"You stupid bitch," Hazel snarled. "You think that you can take all of us on by yourself?"
"Why, sugar," I drawled, "who ever said that I was by myself?"
She looked at me, and I grinned back at her. Grimes frowned at my words, but it was Hazel who finally realized what I was up to and why I'd let them follow me home. She cursed, and a ball of elemental Fire flashed to life in her hand.
A perfect signal, if ever there was one.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Crack!
Crack! Crack!
Crack!
Gunshots rang out from the woods to the left of the house. The first wave of shots took out two of Grimes's men. The others saw their buddies hit the ground, then ducked down and scrambled back behind their cars for cover. They raised their own weapons and started firing toward the trees where the bullets were coming from, but I didn't bother ducking or running for cover. The bullets weren't meant for me. I'd let Grimes and his men follow me back to Fletcher's so that I could lure them into my own trap, into my own sticky web of death, and Grimes had been arrogant enough to fall for it.
While I'd been sitting on the porch, drinking lemonade, Finn, Bria, Owen, and Phillip had been getting into position in the woods, ready to snipe at Grimes, Hazel, and their men when they showed up.
Crack!
Crack! Crack!
Crack!
My friends fired another hail of bullets at the gangsters, shattering the windshields and denting the car doors that they were crouched behind. But I kept my eyes fixed on Grimes and Hazel, who were staring right back at me, as unconcerned by the bullets as I was. I stayed where I was, because this was the moment I'd been waiting for, my chance to finally take them out.
For Sophia, for Jo-Jo, and for Fletcher.
"What did you do?" Hazel spat out.
"Just made sure that you all get what you so richly deserve," I snarled back at her.
Hazel shrieked with rage, and the flames crackling in her palm intensified. I tensed, thinking that she might hurl her ball of elemental Fire at me, but instead, she turned and threw it into the woods. The Fire hit a tree and exploded, sending flames shooting into the air and licking at the leaves and grass along the ground.
In the distance, I could hear Finn yelling at Bria and the others to watch the Fire. He knew as well as I did that they couldn't afford to let the flames get out of control, or the whole ridge might go up, along with Fletcher's house - and then we'd all be dead.
Hazel laughed with dark delight when she realized that the flames were spreading. Bria left her hiding spot in the woods to rush over to the burning tree. Grimes's men drew a bead on her, but Finn and the others laid down another round of gunfire to cover her. A bluish-white light flared in Bria's hand, and she sent out a blast of Ice magic that quickly turned the flames into thick, twisted icicles.
Hazel's cackle cut off. Another ball of Fire popped into her hand, and she reared back, ready to throw it at Bria and roast my sister where she stood. I palmed my knives and charged at her, determined to keep that from happening.
Hazel saw me coming out of the corner of her eye. She waited until I was in range, then whirled in my direction and shoved her hand - and the flames flickering on her fingertips - right into my face.
I had just enough time to reach for my Stone magic and use it to harden my skin, head, hair, and eyes before the molten heat engulfed me, making me feel as though I was standing next to an open furnace. Hazel wasn't as strong as Mab had been, but she was still a powerful elemental in her own right, and it took me a moment to push back and snuff out the flames of her power with my own Stone magic. Smoke drifted up from my body, and sparks and ash fell from my clothes.
Hazel's eyes narrowed. "So it's true. You do have Stone magic, along with all that Ice you threw around on the ridge."
"You really should have listened to the rumors," I hissed.
"Because now I'm going to kill you with it, just like I have all the others before you. Just like I will all the others after you who are stupid enough to mess with me and mine."
Another ball of Fire popped into Hazel's hand. "Not if I kill you first, bitch."
Instead of answering, I threw myself at her.
I stabbed out with my knives, trying to end Hazel once and for all, but she reached for even more of her magic, turning her fists into two flaming torches. Every time I swung at her, she thrust the flames of her magic into my face, making me retreat. So I reached for my Stone magic, used it to harden my skin, and went after her again.
Hazel realized that I was coming after her through the flames, and she stepped up to meet me.