Indigo Spell (41 page)

“Uh-uh-huh.” Athena lifted a finger, wagged it at him. “No one moves. In case you were wondering, I choose Tess. My fight is with her.” She leaned her head to whisper in her ear. “Sorry, dear, but I never liked you very much.” Her fingers clenched around Tess’ neck. “If anyone takes one step or bats an eye, I’ll crush her windpipe and she’ll die a painfully horrid death.”

Jaxon’s control couldn’t combat the rage whirling inside him. He would kill Athena for this and consequences be damned. Once she was dead, the Coven of Allesandra would be finished forever. And Tess would be safe. “You will not live beyond this day, Athena, so enjoy your moment of power.” His voice was an acrid burn.

“We will combine our powers and—” Andion began.

“No!” Jaxon whipped his head around, fixed his glowing eyes on the wizard’s face. “You were going to protect her. You failed. Were it within my authority to end your miserable existence, I would do so.”

Falcon lashed out. “Jaxon. Focus.”

“Boys, come now. Let’s not fight over one measly little human woman. What can she give you that a witch whose cogent abilities you clearly see cannot?” As Tess began to squirm, Athena’s hand tightened even more. “But never mind. Right now I’m incredibly bored. Let’s do something to liven things up a bit, shall we?” She tipped her head back, inhaled deeply and, with her fingers secured around Tess’ throat, began to speak in a low, magnetic whisper.

“This human woman in the midst, let the fire now surround her, fed by the darkness of this heart and the spikes that have bound her. A sacrifice of a wizard’s heart is required to break this spell or may she join with her true love in the burning depths of hell.”

Athena’s hand dropped to her side and she leaped back as the fiery darts blasted through the dirt, shooting toward the sky. Encasing Tess in a burning prison, the spikes licked at her skin, forcing her to shrink back toward the center of the flames.

The witch backed away, out of Jaxon’s reach. “Oh, isn’t this exciting? Now I must tell you that in a matter of minutes, your little wife, Jaxon, is going to be a charcoal briquette unless you do the noble thing and save her.” She trailed a look around at the wizards’ faces. Equal parts of horror and shock. “I’m sure the universe will not mourn the loss of one more wizard. So come now. What will it be? Your wife’s life and the life of your unborn child? Or your life?”

She strolled around the burning prison. “You do believe she’s pregnant, don’t you? Surely your wizardly powers have told you that by now.” Her lips parted in a gleaming grin before she shook her head. “Though it pains me to lose this child, I’ll start again. Eventually one of your horny brothers is bound to step across that line into immorality.”

A gust of wind increased the flames and Jaxon took several steps forward.

“Jaxon, no. Don’t even consider it.” Tears raced down Tess’ cheeks. The look on Jaxon’s face told her more than words ever could.

He held up his hand, hovered it in the air near hers. “I cannot let you die, Tess, not if it’s within my power to stop it. Our child will need its mother.”

Jensen took a step toward his son. “Jaxon.”

Falcon held up one hand. “No. Let him handle this.”

“She could die,” Charlemaine protested.

“This is wonderful,” Athena crowed. “I’ve never been around so much caring and compassion.” She touched her fingertip to the corner of her eye. “I do believe I’m getting misty-eyed.”

Tess focused on Jaxon’s face. “I won’t let you do this.”

He smiled at her, a sad smile, but inside the fires of retribution still burned. In the end, his death would be avenged. Athena would not walk away from her own plot. “You cannot stop me.”

“I will walk into the flames, Jaxon.”

He saw the reality of the threat in her eyes.

“My heart can’t stand much more of these grandiose expressions of undying love.” Athena clamped a hand over her heart and stepped backward, keeping one eye trained on the remaining wizards. She continued to dab at her eyes melodramatically.

“Listen to me. You have a destiny. You can’t walk away from that.” Tess was practically begging now.

The pain crippled him, making him weak. “And you expect me to walk away from you? I cannot let you sacrifice yourself for me.” He closed his eyes and drew on his own strength to take a step closer to the flames.

“Ticktock, lovers,” Athena singsonged.

“No!” Tess’ scream became a wail of despair.

Jaxon’s intent to merge with the fire snapped abruptly. He felt the impact of an unseen hand and his body flew into the air. He caught himself before he could tumble to the ground. Swiveling, he caught a glimpse of Andion’s white hair as the elderly wizard dove toward the flames.

The fires hissed and snapped, blending with Andion’s agonized screams.

Jaxon crawled across the ground as the flames receded, smoldered into ashes. The wizard’s ancient body impaled on the spikes and Jaxon and the others could only watch as he bent and twisted in a feeble attempt to free himself from the painful spears. Climbing to his feet, Jaxon lifted Andion’s broken body away from the fiery daggers and placed him carefully on the ground. Andion closed his eyes, one hand clutching his heart.

Tess fell to her knees and cradled Andion’s head in her lap. For a moment Athena was forgotten and all circled around the older wizard as his life slowly faded.

“Can you save him?” Tess’ question was more of a plea. She swept a look around the wizards. “Please. Save him.”

“They…cannot,” Andion whispered. His hand crept up to cover one of hers. “Even…their…magic…cannot…prevent this. Do not…blame…them.” He struggled to breathe, his face contorted with agony. A long, sharp spike protruded from the center of his chest, its aim true.

