Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Raiden
I pace the barren turf around the perimeter of Blackbourne’s estate like a damn stalker, sinking into the newly rain-soaked soil as I eye the towering gates and the imposing house beyond.
I should leave. Tabby—Tabitha—is no longer mine.
But I remain. Wind whips my hair, tugs at the bare branches of the trees above, and echoes hollowly around me.
Two damn days have passed since I dropped her off with Blackbourne and the wizard took her into his home. Has he Called to her already? Claimed her?
I clench my fists. Likely so, and it’s best for Tabitha. But damn if it doesn’t hurt like I’m ripping my heart out of my chest with my bare hands. Gritting my teeth at the futility of my pain only intensifies it.
Suddenly, the hair on my arms stands up—no breeze, no sound, just the sinking certainty that something foul has stepped into the world behind me.
A whooshing sound behind me breaks the silence.
Then another. Followed by several more. Heart pounding, I tuck myself deeper into the shadows, crouching behind a massive tree. I peer around the gnarled trunk.
Mathias materializes from the shadows at the perimeter of Blackbourne’s gate first, his presence bending the air around him. A dozen Anarki scramble after him, their eyes glowing with that sick, deadly gleam. This isn’t a social call. Everything about their manner screams violence.
Fuck! Why are they here? Between the Blackbourne family connection to Mathias and the fact he already knows the Untouchable’s identity, Tabitha should be safe now. This show of force makes no sense.
Except Mathias’s expression says he has revenge on his mind.
I don’t dare teleport away. This close, Mathias will hear. And I can’t leave Tabitha alone. But I also can’t fight a half-dozen Anarki by myself.
Sending up a prayer that my unconventional idea works, I whip out my mobile phone and snap a picture of Mathias and his goons, then send it to Bram. I add a text: Get ur arses to Sean Blackbourne’s & b quiet.
Unless and until reinforcements arrive, I have to slow the Anarkis’ entry into the house. Because if Mathias reaches Tabitha, the fighting will likely be brutal, swift, and one-sided.
As the wind turns particularly brisk, I aim my wand at the nearest tree and lop off a heavy, dangling branch.
I send it hurtling into two of the formerly human soldiers.
Their undead corpses topple—one head separating cleanly and rolling across the lawn like something out of a nightmare.
The other grunts, losing his arm and bleeding that unnatural black sludge.
Mathias tenses and glares at the tree. I know he’s sizing the situation up and wondering, Natural causes or magical?
I plaster myself behind the trunk, trying to figure out how the hell to stall Mathias now.
A moment later, I hear a gentle whoosh to my right.
I tense, but Bram, Ice, Caden, and Ronan appear in the shadows beside me, against the wall.
I whip my gaze around to see if Mathias heard or sensed their arrival.
But the Anarki have already vanished, ripping the wrought-iron gates wide and stomping onto the grounds behind the brick walls.
I stand, thoughts burning through my head. I motion the others over. “We have to go in now. Tabitha is inside—“
“We don’t know what we’re walking into,” Caden argues.
“I don’t fucking care. He can’t…” God, I’m so terrified of the possibilities, I can’t get the words out. “I will not let him touch her.”
Ice and Bram exchange glances, then nod. A shadow ripples beneath Bram’s expression—gone as fast as it appears—but enough to tell me the Devouring Shadow is riding him hard tonight. And a fight will only turn him darker.
“We’ll split up. Caden, you and Ice head to the east side of the house. See if you can determine where Mathias has gone and what he’s done. The rest of us will take the west side and do the same.”
No one is in sight as I and the others sprint across the expansive grass and approach the rambling house.
As we creep around the west side, one look into the windows proves to be my worst nightmare.
Blackbourne lies face down on the ground, unmoving.
Unconscious? Dead? And Mathias clamps a cruel hand around Tabitha’s arm, smiling with malice as he says something that makes her flinch.
She’s terrified. Truly terrified. And I’m still outside the fucking house.
For a horrifying moment, my heart stops—no breath, no thought, just the awful certainty I’m about to lose her. Even the thought is killing me. I prepare to launch myself through the window. Mathias cannot touch her for another second without me losing my fucking mind.
Bram grabs my shoulder and forces me down. “Do you want to ensure her death? We need a plan.”
Mathias uses his free hand to rip the top button of her dress. She shrinks away with a scream. He laughs and reaches for the second.
A red haze detonates behind my eyes. All I see is Tabitha—and the bastard hurting what’s mine. I’ve never felt rage like this—not even in battle.
