risk for me. I did not want to be the reason she lost her baby. I’d been through that before and I didn’t wish it on anyone, much less a woman who had proven herself time and again to be my friend. I looked to Bris, who was the only one of us powerful enough to face the witch in a magic battle. I had no question Kelsey could behead a chick, but she had to get close enough, and I didn’t think she would be able to given what Erna had so recently done to a young man who was supposedly in her charge.
Erna started to wave a hand Kelsey’s way. Bris brought up a wall of green between them.
Kelsey sent us a look that could have frozen water. “I can handle a single witch.”
She’s my friend, but she’s also super arrogant.
“Don’t think you can hide from me,” Erna swore, stepping around the wall of tall grass. She held up her hand toward my faery prince. “Veni ad me.”
Dev’s body went stiff and he suddenly hit his knees. He shook as though fighting something from deep within. I glanced at Daniel, who was lying on the ground unmoving. He seemed to be out of her range, but something was happening to Dean, too. The young man had been inching toward Erna, but he fell back on a shout.
I rushed to Bris, but he held out a hand.
“Stay back,” he shouted. “Something is happening. I think it’s working, but the stone is fighting. I need to stay in control or I worry what will happen.”
I wanted so badly to touch him, but Kelsey was at my side, her hand reaching to mine.
“Let it happen,” Kelsey said. “I think she’s pulling it out of him and I would rather she worked this magic on Dev first before trying it on Daniel’s human body. Unless you’re willing to let me step into that magic and see what happens.”
Well, when she put it that way… I watched in helpless dread as Dev’s body fought between Erna’s will and that of the thrall stone. It was one more thing I would pay Myrddin back for. I couldn’t stand to see his pain, but there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t step between him and that light coming from Erna’s hands.
She was powerful, but there was something odd about her magic. I had to think it was because she wasn’t a witch from the Earth plane. When Sarah cast a spell I didn’t see that wild wave of energy coming off her. It was like lightning, but focused and stable. It went into my faery prince’s body and caused him to go stiff as though he’d completely lost control. Yet Bris stared at me, making not a sound of pain. He simply watched me as though he was going to hold it all in, so I wasn’t scared.
I love you. I mouthed the words to him, thanking him for taking this for Dev.
And then he couldn’t hold back. His mouth opened on a low groan and then a shout of pure agony as his head snapped back.
Dev’s body sagged down as the light cut off.
I raced to him, dropping to my knees and getting my hands on him. “Dev? Bris? Are you all right?”
His eyes opened and it was Bris’s pure emerald I saw there. “We are fine, my goddess. My host needs a moment but he is well. Aching but well. He is confused. I am sorry I did not realize something had attached itself to his mind. I feel guilt for this.”
I wasn’t having that. I brought his hand to my heart. “You are always our hero, My Lord. I love you. Rest.”
He squeezed my hand and his eyes closed.
Erna stood over us, Kelsey moving to my side like she was ready to jump in front of that lightning again.
“You could have killed him,” Kelsey said, and I was pretty sure if I could have seen them, her eyes would have been all kinds of wolfy.
“He wasn’t going to stop.” Erna’s eyes had gone back to normal and she studied the stone in her hand. Although according to her it was actually bone. It was so small, I could barely see it held between her thumb and forefinger. “This wouldn’t have let him. It was only luck that your husband happened to be an ascended god, but he wouldn’t have held out forever. Surely you could see that.”
I had been able to