Chapter 17
Callie
Connor, Sam, and Rand do a final sweep of the small clearing just beyond the Campbells’ property in their wolf forms. They rub their scents on trees and howl, chasing away any remaining wildlife. Nolan’s extended family winces over the noise, but they wisely keep any complaints to themselves. Once they are done, Mildred, Carlotta, Mei’s mother, Joyce, and the most powerful water witch the coven has pour a circle of blood mixed with various ingredients that share properties with the elements around the clearing.
As we watch from a distance, Mei places a hand on my shoulder and gives it a comforting squeeze. “It’s going to work. You’ll see.”
I nod woodenly, focused on calming my racing heart and churning stomach. I’ve done incredible things before, but nothing like this—nothing with so much ceremony or so many witnesses. Everything I’ve done before was on instinct, but now it’s so official. What if I choke? What if I have some form of performance anxiety and kill us all in the process? Suddenly, it seems very hard to breathe.
“Whoa there,” Mei says, rubbing my back as she scans the crowd that came to either perform or observe the spell. “Deep, slow breaths. Everything is going to be okay.”
“What if I mess up?” I murmur through stolen breaths.
Taking my hand, she drags me away from the crowd, smiling brightly as she excuses us to “prepare.” She doesn’t stop until we reach the stream that runs through Nolan’s backyard, only a few feet away from where the guys and I first attempted to use my magic.
Mei plops me down on a large rock and pushes my head between my knees. “Just breathe.” While I do as she commands, she paces in front of me. “Okay. I get why you’re losing your shit, but you have to pull yourself together. You’re Callie freaking Volkov, badass super witch extraordinaire.” Her voice drops to a stage whisper. “You literally brought someone back from the dead all by yourself. This is a breeze compared to that.”
I look up at her with hopeful eyes. “You mean it?”
“Sure!” she responds with a little too much volume to be believable. When I just stare at her, she sits down next to me on the rock with a deep exhale. “Look, I don’t actually know how hard this will be, because all of this…” She motions toward the direction we came from. “It’s way beyond anything I’ve ever studied, let alone done, but I know you can pull it off. Miracle is practically your middle name.” She bumps my shoulder with hers. “Dude, you literally made the entire town forget they were frozen for like ten minutes—on accident. When you’re using that kind of power for something on purpose, there’s nothing you can’t do.”
“But that’s what I’m afraid of,” I admit, fidgeting with the bottom of my shirt. “My magic is prone to going overboard. What if it does something unexpected and screws everything up? This really isn’t something I can just undo if it doesn’t work.”
“It’s all about intent, right?” she asks, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “I can’t imagine you’d want anything more right now than saving Nolan’s life.”
“That’s true,” I mutter, blinking away my unshed tears of panic.
“Trust that no matter how it works out, your magic will do what you want most.” She squeezes me against her side in a one-armed hug. “Besides, you’re not doing this alone. You have some of the baddest witches around to help you.”
“That’s strangely not as comforting as you think,” I lament with a heavy sigh. “I’ve never performed such intense magic in front of a crowd.”
“Imagine us all in our underwear,” she suggests cheekily. In another stage whisper, she adds, “Mine are green with daisies on them.”
“Daisies?” I echo, looking over at her.
“What? Can’t a girl like flowers?” She huffs with comical exaggeration. “Why wear boring underwear when you can wear something cute?”
A smile spreads across my face despite myself. “Is it a matching set?”
“Of course!” she exclaims, raising a hand to her chest like she’s scandalized by the mere idea of her bra and panties not matching, and then she grins. “I also have a set with rubber ducks on them, but I figured nature was more on theme for today.”
I snort, and some of the tension eases out of me. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I return her one-armed hug. “Thank you for being my friend.”
“You’re welcome. I mean, you really did hit the jackpot with me. I’m high-quality friend material,” she replies, a teasing smile evident in her voice. “We’re ride or die, though I vote death as something far, far in the future.”
“I second that,” I agree, taking a moment to appreciate all that I have.
In less than a year, I went from being alone and terrified to being surrounded by people who love me. I’ve come so far from the cold, isolated girl who used all of her effort to survive for the next day. I finally know what it’s like to have a real family, real friends, and limitless real love.
