, though Elise’s electric blue eyes were inherited from her father.

Elise chuckled. “When you told me you wanted to go shopping, did you really mean for me or for you?”

“Why, for me of course, but you can pick up one or two things for yourself, you know. I mean, what are you going to wear tonight?”

Her mother was talking about Lucas Anderson’s ascension ceremony, the reason they were in New York in the first place. Her own father was Alpha of the San Francisco clan and had close ties with the Andersons, but he couldn’t make it due to a scheduling conflict, and neither could her brother, Donovan.

So that meant her mother had to go, and she’d insisted on Elise coming to join her for the long weekend. She initially protested because that wasn’t much time, but Lara was insistent. “We’ll take the jet, fly in on Thursday night and leave Sunday morning,” her mother had said. “Besides, we’ll be staying with Daric and Meredith. She was complaining she didn’t get to spend time with you the last time you were there.” It wasn’t like she could protest; it was an official function, and as the eldest daughter of the Alpha, she had to go.

“I brought something to wear,” she sighed. “It’s perfectly fine. Besides, I can’t afford that dress.”

Lara sat down next to her. “Then I’ll buy it for you.”

“No, Mom.” She’d been on her own for nearly a decade now, and besides accepting rides on the jet to go to official Lycan functions and the occasional vacation with her family, she paid for everything she needed and wanted with her own hard-earned money. “It’s fine. No one’s going to be looking at me there anyway.”

“Are you sure?” Lara said in a playful voice. “I mean, there will be lots of single—”

Elise stood up. “Maybe I will try it on.” God, she would rather do that than have this discussion with her mother. Again. “Where’s that personal shopper they assigned us?”

Lara’s eyes lit up. “Wonderful, darling. But,” she stood up and placed a hand over her daughter’s hands. Or rather, over the gloves she was wearing. “Why don’t you take those off? They don’t exactly match the dress.”

She yanked her hands away as if burned by fire. “No, I don’t think so,” she said in a flat tone. “I’ve changed my mind about trying on the dress. I’ll wait for you outside. Take your time.” Taking a deep breath, she walked out of the dressing room, closing the door behind her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and walked out to the main floor, pretending to browse through a rack of clothes.

Her inner wolf whined in a soothing manner. It was funny how she always felt at peace with her Lycan side. Her animal had always been a caring, sensitive creature, so in tune with her moods that some days it felt like it knew her better that she did herself.

I’m fine, she told it. We’re fine.

She loved her mother, she really did. But sometimes Lara just didn’t understand. Or maybe she was disappointed in her. Of course, she would never say it out loud, but Elise didn’t miss the disappointed looks on her mother’s face whenever the subject of her eldest daughter and magic was brought up.

But that’s what she was. A disappointment. She was the first hybrid—half Lycan, half witch—child born of a True Mate pairing, and yet, she was squandering away all her potential.

“Elise!”

Painting a smile on her face, she turned her head and saw her mother rushing out of the dressing room. “Yes, Mom?”

“I just …” Lara swallowed a big gulp of air. “Darling, I’m sorry. For being so stubborn about the whole … I mean, I won’t take you shopping again.”

She knew that Lara didn’t want to say the words. And frankly she was glad not to hear them. “It’s fine, Mom. I do like spending time with you. And it’s been a while since we had a girls’ weekend. Just you and me.”

She really was happy to spend time with her mother, and since they weren’t in San Francisco, it didn’t remind her of the past. After she came back to California when she graduated, she moved to Napa Valley where she worked for a non-profit animal shelter. It was perfect for her—the location and the job. For one thing, she loved being out in nature, and her home in the middle of the vineyards meant plenty of privacy where she would often shift into her wolf form and roam the hills. And for another, she adored her job. For some reason, animals loved her; her brother often joked she must be some kind of Disney princess. Growing up, she had always rescued stray dogs and injured birds.

She couldn’t help it, not when she was a child, and not now. It was like her inner wolf came with the nurturing nature witches naturally had. At least that was one thing she got from her magical heritage.

“I’m famished.” Lara looped her arm through her daughter’s. “Why don’t we head back to the loft? Your Aunt Meredith said she’s got lunch ready, and Aunt Jade’s joining us too.”

“Sounds great.”

Elise grabbed a few of the bags from Lara, and they headed outside to catch a cab downtown. As soon as they stepped out of the air-conditioned building, she stopped.

Lara cocked her head. “Elise?”

