Page 78 of The Mating Frenzy
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The next day,they arrived back in Colorado. Ella was stunned nothing followed them and they encountered no problems. Kieran booked them into first class. He slept the entire way, as she rested her head against hisshoulder.
It took a few good hours to drive back to the town. When they made it to the library, Ella’s heart was racing. Nine days had passed. What if Kieran was wrong? What if the spell had already cast her mother into permanentice?
When they arrived at the library, she clutched the leather pouch containing the crystal. Kieran slid his right hand intohers.
“I’m with you in this, Ella-mine. No matter what happens.” He gave her palm a reassuring squeeze. “It’s going to beokay.”
The library was quiet. She’d called Danica on the drive over and her friend assured her that she’d keep everything locked tight and meet them in the secretarchives.
In the basement, Kieran entered the secret code with his left hand. The keypad lit up with a soft white glow, sparkling like fairy lights. The trio headed for the light at the end of theshelving.
Several tables had been pushed together to form a single unit. A sob caught in Ella’s throat as she saw her mother, still frozen, resting upon the tables. A few lamps glowed softly, showing the pale blueness of her skin and face, the hands and arms stiff withfrost.
“Ella!” Danica stepped out of the shadows and ran forward. She huggedher.
“I found the correct spell to activate the crystal. Are you ready, honey?” Danicaasked.
Palming the crystal, she cast a worried glance at Kieran. Henodded.
“It’s okay, Ella. Do it. It’s the only way to free yourmother.”
She recited the words on the page Danica translated. A surreal purple glow pulsed in the room as the crystal in her palms lit up. Kieran squinted and stepped back, as did Danica and Darcy, but the light did not hurt Ella’seyes.
Power flowed through her as if she’d placed her hand on a live electrical line. The burning wasn’t unpleasant, nor did she fear it. For the first time in her life, Ella felt as if she found herpurpose.
I was born forthis.
Ella set the crystal down on the table, staring at her glowing white hands. She felt filled with energy and renewed, as if awaking from a longsleep.
And more than a little scared at containing power. So much magick! She felt as if she could fly through the air, heal a thousandinjuries.
Or destroy a thousandcities.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Danica move toward thecrystal.
“Hey,” Darcy protested. “Whatthe…”
Danica punched her half-sister, and Darcy fell to theground.
“Stop her!” Darcy criedout.
But Danica snatched up the crystal and murmured a spell. Power suddenly radiated from her, a dark aura that smelled of pureevil.
In her hands the crystal’s lavender glow cast shadows on her face. “It’s activated now. Mine. Soon as I recite the final spell to transfer all your power into me, nothing can stop me. Now the Dark Lord will reward me for my patience. So many long years of subservience, pretending to like you, pretending I wasSkin.”
Ella stared at her friend. “Are youmad?”
Danica laughed. “Mad? I’ve never been more sane in my life. All this wasted time, waiting for you, you bitch, to stop living in Skin. It’s finally paidoff.”
No. She could not believe it. “Danica, please don’t dothis.”
But her words fell on deafears.
Betrayed and utterly grieved, Ella dropped her hands. “You said you wanted to help me, hell, you got me this job. You helped save the kittens I’ve rescued in thepast.”
“The cat in the woods was a sacrifice to keep my little bit of magick alive. I would have killed the kittens, too, if you hadn’t found themfirst.”
