Fearless The King Series Book One - By Tawdra Kandle Page 0,120

heard the familiar chanting. She was thinking of the chant as she mumbled some words over the stones.

I felt a burst of energy so strong that it forced me further into the ground and robbed me of my breath. Startled, I realized it had come from Nell’s mind. And there, where a mound of stones had been seconds before burned a bright flame.

I remembered that Amber had talked about Nell and the other girls making fire. At the time, I had assumed there was some trick Ms. Lacusta had taught them. But the flash of power I’d felt at the same moment the fire started could not have been a coincidence. Somehow Nell had made those flames.

In desperation, I closed my eyes and opened my mind, clearing all the walls as thoroughly as I could. Combating Nell was going to require every bit of strength I possessed.

Now, the words must be perfect. The athame must be purified in the flames created by the craft, and then she has to be upright. I’ll have to prop her up in some way. And the vessels, they have to be prepared, too—

TASMYN!

Cutting through Nell’s musings and ramblings, I heard my name coming from a completely different mind. I caught my breath as I struggled to keep my face expressionless. I could not let Nell look at me and guess what I was hearing.

Tasmyn. I’m coming for you, I know you’re around here somewhere. Hang in there, I love you, don’t you dare let her hurt you, I’ll kill her myself. Stay with me, Tas.

Tears filled my eyes, and I squeezed them shut. With tremendous effort, I choked down a screaming reply. I wouldn’t help either of us by taking away the element of surprise, Michael’s only real advantage in this situation. But every fiber of my being yearned toward him.

Nell had straightened, and she was coming toward me. One hand was behind her back, and the same beatific smile was on her face.

“Well, Tasmyn, I think it’s about that time. Now, I’m going to need your cooperation in some of this. You must be sitting up, so that I can catch the blood in the vessels that have been prepared for this ritual. Oh, it’s going to be amazing.” She brought her hand in front of her, and in it I saw a long, thin knife. Nell turned it over lovingly, caressing the white bone handle. I could hear her again more clearly.

Amazing. That’s right. Just the two of us. The athame will link us, forever.

“That’s the athame?” I questioned her softly. I wanted to keep her attention on me.

“Yes.” Still smiling, Nell held it out the knife front of her. “Isn’t it beautiful? It was my mother’s.”

Without thinking, I blurted, “I thought Ms. Lacusta gave it to you—the athame.”

Confusion moved across Nell’s face. “Marica? My mother…” Her mind bleated distress. Then she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. One and the same. Powerful witches, and both their blood runs in my veins.” The idea of blood brought her back to the task at hand. “This athame has served me well. If you feel the back of your head, you’ll find a lump in the shape of its handle. Turns out it’s useful in more ways than even I had guessed.”

“That’s what you hit me with?” No wonder my head was killing me.

“Yes. It worked out perfectly. The hardest part was keeping my mind blank. I knew you’d hear me if I started thinking once I got near you. So I had to have it all planned before I was close enough, and I wasn’t really sure how far away you can read minds.” She knelt down next to me and slid a hand beneath my head. “Now you have to sit up.”

Nell’s fingers brushed the back of my head, and I shrieked in pained protest. She jerked her hand away, then chuckled.

“Sorry. I forgot that your head must hurt pretty badly. Don’t worry, it won’t bother you much longer.” She giggled again, but this time she gripped me by the shoulders. “Look, I’ll swing you around so you can lean against this tree.”

She shoved me up, and I moaned again as my head banged against the tree. Moving had tightened the bindings on my feet, and I felt as though I were being stretched.

Nell sprinted back to the fire and returned to me quickly, this time holding two stone bowls. “These are the vessels. We’ll need to tie your hands, I’m afraid,