Saved by the Spell (Anna Wolfe Series, Book #2) (19 page)

Before they can respond, a clapping resonates in the tunnel. “My love, your feistiness is unmatched.”

My heart stops in my chest, hearing
his
voice. I turn around, materializing a black orb.

“No need for that
my love,” Micah purrs, walking closer to us. “Give me the book and no harm will come to you or your two loves.”

I cringe inwardly. I hate it when Micah mentions my personal life. I shake his alarming observation from my mind.

Roman throws his head back with a deep laughter. “You will never have that book.” His eyes darken.

Micah tilts his head like a confused puppy. “Oh no? We’ll have to see about that.”

“Over my dead body.”

Micah yawns. “So be it.” With one flick of his wrist, hellhounds pour out from each side of him, vibrating the earth below us.
Robotically, I pitch my orb at one, watching the hound disappear in a swirl of orange mist. Valen shifts, fighting them on the front line. Roman and I throw orbs one after the other. Micah leans against the wall, appearing bored, and rage consumes me. There’s nothing I hate more than a coward. I will an orange orb, watching it materialize in my hand. I take off in a sprint, jumping over the hellhounds like hurdles on a track. I stop when I’m a few feet away from him. I launch my orb quickly, but not quick enough. He jumps out of the way.

“You’re going to have to be faster than that, my love,” he snickers, venom dripping from every word. “I’m afraid you haven’t learned your lesson yet.”

“Fuck you, Micah.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

My stomach churns and bile rises in my throat. We circle one another like sharks, both wielding our orbs. I study Micah’s movements, waiting for the twitch in his right eye. As soon as I see it, I throw my powerful olive sphere at him. It hits him in the side, propelling him into the wall with a loud thud. He takes his time getting to his feet, brushing the dirt off his unbuttoned linen shirt.

“I must say
love, you surprise me each time I see you.”

I pitch another one, but he rolls out of the way. He quickly stands, adjusting himself before he lobs one back. It whizzes by my head as I barely dodge out of its path, glad to have missed it. I steal a swift glimpse behind me. Roman is
now fighting off three of those huge creatures from earlier, while Valen takes on eight hellhounds solo. The need to help them overtakes me.

I flip my attention back to Micah a little too late. An orb nails me in the shoulder, throwing me backwards a couple of feet. My hair whips around my head, smacking me in the face with a light sting. The intensity of the blow spins me in midair before ruthlessly plummeting me onto the ground. My chest whacks the solid dirt, knocking the wind clear out of my lungs. A small strand of blood trickles from my forehead, drying before it reaches my eyebrow.

“Anna!”

I swear I catch Valen
screaming my name, but the ringing in my ears is scrambling everything I hear. A harsh pain radiates through my ribcage and body, making it hard to focus. I attempt to move my arms, but they’re as heavy as stone. My limbs are paralyzed. Micah walks over to my unresponsive body, rolling me on my back with his foot.

“I warned you if you became more trouble than what you’re worth, I would kill you.
Luckily for me, I have a Plan B involving your dog. It’s a pity you didn’t listen.”

He stands above me, wielding an amethyst-colored orb. A smirk slithers across his face and his eyes deepen in disgust. “Goodbye, my love.”

He retracts his arm, ready to heave his orb at me with full force. Before he can follow through, a haze of black flashes before my eyes. I watch as Micah is knocked to the floor with a loud cracking noise. I chant a healing spell quickly. Warmth spreads throughout my limbs, allowing me to wiggle my fingers and toes, and I’m relieved when they respond. My magic isn’t one hundred percent functioning, but at least I can physically move.

“Anna, stay where you are!” Roman shouts.

I sit up slowly, my body protesting every motion. Nearly all of my magic has been depleted. Every sense is sluggish and stuck in slow motion. I look to my left, seeing that Valen has Micah pinned, while trying to claw his face. Micah punches his ribs repeatedly before finally tossing him off with an orb. Valen hits the wall so hard, it knocks him out.

“Valen,” I croak, forcing myself to my knees and watching as Micah strolls towards me.

“Now, where were we?”

I fall onto my butt, scooting myself backwards as best I can, which isn’t very well at all seeing that my arms are about as sturdy as cooked spaghetti. Micah makes no attempt to chase me. He knows I can’t run.

“No use in fighting me, Anna. I paralyzed you with one of the oldest spells, although I’m surprised you can move at all. You are one powerful being. Nonetheless, your magic recovery will take a few days.”

A green orb pops up in his palm. “Maybe I will keep you after all.” He chucks it, and I bring my arms up to block it the good old-fashioned way. I scream, waiting to be pummeled. Just before it makes contact, Valen leaps in front of me, allowing the glowing sphere to hit him. A yelp manages to escape just
as he vanishes into thin air.

“Valen!” I scream, hoping to hear a response.

Nothing.

“Valen!”

“Anna, get away from him now!” Roman orders, trying to conceal the fatigue behind his words.

I squint over my shoulder, watching Roman
drive away the remaining beast. I flick my eyes back to Micah. A powerful fury swirls inside of me. All of my energy is drawn to it, like a moth to a flame. I have absolutely no control. An unidentified power is molding and shaping itself inside my body. Micah ignited an unknown fire inside me. My vision sparkles as soon as I glance at my fingertips in disbelief. Tiny, purple flames are dancing on the ends of them, licking the air above. I raise my head, glaring right into Micah’s eyes.

