Page 37 of Fated Midlife Christmas
Panic was beginning to move through Amanda’s body. Nothing was working. They’d had some pretty tough fights before, but never had they met someone—or something—that seemed completely impervious to all their attacks. Even if Maeve and all the younger witches of the coven were there, even if the dragons had been strong enough to come, she wasn’t sure it would make any difference.
That desperate feeling inside her suddenly changed. This new feeling was just as new and heavy, and Amanda didn’t know what it was.
Behind her, she heard the thundering feet of something heavy. She dared to turn toward the door, just in time to see Lars come bursting into the room. He was in his polar bear form, his white fur dazzling even in the dim, flashing lights. He bared his teeth and let out a roar that could’ve competed with Mary’s scream a moment ago. Then he charged forward, sending a blast of energy straight at Mary.
14
What the hell is this?Lars dodged to the right as the terrifying vision in the center of the room hurled dark magic at him.
Lars had arrived as quickly as possible, jumping into action the moment he’d received the text message from Amanda.911 at The Crimson Veilcould’ve meant anything. As he’d raced over in his rental car, he’d imagined everything from kidnapping to a full-on battle between the covens. Now that he was there in it, he still wasn’t sure what he was looking at.
Mary Riddle. Corinna brought her back from the dead,Amanda explained telepathically, ducking and springing forward for her next attack.She doesn’t know how, and she’s not really helping us figure out how to undo it. All we know is that this woman was once an incredibly powerful witch, and she’s not too pleased about being here.
Lars grunted in agreement. He lifted a shield of energy right in front of Amanda. It stopped Mary’s next attack, and he sent another wave directly toward the spirit.This doesn’t seem to be making much difference.
I was noticing that, too.
He could hear the thoughts that Amanda sent to him, a confirmation of their fated bond. Lars could also feel the rising anguish and dread within her. She was starting to worry that this was hopeless, and she didn’t need any words to communicate that to him.
The Crimson Veil was storing energy in the geodes,Amanda relayed as she dove in front of Erin’s bobcat, trying to protect the smaller shifter from Mary’s next launch.I thought if we destroyed them, we could destroy her. I broke one of them, but she’s just as strong as ever.
Lars glanced only briefly at the shattered crystals on the floor. It was a clever idea, even if it was being used for the wrong purpose. The hollow shape of the crystals would allow the power to bounce back on itself instead of flowing back down into the earth. Clearly, it’d worked. The overwhelming power and energy in the room were disorienting, even for him.
So we’ll have to try something else,he reasoned. An inky jet of dark magic raced over his head, only missing him because Erin was still racing around the room.
But our magical attacks aren’t doing much of anything.Amanda stomped the floor as she pulled and sent another radiant wave toward Mary.Sometimes she can even throw them back at us. Lucille is trying to find a spell, but whatever arcane knowledge brought her here is a mystery to me.
Lars went to the left and Amanda to the right. They each sent more blasts of energy, but all they got in return was more furniture hurled at their heads.
Then Mary did something they hadn’t seen yet. She pressed her elbows at her sides and curled her hands toward the ceiling, her bony fingers like bent twigs. She moaned, and the dark voids that served as her eyes seemed to grow even deeper. Her face stretched as her mouth opened wider.
Beneath her, the dark magic that she’d been throwing at everyone began to coalesce. It spun in a lazy circle, building up like a thunder cloud.
That can’t be good.Amanda moved backward, her bear rump hitting the wall as she tried to get away from it.
Lars didn’t know anything about this kind of magic.What is it?
I’m not sure, but I’d say she’s putting power together for something.Amanda swiveled her head as the house began to groan and creak around them.I think she’s taking things to the next level. She’s going to pull down this house and everyone in it!
What then? Would Mary be free to destroy the rest of the world? How much power could she channel, and what would she do with it? Lars knew he had to do something. Suddenly, he had an idea.
Tina sent a blast of purple magic at Mary, but the specter absorbed it into her body and moaned louder. The cloud beneath her spun faster.
When Lars moved back toward the doors, out of the line of fire, he could take the time to truly sense the cycle of energy in the room. The geodes were flashy and bright, but they remained that way because Mary wasn’t pulling any of that power out of them.She’s drawing her power straight from the ley lines. She’s capable of pulling up far more than anyone else I’ve ever encountered. The drain that The Crimson Veil has already created is about to get far worse if Mary finishes what she’s doing.
Not that he really knew what that was. His own powers were nothing like the magic that the witches used. His gut told him that if they let it go, the results would be terrible.
Everything we’re firing at her is only making it grow,Amanda noted.
“I think I’ve found it!” Lucille cried from the doorway. She lifted her hand toward Mary. “Dust of bone, shard of soul, across the veil you must go. Back to the realm, your soul must flee. We release you, so shall it be!”
Mary hissed and screamed. With a swoop of her hand, she gathered a pile of splintered wood and flung it at Lucille.
Lars couldn’t tell if the spell had any true effect on Mary or not, but Lucille hadn’t given up yet. She ducked out of the way and then returned, reciting the spell again. “Dust of bone, shard of soul…”
He took a few seconds to study the power in the room again. It rose up from the floor in a brilliant blue light. It wasn’t a light that anyone else would be able to see, but his clan’s longstanding duties at the polar node had helped them develop this sensitivity to it. Mary was gathering all of that power and concentrating it.
I have to rebalance the ley energy back into the earth,he decided. Lars moved forward again, but he didn’t launch any of his power toward Mary. Instead, he pulled all the ambient energy from the room and began funneling it back down into the earth. He used all the skills he’d learned growing up, checking the flow and the strength, pushing it gently, and extending it out over as big an area as he could reach.
