Chapter 20
TWENTY
ATLAS
“Rune, do you hear that?”
He tilts his head, his gaze shifted to the ceiling. “Ooh, this is it. The final piece.” He squeezes my hand and focuses. Within seconds, the low sizzling sound I was hearing grows into a fiery burst that pops and explodes above us before fading away to nothing.
When the air clears, we’re left sitting in the burned-out shell of a home. He did it. He broke the illusion.
“This is better,” he says, his tone steeped in emotion behind his confident exterior.
“That was incredible.”
It took hours to strip it all back, but he did, slowly peeling away the antique furniture, clean walls, and sweet-scented air until it was this. The truth.
He looks drained, his eyes rimmed red with the effort of holding back the onslaught of memories hitting him. He only mentioned it briefly, but I could tell they were taking a lot out of him.
He inhales and exhales slowly several times as he rubs the back of his neck.
I reach out and gently massage his shoulders, smiling as he leans into my touch.
There’s no sense of time here, no way to know if it’s evening or the middle of the night.
For all we know, days could’ve passed behind this illusion.
I look at Rune as he scoots away and gets to his feet, taking in the scene around us. His expression is blank, almost numb, as he nods.
“She’ll come soon. She has to know by now.”
“We’ll be ready for her.”
“I hope so. Not gonna lie, that was one hell of an illusion. I’ve been sitting in a jail cell for weeks that was really a cellar I could have navigated blind when I was a kid.” He glances around again. “It was so good I almost thought she’d rebuilt it.”
I stand beside him and squeeze his hand. “I can’t imagine what you’re feeling.”
“Sure you can. I feel nothing, Atlas. Nothing at all. I have some unpleasant business to deal with, and I will. Then I’ll find any feelings I still have after it’s done.”
I nod, understanding why his defenses are up. “Just remember, you can feel anything you need to with me.”
His gaze softens briefly. “I know.” He looks at the ceiling abruptly. “Brace yourself. Someone or something is approaching.”
“Atlas!”
We both swing around at the sound of Drax’s voice and hurry to the front door, or rather the massive hole in the wall where a door once was.
And it’s not just Drax. The whole crew is there, plus about a dozen other beings.
I recognize a few of the witches I saw before as well as the gargoyles who directed me earlier.
I can’t sense the other beings through this shield, but I know one thing—it’s a big-ass supernatural army.
“We brought back up,” Mac says, grinning.
Even Rune smiles. “This is amazing.”
A woman steps forward and I recognize her as the “Madam” who gave me the sleeping potion before. “I have an idea.”
Rune straightens his shoulders, his expression slightly awed. “I’m listening.”
“There’s a great deal of magic pressed against this shield, trying to break through. I assume it’s you?”
“I would assume,” Rune answers.
“I’m likely the most powerful magic user in this group.
I suggest you and I focus on a connection between us, while everyone else forms a circle, harnessing any magic we produce.
The gargoyles on my side will push in, your gargoyle pushes out.
The demons are here to catch any rogue entities that escape, and everyone else will help support us. ”
Rune nods. “Sounds good.”
She focuses on Rune with her eerie gray eyes. “It could be dangerous. We could be hurt. I’ve never felt anything like this before.”
“It’s Delaport ancestral magic.”
Her jaw drops. “How… Who?”
“My sister.”
“You’re a Delaport? I thought the family was wiped out.”
“So did I. Anyone who could be a threat, anyway,” he mutters darkly, glancing at me, then back at the witch. “Ignatius Delaport.”
“Gods,” she whispers. “The rumors are true, then.”
“There are rumors about me?” he asks dryly.
“Suspicions perhaps is a better word. There have been whispers over the years that there was a magic user as deadly and powerful as the Delaports but he avoided detection.”
“By design, for obvious reasons,” Rune says.
She nods. “Well, I am even more confident now that we’ll be successful. Shall we begin?”
Rune cracks his knuckles. “I’m ready.”
Madam looks over her shoulder at the group gathered behind her. “Prepare yourselves.”
RUNE
I don’t know who this Madam is or how our paths haven’t crossed before, but I’ll take the assist. Her magic radiates around her in a mixture of colors; rare indeed. A mixture usually indicates her magic is naturally both good and bad, entirely based on her intention.
Atlas shifts into his stone form, large concrete wings expanding and his body doubling in size.
Holy spellcasters. He is smoking hot in this form.
I shake my head, trying to focus while he leans his massive shoulder against the forcefield, standing right beside me, the other gargoyles pushing from the other side.
I press my hands against the shield while Madam does the same, and the energy created between us is electric.
My hands tingle and vibrate as the two of us combine energy. The shield between us doesn’t even wobble.
“Stay focused,” she says. “Eyes on me.”
I nod, listening to her steady voice. With everything in me, I send all my magic to the surface to meet her hands.
“Close in around us, everyone,” Madam says. “As close as possible.”
The surge of magic grows between us as the group of supernaturals moves in, creating a small space where our combined abilities can expand.
“Damn,” I whisper.
“What is it?” Atlas asks. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. It’s just a lot. I’ve never felt this much magic at one time. Between my advanced abilities and Madam’s, we might blow the house off the foundation.”
“I’m right here beside you.”
I’ve never in my life believed I needed anyone, not for my magic and certainly not for happiness.
People have only ever been instruments of pain in my life.
But Atlas is here because he cares. He fucking cares.
All those beings are outside because they wanted to help a stranger.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I do need others in my life.
“Yes,” Madam says. “Feel it?”
The shield between us trembles and I focus even harder as Atlas digs in his heels and pushes against it with all his strength.
“It’s moving, right?” he asks.
“Yes, it’s moving.” I lock eyes with Madam, and my skin lights up, illuminating my tattoos and my eyes to the point where I actually feel them burn with light.
