“And we’re onto something,” Rowan said.
We passed another row of hedges, finally reaching a corridor lined on either side with topiaries. Animals of all different varieties bordered the path.
I inspected the topiaries, spotting giant monsters of all sorts. Snakes, tigers, griffons, and demon dogs. They prowled and pranced, frozen in time.
As soon as we passed the first topiary, it burst to life. The cobra leapt off the platform, rearing its hooded head back to strike at Bree.
She called on her magic, and lightning struck, piercing the night sky and obliterating the topiary. It burnt to a crisp, ashes scattering to the ground.
The rest of the animals leapt to the ground, prowling near. I called on my sword, drawing it from the ether, and leapt off of Lachlan’s back. For this, we were better separate.
He charged a panther topiary, while I raced for a bear. I struck out with my sword, doing a bit of gardening around the head. I sliced it right off. Headless, the bear swiped out with its front foot, swiping me across the stomach with its claws made of thorns.
Pain flared, and I doubled over briefly.
Keep fighting.
The wound wouldn’t kill me—it would just hurt like hell. I straightened, aiming my sword for the bear’s front leg. I lopped it off, then went for the next.
At my side, Rowan fought a stag. The antlers swiped out at her, coated with thorns.
I finished off the bear just as a shriek sounded. The Cats of Catastrophe appeared, racing toward the topiary beasts. They each leapt on their own monster, claws flailing. Snippets of leaves flew left and right as the cats each destroyed a topiary.
Lachlan cut through others, making quick work, while my sisters and I fought our way past three identical topiary alligators. Their tails whipped out with incredible strength. One knocked me off my feet, and I rolled out of the way of its snapping jaws. My hip ached where the gator’s thorny tail had hit me, and blood soaked my jeans.
I turned and lunged, sword outstretched, and took off the monster’s head.
Finally, we destroyed the last of the topiaries.
In the quiet calm, I surveyed what was ahead. About fifty yards away, a large stone building sat in the middle of a beautiful rose garden. Dark magic rolled out from the structure.
Our targets were in there. “Jackpot.”
We stalked closer on silent feet, keeping our pace quick. We’d only gone about ten yards when dark figures melted out from the walls, stalking toward us. They had gray skin and black eyes, with long pointed ears close to their skulls. Black claws tipped their hands. Their auras were as black as pitch, swirling around them like fog. Pale yellow eyes gleamed at us as they licked their fangs.
“Dark fae.” Fear echoed in Rowan’s voice.
The Cats of Catastrophe hissed and ran backward, putting distance between themselves and the creatures.
Cold shivered across my skin.
The dark fae’s touch was deadly. And they were super fast.
They streaked toward us. My heart leapt into my throat as I threw up my arms, creating a massive white shield. They slammed into it, hissing and clawing.
There were at least twenty of them. They were so fast and so deadly that we couldn’t fight them. Not all of them.
“Shit, what do we do?” Bree asked. “I can electrocute some, but how long can you hold that shield?”
Sweat broke out on my brow, and my arms shook. “Not long.”
Next to me, Lachlan shifted back into his human form and raised his arms.
“Hurry.” I gasped as my shield began to flicker. Whatever he was going to do, he needed to do it quick.
The dark fae were so strong that they were breaking down my shield. They’d overwhelm us in seconds. Fear like I’d never known shivered through me, turning all my muscles to ice.
I could take out one or two, and my sisters probably more. But not enough. At least one could touch us, poisoning us with a fast-acting dose of lethal paralysis. For this, they were one of the most feared species of magical creature.
Lachlan raised his hands. His magic surged. Behind the dark fae, the earth rose up. A wall of dirt and rocks cut off our view of the stone building as it curled over the fae like a tidal wave. It crashed down on them, dirt and rocks pouring down, crushing them.
Shocked, I stared. All I could see was piles of displaced dirt and stone. The fae were pulverized beneath.
“Come on!” Lachlan started to climb over the piles of dirt and rock.
I followed. “How the hell did you do that?”
It must have taken so much magic.
“Practice.” His voice sounded a bit strange. “And I’m nearly tapped out. It took almost everything I have.”
“So we’re on our own in there.” I pointed to the building, which was only ten yards away now.
“I can still fight. Maybe even shift.”
We reached the building and rushed inside, Lachlan taking the lead.
The interior was far larger than I’d expected. Shelves of books and scrolls bordered the walls, along with massive iron safes full of who knew what. Tables were scattered here and there with papers spread about. Maps and documents.
But it was the people in the middle who caught my eye.
Our targets.
And they were ready for us.
The cloaked figure and the two women from the Roman baths stood there. The dark-haired woman and the blonde one had brought him the spell and hadn’t left his side, it seemed. His minions. They were guarded by two hulking demons who each held massive swords. The cloaked figure’s magic rolled out, dark and fierce. It made my stomach turn and my muscles tremble. In his hands, he clutched the package with the spell.
In front of them, two demons struggled with something on the ground. They pulled a big iron ring—just like the trapdoor in the ghost library.
We stepped forward.
Thunder cracked. The roof shook.
Bree was trying to break through with her lightning, but the building was strong.
The women at the cloaked figure’s side stepped forward. The dark-haired one hurled a blast of green magic at us.
Crap!
This was the same combustive magic that she’d thrown back at the Roman baths. I dived left, narrowly avoiding a kill shot. The edges of the magic hit my arm, making it go limp as I crashed to the ground. The blast of magic destroyed the wall behind me.
Pain surged through my arm as I scrambled to my feet. The limb hung limply at my side, impossible to move.
Rowan sprinted for the woman, sword raised. The blonde woman hurled a massive icicle at Rowan, who dodged the thing by inches.
Bree fought the two demons, using her wings to fly just out of their reach as she delivered killing blows.
The cloaked figure raised his hands. Foul magic swelled on the air. Wispy black figures shot from his fingertips, rushing toward us. There were at least fifteen of them, and all looked like shadowy grim reapers.
They converged on us, bringing with them the stink of death.
I called upon my magic, dredging up every bit of it, and envisioned my shield. The light burst out of me, but it wasn’t my shield at all. It was a pale glow that felt like a summer day.
What the heck?
Use it.
Fear clawed at my throat. This wasn’t my shield. It couldn’t protect us.
Give it your life force.
I had no idea what that meant.
Try.
Crap, this was new magic. And it wanted me to do something totally confusing. I tried, focusing on the commands, pushing my energy into the magic, making it glow brighter and stronger.
The grim reaper figures shrank away from the light. I could almost feel the rage and confusion flowing from the cloaked figure. Sweat dripped down my face as I worked, pushing all the energy in my body out through my hands.
On instinct, I started calling up good memories. My mother from when I was younger. Playing with my sisters. A single trip to the beach when our lives were still easy.