Page 72 of Hidden By the Gargoyle

The alpha skirted around Poppy, heading straight for where I stood with Dax. The pressure inside me suddenly increased and I doubled over, wrapping my hands around my stomach, groaning.

“What is the meaning of this?” the alpha hissed.

I felt Dax move then, but I couldn’t lift my head to see what was happening.

The cramp in my abdomen eased for a moment and I managed to straighten. When I did, I saw that Dax was standing between me and three cat shifters—the alpha, a female who must have been his mate, and another large male who must have been the clan enforcer.

“Back away,” Dax rumbled. His body grew larger, his muscles swelling beneath his shirt, and his skin turning dark grey.

“You dare bring a witch to this meeting?” the alpha asked, not backing down an inch.

I saw horns appear above Dax’s head and ducked just in time to avoid his wings when they burst out of the back of his shirt. He was shifting into his full gargoyle form in front of me. To protect me.

My heart started hammering and the power on my skin gave an audible snap as it intensified.

The alpha made a strange roaring sound. “You have insulted us with this. What spell is she casting? Did Harold send her?”

Harold was the alpha of the cat clan in Devil Springs. While he could be sneaky and even downright mean, he was always straightforward. If he had a problem with this alpha, he would have attacked him on his own, not hired a witch to do it.

I couldn’t say that though because another pain wracked my body. I couldn’t contain my cry. As I grabbed the waistband of Dax’s pants, my eyes met the alpha female’s gaze. Whatever she saw in my face must have frightened her because she paled. Her hand went to the alpha’s shoulder, and she tugged him back a step.

I had to say something, to let them know that I meant them no harm, but they needed to run. The pressure was building, and I knew it was only a matter of time before another shockwave of power escaped me and shot through the group of shifters in front of me. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.

As I clutched his belt, Dax reached behind his head and a sword hilt appeared in his hand like magic. He drew the weapon from the back of his shirt in one smooth motion and crouched slightly, flaring his wings wide. I saw then that the enforcer had been sidling around, trying to sneak up on his flank.

I leaned around him, looking at both the alphas. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you.” I groaned as another pain gripped me in its massive fist. “I can’t control it. I’m trying, but?—”

My knees almost gave out, but I managed to keep my feet. I kept trying to fight it, to keep the burst of energy back, but the crackling on my skin became a white light.

When the alpha female saw it, her eyes widened. “Back away!” she shouted. “Take cover!”

Using her grip on the alpha male’s shirt, she yanked him back and started running for the trees.

Somehow, she knew what was about to happen.

Goddess, if I couldn’t control the direction of this burst, I would end up killing someone. I saw Poppy standing in the middle of the drive, staring at where Dax crouched in front of me. I could kill my friend.

I couldn’t hurt her.

Magic was all about intention. That’s what Talant had said.

I fought through the agony, focusing on what I wanted. As the magic rushed through my veins, I threw my head back, my arms lifting toward the sky, and screamed.

The power shot out of me, an intense beam of white light, going straight up toward the sky. About a hundred feet above the trees, it seemed to hit a barrier. The same lacy dome I’d seen last night flashed against the bright blue of the sky.

The power continued to rush out of me, stronger than it had before.

Finally, the flow stopped abruptly, like a faucet being shut off.

My legs gave out and I crashed to the ground, ass first. My body flopped over until I was lying face up on the dirt, staring at the sky. The dome of the ward pulsed with white light, brighter than it had before. It was almost blinding against the cloudless, blue sky.

It was so pretty.

Dax’s face appeared over me. “Ally, what are you talking about?”

I realized I’d said my last thought out loud. I tried to tell him that, but everything was hazy.

The last of my energy seemed to slip away and I descended into the haze, letting the black fog roll right over me.

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