“We don’t have time for a plan.” I shake off Bram’s grip. “If you want to help me save her, come with me. Otherwise, leave me the bloody hell alone.”
This time, I leap through the window. Glass shatters everywhere, and Tabby turns away to avoid the spray. Shards pepper deep into Mathias’s face and chest. With a nasty scowl, he curses. His eyes gleam like sick, soulless pits—the look he gets right before he kills someone purely for amusement.
I reach for Tabitha to teleport her away—but Mathias steps between us. Glaring, he magically wriggles the glass out of his skin. The bleeding cuts heal an instant later.
“Coming to your encinta’s rescue? How touching.” He grabs Tabby tighter.
She fights and kicks, but Mathias slaps her soundly—a sharp crack of palm to cheek. Her head snaps back. Then she goes completely limp.
Seething bloody murder, I charge, only to see Mathias raise a hand—and an invisible shield.
I bounce off the force field and snarl, “What the hell have you done to her?”
“She’s merely unconscious,” Mathias drawls. “Until I deem otherwise.”
“Tabitha doesn’t have the information you want. I do. Leave her be.”
“Oh, it’s not the information I require. And you’re in no position to give orders.” With a menacing grin, Mathias hovers one hand above Tabitha’s throat, mimicking a strangling grip. Even in her unconscious state she chokes, turns red, and thrashes.
I try desperately to push past Mathias’s invisible barrier. But damn it, the wizard has centuries of experience on me.
Still, I refuse to give up. “Don’t hurt her. She can’t help you.”
“But you can. I know you, Bram, and that ridiculous Duke are hiding the Untouchable somewhere. Give her to me, and I’ll leave your sweet Tabitha alone.”
Duke will never allow that. He’s given up virtually everything to keep the woman safe. Besides, surrendering such a weapon to Mathias… I might as well hand all of magickind to him on a silver platter.
I shake my head. “You’d never turn Tabitha loose unharmed. You’d kill her for the mere sport.”
Mathias raises a brow. “It pays to know your opponent. Clearly, you do. Bravo!”
While Mathias verbally jousts, I catch sight of Caden and Ice quietly creeping up behind the wizard, slowly drawing their wands. Both are covered in black blood, indicating they’ve killed more than a few Anarki.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Bram and Ronan approach Mathias’s blind flank, wands in hand. God, will we finally catch the bastard and vanquish him once and for all? Could it be that simple?
Caden points his wand at Mathias’s head, fury and hate all over his face, then takes a step closer.
He bounces against Mathias’s invisible wall. And our surprise is blown.
Suddenly, the chilling bastard whirls to growl at us all and, arms raised, sends a massive wall of water crashing in every direction.
Water gushes everywhere with ear-splitting power, dousing everything in sight.
The force isn’t natural—too cold, too heavy, like the water itself carries his malice.
We stagger back. The strong current sweeps my feet out from under me and rolls above my head.
Ahead, I can see Tabitha wriggling, a tangle of legs and skirts in the thick water as she fights Mathias.
Then another wave slams into me like a fist and drags me under, cold and crushing. It feels sentient, hateful, as if Mathias himself has wrapped his hands around my throat.
Gasping for air, I fight my way to the surface, following the trail of bubbles.
When I emerge, I suck in a deep breath—and see Tabby swimming across the surface toward me.
Surprise jolts me like a live wire—so sharp it borders on pain.
For one terrible moment I thought the water had swallowed her whole… but she’s alive. And free!
Greedily, I clutch her against my chest with one hand, wand in the other, while I scour the room for Mathias. She grabs me tightly, buries her face in my neck, and sobs.
As the water floods out the open window and dissipates, I realize Mathias is nowhere in sight.
“Damn it!” Caden shoves his wand back into his jacket.
Bram pockets his wand and glares at me. “We could have cornered the bastard, but we didn’t have a bloody plan. You jumped in without thought.”
With a glance, I tell the group’s leader that he can fuck himself. Yes, I want Mathias dead...but I need Tabby alive even more.
Ronan claps me on the shoulder. “She’s safe. I’m glad for you. Maybe you’ll stop biting everyone’s heads off now?”
“Not bloody likely,” Ice quips. “Besides, we don’t actually know how to kill a wizard who’s already risen from the dead. There’s nothing to say that even with a plan, we would have succeeded tonight.”
In fact, we’ve all wondered before if killing Mathias is a mere fantasy. Incarcerating him is nearly impossible, which leaves us wondering how the devil we can vanquish him once and for all. I only know we won’t stop trying.