Chapter Twenty-Six
Rhys
As the dome of light formed over us, I looked over at Ava. “I should have traced to them.”
Ava shook her head and lifted a hand, pointing to where I could see three figures waiting. Another circle, this one about twenty feet across pulsed with red light. “That’s a very nasty protection spell,” she stated softly. “If you managed to get tangled up in it, you would have been burned to a crisp or something worse.”
I shrugged. “Maybe, or maybe not. She wants me alive, doesn’t she?”
“It doesn’t matter now,” Ava replied. “We’re here and we’re trapped. We have to figure out a way to get past Rhiannon’s spells before we can put a plan in motion.”
In truth there was no plan. Kerry had been unable to help us locate Rhiannon or Savannah. She was insistent that we talk, that she had important information, but it would have to wait. If Rhiannon hadn’t called Ava, we still wouldn’t know where Savannah was or if she was unharmed. The only accord we had been able to come to was that Ava would deal with Rhiannon and I would kill Macgrath. As we approached the red circle, I could see that she was fine, standing unaided but clearly frightened.
Her body grew rigid when she saw me and I could practically feel her fear and relief even through the shield of magic that surrounded her. The rage that I’d suppressed all day grew, threatening to break free of my control. My fingertips burned as electricity danced between them. Savannah was terrified and I couldn’t reach her.
Ava and I stopped a few feet away from the group. Rhiannon’s face was lit with the scarlet glow, giving her a sinister appearance. It was the only time since the day she came to Savannah’s house, she resembled the sorceress from my nightmares. The carefully crafted, sophisticated facade was gone. In its place was a witch full of bitterness and scorn. Macgrath stood behind her, his face partially shadowed and expression implacable.
For the first time in centuries, I wanted to cause pain and spill blood. I killed Cornelius to escape him, but I hadn’t wanted to do it. Tonight, I craved it.
“I’m glad you two could make it,” Rhiannon greeted us pleasantly.
I bit back the growl that built in my throat, letting Ava do the talking as we had discussed.
“We’re here as you demanded,” Ava replied. “Let Savannah leave.”
Rhiannon smiled. It was cutting and cold, like the sharp steel blade of a battleax. “You and I both know that none of you will leave here tonight.”
“Maybe,” Ava said. “Or maybe you’re wrong.”
The evil bitch laughed, throwing her head back as though Ava’s words were a joke that she found incredibly amusing. “I don’t think so.”
“This is your last chance,” Ava warned. “If you stop now, I might not kill you.”
Rhiannon shook her head, still chuckling. “There is no way you could defeat me.”
Ava’s only answer was to lift her arms. A wind lifted in the field, causing the knee-high grass to shift. The sound of the stalks rubbing together was like a hushed whisper, a thousand voices speaking quietly around us. Power prickled along my flesh, making my hair stand on end. The breeze intensified, the whispers growing louder, as it rushed from the outside edges of the field toward us.
I turned toward Ava, shocked to see the change in her appearance. Her golden hair and skin glowed, gleaming with an inner light. Her eyes were brilliant amethyst, sparking with magic. As the wind swirled around her, becoming a gale, her hair billowed behind her and her feet slowly lifted from the ground. She was more than a mere witch. She was one with the Goddess.
The smile faded from Rhiannon’s face, her dark gaze narrowing. “The Goddess cannot help you here, Aveta of the Glade.”
Behind Rhiannon, Macgrath’s head jerked as she spoke, as though the strange name she used took him by surprise. Then, he stared up at Ava with narrowed eyes.
“I don’t know who you’re talking to, bitch, my name is Ava Amaris and I’m going to kick your ass.” Lifting one arm, Ava turned her palm toward the red shield surrounding Rhiannon, Macgrath, and Savannah. White light streamed from her hand and slammed into the circle. There was a shower of sparks and the crackle of electricity as the spells clashed.
Rhiannon smiled once again as the red circle never wavered. “You can’t break this spell, Ava. You aren’t strong enough.”
Ava tried again, another explosion of sparks shooting up into the night sky.
While Rhiannon was distracted, I inched closer to the circle, looking for a way to break through. I put my fingers against the pulsing light and hissed when they burned. I had never seen a spell like this before and even with my knowledge and power, I instinctively understood that I couldn’t break it.
A movement behind Rhiannon caught my attention. I watched in horror as Savannah stepped closer to the witch, her gaze utterly focused. I recognized that look. I’d seen it often enough after she completed a tarot reading. She was siphoning Rhiannon’s emotions.
The witch was too distracted with Ava to notice, but Macgrath stood next to Savannah, watching her dispassionately. He seemed to comprehend what she was doing, but he made no move to stop her. Suddenly, Rhiannon faltered, her hand lifting to her chest. The light circling her dimmed.
I glanced back at Savannah and clenched my fists when I saw how pale her face had become. She wasn’t just drawing emotions from Rhiannon, but her very life. If she continued, she would end up doing irreparable damage to herself. I wanted to stop Savannah but there was no way I could reach her.
“Ava,” I murmured, desperation rising within me.
“I know,” she replied, lifting her hand again.
Rhiannon turned, looking over her shoulder, and her eyes locked on Savannah. “You think you can harm me?” she cried. “You think you can kill me?”