Mei gives me another pat on the back and then stands up. Clapping her hands together, she gives me an encouraging smile. “Okay, now that we’ve pulled ourselves together. What do you need to do to prepare for the spell?”
“Well, I was told I’m going to need to call a lot of magic into myself.” My hand clutches the arcane focus that hangs around my neck, rubbing the cracked blue stone. “It might be a good idea to fill this so I’ll have a reserve.” My eyes round as a proverbial light bulb blinks on in my head. “I’m an idiot.”
“That’s not very nice to say about yourself,” Mei replies, shaking a finger at me. “I don’t befriend idiots.” She tips her chin into the air. “I don’t have the patience.”
Standing up, I grab her hands and give them an excited shake. “No, I just mean that I figured out how I’m going to lure the parasite out without risking everyone.”
“Awesome. How?” she asks, smiling over my enthusiasm.
I hold out the stone from my necklace. “This can store massive amounts of magic, as well as channel it out slowly into something not quite as explosive. My nan gave it to me when my magic was being a bit…”
“Explosive,” she supplies with a quirk of her lips.
“Exactly,” I reply, ignoring that she just repeated what I said back to me. “Anyway, I can fill this with magic and use it as a lure. Once it’s trapped inside, the focus can slowly release it, leaving it too weak to fight against the barriers.”
“If that’s the case, why not leave it trapped in there?” she asks, frowning at the stone.
“Because the longer it’s in there, the stronger it will get,” I explain, tucking the necklace underneath my shirt. “Anytime I gather too much magic, it’s funneled into the focus. Last thing I want is to keep a magical super parasite as a pet.”
“It would be a cool card to have up your sleeve as a last resort—a fuck some shit up kind of thing,” she muses, tapping her chin with one finger. “However, I can see why you may not want a ticking bomb like that hanging around your neck. Keeping an insatiable magic beast that was created to fuck over one of your boyfriends seems to be more trouble than it’s worth.”
I laugh. “Glad you agree.” Taking a few steps back, I adjust my ponytail and then shake out my hands. “Okay, I’ll need some silence to do this.”
“Don’t you usually draw a lot of magic when you’re all like, ‘Grrr! Callie smash!’ or whatever?” Mei comments, plopping herself down on the rock.
“Yes, but I want this to be controlled. Remember, my magic tends to have a mind of its own when I’m all ‘warrior witch,’ as the guys like to call it.” The term reminds me of the night I spent with Nolan, and how he wanted to make his warrior witch come. A blush burns across my cheeks, and I try not to squirm when I close my eyes. Focus, Callie!
“Heh. Warrior witch.” Mei chuckles. “I like it.”
“Glad you approve,” I state briskly as I once again shake out my hands. “Now shush. I need to focus.”
“You’ve got it. Sealing my lips now, which you would know if your eyes weren’t closed,” she announces, and then flashes me a wide grin when I glare at her.
Closing my eyes again, I take in slow, deep breaths, focusing on my senses as I exhale. There’s the sound of the purling stream as it flows deeper into the forest. I also hear the stirring of a breeze through hanging leaves. I feel the steadiness of the earth beneath my feet, and the heat of the burning sun shining brilliantly in the sky.
Centering my connection to my surroundings, I follow the lines of magic that run through them, and then I reach for the magic that’s intrinsically a part of me—the pure magic of life. Gathering these threads, I weave them together and funnel them into the focus. Unlike so many times before, this is a gentle, almost meditative experience. There is no out of control weather or exploding trees. Instead, it’s a communion with all that I am and all I’m capable of being. My anxiety and fear melt away, and I’m left feeling strong and confident.
When I believe enough magic has been harvested, I release the threads and open my eyes.
Mei looks around with a bewildered frown. “I expected a little, I don’t know… oomph.”
“I’m sure there will be plenty of oomph when the spell actually starts,” I assure her with a crooked smile.
She stands up and dusts off her butt to remove any potential dirt. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road and save your man. Well, one of your men.”
“Speaking of my men, how do I break the news to the others that I’m no longer a virgin?” I ask, my smile shifting into a baiting grin.