Her wolf went into alert, and a prickling sensation crawled over the back of her neck. Like someone stepping over your grave. Or they were being watched.

Looking up, she saw someone across the street looking their way. A figure in a dark hoodie. A large truck barreled by and obscured her view, and by the time it moved along, he or she was gone.

She shrugged. “It’s … nothing. I just remembered something.” Her inner wolf, however, was not calming down. Its ears perked up, and it sniffed the air as if trying to find a scent of something.

Her mother had raised her hand to signal a passing cab. “All right, let’s head back.”

Traffic during this hour of the day was surprisingly light, and soon they were walking into the loft in Tribeca where Lara’s two best friends, Jade Creed and Meredith Jonasson, lived with their husbands. The large former industrial space was actually split into two separate apartments that housed the two families.

As she and Lara walked into the Jonasson apartment, Elise felt a wave of nostalgia. Growing up, she would visit New York often with the rest of her siblings, and she had lots of fond memories in this place. Playing dolls with Deedee and Astrid on the living room carpet. Going to the rooftop garden with Cross and Gunnar. Sleeping over at the Creed apartment and eating junk food and playing video games all night with Bastian and Wyatt. Or the big, family-style dinners they would have—and they were big since Lycans ate a lot.

And today was no different. It was Chinese takeout day, based on the white boxes heaped on the kitchen table. Two women hovered over the mountain of food as the kitchen TV blasted in the background.

“And now, for news abroad,” boomed the nasal voice of the famous gossip TV news anchor. “It’s been a few weeks since the death of his father, King Nassir Assam Salamuddin, but Prince Karim Idris Salamuddin still hasn’t taken the throne. Is the playboy prince going to be crowned soon? Palace insiders say he doesn’t want to give up his freedom, though official statements say that the coronation will happen after an appropriate mourning period.”

“And when is that?” the flamboyant co-host interjected. “I’m dying to see His Highness wearing that crown.”

“Who knows?” the host replied. “Zhobghadi is a such a mysterious country, and it’s only recently they’ve even been on anyone’s radar. As you know, the late king set the tongues wagging when he married an English—”

Jade Creed grabbed the remote control and pointed it at the TV, silencing it. “Ugh, I don’t know why you listen to this trash.”

“Hey!” Meredith Jonasson protested. “I can’t watch the real news anymore, it’s too depressing. I’d rather learn about which celebrity is screwing who.” When she saw Lara and Elise walking into the kitchen, she turned to them. “Did you guys get any good stuff?”

“A couple of things.” Lara raised the shopping bags in her hand in the air.

Jade’s light green eyes sparkled with mirth. “That’s more than a couple of things.” She walked over from where she was sitting on one of the stools and hugged her friend before turning to Elise. “Hey, Elise, did you survive shopping with your mom?”

“Mostly,” she joked.

“Did you have Daric head to Shanghai for all of this?” Lara gestured to the food on the table. While most people would think that sounded crazy, it was a normal occurrence in the Jonasson household since Daric was a warlock who could travel great distances in the blink of an eye.

“Nah, he’s too busy,” Meredith said. “I got takeout from Emerald Dragon.” She pointed to the empty stools. “C’mon, eat up.”

Elise took the seat next to Aunt Jade, who handed her a plate of rice and a pair of chopsticks. She thanked her and began to dig into the vast amount of dishes piled on the table.

“How’s Astrid doing?” Lara asked Meredith. “And the baby?”

“She’s doing amazing, of course,” Meredith answered through a mouthful of General Tso’s chicken. “The job’s stressing her out a bit, but I know she’ll do well there too.”

“I can’t believe Lucas chose her to be Beta.” Jade reached for an egg roll and plopped it on her plate. “I mean, I know she’ll be great, and hello—a female Beta? It’s about time. But it was still a surprise.”

“To me too,” Meredith admitted. “But I’m so fucking proud of her.”

“And you let her know by arguing with her, right?” Lara snickered. “You guys are so much alike.”

“Hey, she’s the one who thinks she knows everything, while I’ve only been working as second-in-command for the Lycan Security Team for almost three decades.” Meredith swallowed and turned to Jade. “Speaking of daughters, how’s Dee? Is she enjoying the field work?”

Perhaps it was because of her sensitive, nurturing nature that Elise noticed the fleeting, pained expression in Jade’s eyes. But the other woman quickly composed herself and took a sip of water. “She’s doing great. Calls every few days, though I wish it was more often. But it’s not like they have cell reception in the middle of nowhere.” Deedee Creed was a professor of Archeology at New York University. Elise had heard from her mother that she had left New York a couple of weeks ago after receiving a grant to do some field work.

