on Floarea’s face told him she’d have no problem killing Gwen to gain what she wanted.
“Take your people and leave, or I kill her, Gideon.”
As if he needed her to spell it out for him.
Gideon raised his hands. “Be careful, Floarea. She’s the anchor. You hurt her, you very well might kill us all.”
Floarea merely laughed. “It’s a chance I’m willing to take. I’m not going to stand here and watch you slaughter my family.”
Gideon nodded, trying to think. He needed to get Gwen to safety. As he began to form an idea in his head, he heard a guttural cry come from beside him.
“You hurt Minerva!”
Well, shit . Tink was back in the game. Gideon spun, getting ready to ward off a blow, but it never came. As he watched in horror, Tink raised his arms and somehow pulled Gwen to him. It was more of a fierce yank than a pull. He wrenched her straight from a speechless Floarea and dragged Gwen’s fighting form across the field to him like she was nothing more than a rag doll.
Gideon started forward, seeing Baba Yaga, Mac, and Zelda all do the same, only to be struck by a weakness unlike anything he’d ever felt. He fell to his knees as Zelda, Baba Yaga, and every other witch and warlock did the same. Mac remained standing. He turned, standing over Zelda’s felled body and scanning for the threat.
The threat was Tink. Gideon could see it, but he couldn’t speak. He was too weak to tell Mac what was happening. Tink was somehow using Gwen to draw the magic from every witch and warlock she was connected to.
And he wasn’t just targeting their side, either. All of the Komolvo had fallen to the ground as well, too weak to stand or fight, or even cry out. Gideon had a feeling Tink didn’t care who he hurt at this point.
Gwen was screaming, but Gideon was powerless to reach her as Tink continued his attack.
Gideon’s head fell to the ground, eyes still open. He could watch Gwen, see her struggle, see the horror on her face as she saw what was happening, but he couldn’t move toward her. Couldn’t call to her or calm her, soothe her in any way. Couldn’t save her.
***
Gwen fought against the draw, knowing what Tink was doing. She knew this would destroy every witch and warlock when their magic was drained, but there was nothing she could do. Tink was too powerful for her. Too strong for her to stop him as he siphoned more and more. He was drawing on all of the magic in the world now, pulling it into himself, and she didn’t know if he would die before he killed everyone else, or if they would all be killed by what he was doing.
She had a feeling he was only going to succeed in killing them all. She pictured all of the magic in the world and tried to pull back against him. For a few precious moments, she succeeded, drawing thread after thread of it back into her. But Tink caught on to what she was doing and struck out at her physically, shaking her.
For the first time, Gwen realized how vulnerable she’d made herself by taking this form. She’d been foolish to try this. Foolish to think she could come to earth in this form and not be harmed. Not get everyone killed.
Or maybe she simply hadn’t cared as much before. She’d been selfish when she came here. Selfish and caring more about her own experiences, her own chance to know what it was like to live.
But now she cared about these witches and warlocks who would die because of her stupidity. She loved them. Loved Gideon with all her heart. And she was going to be forced to watch him die.
Gwen closed her eyes and tried to pull those little tendrils of magic back in again, but it was no use. Her eyes sprang open again and she watched as Gideon and the others fell to the ground. As Mac hovered protectively over Zelda and looked around wildly to determine who to attack to save his mate.
She watched and felt the tears slip down her face as Gideon closed his eyes.
Break the threads. Don’t pull them. Snap them.
There it was. Knowledge planted in
“Take your people and leave, or I kill her, Gideon.”
As if he needed her to spell it out for him.
Gideon raised his hands. “Be careful, Floarea. She’s the anchor. You hurt her, you very well might kill us all.”
Floarea merely laughed. “It’s a chance I’m willing to take. I’m not going to stand here and watch you slaughter my family.”
Gideon nodded, trying to think. He needed to get Gwen to safety. As he began to form an idea in his head, he heard a guttural cry come from beside him.
“You hurt Minerva!”
Well, shit . Tink was back in the game. Gideon spun, getting ready to ward off a blow, but it never came. As he watched in horror, Tink raised his arms and somehow pulled Gwen to him. It was more of a fierce yank than a pull. He wrenched her straight from a speechless Floarea and dragged Gwen’s fighting form across the field to him like she was nothing more than a rag doll.
Gideon started forward, seeing Baba Yaga, Mac, and Zelda all do the same, only to be struck by a weakness unlike anything he’d ever felt. He fell to his knees as Zelda, Baba Yaga, and every other witch and warlock did the same. Mac remained standing. He turned, standing over Zelda’s felled body and scanning for the threat.
The threat was Tink. Gideon could see it, but he couldn’t speak. He was too weak to tell Mac what was happening. Tink was somehow using Gwen to draw the magic from every witch and warlock she was connected to.
And he wasn’t just targeting their side, either. All of the Komolvo had fallen to the ground as well, too weak to stand or fight, or even cry out. Gideon had a feeling Tink didn’t care who he hurt at this point.
Gwen was screaming, but Gideon was powerless to reach her as Tink continued his attack.
Gideon’s head fell to the ground, eyes still open. He could watch Gwen, see her struggle, see the horror on her face as she saw what was happening, but he couldn’t move toward her. Couldn’t call to her or calm her, soothe her in any way. Couldn’t save her.
***
Gwen fought against the draw, knowing what Tink was doing. She knew this would destroy every witch and warlock when their magic was drained, but there was nothing she could do. Tink was too powerful for her. Too strong for her to stop him as he siphoned more and more. He was drawing on all of the magic in the world now, pulling it into himself, and she didn’t know if he would die before he killed everyone else, or if they would all be killed by what he was doing.
She had a feeling he was only going to succeed in killing them all. She pictured all of the magic in the world and tried to pull back against him. For a few precious moments, she succeeded, drawing thread after thread of it back into her. But Tink caught on to what she was doing and struck out at her physically, shaking her.
For the first time, Gwen realized how vulnerable she’d made herself by taking this form. She’d been foolish to try this. Foolish to think she could come to earth in this form and not be harmed. Not get everyone killed.
Or maybe she simply hadn’t cared as much before. She’d been selfish when she came here. Selfish and caring more about her own experiences, her own chance to know what it was like to live.
But now she cared about these witches and warlocks who would die because of her stupidity. She loved them. Loved Gideon with all her heart. And she was going to be forced to watch him die.
Gwen closed her eyes and tried to pull those little tendrils of magic back in again, but it was no use. Her eyes sprang open again and she watched as Gideon and the others fell to the ground. As Mac hovered protectively over Zelda and looked around wildly to determine who to attack to save his mate.
She watched and felt the tears slip down her face as Gideon closed his eyes.
Break the threads. Don’t pull them. Snap them.
There it was. Knowledge planted in
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