Something rustles through the forest, and a familiar energy settles around me. Ruth spins, holding out her hands, and draws a line right as Lucas bursts through the trees, fangs bared. Ruth’s puppet demons and zombies rush over, growling and snarling like rabid dogs.
Lucas crashes into the wall of dark magic, eyes meeting mine for a fleeting second. Ruth extends one hand toward Lucas and sweeps the other through the air, drawing an upside down pentagram.
“Parere imperio meae,” she says, voice echoing off the surrounding trees. Lucas fights her hold, but the spell takes over. His eyes turn foggy, the dark blue fading to a muted gray as he falls under Ruth’s control.Chapter 43“Lucas!” I shout, thrashing against the chains around my wrists. I have the hagstone tight between my fingers and give it as hard of a pull as I can. The cord drags across my skin, tearing open my flesh. “Lucas!”
“Go stand with the others,” Ruth tells him and holds up her hand. Lucas moves stiffly as he tries to fight off Ruth’s control. “Bring another one to me,” Ruth tells one of the other puppet vampires. He steps over the other student’s body and moves behind a thick of trees. Screams erupt in the night, and the vampire comes back dragging another student.
She looks to be in her last year or so at the Academy. Tears mar her face, and she’s shaking head to toe.
“Listen to me if you want to live,” Ruth tells her, picking up the athame. “Open the door.”
The girl looks at me, and I shake my head. Ruth is going to kill her anyway. Don’t open the door and put the others in danger.
“Open the door!” Ruth grabs the girl’s arm and plunges the dagger into her flesh. The girl screams in pain, and the vampire holds her tighter. “Open it!”
Ruth stabs the dagger into the ground and turns back to the girl. The vampire shoves her forward, holding her by the back of her neck.
“Invoco elementum terrae,” the girl starts, voice trembling.“Invoco elemuntum aeris. Invoco elemuntum aqua.” She breaks down, crying, and the vampire bites her on the shoulder, ripping her skin. The other vampires growl and move in, wanting the fresh blood. Ruth holds up her hand, keeping them at bay. “Invoco elemuntum ignis.”
The door glows bright blue, and Ruth motions for one the demon with my blood on his forehead to come forward. He stretches out his hand and sticks it through the door. Being possessed makes him not react to the pain, but when he brings his arm back, it’s completely unharmed.
“It worked!” Ruth whirls around, eyes wide with excitement. Fuck! If the demon can get in, then so can the vampires. “You know what to do,” she tells the demon. “Kill them all.”
“No!” I yell and give my left arm one final tug. The cord with the hagstone around it breaks and falls to the ground. My wrists are still bound against the tree, but I’m able to conjure an energy ball. I feebly flip my fingers, sending the energy ball bounding a few yards into the night, missing Ruth and the demons.
Ruth sneers, thinking I missed, but the energy ball landed exactly where I wanted it to. The second the sigil is broken, I feel my angel powers swirl up inside me, even stronger than before.
“Sky above me, earth below me, fire within me. Purge the wickedness!” I shout. The demon with my blood on his forehead falls to his knees, screaming in pain. He madly claws at his face as my blood starts to sizzle and boil. Ruth watches in shocked horror as the demon face plants on the ground, black ooze pouring from his ears.
“Go!” she shouts to the vampire closest to her. He hasn’t been marked with witch blood. There’s a chance he’ll burn when he tries to walk through the door. He flashes his fangs and speeds forward, disappearing beyond the door. By the look on Ruth’s face, I know it worked.
He went through and is inside the Covenstead.
Screams echo from inside, and my blood runs cold.
“Follow him,” Ruth orders, and the other vampires and demons march through the door. “Not you,” she says, stopping Lucas. She shoves the athame in his hand. “Kill her.”
“Lucas!” I yell, risking looking down at my wrists to see if I can conjure another energy ball and break free.
In an instant, Lucas is in front of me, hands shaking as he tries to break the spell. His eyes are glazed over, and he stares at me, face void of emotions. He grips the dagger and hovers the blade over my heart.
“Lucas!” I shout. “You are stronger than her!”
“Kill her!” Ruth yells, but Lucas doesn’t move. Ruth throws a potion at Lucas’s feet, and black smoke wafts up in his face. She’s tightening her hold on him, and his eyes darken from gray to black. “Hit her where it will hurt the most!” Ruth demands, and Lucas moves the blade down from my heart to my abdomen.