“What?” she screeches, running up to me so she can give me a hard shake. “You’ve been holding out on me. Who? When? Where?” She shakes me again, like I’m a vending machine holding her snack hostage.
“Nolan. On my birthday. In his room,” I answer, giggling as I watch shock and excitement take over her features.
“Oh. My. Goddess! After all of this” —she waves her arm in an exaggerated circle in the direction of the clearing— “we’re having a besties’ night. Just you, me, and all the details.” She gives me one final shake before marching back toward the crowd, calling over her shoulder, “You seriously need some kind of newsletter or something. Stuff keeps happening to you all the time.”
“That’s what I said!” I shout, jogging to catch up to her. She’s surprisingly fast for being even shorter than I am. “I hope after this, my life can be boring for a little while.”
Mei snorts. “Good luck with that, Ms. Matriarch-in-waiting.”
Groaning, I follow her the rest of the way. The crowd seems to zero in on me, and all my earlier calm nearly goes up in smoke under their speculative stares.
My nan breaks through the crowd and pulls me into a hug. “It’s going to be alright. You can do this.”
I return her hug, again taking strength from the ones I love, and then pull away. “I know I can do this.”
“That’s my girl.” She smiles down at me before turning toward the crowd. “Everything is prepared. It’s time to take your places. If you’re not participating in the spell, please fall back to a safe distance. This is complex and will require our full attention, so please remain silent until everything is complete.”
Mei gives me a quick hug and then scurries off to find her spot among the rest of the coven that now surrounds the clearing in a somewhat imperfect circle. At the apex are Gina and her mother, tight-lipped and angry, as Connor, Sam, and Rand keep watch in their human forms.
“What are they doing here?” I hiss, hating that Nolan has to be anywhere near his tormentor.
“They are the last component for the spell to work,” Carlotta answers, approaching on my other side. “Their family blood was the catalyst for the spell that consumes your paramour, so it will be their blood that will finally break it.”
“You know you can say boyfriend, right?” I comment, crossing my arms. “Also, how much blood are we talking?”
“Quite a bit,” my grandmother answers like she’s talking about the number of eggs she needs to bake a cake. “It’s part of the reason it took so long to prepare.”
“Too bad you didn’t take it all at once,” I grumble, hunching my shoulders.
“We need them alive to speak their parts of the spell,” my nan interjects, giving me a hard parental stare. “Besides, we don’t take lives to perform magic.” Her lips purse with disdain. “Even if they are despicable people.”
“I’ve concluded that there are worse things than death,” Nolan’s grandmother croons, scaring the crap out of me with her sudden appearance. “I plan to systematically strip away all they hold dear, until there’s nothing left but pitiful husks. Then we will ensure they never know a moment’s peace.”
“Let me know if you need assistance in that endeavor,” Mildred offers, her voice cold as she observes the Reyes women.
“I believe I’ll take you up on that offer,” Dalia replies, her piercing blue eyes filled with a promise of warfare the world has not yet seen.
Unsure what to think of the new, devious bond these women have developed, I search the crowd for the man of the hour.
He sits on his walker with Donovan and Kaleb on either side, rubbing his face as he talks on the phone. “Dude, it’s fine. You know you can’t be here, so stop feeling guilty.”
“Fe—James?” I whisper when I’m in range, aware that even at my quietest, you never know whose super hearing will catch something.
“He feels bad that he can’t be here for Nolan’s… operation,” Kaleb supplies, also fully aware of listening ears. Living a double life is hard. “We told him it was an out-of-state procedure.”
I know they told Felix no such thing, but that’s the lie everyone else has to believe. This whole thing is exhausting, and I vow to find some loophole besides marriage that allows humans to know about the supernatural world. This is getting ridiculous.
Donovan nabs the phone from Nolan and holds it up to his ear. “Look, you can have babysitting duties once he’s back. Now stop guilt-tripping yourself.” He promptly hangs up with a roll of his eyes.
“Babysitting?” Nolan scoffs, glaring up at him. “I don’t need to be watched. After today, I’ll be fine.”
Donovan gives him a you’re full of shit stare. “The crap you’ve been through doesn’t just fucking go away. You’re going to get some help to screw your head on straight, and only then will I believe you can be left alone.”