“What is she doing again?” Lara asked. “And where is she?”

Jade pursed her lips. “Her focus is on the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia, so she’s going all over the Middle East. When she last called me, she was in Lahore. She’ll be there for a couple of months before she makes her way to Afghanistan.”

“Sounds exciting,” Meredith said.

“And dangerous,” Lara added. “I’m surprised Sebastian let her go.”

“Well, she’s a grown woman, and she loves her job.” Jade looked around as if worried someone was listening in, then lowered her voice. “Don’t tell anyone, but of course Sebastian has people looking out for her. He found out who was doing the security for Deedee’s team and underbid them and got the contract instead. He’s got eyes on her at all times.”

“And Deedee doesn’t know?” Lara asked.

Jade shook her head. “She’ll be furious if she found out. You know how daughters are. They can be so hardheaded.”

“Yeah, we only want what’s best for them,” Meredith said. “Why can’t they just listen to us? And do what we tell them?” She shook her head. “Oh Lara, you’re so lucky Elise is a good girl. She listens to you, right? And she’s got a good, stable job that doesn’t require her to go into dangerous situations?”

Elise nearly choked on the piece of broccoli that she was chewing, but stifled the urge to spit it out until her eyes watered.

Lara laughed. “Elise has always been a dream.” She smiled warmly at her. “You were never a fussy baby. Always slept through the night, rarely cried, ate anything we put in front of you. Plus, you were a straight A student and never got into trouble.”

Yes, that’s who she was all right. The good girl.

“And you work with animals,” Meredith said.

“She loves her work, and she’ll probably be made director of the shelter soon.”

“Mom.” Elise slapped a hand over her forehead. “It’s not sure yet. My boss just talked to me about retiring the other day.” Shelly, the current director of the animal shelter, had called her into her office and told her she was thinking of taking early retirement so she could move to Arizona to be with her daughter and grandkids. She wanted to see if Elise would be interested in the position. While she was flattered, Elise wasn’t so sure she wanted to become director. It would mean spending more time behind a desk and less with the animals.

Meredith waggled her brows. “So, are you seeing anyone?”

“Meredith!” Jade sent her a warning look. “Elise doesn’t have to answer that! She’s got her career. A woman is more than the man she’s with.”

Meredith held her hands up. “I’m just curious. I mean, Elise is a gorgeous girl.”

“And smart,” Jade said.

“Yeah. But I heard how dating is so hard there days.” Meredith’s whiskey brown eyes lit up. “Hey, there are, like, tons of single Lycan guys here in New York. Maybe you’ll find someone here.”

“No thanks,” Elise suddenly said. “No offense, but most of the single guys from the New York clan are like family to me. It would be like dating my brother. Gross.”

“Hmmm, yeah, I guess that would be weird,” Meredith said. “I mean, my brother’s kids are all single, but you used to hang out with them a lot too.” She paused. “Hey, aren’t Alynna Westbrook’s sons single? What’s the name of the older one? The one who looks like his dad?”

“Nathan,” Lara said.

“Yeah, he’s only, what, a year younger than you, Elise?”

Elise wanted the earth to swallow her up. “Uh—”

“You know, Alynna and Liam went out on a couple of dates,” Lara offered. “Wouldn’t it be funny if—”

“Eww! Mom, that’s even grosser,” Elise cried. “And Donovan says he hangs out with Bastian a lot—no offense, Aunt Jade.” Bastian Creed was a notorious womanizer, after all.

Jade rubbed her temple with her fingers. “No worries, I know my son well.”

“Really?” Lara said. “I always thought he was such a quiet boy.”

Meredith waved a finger at no one in particular. “Wooo, it’s those quiet ones you have to watch out for.”

Taking pity on her daughter, Lara changed the subject. “So, what time do we have to be at The Enclave for the ceremony?”

Elise sighed in relief, glad that her dating life was not under scrutiny anymore. Not that I have one. And really, she was fine being by herself. Because being alone meant she couldn’t hurt anyone.

Pushing herself off the stool, she got to her feet. “I think I’ll go lie down,” she announced.

“Are you feeling okay, darling?” Lara asked.

“Yeah. Jet lag,” she lied. “I’m going to go take a nap. I’ll set my alarm and make sure I’m ready by the time we have to leave.”

“All right, darling, have a good nap.”

