Kristie Cook - Wrath

“ I want to help the Amadis any way I can, ” Blossom said, “ but honestly, I insist on going because of Dorian and Heather. I love them. And I was in charge of the safe house when all of this went down, and I can’t help but blame myself— ”

I held my hands up. Stop. We could go on and on about who’s to blame, but it’s definitely not you, and we don’t have time to argue.

She nodded. “ So what do you want me to do? How can I prove that I can help so we can get going sooner rather than later? ”

I sat on the bed next to Sasha and stroked the soft fur on her back for a few moments before peering up at Blossom.

How far are you really willing to go to save Dorian? I asked.

She tilted her head. “ I’ll do anything, Alexis. I swear I will. When I said I’d kill if I had to, I meant it. ”

How many? I asked.

Not understanding—or not having a good answer—she squinted her eyes.

I made my question more direct. Is it possible to wipe out a whole mage coven or vampire nest at once? Is there a spell for that?

Blossom rocked back on her heels, her eyes wide. “ What? ”

Is there a spell for that? I repeated.

“ Um . . . yeah. I’m sure there is. ”

Are you powerful enough to do it?

She visibly gulped, and her hand went to her throat. “ Maybe. I don’t know. But that’s a lot of souls. Surely some can be saved. ”

I twisted on my butt to face her more directly. Here’s how I see it. If we can wipe out an entire nest of vampires, how many human souls would that be that won’t be turned by them? We do it enough times, the Daemoni will—

“ Come after us and kill us! ”

I shrugged. Maybe not if we give them an ultimatum. Return their hostages and we stop. Easy as that. Then we can focus on the business of building our army as they return to theirs.

Blossom stared at me as if I’d lost my mind. “ But Alexis— ”

Can you do it or not? That’s all I’m asking.

She shook her head. “ I don’t know. I haven’t ever considered it. ”

So let’s try. There’s a huge nest in Fort Myers still. Can you do it from here, or do we need to do a quick flash-trip?

Her already big eyes widened. “ Alexis, you’re talking dark magic! I . . . I can’t— ”

You said you’d do anything , I reminded her.

“ But that’s . . . ” She shook her head again. “ I’m Amadis. I don’t have that kind of dark power. ”

I rose to my feet, leaned toward her, and looked her directly in the eye. “That’s exactly why you can’t go. We’re all Amadis, but there’s darkness in us, too. Enough to do what needs to be done. You haven’t gone there yet, and I won’t be the one to take you.”

I turned my back on her and headed for the door.

“Wait!”

I paused but didn’t turn back to the witch. To my friend.

“I can’t stay here,” she said. “I can’t be here. Please let me go with you. Please let me choose. It’s all on me, okay? Not on you at all. Everything I do will be my choice, and I’ll do anything .”

“Anything?” I asked.

“Yes. I’ll try, anyway. I don’t know if I can, but I’ll give it my best. I just can’t stay here where everything went bad. I can’t go into the common room without seeing the blood. Standing in this suite where Sasha and Dorian were . . . even walking by the door . . . please, Alexis. I have to do something!”

I’d originally asked her as a simple test—a way to prove to her that she didn’t have the makeup of a soldier. But the idea was making more and more sense to me. I hated myself for seriously considering it now, but I would try anything to save my son, and we’d be saving human souls at the same time. It was all for the greater good. If Blossom was willing, it couldn’t be too bad. Right?

I turned back to her.

“So you’ll try it?”

She bit her lip and nodded. “Yeah, I will. I need to do a little research first, though. I’ve never studied dark magic before, but I’m sure there’s some kind of spell that will—”

The front door to the suite opened with a crash, and Tristan tore into the room. Not stopping, he grabbed me by the shoulders and pinned me to the wall.

“Blossom, leave,” he ordered, sparks in his eyes as he glared down at me. Blood rushed in my ears, so I didn’t hear her go, but she must have. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

I glared back at him in shock. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t you think I already thought of that solution?” he asked. Of course he had. He must have heard Blossom’s mention of dark magic and known my plan. “You can’t ask that of her, Alexis.”

“Why not? It’s the fastest way to get Dorian. With probably the fewest fatalities, especially human fatalities.”

“It’s dark magic, Alexis,” he barked. “Do you have any idea what that means?”

I blinked at him. No, not really, but I didn’t say so.

“Do you know what that would do to her?”

“No, but she does, and she made the choice.”

“Alexis!” he nearly yelled. He stopped and inhaled through flared nostrils, then blew the breath out. When he spoke again, his voice came low, barely controlled. “She is sworn to the Amadis way. Dark magic breaks that vow, putting her soul at risk. It could kill her. And if not, it could kill her soul. In most dark magic, that’s exactly what must be sacrificed. Her soul, and others’ as well.”

I gasped. My eyes stung, and I struggled to draw a normal breath into my tight lungs.

“I . . . I had no idea,” I whispered.

“Which is why you don’t go around asking people to do such things.” He released my shoulders and took a step back. “You and I will do anything for Dorian. I would sacrifice my life. My soul, too, if it would save his, even after everything I’ve been through. But we can’t ask that of anyone else. He’s our son. Not theirs. People, especially Blossom, will do what you want them to, Alexis. You’re their future leader. You have to be careful what you ask.”

I tried to swallow the lump that had formed in my throat, but it remained as tears threatened to spill. Future leader—good thing that’s a very far-off future . I obviously had no right to be leading anyone right now. As Mom had said—thank God for Tristan’s level head.

“I really didn’t know. She said she’d do anything . . . she didn’t say . . .” A breath shuddered out of me. “I know they’ll lay down their lives for me, for us. For the Amadis . . .”

“But we can’t ask anyone to risk their souls,” Tristan said, his voice softer now.

I sniffed, still blinking against the burn in my eyes. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s just . . . all I can think about is how to get Dorian. Everything else is secondary.”

“I know, my love.” He pulled me into his arms. “I know.”

As I rested my head against his chest, I sensed Blossom in the other room—she hadn’t left the suite entirely. I felt so bad for my behavior toward her that I wanted to crawl under the bed and hide in shame. Instead, I called out to her. “Blossom, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”

She stepped into the bedroom, and I reached my arm out for her. When she moved close enough, I pulled her into a one-armed hug.

“I really am sorry. I just—”

“You’re just a mom who’s worried about her son.”

I sniffled again and nodded. “Still. It was inexcusable.”