Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
Reena and Ward stepped away from the group, basically making it clear to the manor that they had no intention of attempting entry.
Dez rolled his shoulders. ‘I’ll go first.’
Gill’s brow pinched. ‘I’ll go first.’
As the two siblings quibbled, Emberlyn turned to the twins and whispered, ‘Out of all of them, Gill’s got the best chance at winning the manor’s favor.’
Kage nodded curtly. ‘She’s stronger than the others. Mari’s the least likely to be chosen.’
‘Stop being difficult, I’m the oldest!’ Gill heatedly reminded her brother. ‘That means I should go first.’
‘Fuck this shit,’ muttered Ames. He rushed toward the manor at top speed, sprinting along the path and jogging up the stone steps—
Hit by an invisible force, he zoomed backwards, his legs kicking.
Everyone else skidded to the side, watching as he landed hard on his back with a pained grunt.
Emberlyn whistled low. That had to hurt.
Dez hovered over him, grimacing. ‘Son, are you okay?’
‘Fine,’ was the wheezed reply.
Busy smirking smugly at her nephew, Gill didn’t notice Mari dart toward the house until she heard the fast footfalls.
Mari took the porch steps two at a time—
Her body jerked so forcefully it folded in on itself as she went soaring backwards.
Hank looked as if he’d try to catch his daughter but then seemed to think better of it. He moved out of the way and winced as she hit the ground with a thud.
Paisley snickered. ‘That was a “Hell, no” from the manor, wasn’t it?’
‘Looked like it,’ said Emberlyn.
‘I’m done with this idiocy,’ Gill proclaimed, helping Mari to her feet. She then blew out a breath. ‘Here I go.’
Gill didn’t run. She walked. Her pace leisurely, she strolled up the path with her chin tipped up, her posture all arrogance . . . like the house was hers for the taking. She climbed the stairs, reached out to grab the porch frame—
And her head snapped back as if she’d received an uppercut.
She staggered, slipped and toppled down the stairs, falling to her back with an ungraceful flop.
Hank winced. ‘You okay, honey?’
‘Of course I’m not okay,’ Gill gritted out, rolling onto her stomach.
Inching up his chin, Dez straightened the lapels of his jacket. ‘My turn.’ Like his sister, he walked calmly toward the house and – not even bothering to help her stand – paused at the base of the steps. He then stretched his arms out at his sides and began to chant ritual words that were very familiar.
Kage wrinkled his nose. ‘Why is he blessing the house? What exactly does he think that will do?’
Emberlyn pursed her lips. ‘He may be hoping that he can neutralize the defensive magick.’
‘Ah,’ said Kage. ‘Yeah, that won’t work.’
‘I know.’ Such magick wasn’t dark merely because it was aggressive.
Finished with the blessing, Dez lowered his arms to his sides and then cautiously ascended the stairs. Pausing at the top, he slowly reached out, his fingers splayed. He jolted as his head violently whipped to the side. He teetered on the top step for a painfully long moment and then went tumbling down the stairs, landing in an awkward heap with his legs all but thrown over his head.
Now back on her feet, Gill sniffed down at him. ‘A blessing?’ she scoffed. ‘Really?’ Focusing once more on the house, she said, ‘I’ve had enough of this.’ She lashed out with blast after blast of magick, pummeling the defensive power.
Power that batted away the blasts, sending them right back at her.
Gill’s body jerked with each hit, her face creased in pain.
Notching up his chin pompously, Dez launched his own attack, flaying the defensive power, cursing when his hits bounded back on him.
Emberlyn shook her head. ‘This is a total shit show.’
‘An entertaining shit show,’ Paisley remarked.
Ames, apparently deciding not to learn from his father’s mistake, copied Dez’s move – his own blasts much more intense. So intense that when they moments later rushed at him, he didn’t have a chance to dodge. They whacked him so hard he flew back.
Mari, her face a mask of ‘I will be the one to do this’ determination, slammed up her hands and hurled waves of magick at the house . . . only to have them crash back into her.
Rubbing at various parts of their bodies, the four defeated witches gathered together, their expressions a blend of aggravation and helplessness.
Reena let out a sound that was something between a growl and a scoff. The woman could probably feel all her plans falling to pieces around her.
Emberlyn raised a hand. ‘Okay, now me.’
Dez glowered at her. ‘The manor won’t let you in. Millicent must have cast an additional spell; something to keep people out. No one is going to get inside until we can figure out what spell it is.’
‘There’s no spell,’ Emberlyn told him, approaching the gate.
‘There has to be,’ Gill insisted. ‘And since she wouldn’t want you to claim the house, you can bet your ass she’ll have taken extra measures to ensure that you never do. The spell would react even worse to you than it did us.’