She left the three women, who seemed happy enough to chat and catch up by themselves, and headed to the guest bedroom where she was staying. As soon as she got inside, she strode toward the bed. Maybe I will lie down for a bit. Curling herself around a pillow, she closed her eyes and let sleep take over.

---

Elise immediately woke up from her dreamless nap. “Oh crap!” Sitting up, she glanced around her, her eyes focusing on the clock by the bedside. Her body relaxed and she sank back into the covers. Thank goodness, it was only three o’clock, but still, she had slept longer than she wanted to.

Uncurling her legs, she swung them over the side of the bed and got up, stretching her arms over her head. She walked over to her open suitcase to grab her toiletry case when she realized she had given her shampoo to her mom last night. Better go grab it.

Her mom was in the room just across from hers, so it wasn’t a big deal. However, as she stepped out of the room, the sound of voices drifted down the hallway, and she stiffened when she heard her name. Was someone talking about her? Curious, she turned and tiptoed toward the living room.

The volume of Jade’s voice strengthened as she got closer. “… and nothing’s improved?”

“You’ve seen it for yourself. She’s still wearing gloves. When I tried to take them off, from the way she reacted, it was like I was trying to peel her skin off.”

Elise swallowed, hard. They were definitely talking about her.

“There has to be something we can do,” Meredith added. “Maybe she just needs help? What does your mother say?”

“We’ve spoken about it at length,” Lara replied, her voice despondent. “And we’ve run out of ideas. I just … I wish I could have done more.”

“No!” Jade exclaimed. “This isn’t your fault.”

“Isn’t it?”

It was like an invisible hand clamped around her chest, making it hard to breathe. The walls were closing in on her, making her feel like she was being crushed. She didn’t want to stay there, but she couldn’t move either.

Of course, Lara wasn’t disappointed in her, she was disappointed in herself. That somehow, she was the one lacking in trying to raise Elise as a blessed witch with magical powers. And that made her feel worse about the whole thing. But Elise knew the truth: Lara didn’t lack anything. I’m the problem, Mom.

Biting her hand to keep from making a sound, she found the strength to move, slowly backing away to make her way toward her room. However, before she could reach it, she bumped into something.

“Oommph,” She spun around. “I—Uncle Daric!”

Even though she was all grown up, the sight of the Viking-like warlock never ceased to intimidate her. Of course, she knew Daric was as gentle as a lamb, but the power emanating from him sometimes hit her like a sack of bricks. Blue-green eyes the color of the ocean stared down at her. “Elise? Are you all right?”

“I—” Tears were threatening to spill, and she turned away from him. “I’m fine!” she cried as she raced back to her room. She rushed inside and closed the door quietly behind her.

Goddammit! She stared down at her gloved hands. Some days, she really did want to take them off. But she couldn’t.

A knock on the door made her startle. “Y-y-yes?” she stammered.

“Elise,” came Lara’s voice through the door. “Are you awake?”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Hurry up and get dressed then. Aunt Meredith’s been called to The Enclave to help with security, and Aunt Jade and I thought it would be nice to get there early and see Frankie.”

“I … I …” She didn’t want to go. She didn’t even want to be here right now. I wish I was back in California. Back in her home in Napa Valley where she could shift into her wolf and be at peace. “Mom, I can’t be ready in that time.”

“I’m so sorry, darling. I know it’s last minute, but maybe you can move a little quicker?”

“Yeah, I’m not really ready.” For any of this. But if her mother knew anything was wrong, she would be like a rabid dog. “You know, I’ve been to The Enclave dozens of times. I can get there by myself. I’ll grab a cab.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

There was a resigned sigh. “All right, we’re leaving in an hour if you can manage to get ready by then, then you can just drive over with us.”

“Sure.”

Elise flopped down on her bed. The hour passed in an excruciatingly slow manner, and when Lara knocked again to check if she was ready, she told her that she wasn’t and to go ahead without her. She listened carefully to the sounds outside—the three women rushing about and gathering their things, and the door closing behind them. Finally, she was alone. Maybe I can—

A knock on her door made her bolt up in bed. Who could that be?

“Lara, it’s me.”

Uncle Daric? Confused, she got up and walked to the door. “I thought you’d left with them.”

Daric smiled at her weakly. “You heard them talking.”

Her shoulders sagged. “Yes.”

His expression became doleful. “She did what she could.”

