Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
Most vampires made their bites pleasurable.
I had no time to do so. My teeth sank into the warm skin of his neck, and I drank as much as I could without further weakening him.
Cernunnos’s blood slammed into me, magic humming through every cell in my body.
He was consummate power, divine energy. I’d never tasted anything like his blood.
Ripping my mouth away before I got too distracted by his taste, I stumbled to my feet.
The ground rumbled underneath my feet.
Minka stopped walking. She let out a startled laugh. “Fool. He will kill you for your trespass.”
She had no idea he’d given me permission.
“What are you doing with a god anyway? I thought I taught you not to involve yourself in their schemes. Nothing good ever comes by doing so.”
More magic than I’d ever had in my life filled every part of me. Cernunnos’s power was life, green and wild things. I could feel the earth quivering beneath my feet, sense every single living thing within the soil. Animals, hidden behind trees and in deep brush, carefully watched us.
With this much power, there was no way my mother could have beaten him. She must have taken him by surprise.
“Stop.” My voice had changed, became deeper and more authoritative.
Minka snorted. “You might be a little faster than me high on that blood you’ve taken, little girl, but I put a god on his knees. Make this easier and come with me willingly. I do not wish to harm you.”
I couldn’t help myself. I laughed. The statement sounded so absurd coming from her. Of course she wanted to hurt me. That’s what someone like her did.
Dark, viscous magic swirled from my mother, a heartbeat before she reached out her hand and threw a spell meant to incapacitate. I knew that spell. She’d done it to me hundreds of items.
I stepped out of the way with ease, the spell flying past to sink harmlessly into the ground. In the past, I would have frozen in terror. Mom’s eyes narrowed, displeasure sparking in the green depths.
I didn’t give her the opportunity to try again.
Flinging both hands, I threw every bit of power I could.
Magic slammed into her, tossing her ass over teakettle for several feet.
Minka smashed into the side of the house, so surprised, she failed to make any sound besides a bark of pain when she hit the wood.
I ran back to Cernunnos, skidding on my knees to land beside him. “Wake up.” I gently smacked him on the cheek.
He grunted. “Recovering.”
Mom groaned and tried to get to her feet.
“For fuck’s sake,” I growled. “Why won’t you die?”
“Unholy power,” Cernunnos whispered. “Something else fuels her. Must find it.”
His eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out. Well fuck.
I stood and hit her with power again. Siding and broken furniture crunched under my feet as I stepped inside the house. Minka lay in a prone heap on the floor, finally unconscious.
I picked up my phone and texted Ethan.
Got your problem. Want to take her off my hands?
She’d always needed her hands and her mouth to cast a spell.
I rummaged through drawers and cabinets until I found something I could tie her up with.
She lay on her stomach, so I gathered her hands behind her back and tied her as best I could.
Frowning at the poor tie job, I went back to the kitchen and dug until I found duct tape.
On my way back to her, I spotted a dirty washcloth and grabbed that, too.
Every witch worth her salt had duct tape handy.
Once I had her trussed up like a roasting pig and knew she’d never be able to free herself, I flipped her over and shoved the dirty cloth in her mouth, sealing the cloth in with the gray tape.
To keep it secure, I wrapped it around her head several times, catching the bulk of her hair inside.
Petty? Yes.
Worth the karma strike? Absolutely. She’d have a bitch of a time salvaging her hair. If she lived long enough to try.
Where are you? Ethan responded.
I dropped him a pin.
He was there in seconds, the only hint of surprise on his handsome face the slight lift of his eyebrows when he saw the destruction.
When he spotted Minka, his lips went thin. “This is her?”
I nodded. “She was never there for Soren.”
“What about the other witches?”
“Still on the game board.”
He bent down to peer at her. “That tape is going to be a bitch to get off.” He glanced up at me. “Never seen you make a mistake like that.”
I smiled. “No mistakes were made today.”
He snorted and held up another potion. “What about this?”