Kaleb sighs and shakes his head. “With that reasoning, all of us need some kind of therapy.”
“You’re not wrong,” I agree, imagining what it’d be like to tell a professional my life story and let them figure out how to deal with it. Too bad everything about me is a secret. “Is there a supernatural equivalent to a therapist? Preferably one you’re not related to?”
“Talking with one of my parents wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Kaleb counters, his brow furrowed in thought. “They have the education, have no direct ties to any witches outside of this town, and can obviously keep a secret.”
Yeah, I’ll just have to leave out the bit where I’m in love with their son, but also in love with all of his closest friends. Not sure they’d have a good opinion on that little arrangement.
“I’ll think about it,” I hedge, and then I do a mental count of days that have passed since my birthday. “Aren’t you guys supposed to be leaving for the nephilim retreat today?”
“Like we would miss this,” Donovan scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest.
“We’re leaving later today instead,” Kaleb supplies, placing a hand on Nolan’s shoulder. “We all thought it was more important to be here.”
“Then let’s not keep everyone waiting,” I state, looking around to find everybody now in position. With a fortifying breath, I focus on Nolan. “Ready to get back to your old self?”
“You have no idea,” he answers, slowly rising to his feet.
Turning at the waist, he waves at his parents who are huddled with Kaleb’s parents. Even from this distance, it’s hard to miss the tears in their eyes as they wave back.
I loop my arm through Nolan’s, and we walk at a slow, deliberate pace toward the circle. “I’m surprised your parents weren’t all over you until the last second.”
“They were driving me crazy,” Nolan confesses with a grimace. “I told them they were making me nervous, and that I needed space. That’s when… James called. Perfect timing.”
“Are you nervous?” I ask, trying to keep any lingering signs of my earlier panic attack out of my voice.
He shakes his head. “I’ve seen you in action, and honestly, anything is better than wasting away.”
“It’s going to be okay,” I promise, helping him over the first line of the circle so he doesn’t disturb the carefully placed spell components.
“I know it will be,” he replies, brushing his lips against my temple.
His footing wobbles when he sees Gina and Neva, but he doesn’t comment, doing his best to stand tall while we continue to the center. After stepping over another marked circle created from the same blood and other ingredients, I help Nolan down onto the grass. Sitting cross-legged before him, I take each of his hands into mine.
As I look into his eyes, I’m instantly filled with love and the certainty that today is the beginning of better days. I brush my thumbs over his knuckles. “All you need to do is focus on me and breathe. I’ll do the rest.”
“There’s an innuendo in there somewhere. When I’m not so tired, I’ll come up with a good one.” He laughs weakly, his lips pulling up into a crooked smile.
“You can brainstorm with the others later,” I tease, resting our joined hands on my knees. “Now, it’s time to do all the fancy magic, so no making me laugh… or anything else for that matter.”
His chuckle is rusty, and his eyes crinkle in the corners as his smile widens. “Any other day, I’d take that as a challenge, but it took most of my energy to walk over here. Don’t worry, I’ll be good.”
“First time ever,” I mutter and then nod at my nan, indicating we’re ready to begin.
The coven members join hands and begin to chant. There’s praying to the goddess for protection and coaxing the elements to hear their need. As their voices call as one, a lattice of vines spools from the earth, covered in fire that doesn’t burn, to create a dome over us. Shimmering droplets of water float within the hot wind that feeds the flames.
I close my eyes, pushing down my rising fear that the flames will consume me. These are not the same flames of my nightmares. They are here to protect those around me. They are safe. Nolan gives my hands a gentle squeeze, reminding me I’m not alone.
Breathing out all of my fear, I once again connect to the lines of magic all around me. I feel the lives of every person outside the circle and the various levels of magic flowing within them. Turning that focus inward, I reach into the well within me. It’s old and endless, separate but also a part of me. Filling myself with this ancient magic, I create a web of currents that lead into the Volkov family arcane focus.
With the lure in place, I push the magic threads into Nolan, causing him to gasp and shiver. The parasite reaches its tentacles toward the pure magic set like a meal before it. I wheel the threads back, keeping the magic out of reach. Its amorphous body stretches, flashing sharp teeth in its fury.
