Page 53 of Blood and Hexes

"Only fools dismiss the power of witches." Eirikr sighed. "And Vladrien has a habit of collecting them as allies. When he cannot, he destroys them."

Mikar remembered how he'd heard of Vlad. That vampire had been the one who had killed every witch in Greer's coven when she'd been a little child. Greer had transported herself here, where she would be safe, by some sort of miracle—more than likely, her ancestors had looked after her.

“Vlad is the least of your problems now. This arrow is coated with magic. Strong magic.”Eirikr’s gaze traveled past the lake, to the cliffs in the distance. “Unless I’m much mistaken, this weapon could have damaged your wards. And he intended to murder the witch so she could not rebuild them.”

Everyone stilled, taking it in.

“The wards are down?” Mikar didn’t feel anything.

“Not yet, but they’ve been breached. Like a shot in a wall of glass. All it would take to make them crumble is a little tap. This place is going to be attacked, and soon. Aveka may know the witch was saved and want to act before the wards can be rebuilt.”

“And who knows how long it’ll take until Greer wakes up, if she used up her magic?”

Eirikr had the answer. “She told me five or six hours. That was perhaps half an hour ago. She won’t wake until sunrise, and she will be weak when she does.” He paused. “We’re on our own all night.”

Who knew what was going to be unleashed?

"So, it was that queen again." Chloe shook her head. "Aveka," she said, echoing the name Eirikr used. “We're back to this. Fighting for our lives because she wants Oldcrest. Why is she so intent on killing us? Me?”

Levi kissed her forehead, and walked a few steps away, pulling his cell phone out. “It’s me. I’ll need you to come. Bring what you have.” He’d hung up before anyone could answer on the other end.

"Maybe we should just leave," Cat said, grimacing. "Let her take it. It's just a place. We can make our home elsewhere."

Silence fell as they weighed her words. She blushed self-consciously, as all eyes were on her, some nodding in agreement, others shaking their heads.

Eirikr stared at her in disgust.

"No." Chloe's voice was hard and steady as steel. “It’s not just a place. This has been your home for centuries. Levi's, Alexius's. Cat, you have a legacy on the hill. So do I. So does Tris. And you chose Oldcrest because you wanted to be here, not because Night Hill is a symbol of power. I'm not leaving. Eirikr is here. I love the school, I love my friends. Hell, I even love Skyhall. Besides, we could go to the end of the world—she'd still hunt me. She had assassins sent for me when I was mortal, in New Orleans.” She seemed so frustrated. “I just don’t understand.”

“I do.” Eirikr stopped speaking for so long Mikar thought he might have left it at that. "Deep under each of the seven houses, there's a tomb, where one of the oldest immortals of each family rests—not quite dead, certainly not alive. Their life forces and energy have been linked by a spell meant to increase the power of all that share their blood. It’s a binding spell. The seven families have chosen to do it in order to further their power."

"What?" Chloe was appalled. She looked at Levi, who nodded. Her jaw fell open.“That’s barbaric.”

“I would have forbidden it,” Eirikr assured her. “But I was imprisoned when they cast that spell.”

"I took no part in it." Levi paused. "But I didn't stop it."

"The Stormhales couldn't shake the heavens with their thunders before. The Helsings' voices were always sweet, courtesy of the blood of the half-siren, Desideria. But they didn't hold the power to sway the heart of Death itself until then. And the Eirikrsons, my children…" Eirikr swallowed, not adding another word.

Chloe went to him, taking his hand, and squeezing it. "Do we need to know?" she asked him.

After a moment, Eirikr nodded. "My children already stood above all. They could have refused to join it. But they feared that if they didn't take part in the ceremony, the other families would end up surpassing them, and grow beyond their control. So they participated. But they were a tight, close clan. They would not have wished to condemn one of their own to a fate worse than death. I fear..."

Mikar was the first to understand. "You think they took Aveka. That she was the one in the tomb under Skyhall."

Eirikr acquiesced. "Aveka died at the hand of her mother centuries before the spell. Of that, I'm sure. Her being here, alive, is an impossibility I can only explain with the darkest of magic. She was brought back to life and made immortal. I do not see for what purpose, other than to force her into that sacrifice."

Mikar could see it. A poor, scared child brought back from the darkness, just like Chloe had been. But not to be hugged, saved, loved. No. Then, she would have been locked away and left to rot, to fester.

He hadn't thought it possible that he could grow to feel sorry for that self-appointed queen. That he could finally understand her motivation. Revenge. Not just revenge, but survival too. She saw the Eirikrsons as her enemies. She saw Chloe as a monster who could—and would—destroy her, burying her alive again.

"How would she have escaped the tomb?" Levi wondered. His tone suggested he'd already accepted Eirikr's theory.

The ancient glared. "Well, you conveniently slaughtered every Eirikrson, but for a mortal child, I suspect whatever magic bound her weakened enough for her to rise."

"That's easy enough to verify. We can go to the tomb and check," Sylvan said. “But maybe another day. I say we should suit up, and get ready for battle.”

“If you're right, we're not dealing with the crazy megalomaniac we thought we were, though.” Chloe frowned. “Maybe we can talk to her. Explain we don't mean her harm."

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