“Pour it on her,” I said. “She has enough magic to ensure it still works.” There was no way I was freeing her hands or her mouth.
“Be careful not to loosen her mouth or her hands. Consider her extremely dangerous.”
“What about eating?”
“I assume you know what you’ll do with her within a few hours, yes?”
Ethan watched me. “I don’t have to take her, you know. I can leave her here and come back later. If there’s something you wish to do.”
He spoke of killing her, something I’d thought about every single day for years. Instead, I allowed someone else to do the job for me, and look what happened. I might have killed Evie’s dad.
Best friend of the year, I was not.
Ethan’s brow furrowed. “Are you alright? You seem…off.”
Cernunnos’s power still buzzed in my veins and was making me feel like I’d downed ten espressos and topped it off with some crystal meth.
I was doing my best to suppress most of the power because of the wonderful side effect of this particular gift of mine.
One I did not want Ethan to experience. But yes, I was totally fine.
I gave what I hoped was a reassuring smile.
Ethan sighed and shook his head. “Moira, I can’t starve her to death.”
“I mean, you can,” I said hopefully.
He nudged Minka’s body with his boot. “Have you called Soren?”
“Not yet.”
“Does he know who she is?”
“No. I have no plans to inform him. As far as he’s concerned, she’s one of the witches trying to kill him.”
Technically true. Soren didn’t need to know he was a side quest while she drained everyone of their life force and magic.
“Turn her over to Soren. Or better yet, Evie.” As much as I wanted my mother dead, I wanted her to suffer more. Evie didn’t know what my mother had done to me. The moment I told her, Minka would know no end to her suffering.
I stared at my mother’s still figure. “Do you have a lead-lined cell?”
Ethan grimaced. “You think she’s that powerful?”
“I know she is.” He hadn’t asked about Cernunnos. The magic was so heavy in here, he wouldn’t be able to detect his presence, either. Better for both of us.
“We have one on Keep grounds,” Ethan admitted. “All Shifter Lords do.”
I blinked in surprise. “Seriously?”
“We have hosts of mages who work for us. Occasionally, one will experience magic burn. Stick them in there for twenty-four hours and they come out good as new.”
Magic burn was when a mage cycled through power too quickly and either collapsed in exhaustion or morphed into something wholly different from before.
Lead suppressed magic. A witch or a mage locked inside wouldn’t be able to perform a single spell, giving rest to one who burned out or suppressing one who could kill you with a twist of her fingers.
Like the woman lying at our feet.
“I suggest you stick her in there. Make sure she’s out cold when you remove the restraints and have mages with you when you do.”
“Moira—”
“I don’t want anything to do with her. In fact, I’d rather never see her again for as long as I live.” Maybe she’d rot in that cell.
I wondered again if I should kill her. My brain was screaming yes, and my cursed heart was whispering, she’s still your mother…
Yes, well, she was also the kind of mother who abused and starved children. So shut up, brain.
Ethan rose and unscrewed the top on the potion. “Very well.” He poured the potion all over Minka.
“I’ll see you soon.”
His words sounded like a warning.
Ethan crouched to touch my mother. A moment later they were gone.
I spun on my feet and hauled ass outside. Cernunnos was still splayed out on the ground.
I crouched beside him, relieved to see his eyes open. “Gods. Are you alright?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You sure as shit don’t look like you’re fine.”
Cernunnos lifted a bloody hand. I gripped it and helped him sit.
Animals poured from the trees and brush, encircling us as they watched warily.
“How could she have injured you so badly?”
“The bitch took me by surprise,” he growled. “She possesses a fae weapon.”
I went still. “I didn’t see anything.”
“She doesn’t know it would harm you. Why would she tip her hand?”
I pretended I had no idea what he was talking about. “Excuse me?”
Cernunnos let out a heavy breath. “We’ll talk later. Help me up so I can get us out of here. Then we’ll purge the rest of my magic from your body before you combust, alright?”
I needed to stop hanging out with Evie’s dad. He knew far too much about me for comfort.