Ascended (War of the Covens 3)

But best you they have, you idiot.

Frantically, she struggled again as the import of the situation sunk in. She was going to die here. She was going to die right here in this spot any minute now.

“Caia,” Marita snapped, “stop struggling. The least you can do is die with a little dignity.”

Caia tried to speak, to curse the evil witch for all eternity, but nothing came out.

Marita snickered. “Cat got your tongue, Caia? I can’t believe you and my sister deceived me so well. After I kill you, I’m going to have to leave this place, and then I’m going to have to hunt down my deceitful, wicked shrew of a sister and kill her too.”

At the thought of Marita hurting Marion, Caia’s struggles intensified.

“Tut-tut, Caia, you’re only wasting your energy. I like the fact that my killing Marion distresses you so. In fact, I’m not going to stop there. I’m going to kill everyone you care about. Your pack. That little Midnight bitch and her boyfriend Traveler. As for your best friend, Jaeden, well … I’m going to give her a taste of what your Uncle Ethan gave her before I cut her open to see how she acquired telekinesis. It’s the damnedest thing, you know. Oh, you don’t like that at all, do you?”

A flicker of white heat licked across Caia’s calves, and she pleaded inwardly for Marita to make her madder.

“It was Rose who told me where to find Eliza—”

Oh my gods! I will kill her! If I get out of here, I will rip that tramp apart!

“—she thinks I’ll grant Lucien and the pack a pardon and she can live happily ever after with your mate.” She snorted. “Delusional fool. I’ll let her live, but I’m going to kill the pack slowly. Mutilate them like I did the others … Dimitri and Yvana—”

The white heat stroked up toward her stomach.

“—Dana and Daniel. Morgan and Natalia. I didn’t get to finish them off properly. But when I get to Irini and Ella and all those others you love … I’ll make sure to take my time—”

It gripped her stomach and crawled up through her chest, her throat closing under its blaring fire.

“—and then Lucien. Oh, I’ll leave him till last. I’m going to make his torture last for months. First, I’ll play with that beautiful exterior, give him a few scars he’ll never forget. And then I’ll take his insides out bit by bit while he’s still conscious and—”

“ARRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!” The horrendous scream that ripped out of Caia was beyond her control, the white light blinding her as it exploded out of every cell in her body. Caia was no longer Caia but one with the greatest stream of energy she’d ever known.

And all it wanted was the destruction of Marita and her people.

It seemed forever that she ceased to exist.

But then … the bright white faded and a hush fell. Her eyes slid closed of their own accord, silence pillowing her in her sleep.

26

Solidarity

The beeping noise was annoying. It pulled her from her sleep and forced her into consciousness. Caia groaned, her head pounding so hard, she was afraid to open her eyes. That was … if she could open them. Her lids felt as if they’d been hot-glued shut. As for her mouth … she made a smacking sound with her lips, her mouth as dry as Irini’s Victoria sponge cake. The irritating beeping got louder. What the …

“Miss …,” a lilting voice said softly above her.

Slowly, she peeled her lids open and then grunted at the harsh, stinging stream of light. She tried again, and as her eyes focused, she saw a woman standing over her. A nurse. Caia’s heart kicked. Oh crap, where was she?

“It’s nice to see you awake.” The nurse smiled softly, her accent thick and sure … and very Scottish? Oh my goddess! Caia twisted her head—a heart monitor was the source of the beeping. She glanced down to see herself tucked into a hospital bed, a tube plugged into her hand.

“Where am I?” she croaked.

The nurse frowned. “You don’t remember?”

“No.”

The woman’s eyes widened. “You’re no from hereabouts from the sound of that accent, are you? You dinnae remember what happened to you, at all?”

Yeah, that’s what she was telling her. She shook her head impatiently.

“You’re in the Western General … in Edinburgh. You were found in the rubble of an explosion in a village a little west of here twenty-four hours ago. Do you remember how you got there?”

Marita! Caia sucked in a breath, the events of the night before whooshing into her body like a gust of wind. The inn … she’d gone after Marita to the inn and … had she killed her? Had she been successful?

“Were there any other survivors?” she whispered frantically.

The nurse frowned again, shaking her head. “No, honey, you were the only person found in the debris. It was just a load of ash and rubble, they said. Why? Were you wi’ somebody? Can you tell me your name?”