Jaxon clutched at the wizard’s arm. “Why? Why would you do this?”

“You think I hate you but I do not.” Andion’s voice weakened along with his body. “I have never hated you, my boy. I have envied you. Your life. Your wife. And now you will take possession of the Assembly.” Weakly, he lifted a hand, patted Jaxon’s cheek. “You will make a good leader.”

“You should not have done this.”

Andion tried to sit, cried out as the pain overtook him. He fell limply back against Tess’ lap. “I could not let you die. You have a wife and a baby to care for. And you must take care of the…magic.”

“Forget the magic. This is what the magic did to you.” Tess sobbed, leaning down to press a kiss against the elder wizard’s forehead. “I will never forget you. I knew there had to be something more to you than what you presented to us. You’ve always cared.”

“Yes.” Andion speared Jaxon with a look. “But you cannot forget the magic.”

Jaxon accepted the man’s words with a painful nod. “I know.”

Andion’s eyes closed, his head rolled to one side. “I must…rest…now. May the Fates be with you all.” As the breath left his body, a streak of purple vapor arrowed from his lips.

Jaxon whirled in time to see the malevolent gleam in Athena’s eyes as the mist jetted toward the sky. He bounded to his feet, took a running leap into the air and closed his fist around the tail end of the purple-hued fog. As it settled into the palm of his hand, forming a golden globe, Athena bumped into his shoulder, seeking to dislodge the precious item. But he held tight and touched his feet to the ground once more.

Athena moved swiftly, her nails reaching out with intent to rake a long, angry line down the wizard’s cheek. “That is mine! I shall have what rightfully belongs to me.”

Braeden caught hold of her wrist and prevented the damage. “You will not touch my brother.”

She twisted her arm but was unable to break free of the wizard’s grasp. “Release me.”

“I don’t understand any of this.” Tess continued to rub her palms across Andion’s hair.

Jaxon knelt down beside her, covertly passing the globe into Falcon’s outstretched hand. “I know.”

“This is time for my exit,” Athena snapped.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Braeden held on tight.

Tess lifted her head. “He didn’t have to die, Jaxon.” The tears began to leak down her cheeks. “Why did he save me? Why would he place your happiness above his own? None of this makes sense.”

He caught a ribbon of hair between his fingers, tugging lightly. “Weren’t you the one who said most of this didn’t make sense?”

Tess dropped her hands to Andion’s shoulders. “Why am I the only one crying? Is anyone else here not grieving?”

He cupped the back of her neck, dragged her in closer to him. “We grieve differently, my love. I can’t explain it here.”

Her gaze circled the gathered wizards, sifting through the arc of magic until her eyes fell on Braeden’s prisoner. She climbed to her feet, needing her height to strengthen her. “In my world, we practice an eye for an eye.”

Athena smiled, more a sarcastic slant of wine-colored lips. “If that’s the case, then consider this an eye for Arista.”

“Andion didn’t kill Arista,” Tess pointed out in an emotionless voice.

Athena shrugged. “If you kill a wizard, you maim the whole lot of them. There’s no one to take his place now. They’re one wizard short, which, in my book, makes them even easier to defeat.”

Tess’ eyes glowed. “I think you need a recount.” She lifted her arm, curled her fist and hurled a fiery red ball directly at the center of Athena’s chest. The witch barely had enough time to jump back before the swirling mass of flames reached the spot she’d stood seconds before.

All eyes turned in Tess’ direction but Jaxon was the first to speak. “Tess, let me handle this. I can take care of Athena.”

“She doesn’t deserve to live.” Tess didn’t understand the fury that swirled inside her nor her thirst for revenge. Darkness clouded reason and she wanted to strike out, to inflict the same amount of pain Andion had endured on the woman responsible.

Athena brushed a hand down the front of her dress and lifted her shoulders. “That was a close call. Good thing for you my reflexes are so quick. Now if I could just have that globe, Jaxon, I’ll be on my way.”

Jaxon snatched Tess’ arm and shoved her back behind him. “The magic belonged to Andion and with his demise it belongs in the hands of another wizard.” He took a threatening step forward and Braeden matched his stance. “Do you seek to protect the witch who killed one of our own, brother?”

Braeden’s defense rang weak. “She is powerless against you.”

All tenderness had disappeared from Jaxon’s eyes. It would be difficult to reason with the powerful side of his nature. “That has not seemed to stop her today,” Jaxon said.

Braeden’s muscles flexed, his face hardened and though Tess didn’t know him well, she recognized the light of battle. She’d seen it one too many times in Jaxon’s eyes. “Your anger runs strong through you. No one will be able to best you today. How is killing Athena going to make you feel any better?” Braeden’s demand made Jaxon’s eyes narrow.

Tess stepped forward and touched Jaxon’s arm. “He will intervene, Jaxon. He won’t allow you to kill her. He loves her.” Her words settled around the wizards like a dark, ominous fog. No one breathed. No one dared to speak as an impossible love pitted brother against brother.

“Does my wife speak the truth?” Jaxon demanded.

“It is none of your business,” Braeden returned, shoving Athena a few steps back behind him and raising his hands. “I will not let you harm her. Your grief will not be appeased by taking her life.”

“You speak of my grief, and what of your own? Do you not grieve for Andion as well?”