“She did,” she shrugged. They all did. Him. Grandma. Even the powerful warlock, Lucien Merlin, couldn’t do anything. “It’s me. I’m the one who can’t control my powers.” Her gaze dropped down to her gloved hands. They had been a crutch, they said. It was all in her mind. She had the strength to control her powers, but she wasn’t trying hard enough. Well, there was no way she was going to risk anyone’s life again, which is why she resigned herself to wearing the gloves forever.

“I’m sorry there wasn’t more I could do for you.”

“I—” She stopped short, an idea forming in her head. Why didn’t she think of that before? “Uncle Daric, when we were young, you bound our powers, right? All the hybrids?”

“It was a necessary precaution.” The warlock’s golden brows drew together. “Cross caused an accident when he was an infant, so we decided that all hybrids would have their magic bound until they were older.”

“So … could you do it again? This time … permanently?” She reached out for that small bit of hope dangling in front of her. Without her powers, she could live a normal life. Maybe even touch another human without the damned gloves.

Daric shook his head. “I cannot, Elise.”

“But why?” came her bitter reply. “The mages that you sent to the Lycan Siberian prison … you bound their powers, right?”

“Yes, but that’s different. They were pure magical beings. You, on the other hand, are a hybrid. Your powers are intricately bound to your wolf. I do not know what a permanent binding would do to your wolf in the long term or your ability to shift.”

She could lose her wolf? So, her choice was to lose a part of her or to live like this forever. Living half a life, her powers within her reach but being unable to use them. “There has to be a way. Maybe if …” The lump in her throat made it difficult to breathe.

“Elise, this is not the answer.” He lifted up her gloved hands. “I know you can control your power. It’s you who won’t believe it. What happened was tragic—”

She yanked her hands away. “Please! I-I don’t want to talk about that now.”

The warlock nodded. “As you wish.” A heavy silence hung between them. “I shall head to The Enclave. If you would like—”

“I’ll find my own way, thanks.” She yanked on the doorknob and shut it. It was rude to do that to her host, but she was too angry and disappointed to care.

She waited a few more minutes, using her razor-sharp hearing to observe the sounds in the apartment. When she could no longer sense Daric’s presence, she sighed in relief.

What do I do? She didn’t really know how she could stand being around people right now, or face her mother after what she’d overheard. But it wasn’t like she could just not show up to the ceremony. It was tempting but disrespectful to the Andersons, one of their closest allies. There was going to be a lot of people there. Perhaps she could just blend in and find a couple of acquaintances. She knew Lucas’s sisters casually, plus Aunt Cady and her family would be there too. You’re the daughter of an Alpha, she told herself. And she had a duty to her clan to represent them.

She took her time getting ready, showering and putting on her makeup, then the plain, long black dress she had chosen. As she reached for the matching gloves, she paused. Did she dare …

“No.” She couldn’t risk it, and put the gloves on. Grabbing her purse, she exited the loft and took the elevator to the street level to find a taxi.

Fifteen minutes passed and there was still no taxi. Elise grumbled. At this point, I’ll be really late. Turning on her heel, she decided to walk a block up to try and catch a taxi before other people hailed them first. She had only taken three steps when she felt her wolf’s hackles rise for the second time that day. But unlike the first time when they were outside Bloomingdales, this sensation screamed danger at her.

She attempted to spin around, but a hand going over her mouth and around her waist prevented her from any kind of movement. When she tried to scream, a coldness washed over her and her surroundings shimmered away. Magic. Magic was being used on her, but it was a strange kind. It felt different … it felt unnatural and wrong.

There was a loud pop in her ears, and when she blinked, her surroundings changed. She was inside some kind of cavernous, abandoned warehouse. Summoning her Lycan strength, she broke free of whoever was holding her down.

“Get her!”

She whirled around but was met with a cloud of green smoke. It must have been some sort of confounding potion because she suddenly felt weak and lost control of her motions. Arms wrapped around her again, and her vision began to fade in and out. Fight it, she screamed in her mind. Her Lycan metabolism would be able to burn through it, but they might dose her with more of the potion if they thought she was regaining her senses. So, she remained limp.

“Excellent work, Malachi,” said a voice on her left. “I can’t believe they left her unguarded.”

“The mother would have been better, but she will have to do,” said the man who held her. “We don’t know if the confounding potion will be enough to subdue her since she’s one of those half-breeds. So make sure you have enough ready.”

Malachi, Elise thought, filing the name away in her mind.

“Come on then, we can’t waste any more time,” Malachi said. “Hand me that knife.”