Madam’s eyes shimmer and her aura blooms around her into an impressive cloud, drawing everyone into it.
“Holy Hades,” I hear Drax say. “Can you guys feel this?”
“Sure can,” Mac says. “Is this what magic feels like?”
“Only this magic,” Cassius says. “This is wild.”
“It’s making me horny.” Roman sounds confused.
“Everything makes you horny,” Cassius retorts. “Focus.”
“Oh, I’m focused,” Roman says. “It feels like, I don’t know, the best thing ever.”
“Does it feel good to you?” Atlas asks me.
“Not good, really. Overwhelming. It’s a lot.”
“Lean on me, babe.”
The endearment chips away another piece of my icy exterior. If I make it out of this in one piece, I’m gonna have to figure out how to show this incredible man how grateful I am. I don’t want to think of what could’ve happened if he hadn’t come looking for me.
The magic flowing through my veins heats up dramatically, my tattoos so bright they’re almost blinding. My chest is tight as I blow out a breath, receiving everything I can from Madam. The magic feels like an infinite loop, flowing easily between me and the witch.
The first clue that it’s working is a loud crack, then the wobble of the shield. We’re doing it. We’ve almost got it.
I focus on Madam’s eyes, and then it happens. The shield breaks, but it sends all of us flying into the air, the shield falling around us like invisible glass, specks of it glistening in the moonlight as it rains down.
Atlas and I land across the room, slamming into the dining room wall, and when I sit up, I see the group of supernaturals scattered across the yard. Madam herself is at the bottom of the porch steps, rubbing her forehead.
Atlas wraps his arms around me, pulling me onto his lap and kissing my temple. “Are you okay?”
“I-I think so. I feel okay.”
“You’re bleeding.” He touches a spot above my eyebrow. “Does it hurt?”
I shake my head. “No.”
Atlas helps me to my feet, and we hobble over to what used to be the front of the house. It’s now a gaping hole. Madam and the others manage to stand, everyone slightly dazed by the force of the magic that just happened.
I extend my arm, smiling when I feel the cool night air around me. “It’s gone. We broke it.”
Madam nods. “We did. Whoever did this, your sister, she’s a force to be reckoned with.”
“I wish I knew how. When I last saw her, she had nothing. Barely a flicker of magic in her. I assumed somehow, she was missed. She had no gifts.” I glance at Atlas. “It’s why I let her live.”
“Clearly she learned how to harness Delaport magic. Be careful with her. I felt the rage within it.”
“Me too.” I don’t know what to say. How do you thank strangers who put themselves at risk to help someone they don’t even know?
“You say thank you,” Atlas whispers, so softly I’m sure I’m the only one who heard it.
Oh yeah. He can hear me, feel me. There’s no hiding from my mate.
“Thank you. All of you. I’m eternally grateful for your help.”
Madam smiles mysteriously. “Remember you said that. I will.” She winks, then she turns and waves. “I need to rest.”
She departs, leaving the rest of the ragtag group of supernaturals still standing in the yard. But before she makes it to the edge of the property, a dark mist fills the air, and a shiver moves down my spine. It’s Delaport magic. I can feel it like it’s running through my own veins.
Rhiannon appears in the center of the mist, no longer an awkward teen, but a beautiful full-grown woman. Her wild black hair mirrors my own except for the white streak framing the left side of her face. She’s still young, and her resemblance to our mother is eerie.
Her eyes glow blue, as do the tattoos on her skin, making it undeniable that she’s my sister. She studies me as she walks slowly toward me, the other supes standing in awe of her. Even Madam recoils when she passes.
“Hello, Ignatius,” Rhiannon says. “Surprised to see me?”
“No, but I imagine you’re surprised I’m no longer in a cell.”
“On the contrary. I wondered why it took you so long.” Her eyes take in the crumbling building that used to be our home. “Rune,” she says, an air of disdain in her tone. “Clever, but you forget, the Delaport connection never fades.”
I squeeze my eyes closed as she tries to prod my mind.
“You felt me,” she continues. “A thousand times or more, but your arrogance wouldn’t let you see what was right in front of you. Helpful, really. It gave me all the time I needed to plot my revenge. Now it’s time to pay for your sins, big brother.”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“Oh, but you should be. I’ve got the power of our ancestors behind me, and it’s time for one final war. Two siblings battling for dominance. At the end of it, only one of us will remain, and I promise you, it will be me.”
I feel more than see Atlas behind me, his energy pouring off of him. The supes out front haven’t budged either. She might have ancestral rage and magic on her side, but maybe I have enough on my side too.
“It’s nothing to me to destroy one more Delaport, little sis.”
A smile spreads across her lips. “Oh good. I was hoping you’d fight me. It’s no fun otherwise.”
“Care to tell me why this is happening?” As if I don’t know, but I want to hear her say it.
“I’ll tell you when my dagger is at your throat. In fact, my words will be the last you ever hear. I can’t wait.” She pulls a blade from the waistband of her black bodysuit.
Setting my shoulders, I stand as straight as possible. I don’t want to kill her, but I certainly will if it’s a choice between her and me. I have Atlas to consider too. Instead of feeling like a burden, that knowledge sends another wave of strength through me.
“The rules are simple,” Rhiannon says. “It’s just you and me. No outside help.”
I crack my knuckles. “I don’t need help to fight you, but you’re using ancestral magic. Hardly a fair fight.”
“I have my own. It’s going to be delightful to see that arrogance melt away when you beg me for your life. On the bright side, maybe I’ll keep you as a pet. Surely you can be useful.”
“My days of being someone else’s puppet are long over, sister.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Then she launches herself into the air, and the battle begins.