Part 15 (1/2)

Serves him right.

He turns his head so that his eyes, deep brown eyes the color of chocolate, look into mine. Eyes that tell me the crowd isn't what he fears. It's me. Or perhaps our binding. Either way, in that one glance, I realize Ryker doesn't want to be with me anymore than I want to be with him.

”Ryker-”

A horrible metal on metal sound screeches across the hall. Instinctively, I duck and cover my head with my hands. Like at Summer Hill, when the Dark witches attacked, the floor rumbles beneath my feet and I slam into Ryker.

Not again.

Annalise and Oliver shove Ryker out of the way and position themselves on each side of me. ”We need to leave,” Annalise says in a ragged voice.

Panicked senior officials and their mates hurry off to secure rooms.

Cowards.

”Who is it?” I shout. The adrenaline flooding my system has left me breathless.

Annalise keeps her clear blue eyes focused on a spot near the front window. ”I'm not sure. We've had no reports of unrest in the area.”

”Unrest?” I say. ”This is magic. It's either the Light witches or Eamon's Splinter group-”

An explosion at the rear of the hall sends debris flying toward us. Annalise flings me to the ground and throws her body over mine. My ears ring and everything around me sounds m.u.f.fled.

Annalise stands up and yanks me to my feet. ”We're leaving.”

Ash and smoke fill the air, burning my eyes and choking me.

”No.” I copy my guards' defensive posture, hands ready. ”I'm not running away.”

I may not of have been able to fight at Summer Hill, but I can now. Nothing will stop me from defending my friends and family.

Somehow, Mother has made her way to the front of the room, toward the noise. Her body quivers has she paces. ”Lark, I want you here.” When I don't immediately move, she snaps, ”Now!”

The crowd parts and I hurry to Mother's side. The walls of the banquet hall shake with such force I fear the ceiling may collapse.

”Listen very carefully. I want you to feel my power, wrap your mind around it and use it. Annalise's too. Let her power enter you.”

”I...I'm not sure I understand.”

The windows at the front of the room shatter and screams erupt all around me.

”Now!” Mother yells. ”Do it now, Lark!”

Wave after wave of magic lashes at me. But unlike in the past, I can sense which piece is Annalise's and which is Mother's. They wrap around me and snake into my core. Horror, sadness, fear-it all mingles together, churning, gathering, growing stronger until I can't contain it anymore.

Magic bursts from me and I can't stop it. The side of the hall explodes and the dark sky erupts in fireball, exposing the shadowy figures circling the perimeter of the hall. They fall back, blasted by whatever I've done.

I stare at my quivering hands and then the gaping hole. What have I done?

15.

The world rushes past me. Men in evening coats and woman in elegant gowns storm through the gaping hole in the side of the house, hurling magic at our attackers. The air crackles and sparks.

I've lost track of Mother, but as always, Annalise and Oliver are at my side. And Ryker? I swing my eyes around the now near vacant room. ”Where's Ryker?”

”He went out, as he should,” Oliver replies. His disapproving gaze is locked on my brother, Callum, who stands near the back of the room. ”Only cowards hide.”

To my surprise, Annalise makes no effort to defend her mate.

My brother may be a coward. But I'm not. And I'm not going to let my future mate show me up, either.

Before my guards can stop me, I run through the opening. Whizzing b.a.l.l.s of magic soar past me and explode on impact. The smoke chokes the oxygen from my lungs, but I press forward. Eamon is here. He has to be. No one else is crazy enough to attack a hall full of Dark witches.

And unlike the last time I saw him, he's not going to scare me into running away.

Wind whips around me and my body trembles with magic. It surges through me leaving a sense of invincibility in its wake.

”Lark!” Annalise yells as I stomp straight into the middle of the battle. ”It's not safe!”

But I'm not thinking about safety. I have one goal: to find Eamon, make him tell me where Beck is, and then destroy the man who tormented me.

A ball of light zooms toward me and I fling out my hand in an attempt to push it away. To my surprise, it spirals back toward the sender and makes contact. An unearthly howl of pain fills my ears.

Interesting. I focus on another light ball and shove my hand forward again. Like the last one, it too reverses course. I may not have Mother's abilities, but at least I can do something.

My dress drags through the mud and melted snow as I press deeper into the melee. A woman I don't recognize grabs my arm. When I can't shake her loose, I whip my elbow into her gut. She doubles forward, releasing me, and I slam my forearm across the back of her neck. She slumps to the ground.

A familiar mop of dark hair darts past me.

Ryker.

I spin and run after him as best I can in my heels. He's a sight to behold; the attacking witches crumple before him and anytime magic nears him, he dodges it or slams it away. I am in awe. I had no idea he was so skilled.

Frustrated by my slow progress, I kick off my shoes. Ryker weaves in and out of the fighting, determined to move forward. And then I see who he's headed for: Eamon.

My heartbeat accelerates and hate floods my system. Eamon stands behind a line of Light witches I vaguely recognize as members of the Splinter group. A cruel smile forms on his lips. I lift my hand and stretch it out toward him. Magic sparks off the tips of my fingers. I can feel it, all I have to do is will him dead and he would be.

I want this so badly, so why can't I do it?

Ryker turns toward me and he shakes his head, before charging ahead, into the line of Light witches.

No. Ryker is not going to take this from me. With singular focus, I move closer to the Light witches. They see me now.

Eamon sees me.

He holds out his thumb and forefinger and pinches them together. Like he's blotting me out. He s.h.i.+fts to the right and my heart plummets.