Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles 2)

“Then what was it?”

“Sèl manje.” She spoke the words in her thick Creole accent, but Ridley didn’t understand.

Arelia smiled. “Salt.”

Amma whacked me on the arm. “Told you salt could keep away evil spirits. Evil boys, too.”

“We have to move. There isn’t much time.” Gramma rushed toward the stairs, carrying her cane in her hand. “Ethan, come with me.” I followed Gramma up to the altar, the smoke from the fire creating a thick haze around me. It was intoxicating and suffocating at the same time.

We reached the top of the stairs. Gramma held her cane out toward Sarafine, and immediately it began to glow with golden light. I felt a wave of relief. Gramma was an Empath. She had no powers of her own, except the ability to use the powers of others. And the power she was taking now belonged to the most dangerous woman in the room—her daughter Sarafine.

The one channeling the energy of the Dark Fire to call the Seventeenth Moon.

“Ethan, get Lena!” Gramma called. She was in some sort of psychic holding pattern with Sarafine.

It was all I needed to hear. I grabbed for the ropes, loosening the knots that bound Lena and her mother together. Lena was barely conscious, her body resting on the freezing stone. I touched her. Her skin was ice cold, and I felt the choking grip of the Dark Fire as my body started going numb.

“Lena, wake up. It’s me.” I shook her, and her head rolled from side to side, her face red from the icy rock. I lifted Lena’s body, wrapping my arms around her, giving her what little warmth I had.

Her eyes opened. She was trying to speak. I held her face in my hands. “Ethan—” Her lids were heavy, and her eyes shut again. “Get out of here.”

“No.” I kissed her as I held her in my arms. No matter what happened, it was worth this one moment. Holding her again.

I’m not going anywhere without you.

I heard Link scream. One Incubus had escaped the powerful wall of light that was holding the rest of them at bay. John Breed was behind Link, with his arm around Link’s neck, canines bared. John still had the same glazed expression, like he was on autopilot. I wondered if it was an effect of the intoxicating fumes. Ridley turned and threw herself onto John’s back, tackling him. She must have taken him by surprise, because Ridley wasn’t strong enough to take him down on her own. The three of them fell to the ground, grappling for the upper hand.

I couldn’t see more than that, but it was enough to make me realize we were in serious trouble. I didn’t know how long the supernatural field would hold, especially if Macon was the one generating it.

Lena had to end this.

I looked down at her. Her eyes were open, but she looked past me, as if she couldn’t see me.

Lena. You can’t give up now. Not when—

Don’t say it.

It’s your Claiming Moon.

It’s not. It’s her Claiming Moon.

It doesn’t matter. It’s your Seventeenth Moon, L.

She stared up at me, her eyes empty.

Sarafine raised it. I didn’t ask for any of this.

You have to choose, or everyone we care about could get killed here tonight.

She looked away from me.

What if I’m not ready?

You can’t run from this, Lena. Not anymore.

You don’t get it. It’s not a choice. It’s a curse. If I go Light, Ridley and half my family will die. If I go Dark, Gramma, Aunt Del, my cousins—they’ll all die. What kind of choice is that?

I held her tighter, wishing there was a way I could give her my strength or absorb her pain.