Chapter Sixty-Three
Jake watched the infamous warlock carefully as Darryl Maelstrom concentrated on the highly powerful portal that was supposed to allow them entrance into the warding circle Michael Clemens had literally drawn into the city’s foundations with blood. Maelstrom was the only one who could work this spell. Even Katrielle was unable to breach these walls.
The Withered warlock Michael Clemens was obscenely powerful. And this spell of his was a long time in the making. It was obscenely strong.
But Maelstrom was Withered for a reason, and it wasn’t because he bore a scythe mark. In fact, there was no such mark anywhere on his body. Maelstrom was instead Withered because the warlock’s magic was so powerful and so twisted, it altered something in the laws of physics and nature, and in short – death hadn’t wanted him.
The upside to that was that Maelstrom was the first person Jake had thought of going to when he saw that Angel had transported away from the Vega safe house. Those red marker circles on that map on the wall in the Vega dining room made it all too clear to Jake; Clemens had carefully laid a powerful trap. And Angel was falling into it in perfect order.
Fight fire with fire – and fight dark magic with darker magic and a British accent.
Of course, Jake wasn’t the only one standing in that spell chamber watching Maelstrom with a wary eye. Cain was there too. And Gabriel Santiago. And David Sharpe. And several of the sovereigns, including Roman and Evie D’Angelo – the Vampire King and Queen, and Damon and Diana Chroi – the Goblin King and Queen.
Speaking of darker magic, Maelstrom turned the bowl on the table in front of him counter-clockwise once, clockwise twice, then counter three times, until it had gone full circle. Then he straightened and said, “When the spell completes, the portal will open directly into Michael Clemens’ location. No swirling colors, no leisurely ride to and fro through the intestines of space and time. So prepare yourselves now, because there will be little warning.”
The wardens in the room drew their weapons and switched off their safeties. The sovereigns became still, and Jake knew they were preparing magic and getting ready to fight. Maelstrom, for his part, began to chant.
Jake glanced at Diana Chroi, the Goblin Queen. The name was a little misleading. Diana wasn’t a goblin; she was a human, and since she’d married a fae lord she was now technically part fae as well. She was a lovely woman who practiced as a veterinarian in the mortal world. More importantly, she happened to be a healer like Angel. Jake was immensely grateful for Diana’s presence. He had no idea what they were going to find on the other side of this transport.
But… maybe Evie D’Angelo did.
Everyone in the room was worried about Angel and furious with Michael. They all had different reasons for being upset, but the end result was emotionally the same. They were more pissed than worried, because with the kind of clout about to break through Michael’s barrier, Angel was probably as good as saved.
But when Jake looked away from Maelstrom, who was speaking softly in some magical tongue so ancient it was incomprehensible to Jake, especially with that accent of his, he found his gaze settled on the Vampire Queen this time. Because her expression was more troubled than angry.
And that scared the hell out of Jake.
Evelynne D’Angelo was not just a vampire. She was a seer.
Was she glimpsing something inside that circle, something in their very near future, that Jake should be aware of? Afraid of, even?
At that thought, Evie D’Angelo looked over at Jake, meeting his eyes. They were both vampires, so there was no unwanted reading of thoughts going on, but Evie did hold his gaze for a meaningful amount of time.
Be prepared, Jake.
Jake blinked. She’d sent the thought with a good amount of strength into his head.
You are at a crossroads. You’ll need to make a choice.
And then Maelstrom was stepping back from the table he’d been working over, and everyone else instinctively followed suit. The magic in the large dome-shaped room intensified, giving the air a thick, electrically-charged quality. Maelstrom finished speaking the last few lines of whatever exceedingly complicated spell he was working, and that electricity thickening in the air took a dark turn, literally forming wavy strings of purple-black lightning that zapped everywhere throughout the room. Some even slid along Jake’s body, making his teeth buzz uncomfortably.
A second later, Maelstrom threw one final finishing-touch ingredient into the bowl he’d been bent over and hastily shouted, “Everyone, cover your eyes!”
Every person in the room did as the warlock instructed, shielding their faces with their arms or hands. The women in the room took the extra precaution of turning their entire bodies away from the table. Women were like that: Smart and shit.
There was a flash of light so bright even through the thickness of the arm over Jake’s face, he knew it would have blinded him if he hadn’t shielded himself, perhaps permanently. But from the relative safety of his makeshift shield, he watched the light fade, and as it did, he lowered his arm.
The room went dark. The dark electricity zapped completely away. Nobody moved, and he was pretty sure everyone held their collective breaths. Several seconds passed.
All at once, the center of the room split open. Space literally appeared to rupture, and the crack that carved its way through the air was red and black and angry.
On the other side of that fast-widening crack, Jake saw exactly what he’d been terrified he would see. Rage exploded in him, shifting him well past vampire mode into insane monster mode.
And with the fury of a man thoroughly cursed and madder than he’d ever been in his entire life, Jake led the charge through the forced portal, making a killer bee line for the good-as-dead piece of shit who had dared lay hands on his girl.