Nolan’s breaths become shallow pants between groans of pain as the parasite tries to hang onto his soul while also reaching for a far more tasty treat. Sweat beads on my skin, but I ignore my discomfort, keeping my focus on the creature and the bait. It tears at my heart knowing Nolan is suffering, but I can’t do anything for him until I get this disgusting parasite out of him.
Finally, the reach is too far, and the beast is forced to choose. With Nolan’s soul no longer covered by the parasite, I’m devastated to see how withered it’s become. However, in the eyes of the beast, it’s a simple choice. Like a viper, it lunges toward the magic lure, and I reel it in.
Gritting my teeth, I push down the shocking pain as the beast is swept down the magical currents, flowing through me and into the stone. Ripping the necklace up over my head, I fling it past the inner circle with a shouted, “Release!”
Activating the inner circle of protection, I watch the parasite slowly ooze out of the stone. Like bubbling tar, it rolls over the ground, every inch of life dying under its touch. The chanting grows louder when it reaches the outer circle. A high-pitched scream comes from the parasite as it recoils from the burning barrier.
As more of it pours out, it searches for life, for magic, but none is left. It has consumed it all. It once again thrashes against the barrier, but it’s too weak. Desperate to survive, it begins to consume itself while reaching tendrils search for sustenance. It covers the dome of protection that surrounds Nolan and me, gnawing and scratching even as it cries out in pain.
“It’s working,” I shout, turning back to him.
“That’s…” Nolan coughs, blood splattering on his lap as he collapses forward.
I scream his name, draping my body over his. Desperately, I pour magic into him, but it won’t stay. It flows through him like running water, his soul too weak to absorb any of it.
No. No, this can’t be happening! I can’t lose you.
I frantically search my mind for any way to save him. Somehow, I have to strengthen his soul enough for it to be able to replenish itself before it will no longer stay tethered to his body. I saved Felix by giving his body enough of my spirit magic to house the soul, but his was whole and strong. How do I do this in reverse?
A wave of calm comfort washes over me, but it’s not from me. Connor can feel my panic, and he’s sending what help he can through the mate bond.
The bond!Pieces of our souls live in each other’s bodies through the bond! My memories of that night are a little fuzzy, but I’m sure if I manage to combine a version of the mate bond with the spark of magic I used with Felix, I can save Nolan.
Rolling Nolan onto his back, I hover over him. “I can save you, but it means bonding us together. I don’t know what the side effects will be, and I know the last thing you want is to be forever tied to yet another witch, but you’ll die if you don’t.” Tears drip from my eyes, falling onto his chest like rain. “Please, I know it isn’t fair, but I need you to say yes.”
His eyes crack open just wide enough for me to see his pale blue irises. “I’m not ready to die,” he rasps, reaching up with a shaking hand to wipe the tears from my cheeks. “Do it.”
“Thank you,” I sob, wrapping my arms around him and lifting his face to my neck. “When I say so, bite me.”
He bobs his head, his breath weak puffs against my skin.
Without hesitation, I flood his body with all of my being. This is not the magic of the goddess—it’s my magic… my soul. Instead of pieces or tendrils of me left as small comforts, I infuse his soul with mine. Like a golden tapestry, I weave us together until we are one. Once the gray in his soul starts to return to its natural golden light, I withdraw back into my body with a new, shiny tether linking us forever.
Dizzy, I sluggishly command, “Bite me.”
I cry out as his fangs slide into my flesh, my body burning as the venom courses through my system more potent than ever before. He drinks deeply, completing his side of the bond. Shock sparks like lightning as another tether is tested—Connor. I try to send some type of assurance through the mate bond, promises that this changes nothing between us. The line is shaky but holds, quiet but present.
As the parasite releases one last, dying screech, Nolan retracts his fangs, taking his first gasp of his new life. With bloody lips, he kisses my forehead, cheeks, nose, and finally, my mouth. The copper taste of blood skates across my tongue.
“We’ll figure it out,” he promises, using his sleeve to wipe away his bloody kisses. “You saved me. Thank you.”
“I love you,” I murmur, my voice thick with tears. Needing him close, even though my skin feels too sensitive for my clothes, I collapse against him, blubbering that I couldn’t let him die.
