Rampant

Grayson ducked down beside her, shielding her with his body. Zoë stared, her eyes wide in disbelief as she looked beyond his shoulder at the sky. It was lighting up as if a huge torchlight had come on farther along the coast, a great band of light that swept their way. Unsure if this was more of Cain’s magic, Zoë watched as the light sparkled, spinning and dancing like colored mists within the corridor of light. The waves it passed over settled.

Her hand went to her mouth when the mists shifted and formed briefly into images, images of people. She saw Maggie there, and Fern, and other women and men, their arms linked, their eyes closed as they created their own magic from the shore.

“Gray! Look.”

He glanced back. As he did the corridor of light shifted and revolved around them. Zoë could no longer see their enemies beyond. The waters stilled within the corridor of light, and Grayson moved, quickly grabbing the rudder, directing the boat within the lane of safe passage they’d been granted. With his free hand, he took hers and she huddled closer to him, relief washing over her.

“A loner, huh?” she said, the reprieve making her slightly giddy.

His mouth lifted at one corner, but he didn’t respond.

This wasn’t over yet.

27

ELSPETH STARED AT THE SIGHT, OPENMOUTHED.

“What the hell is it?” Crawford asked from his place at the speedboat’s wheel.

“The Abernathy coven,” Cain replied angrily, gesturing with the gun in his hand.

Elspeth watched as the light pulsated with energy. It was mesmerizing, and within it she saw reflected images of women and men with their hands entwined. Envy and sadness filled her, because that was what she wanted—a coven like that, a united coven.

“How dare they get involved?” Cain said

Elspeth was amazed. “If you’ve got a problem with them, you should have told us.” She didn’t want to take on the Abernathy lot, no way. Territorial rivalry on their own patch was one thing, a full-on coven war was another. “You’ve kept us in the dark and put us all in danger.”

“Elsie,” Crawford hissed, snatching at her.

“No.” She tore her hand free of Crawford’s and launched herself at Cain, knocking the gun from his hand into the water. He delivered a blow to her right shoulder, flooring her. Pain shot through her arm and chest.

From where she landed she could hear Cain shouting instructions and she breathed deep before she tried to get to her feet.

“Sit down,” Cain commanded. He shouted back to the boat beyond, “Can you get a good shot off at Murdoch from there?”

“You can’t be serious,” Elspeth said. “This is madness. Their powers are much greater than ours.”

“Look there, take Murdoch out,” Cain shouted, pointing into the dazzling light. Bound up within it Elspeth could make out the sight of the small motorboat carrying Grayson and Zoë back to the harbor. “Take him down,” Cain shouted again to the other boat, where Warren Kirby had a rifle. “Mind you don’t hurt the woman.”

Two shots rang out.

Elspeth stared as the bullets exploded midair. Cain let loose a string of obscenities and then turned his attention to the wheel, pushing Crawford out of the way to take charge. Crawford tumbled backward down the boat as the front end lifted, and smacked his head on the side of the boat. He slumped to the floor, where his body lay still.

Elspeth swore aloud when she saw a dark patch of blood seeping from his head onto the floor of the boat. “Cain, Crawford is injured. Help me with this.” He barely glanced her way, but when he did she saw the selfish smile on his face. He didn’t care. “This is your fault! Use your magic to heal him! I am not powerful enough for this.”

“I’ve got better things to do, and you know it.”

He really didn’t give a fuck. “Don’t expect anymore help from me, in that case.” She was furious. “You haven’t the first clue how to keep a coven loyal, have you, Cain?”

Cain turned away.

She lowered her hand to Crawford’s head, willing her old school friend to stay alive. She wasn’t able to do much about the internal injury, but with her powers she could at least stop the bleeding. She chanted low under her breath, her entire will behind the process. Mercifully, the sticky puddle congealing at the side of his head ceased to grow larger. She shoved her hand into her pocket for her phone and entered the emergency number, requesting an ambulance at the Carbrey harbor. Then she lifted Crawford’s hand in hers, squeezing life into it, talking to him and pleading with the powers that be to take mercy on him.

The boat bounced heavily.

“Take it easy,” she begged Cain, when she realized he was in danger of running them aground, “you’re going to crash the bloody boat and kill us all.”

But Cain kept the speed at full throttle until the boat battered sidelong into the marina. Whatever internal injuries Crawford had were not going to be helped by that. “I hope you die a long and painful death,” she shouted vehemently.