Wicked Deal (Shadow Guild: The Rebel 2)

I grabbed the key and got to my feet.

I squeezed my eyes shut to better remember the spell, trying to drag it up from the depths of my memory. It was so long and complicated—and I had to recite it backward?

In my mind, I sent myself back to Mariketta’s strange room. I recalled touching her temple and absorbing the spell. It came to my lips, spilli

ng forth. As the sounds of battle raged, I chanted the spell in reverse.

The dark magic that pulsed in the air began to lessen. The beam of light that shot through the window in the ceiling retracted.

“No!” Ivan shouted.

I spoke faster, the words tumbling over themselves. I held out the open box, praying this would work. As I neared the end of the spell, I opened my eyes.

The glowing orb was dimmer now, not as blinding. It floated down toward the box that I held. My heart thundered in anticipation.

In the distance, Ivan struggled to break free of Grey’s headlock. The battle was fierce since both men were immortal—Ivan even more so, since trauma apparently could not kill him.

The power source fitted itself neatly into the box, and I snapped the lid shut. Quickly, I cranked the key in the lock.

The dark magic stopped pulsing.

The window in the ceiling closed.

The spell was dead.

Ivan roared in rage. Magic vibrated through the sound, shaking the room so violently that I fell to my knees. Power exploded out of Ivan. It threw Grey across the room, slamming him into the side wall with enough force to crack the stones.

“Grey!” I yelled.

Ivan charged at me, fury on his face.

I scrambled upright and screamed, “Eve!”

My friend appeared above, flying just below the ceiling. I chucked the key and box upward. She swooped down, grabbed them, and darted away.

Ivan was nearly on me.

I flicked my wrist, turning my Fae bracelet into a dagger. “Don’t even try it,” I growled.

He was only a few feet from me, and his eerie eyes brightened as he looked at me, gleaming with triumph.

His gaze was right on my chest.

Orion’s Heart.

I could feel it lying outside my shirt, the gem gleaming brightly. It had started pulsing in response to the power source, though that had stopped once I’d killed the spell.

Ivan began to chant the spell again, loud and clear.

He was on the last verse, though.

The paint on the ground began to glow again, the symbols going wild.

What the hell was he doing?

I charged, swiping out with my blade. He ducked and continued to chant.

Grey surged to his feet and charged Ivan.