Familiars in all shapes and sizes—cats, rabbits, wolves, snakes—prowled anxiously throughout the room, avoiding an area near the ceremonial table that glimmered like heat over the desert.
“Shut it, ladies! We need to get our shit together!” Cora’s voice broke out over the din. The fat marmot on her shoulder tried to hide under her pink hair but was too big.
“We’re screwed, Cora, she’s going to be here any minute!” A dark-haired witch gestured toward the shimmering area over the table.
“Do you think I don’t know that? Damn it! I never thought she’d be strong enough to break out this early. I swear all this mortal technology makes the aether thinner. We’re lucky she didn’t get out earlier.”
“Do you think…” a timid witch began. “Um, do you think she’s coming for vengeance?”
Cora groaned at the question. “I don’t know, Luca. Probably. Aurora didn’t exactly want to be imprisoned. But we only did what we had to do. We were right under the law.”
A flash of light. Howling wind so fierce that Warren was blown back a few steps. He leaped to the window again in a heartbeat once it died down. His heart plummeted and his fists clenched. Shite.
Aurora stood within the room, right where the shimmering air had been. Her short golden hair whipped about her face, set aloft by an unholy and unnatural wind. As Esha’s had done when she’d been angry. A sleek black cat sat at her heels, emerald eyes fierce.
Aurora’s eyes blazed black as they stared—straight at him.
“Well, well, well. What have we here?” Her voice echoed with evil, but Warren barely had time to process it.
He charged into the cottage, straight for the unholy bitch. Mine. Her death would be his, and with it, his soul. Rage propelled him forward faster than he’d ever moved.
Pain. He slammed into a force field and his body was thrown back, the shock of her power still echoing through his veins. The sounds of the other witches hurrying away from Aurora were drowned out by her laughter. It scratched over his nerves and plucked at his sanity. All the peace and control he’d worked so hard to gain slipped from him as his blood roared in his ears.
Kill her. Take back what’s yours.
“Stupid man. Do you think I’d actually come here?” she asked.
He surged to his feet to face her. Her form hovered off the ground, slightly translucent. The gray robes she wore floated unnaturally about her slender frame, a color so dense it sucked the light out of the room. It was dull as slate against her glowing golden skin.
“Where are you?” His breath came short with his rage, strangling his lungs like briars wrapped around a fence.
“Please. I won’t be telling you that. However, I will say that I’m glad to see you here. You’ll do just fine for my purposes.”
“You knew I’d be here?” There was no way.
“Nay. I came to ask these cowards for what I wanted.” She gestured to the cowering witches. “But your passion will ensure that I get what I want.”
Pride propelled Cora forward, but only a few steps. “You broke the law. We did only what was required when we locked you up for abusing your powers.”
“What do you know of my powers? You’re but an animus witch. Go talk to your marmot.” Aurora waved a dismissive hand.
“Bite me, Cruella. There are enough of us to stop you again if you pull a repeat of your past,” Cora said.
“You’re wasting my time,” Aurora snapped. She waved her hand and the witches were forced to their knees, struggling fiercely against her hold, their faces contorted with rage and their shouts echoing about the room.
Still on his feet, the strength leached out of Warren’s muscles and his stomach lurched. What the hell? He was never ill, and this wasn’t the same as what the witches were experiencing.
He swallowed hard, forcing the bile back, and said, “Where the hell are you?”
“What, you want to kill me to get your soul back?” She laughed.
“Aye.”
She rolled her eyes and his muscles bunched, prepared to launch himself at her even though it would be pointless.
“I knew that’s what you’d say. But you canna find me,” she said. “No’ where I’m going. The only one who can find me is another soulceress. And there’s one here at the university. I can feel her. Bring her to me.”
“Why?”