Macgrath stepped between the witch and the woman I loved. “Enough, Rhiannon. This has gone on for too long. I told you I would no longer obey your orders blindly after I learned what you’ve been doing. I will not stand by and watch you murder an innocent woman.”
“You think you can stop me?” Rhiannon asked, moving closer to Macgrath, her posture threatening.
The red light around them dimmed again and I knew that Savannah was still drawing energy from Rhiannon. I also knew that she wouldn’t last much longer. If Rhiannon didn’t get to her, the stress of what she was doing would make her collapse. Macgrath blocked her from my sight but I knew that this was taking a toll on her.
“Now, Ava.”
This time when the white light erupted from Ava’s palm, the circle broke with a scream. Rhiannon cried out, falling to her knees.
“No!” she shrieked.
I advanced on her, planning to finish the job that Savannah had begun, but she lifted her hands, muttering beneath her breath. Throwing her arms out to the side, she vanished in a flash of red and a wisp of smoke.
“Dammit!” Ava yelled, dropping to the ground and running to the spot where Rhiannon vanished. “Son of a bitch!” She stood over the spot with her eyes closed, muttering to herself. Whatever she was attempting to do didn’t work because she opened her eyes and glared at Macgrath. “I should kill you on the spot, but I need you to find her.”
“I don’t know where she is,” he replied. He whirled in a blur of motion and caught Savannah as she sank to the ground.
My ire at him forgotten for the moment, I rushed to Savannah’s side and crouched down. “Savannah,” I murmured, taking her hand.
“Rhys,” she whispered. “You’re safe.”
I could feel the wild tangle of emotions within her, the boiling anger and bitterness that she had taken from Rhiannon. As I had done before, I let those feelings flow into me, taking them from her. This time I could feel bits and pieces of Rhiannon’s magic buried within them, as though her magic was fueled by the depth of her rage.
As I took it in, I felt my own strength grow. When I was done, I released Savannah’s hand and helped her sit up, pulling her into my lap and holding her close.
“I’m okay,” she murmured into my ear. “I’m fine.”
“Don’t ever do anything like that again,” I commanded her as I held her tighter. “I’ve never been so fucking afraid in my life.”
“Your woman has more courage than wisdom,” Macgrath said from his crouch beside us.
I glanced up at him and blinked rapidly. A shimmering chain of magic seemed to emerge from the center of his chest. The chain was suspended in the air and disappeared into Ava’s torso. Neither of them seemed aware of the magical bond, but it was there all the same.
“I should kill you,” Ava sneered.
“No!” Savannah yelled from my lap. She scrambled to her feet as the vampire straightened from his crouch. “No killing. Macgrath saved me and he didn’t hurt me.”
“He kidnapped you!” Ava argued, her hands glowing as she gathered her magic.
“He also saved me,” Savannah retorted.
“I have to agree with Ava,” I declared as I rose from the ground. “He not only kidnapped you but he’s helped Rhiannon kill other witches, shifters, and vampires.”
Macgrath shook his head. “I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of, but I never helped Rhiannon kill innocent people. She swore to me that the rumors were just that and I believed her until recently. Since you came to Austin, Rhys, her behavior became more erratic. I realized then that she is an accomplished liar and I’d allowed my desperation to cloud my judgment.”
Ava’s eyes narrowed on him. “That answer is too pat. You’re a vampire. You should have been able to sense her thoughts. Or at least some of them.”
I nodded because it sounded too contrite to be true.
The vampire sighed and his shoulders slumped. “You just saw how powerful she is. Do you think she couldn’t shield her thoughts from me? That she couldn’t hide? She understood my weakness and took advantage of it. I’d been alone in this world for too long and she claimed to have the knowledge I sought. I would have believed anything she said if it meant she could give me what I want.”
“What do you want?” Ava asked skeptically, crossing her arms over her chest.
“To find my maker.”
“Any witch worth her salt could have used his name to find him,” Ava argued.
“I don’t know his name. Or who he is,” Macgrath explained. “I woke on this earth with no memory of my past and I want to know why.”
I could feel the truth of his words. His heart was pure, even if his mind was a seething mass of confusion.
“I still think we should imprison him or turn him into the vampire council,” Ava muttered, her expression dark.
“The vampire council will know what to do with him and where his maker is,” I agreed.
“No!” Savannah argued, moving to stand in front of Macgrath. “Look, do this for me, please. Let him go tonight. If he causes any more trouble, then you can turn him into the council.”
I didn’t want to agree, but I could sense her resolve. She wouldn’t give this up. Ava and I exchanged a glance of mutual frustration. Ava’s jaw clenched and she nodded slightly. Even she understood that Savannah had dug in her heels and there would be no changing her mind.
“Fine,” Ava relented. She moved closer, pointing a finger at Macgrath. “But I will be watching you. If you put so much as a toe out of line, I will make you wish you’d never come to Austin.”
“I already wish that,” he retorted. “But I won’t be staying here.”
Ava glared at him. The closer she stood to him, the brighter the chain between them glowed. I wondered why neither of them seemed to notice it.
Savannah smiled happily at Ava before she turned toward Macgrath. “Thank you for protecting me. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
The vampire’s face softened in a way I didn’t like. “Thank you, Savannah.”
With that, he backed away and melted into the darkness.
After he was gone, Savannah came over to me and wrapped her arms around my waist.
“I’m ready to go home,” she murmured into my chest.