Chapter One-Hundred-And-Sixteen

Chapter One-Hundred-And-Sixteen
Ryder

Kelly no longer reined in her body, something she’d learned to do entirely by accident early in conversion. Something the rest of us were rarely comfortable within such a public setting, lest we do something forbidden and pay for it when we’re ourselves once more.

The air around us malevolently swirled. I didn’t need to look at Marcus’s face and know the need for immediate blood running rampant in his actions.

Milindya made the mistake of moving and snarled loud enough to shake the closest display cases.

Energy snapped around his enraged form, eyes filling with blood as he stared down at his wife and her conquest.

“No one hurts my woman and lives. I don’t give a fuck if you’re supposed to be family,” Marcus snapped and took an aggressive step forward.

Stop him! I yelled inside of my too-full brain.

Marcus shook his head. “No.”

We all wanted him to do it. Since I was in charge of this little foray, I’d thankfully take the fall for it.

So, it would be me punishing the vermin.

Catalym whimpered, flying out of my grasp to stumble forward with a shaky groan.

“I won’t let you do this,” she snarled back at me, the agony shabbily concealed within her tone. It was the single sound that shredded both me and my Curse, who roared in challenge. It’s prey, the ice queen so close, so easy.

I wanted to kill her more than anything, but Holly held me back. Our willing bond allowed him all kinds of power over me because of his age, but he didn’t use it often. But now he did, blending himself into Catalym’s magic, which keeps me away.

You will do…nothing, Max sighed with resignation.

Immediate power practically solidified around me.

Catalym growled savagely, flinging her hand at Marcus to freeze him in place. Her fangs dripped with her blood, energy surging as she gathered it in astonishing amounts.

The pain hadn’t stopped; she just fought past it.

And she was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen. It had nothing to do with her power, its nearing unnatural pull, or the obsession that seemed to be a problem around her. I saw her strength and will shine through the perfect rage of this moment.

Her hand shot out, and Kelly was thrown off of Milindya. I watched her body fly but landed softly a safe distance away. I was amazed at Catalym’s grip on her control, even with her Curse crawling so close to the surface of every action.

Milindya half rose to meet her, with a sadistic smile fragmenting her face. Catalym’s arm shot out, and she grabbed a large fistful of her sister’s hair and dragged her to eye level.

“Kev, stop pacing; you’re making me nervous,” Kelly muttered from the floor. Watching the two siblings return to her with weary reality, her composure created a blanket of false calm, but I knew better.

Kev’s throat rumbled with agitation, in far more control than mine. He didn’t need two babysitters to control his every move.

It’s for your own good, Holly reminded me a little haughtily.

Shut the fuck up, will you?

Don’t be so testy, Ry, he’s saving your ass, Corrine inserted with amusement, moving through my mind to see from my eyes.

Aren’t you angry?

Terrifyingly infuriated, but Milindya has this coming, and I want to watch. It didn’t take me long to anticipate this. I cannot always protect her, and she is slowly gaining the confidence to fight back.

Okay, she had me there.

Isn’t Cat going to get into trouble? Holly murmured.

I spoke with Manuel today about something like this happening. Catalym warned me about Milindya's recent behavior, and I’ve come to expect it.

Milindya snapped her canines at Catalym, hissing when her sister slammed her against a wall. Semi-precious stones and pedestals fell around them in a rainbow downpour, the sheet-glass windows rattling hard enough to break from the force.

“When did you grow balls?” Milindya snarled.

“Yesterday.”

What did he say? Holly finally asked, and we both felt Corrine’s amusement.

He said, they’re siblings, let Catalym kick her ass. I have to agree.

The air around Milindya pulsed with more dark waves of crushing pain directed solely at Catalym, but something had changed about her.

Holly watched in growing fascination.

Milindya’s aroused by pain.

So?

What does Catalym feed on?

Sexual satisfaction.

I grinned as his thoughts began to make sense—a lot of the time, he had to explain himself.

“These are good people, and it’s one thing for you to hurt me, but I will not let you hurt my friends,” Catalym roared demonically.

“They will all pay for this. I will make sure of it,” Milindya sneered.

Cat’s fist snapped back. A rush of air fluttered her hair around her head when plowing forward to bury her knuckles into Milindya’s cheek. The force took the back of her head off the wall, smashing through one of the glass shelves.

Melinda shook her body like a dog, a fine trail of sweet-smelling blood running down the side of her face. She shoved her sister away, wiping herself off as if trying to get the feel of Cat’s touch off her.

“You defend people you’ve known for such a short time against your own family of centuries? You’re going to get yourself kicked out of the Coven.” Milindya sneered venomously, hissing slightly. “Permanently this time. But that’s only if you survive this one.”

“I will never let her go back there. She has a place with us now.” When the magic holding me dispersed, I walked forward and drew Catalym to me.

Marcus snarled again, clearly wanting to act. He stood between Kelly and the mess, so ready to brawl. His eyes never left them as he picked her up off of the floor and thrust her behind him.

“Oh, don’t worry. I do not doubt that her days of belonging with us are at a close. My parents will hear about this,” Milindya threatened darkly, reminding me of a defiant child.

“It’s of little consequence what you do or what you tell them,” Marcus barked.

Kelly hissed from underneath his shoulder, her eyes glowing a fluorescent red in the daylight.