hell. I thought I knew pain and fear.
I knew nothing.
This realm… this realm is darkness beyond darkness. It’s pain beyond pain. Horror beyond horror and evil beyond evil.
What I see. What I feel. What I hear and all I know turns to nothing in an instant.
The sky bleeds. The ground rots. The air burns and the sounds of monstrous screeching and howling are loud enough to make my ears rupture.
I’m quick to my feet and see Callie huddled in a ball with her arms over her head as she screams.
I run to her, tripping over vines of blood and bile that stretch over the endless landscape. I reach down and take her in my arms. She clings to me and I to her.
When I look back, I see Ash getting to his feet. His form is changing. The darkness already in him is being fed by the darkness that makes this place. He grins a monstrous grin as his form gets taller. His skin turns grey. His muscles grow as he throws back his head and lets out a victorious laugh.
‘Bringing me here was a mistake, sister. It feeds my powers. It makes me a god!’
The vines start to slither and squirm towards us, entangling around my feet and climbing up my legs.
‘You shall both stay here,’ he says. ‘This will be your home and you will keep my magic strong and unbeatable.’
In the distance, I hear a voice. A simple command bellowed with determination and absolute power.
A voice I know well.
And it orders Callie and I home.
Gabriel’s Mental magic calls us back, piercing the barrier separating us.
I close my eyes and summon my magic.
And I follow his order to return to his side.
‘Right fucking now!’ he commands.
I land back in the cavern with my daughter in my arms. Gabriel runs towards us, his eyes still black, and wraps his arms around us both.
‘You heard me,’ he whispers. ‘I knew you would.’
The cavern is quiet. Three of the missing witches have been healed, but two lie still and ghostly white in a pool of blood.
Six of the Dark Coven members are dead. Some burnt. Others with broken skulls. Four are on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs.
And ahead of me, gagged and restrained at Collins’s feet, is Ava.
She weeps as she looks longingly at Bias, who refuses to meet her gaze.
‘Ava…’ I snarl. ‘You’re dead…’
The Bloodstone groans from behind us.
I turn and see a form in the thick tar that swirls inside it. Then, from deep within, long, thin and razor-sharp fingers start to push through, dripping with the black ooze.
‘It’s Ash,’ I state in horror, knowing the monster he has become. ‘He’s coming.’ I reach out my hand. ‘He can’t escape! We have to destroy the Bloodstone!’
The liquid hisses and bubbles and I watch his hand reach into this realm.
Into my realm.
I release my fire and send it at the stone. The monstrous hand winces but keeps pushing on.
‘You heard her!’ Amara bellows, running forwards and stretching out her hand. ‘Destroy it! Everyone, now!’
She sends out a concentrated stream of her Telekinetic power.
Bias is next, sending more fire. Dad too. Gabriel faces it. His eyes blacken.
‘Retreat,’ he orders. ‘Stand down. Stop pushing through.’
The hand withdraws, a raging roar resounding from within as it does.
But the damn thing won’t break.
The others stand at our side and all throw their magic at it. The entire council, side by side with us.
Then Callie reaches out her hand. Her skin is still burnt and blackened from touching it.
‘GO AWAY!’ she screams.
We all get thrown back as the Bloodstone explodes in a blindingly white light of pure, untainted Arcane power. Shards of it fly in all directions. We all throw our hands over our heads to protect ourselves.
The cavern falls silent and still.
The Blood star dies.
The Dark Magic is gone. I no longer feel it and can no longer tap into it.
As we sit, I reach up and send a stream of fire to the ceiling, lighting the room back up so we can see what damage or death has been caused.
The others and the Council slowly sit, groaning and holding various injuries, but still helping each other and ensuring everyone is okay.
I look down and see Callie is still in my arms.
She’s out cold. I give her a little shake and she grumbles in response.
‘Is she okay?’ Gabriel asks, rushing to my side and brushing her hair from her face.
I rest my hand on her forehead.
‘She’s asleep. Exhausted herself.’ I lift my gaze to meet his and hold her red hair between our fingers. ‘She’s an Arcane.’ A lump forms in my throat. ‘She manifested because of fear and anger, Gabriel. This wasn’t supposed to happen!’
‘She’ll be okay, Beautiful. We’ve got her.’ He rests his hand on my cheek. ‘You got her. Where did you go?’ He looks at the crater where the Bloodstone once stood. ‘You both disappeared for almost an hour.’
‘An hour?’ I ask. ‘No. It was minutes.’
He shakes his head. ‘I kept yelling and yelling. I even touched the Stone, hoping it would take me, but it didn’t.’ He shows me his raw hand, all blistered and charred like Callie’s.
The same as my right shoulder where I touched it too.
‘I heard you,’ I tell him, leaning in and resting my forehead against his. ‘We both did. You called us back.’
‘I’m sorry to interrupt,’ Dad says, kicking one of the Dark Coven members in the face when they try to stand. ‘But what the hell happened here?’ He looks at Clara’s mangled corpse. ‘Was she… Did she… W-what the fuck happened here?!’
‘You have really awful taste in women, Dad. Truly.’ I look at Gabriel. ‘Let’s get the hell out of here.’