Elise braced herself, anticipating the cut. Something sharp poked at her palm, and it was a good thing her mind was still cloudy as it didn’t feel as painful as it should. Warm, sticky blood flowed out of the wound, but she didn’t make a sound.

“Will her blood be strong enough?” Another voice, this time, female.

“It should,” Malachi said. “All we need is the blood from the spellcaster. A drop of this one’s blood and the spells used to protect The Enclave will be broken.”

Despite the fogginess of her mind, fear rushed through her, paralyzing her as she realized what they were going to do. Long ago, her grandmother, Vivianne, and her mother had added spells of protection to The Enclave, to strengthen them and make sure no humans and magical beings would be able to enter their walls without permission. Since she was related to them, they must mean to use her blood in a spell to break the protections. And since they used blood magic, that only meant one thing.

Mages.

“That’s it … and now, break the spell and send us into The Enclave. The ceremony should be starting which means the artifact will be out in the open.”

Artifact? What were they talking about?

The arm around her waist tightened and propped her up. “Awake yet, little half-breed?” came the raspy voice in her ear. “Oh, this is even better than I planned. They won’t have any choice now.”

She let out a soft whimper but remained a dead weight in his arms. Her mind was almost free and the feeling in her limbs was starting to come back. Can’t let them know. Can’t let them dose me again.

Her heels scraped on the concrete floor as Malachi dragged her around like a rag doll. She opened her eyes to the tiniest slit she could manage and saw three figures in red robes surround them. They then began to chant. The coldness gripped her again, though their trip wasn’t as quick this time. Her body felt like it was ripping apart and a loud sound rang in her ears like the shattering of glass. When her feet landing on solid ground, she opened her eyes.

“No one move or she dies.” Fingers wrapped around her neck as Malachi held her tight against him.

“Elise!”

Her mother’s voice broke through her confusion. Oh no.

They were standing in the middle of The Enclave. She recognized the main courtyard, all decorated for Lucas’s ascension ceremony. The future Alpha himself was standing a few feet away from her on the dais where they had appeared.

The magic moving around her mother was unmistakable. Lara Henney was a blessed witch after all with the power to control air currents. Wind swirled around her, as did the power she was summoning.

“I said don’t move!” The fingers tightened around her throat and she let out a choked sputter. She saw her mother’s anguished face as she put her hands down and the magic surrounding her drained away. However, with Malachi’s attention on her mother, he didn’t notice two figures jump up on the dais and put themselves between him and Lucas Anderson. Elise recognized Julianna Anderson, one of Lucas’s sisters, and Cross Jonassan, Uncle Daric and Aunt Meredith’s eldest son.

“Don’t hurt her,” Lucas said in a calm voice. “What do you want, mage?”

Malachi laughed, the sound making Elise’s flesh crawl. “I want that.”

She couldn’t move her head to see what the mage was talking about. What did he want?

“You can have it. Just let her go.”

“You! Bring it here.”

Julianna grabbed the something from her brother and held it up toward Malachi. It was a dagger with a green jewel at the hilt, the blade covered in blood.

“You stupid dogs!” Malachi sneered. “Using the dagger in your idiotic rituals. You have no idea what you’ve had all this time.”

“Elise.”

She froze, and her eyes met Cross’s gaze. His eyes were so like his father’s, though now they were a dark, stormy blue-green. And deadly serious. “Elise, do it.”

“No, please, Cross,” she begged. “Don’t make me.” She couldn’t possibly do it. He didn’t know what he was asking her.

“Do it!” Cross shouted. “Elise, NOW.”

The fabric covering her hands disappeared, and she realized he was 100 percent serious if he used his powers to remove her gloves. Malachi’s eyes went crazy, and she felt his fingers digging into her throat, crushing her windpipe. And she knew, it was death or use her power.

And so, she chose to live.

She called up every ounce of magic in her veins and gathered it in her hands. White hot currents of electricity shot through her and to the mage. Malachi screamed as ten thousand volts of pure energy shot through him, and he let go of Elise. Threads of current kept them connected, and when she saw Julianna and Cross leap toward her, she screamed too, trying to warn them away. She tried to pull back her power, to stop the energy building and flowing out of her, but she couldn’t.

It was too late. A hand held her on either arms, and her feet began to lift off the ground. Her body felt like it was being pulled back like a rubber band, then released, and she hurtled forward into a deep, dark tunnel, dragging Cross and Julianna with her.

 

 

 

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