We are tangled in each other’s arms when the barriers finally fall, and the crowd gets their first glimpse of success. Faster than I can blink, Nolan’s parents are at our sides, helping us to our feet.
Lillian runs her hands over Nolan’s face and arms, as if checking for some kind of physical sign. “Did it work? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He laughs, fending off her hands with a big hug. Nolan lifts her off the ground and spins her around. “I’m better than fine. I’m cured. Callie healed me.”
His mother shakes with sobs of relief, clutching him as if she’s afraid he’ll disappear.
Robert holds me steady as I find my feet, exhaustion dragging at my limbs. He pulls me into a sudden hug. “Thank you for giving us our son back. We are forever in your debt.”
I pat him on the shoulder when he also breaks down into sobs. “It’s okay. Everything is okay now.”
The rest of the parents make it to us, and Kaleb’s dad gently extracts me from Robert’s relief driven embrace. He takes over hugging the man, offering kind, soothing words. Nolan’s aunt and Kaleb’s mom coax Lillian away from her son long enough for Dalia to check his vitals.
My nan and grandmother take turns hugging me and sharing how very proud they are of me. Over their shoulders, I search for the rest of my guys. I expect them to be near, waiting for their turn to see Nolan well. Instead, they have viselike grips on Gina and Neva, dragging them back to the circle from the outer tree line.
Throwing them down on the ground, Connor spits, “Tried to escape.”
Cold fury burns away my exhaustion as I’m once again filled by something ancient and powerful—something that demands justice. Ice crusts the barren ground, and my grandmothers are quickly tugged away before they are caught within its vengeful clutches.
“Warrior witch incoming,” Donovan calls out while he, Kaleb, and Connor usher everyone away from me.
Icy wind howls through the trees, and clouds appear in the sky, dark and angry as they blot out the sun. Neva and Gina scream when the ice encases their arms and legs, burning their skin with the searing cold that shackles them to the ground.
With a voice that echoes with the power of life and death, I stand before them and shout, “You have forsaken your duty and corrupted your gift. I have judged you and found you unworthy. You will never again harm another through the means of the goddess’s blessing.”
Slamming my hands against their chests, I reach into them with magic-clawed fingers, search out their connections to magic, and violently rip it away from them.
Animalistic wails wrench from their lips as they immediately feel the disconnection from their magic. All they have is what exists within them, but they no longer have a connection to use it. They are human, filled with the knowledge of all they have lost.
“You can’t do this,” Neva yells, struggling against the ice that holds her in place. “You have no right to take my magic from me.”
“I’m the keeper of balance and protector of all the goddess’s creations,” I respond, my voice booming with the fury of the ancient power within me. “You have failed the goddess, and you will suffer her displeasure.”
Silence except for the winds that swallow Gina’s and Neva’s whimpering cries encompasses the desecrated clearing. Only the guys are brave enough to approach me in this state, each reaching for a part of me and refusing to flinch despite the cloak of frost that coats my body.
“It’s time to come back, love,” Nolan pleads, taking my right hand.
Donovan grips my right shoulder. “As much as I love watching you be a badass, there are a lot of people here you’d be really sad about hurting.”
Kaleb takes my left hand, holding it between his. “You’ve done so much today. It’s time for you to rest.”
“Vuelve a mí, reina,” Connor mutters tenderly, running his hand down my hair.
Collectively, they draw me back to the surface, the ancient magic receding into my inner self. The ice melts, and I collapse with four sets of arms to catch me.
“I think I want to go home now,” I slur as Connor lifts me into his arms. “I’m tired.”
“You’ve done a lot today,” Nolan comments, his gaze warm as he strokes my cheek.
My grandmothers rush to us and lead the way to Mildred’s car. After Connor carefully deposits me in the back, my nan politely but firmly tells the guys they can’t come home with us, because I need my peace and quiet to recuperate. Mei sneaks in on the other side of the car, climbing into the back long enough to give me my necklace.
“Don’t want to forget this,” she chirps, placing the chain over my head. She gives me a hug before flitting away.
Once everyone reluctantly leaves, Mildred and Carlotta get into the car and begin the process of taking us home. Before we get past the gates of the Campbells’ estate, I’m fast asleep.