Lauren Dane - Heart of Darkness

What normally would have taken a great deal of her time and a lot of magick was done easily and quickly. The magick from the font had amped her power up considerably. She had no compunction about siphoning all the excess energy from those in the room who meant to cause harm. And weakening them was just another benefit.

Meriel kept the mages from draining anyone as Nell’s team cleaned up.

Dominic walked back into view, the power arcing off him. Meriel widened her eyes. Her man was fierce and beautiful and he’d had enough of this nonsense.

He turned to where she’d crouched and narrowed his gaze. The magick still flowed strong between them. But she was hurt and sooner or later he’d figure out just how hurt.

One of the mages took a run at him and Dominic turned. As if in slow motion, he cocked his fist and rammed it into the other man’s face so hard he stiffened like a board and keeled straight over. Another jumped on Dominic’s back, knocking him down. Meriel couldn’t risk the spell hitting Dominic and not his attacker so she made ready to run over there and cast the spell up close.

Only like some sort of scene from a movie, Dominic stood and actually threw the guy off his back and against a nearby wall.

Dominic straightened and turned again, this time to face Meriel. Something wasn’t right. When he used his othersight on her, he saw the bloom of red on her side and nearly lost his mind.

“Meriel Owen!” he boomed, stalking over. Something or someone made to stop him and automatically, he shot out a spell, knocking whoever it was away.

“You said you were all right.” He crouched, shielding her with his body.

Sweaty and pale, but fully conscious.

“Hey, I am all right. I’ll heal. Now go! Your back is to the room.”

Alarm raced through his system. “You’ve been shot . I’m getting you out of here.”

“No, you aren’t. They need us. The other turned witch is powerful. I’m not leaving and you’re not either. I’m going to be fine. The bleeding stopped. The bullet passed through. Just hurry up and stomp this shit down so I can take a nap.”

His hands shook as he touched her face. He fought with himself. She was right of course, things were hot just then and they were needed. But she was hurt.

“Look at me with your othersight. My magick is flowing, our bond is strong. I’m going to be fine and you can wait on me hand and foot when this is over. I promise. Go! We’re here. Let’s win. Go, team, go.”

He groaned and kissed her hard, felt the sting of magic against his shields.

“I’m going to take care of this. You don’t move.”

He got up and scanned the room, not moving far from Meriel. He’d get this done and get her out of there.

Ah, there she was, her signature a slight echo of his. Enough to make his stomach turn to think on it.

“Gloria Ochoa, show yourself. You are in the presence of The Owen. You are in violation of our laws.”

She stumbled forward and he saw how bad off she truly was. “Son! How I’ve worried about you.” She turned big cow eyes and a trembling bottom lip in his direction as if they’d work. “They took you from me.”

She moved closer and he put a hand out to stay her, not wanting her anywhere near Meriel.

At his left Gage hustled a mage out and Nell dragged a human that didn’t look so good.

Dominic curled his lip.

“So worried you let a dark energy into my magick? I’ve had more than enough of your version of care, thanks, but no.”

“Don’t let her fool you! It was her.” She pointed and … damn it , Meriel moved to his side and took his hand. He gave her a narrow-eyed glare that she chose to ignore, stubborn woman.

“I had to get you away from the clan witches. The possession spell was for your own good. Don’t you see that?”

Dark, sticky magic pulsed from Gloria. Dominic blocked it.

“Give yourself over to my people and we can end it quietly.” Nell stood nearby. “You’ll be ours one way or another.”

“So you’ll just kill me? No way. I can tell you things. Things that will help you find other mages. There’s a whole movement. They want to expose you.”

“Where’s the other one? The male?” Meriel asked Gage quietly.

“We’ve got a few in custody. One is dead.”

“There was another turned witch, like her. Only stronger. He’d been turned a shorter time. Make sure.”

“I’ll double-check.”

There was a loud crack and a creaking sound that brought the hair on his arms to stand. Something very bad filled the warehouse. Dominic watched in horror as Gloria began to call a gate. He brought his fist down onto his palm as he shouted, “Seal the doorway!” and shoved the full force of his magick at her. The gate slammed shut and Meriel stumbled a little, following up with her magick to seal the circle and contain the spirit Gloria had called. Trapping Gloria inside with whatever energies had already transferred through the gate.

The energy pulsing through him was so massive he was sure that if he’d felt this way even a month before he wouldn’t have been able to handle it. Edwina had told him just a few hours before that the font, the clan, was a sword and a shield. As the magickal energies swirled through him, giving him more strength and stamina, making his intent more concrete, he believed it because he felt it. Connected to so much with this woman at his side.

He did, however, plan to kick her sweet little ass when she recovered.

She leaned into him and he shifted to put an arm around her and brace her.

“I’m all right,” she whispered. But she didn’t really look it. Pale and sweaty, he needed to get her medical help very soon.

Gloria choked back a shocked cry. She fell to her knees and the darkness she’d called swirled around her. She’d called something and it demanded life force for its payment. It couldn’t get to anyone outside the circle so it began to consume her.

There was no telling the level of destruction it would cause if it got free of the bonds Gloria had given it when she pulled it from the lower realms. “If I pull the circle open, the spirit can get free. We can’t take the risk. I’m sorry.”

Dominic had to fight his instinct to turn Meriel away from the horror. Her features were set as she concentrated to hold the circle closed. Around them Nell’s team engaged and then took out all the remaining mages and humans.

And yet, injured and dealing with a mess his mother had created, she worried for him.

“Don’t be. You haven’t done anything to be sorry for.”

“What the hell? Meriel!” Nell approached, her gaze on Meriel. She met Dominic’s eyes for a moment. “I can end this for her.”

She meant his mother.

Meriel didn’t say anything, letting him make the choice.

He nodded. There’d been enough suffering. It was time to end it.

Nell turned and spoke. There was a flash and then the stink of ozone and an empty circle.

“She’s been shot.”

Gage hurried over and Nell turned to address him. “Get your mother to my house right now. Meriel’s been shot. Have someone bring a car up here.”

“On it.” He left again.

“Your house? Hell no! I’m taking her to the ER.” Dominic picked Meriel up and she didn’t argue, resting her head on his chest. A quiet Meriel who didn’t argue was one that worried him.

She patted his arm. “Can’t go to hospital with a gunshot wound. Gage’s mom’s a doctor. It’s fine.”

“Fine? This is far from fucking fine. Someone shot you. That’s not fine. It’s not.”

Nell carefully interjected. “She’s pulled bullets out of me before. She’s good at her job and I wouldn’t be suggesting it if I didn’t think Meriel would be taken care of this way. But she’s right, we can’t take her to the ER or the police will be called and then what?”