Night Witch (Book 1) ✔️

41 - In the Dark of the Night

Carter

The last thing I remember is being shoved to my knees and Serafina Weir's cold, cold eyes gleaming down at me. There was a coldness and I felt my power drain away as Darkness surrounded me. For some reason my mind was slow. I couldn't dodge her hand as it came at me.

A scream, and the hand stops tightening. I manage to look over, though Serafina's hand keeps me in a tight grip. Andy stands wavering on her feet and my heart dips. Her entire right side is dark red and more blood keeps pumping out of her shoulder. It looks like the only thing keeping her standing is determination.

I see a brief moment of pain and then her expression hardens. Serafina says something but I don't quite catch it. As she turns back to me, the hand tightens once more. I wheeze in one breath, two... the world goes dark.

I come back to groggy consciousness as my body is dragged across the floor. I groan and a small hand slaps over my mouth and we freeze. It's so bright in here I groan again.

I manage to twist and see that Nova had somehow dragged me a few yards across the foyer from where I last remember being, though I'm at least twice her size. I yank my head away from her and she lets me go. I twist and take in the scene. Serafina is building a ward and glaring at a bright point... No, at Andy.

The bright light that's still driving spikes into my head is Andy. As I squint at it I can see the human shape and her body, held rigidly. She takes a deep breath and the pain on her face intensifies, the light growing brighter with it.

I see her exhale and get ready to take another breath. No. Pulling more power would kill her. I must make a sound because Nova's suddenly whispering in my ear. "She's being a distraction so we can get the hell out of here. If you want her to live, move it."

I manage to rise, Nova still steadying me, and we limp to Andy. When we walk behind her, I hear Serafina hiss, finally noticing us.

Andy whispers a single word, "Run."

Nova starts to move but I hold her tight with my grip. If Andy's willing to die for us, I'm sure as hell not going to let her die alone. Before Nova can shake free, power slams out of Andy, a dark green fire twisting with ribbons of wind.

It seems to go on forever, but finally it ends. The demon is gone, hopefully dead, and Serafina is collapsed on the floor probably because she'd had to feed the wards her life force instead of the Dark magic because Andy had taken it all.

Andy turns, looking half dead, but she smiles. For half a second I think she's okay, then she raises a hand and collapses. I make a half hearted grab. My body still isn't working completely right but I manage to stop her head from hitting the floor as we collapse into a pile.

"Holy shit." I turn at Nova's words and stare at the rift.

Andy had made a rift. Well, that doesn't even top the list of things I was surprised about today but for some reason it seems like the most important.

I glance at Nova. A quick look at Serafina finds her twitching and alive. "We should go. There's no way we make it off the estate before Serafina wakes up and if we aren't gone by then we'll be dead."

With a grim look, Nova nods. I stagger to my feet and pull Andy up with me. Nova rolls her eyes, but it seems half hearted. With a deep breath, she steps through the rift. I take my own breath and follow.