Chapter 48
Over an hour later, thirteen witches fell back on the floor. All of them trembling and shaking their heads.
Lynda stood in the center of the circle with her health restored. “Are you all okay?”
One of the men, a man with a handlebar mustache smiled. “We’ll be okay in a bit. Shouldn't have taken all of us to restore you.”
And she still wasn't a hundred percent yet, but she had enough power to heal Andrei without dying. “Thank you.”
She strode forward to the door that banged open before she reached it.
“Is she better?” Grace asked barging into the room.
“Mostly, yes.” Was Grace’s frantic gestures because of Andrei? “Is he okay? Did he wake?”
Pierre poked his head through the doorway. “All the mumbo-jumbo voodoo stuff done? I think a layer of my skin is singed off.”
“There's been no change in Andrei.” Grace shook her head. “But the council is waiting, they won't accept any further delays.”
Was there a reason why the witches didn't want her to rouse Andrei? Perhaps to keep her in the dark about what really happened to him? What if they’d lied about the rogue witches and just wanted Lynda’s cooperation? Well, she was done letting others dictate what she did and didn’t do.
When she brushed past Grace toward Andrei’s chamber, the woman grabbed her arm. “Wait, you can’t heal him right now, the council—”
“I told you that I would not appear before your elders until all three of my men were by my side.” Lynda kept walking.
Magic tingled in the air making the hairs rise on the back of Lynda’s neck. But the only emotion she was feeling was determination and slight annoyance. Her hands clasped together of their own accord, then her legs jerked her around.
“I’ve been told to bring you to the meeting now by any means necessary.” Grace’s hands were out and sweat beaded across her brow.
“Don’t do this…” Lynda pleaded. She didn’t want to hurt anyone else, but she wasn’t going to go speak with some ancient elders before she knew that Andrei was all right.
“Come with me.” Grace pulled her hands toward her and Lynda’s body jerked forward.
Pierre stepped between them, his fangs lengthened. “Let her go, witch, I’ve not had anything to drink in a long while and I’m feeling parched.”
As though she had forgot about the vampire, Grace shrieked and tossed her hand up. Pierre flung through the air and hit the wall on the far side.
That’s it! Rage boiled through Lynda and she shoved her magic forward. Imagined Grace’s spell evaporating like dew on a hot summer morning.
“Stop.” Grace’s arms shook as she held out her hands, but her magic trickled off Lynda like pinpricks.
But she ignored the witch and dashed to Pierre’s side. “Are you okay?”
“Never better.” He smiled. “Can I bite her now?”
“No.” As much as she wanted to say yes, she couldn’t condone him drinking the woman’s blood.
“I will need three bags of blood whenever we’re done here…maybe more.” She helped him up. “You got it?”
Together they approached Andrei’s chambers.
“Lynda!” Mihnea shouted. Then he was thrown back into the room. His back hit the wall with a thud. Before he could leap to his feet, an unseen force shoved Pierre inside too and the door slammed shut.
“Wha—”
“The council demands your presence immediately.” Grace snatched Lynda’s arm. The woman’s fingernails cut into her skin.
Instead of shrinking back, Lynda looked up at her. “Back off. You have no idea the kind of power I have, and I will take care of Andrei and see him well before I do anything…or the council will burn!”
Power surged around her like ions from a pending lightning strike. Grace gasped, dropping her arm and stumbling back.–
“Good. Now that we understand each other, I’ll call for you when all three of us are ready.” Lynda pushed open the door, breaking through Grace’s magic like spider webs, and went inside to check on her three princes…her three loves. Part of her worry unhinged knowing that Andrei would soon be awake and reunited with them before she faced an uncertain future.