“What did you do to him?” I demand.

Micah’s astonished expression is quickly replaced by aggravation. “He’s alive… for now.”

“Bring him back this instant!” I shriek. The tunnel vibrates from my voice, rattling the loose dirt off the ceiling.

He brushes the filth off his shoulder. “I don’t know what you’re doing love, but you can’t kill me. If I’m dead, you’ll never get your precious dog back.”

The ferocity inside of me builds, triggering the flames on my fingertips to flicker and double in size. I watch as their reflection sways in Micah’s irises. 

“If you want to see him again, give me the book Anna,” he seethes. “The book in exchange for your dog.”

I throw my arm out in front of me and the flames burst from the tips of my fingers, heading straight for Micah. He
flings a blue orb on the ground below him, disappearing into it. I stand there, dumbfounded, staring down at my ignited fingertips. What the hell is happening to me? Seconds pass and my anger dwindles, allowing room for exhaustion. My legs become wobbly before finally giving out. Darkness begins to claim me, just as I feel a strong arm lacing itself around my waist.

Chapter 13

Blackness confines me in its
stony arms. It’s endless, limitless. Stifled voices call out to me, pleading for me to wake up. What are they talking about? I am awake. I explore this place, unsure of where I’m going. It wouldn’t matter anyway since it’s too dark to see anything. I’m lost in a barren land, stripped of everything familiar. Every now and then, I see a glimpse of light and faces I recognize before the darkness swallows me up again.

“
How long has she been out?” a female voice asks.

“
One week,” a deep voice replies.

His voice… it sounds so familiar
. Do I know him? One week? Where are we? Why can’t I see anyone? I flick my eyelids open, or at least I think I do. All I see is black. I force myself to think.
Come on Anna, remember!
I dive into my brain, trying to pry the pieces of my memory from the murky recesses they’ve hidden themselves in. I rip and pull, fighting to recall them. Fuzzy fragments snap together.

I’m in a dirt tunnel surrounded by Valen, Roman and Micah. I’m battling Micah. I feel my body temperature rise and watch flames ignite from my fingertips. Valen disappears in front of me. He’s nowhere to be found. My heartbeat thumps loudly as the events circle around my head like a dizzying tornado.

Gone.

No!
I scream loudly, listening to my voice echo in the barrenness. A violent shaking forces my mouth closed as my body trembles uncontrollably.

“Anna! Anna!”

I flip my eyelids open in terror.

Roman’s cobalt eyes are s
taring at me, looking troubled. “Thank Hades you’re okay!” He throws me into his firm chest, squeezing me tightly. “I thought I lost you.”

A certain pain is evident in his words, but I’m too unsettled to ponder it. He releases me, gently l
aying me down on my mountain of pillows. “What?” I pause, rubbing my forehead. “What happened?” My body feels heavier than lead, and the simple task of moving my arm zapped all of my energy. Footsteps whack the hallway floor, reverberating in my tender ears. I cringe at the throbbing sound just as Kristy, Martello and Janie all pass through the doorway, surrounding me and my bed. One after another, they cry, hug, prod, and kiss me. You’d think I was the Pope.

“Girl, you has no idea what we’s been through,” Martello exhales. “The nerves I has over your little ass ruined my complexion!” He grins, fanning his flawl
ess face dramatically as usual.

He looks exactly the same.

“Thank God you’re okay!” Kristy smiles.

Janie looks at me with relief. “Welcome back. We missed you.”

I lift my eyes, studying each one of them. Their faces have been worn with worry and it makes my heart clench. “How long was I asleep for?”

“
One week,” Janie says unpleasantly.

One week! It felt like five minutes! Shit. What the hell happened to knock me out for that long? A quick glimmer of purple flames dance on the edge of my memory
, but the harder I focus on it, the quicker confusion muddles everything.

“
Child, we was worried sick 'bout you,” Martello sighs. He lowers himself slowly next to me, gently placing his weight on the bed.

“
Martello, I'm not going to break,” I chuckle halfheartedly.

He arches his eyebrow.
“Don't go sassing me,” he smirks.

He wraps his hand over mine, squeezing it with relief.
“Anna honey, don't ever’s scare us like that again you’s hears?”

“
I promise I'll do my best.” We show off our matching smiles and my heart feels a bit lighter, relieved everyone I care about is safe. The dream I had before I woke up creeps back into my mind. I prop myself on my elbows, carefully adjusting into a sitting position. I survey the room, searching for Valen. No, it was just a dream. He’s here, he has to be. “Where’s Valen?”

Roman clears his throat and
gestures for the others to leave. They exit without so much as a glance in my direction, like they've been rehearsing for this exact moment.

“Anna, do you remember anything?”

I furrow my eyebrows. “I think so. There was fighting… you and Valen... I was fighting Micah…” I trail off, looking down at my fingertips. “Fire…” I look into Roman’s eyes, searching for an explanation.

He wraps his large hand around mine, pulling me into his chest. “We found The Scholars and the book… and yes, you did
engage in a fight with Micah,” he hesitates.

“And?”

“Valen was taken, Anna. Micah has him.”

The words hit me like a Mack truck. I wasn’t dreaming. Valen was taken and I allowed it to happen. Tears burn my eyes before bubbling down my cheek like lava. I choke on the salty taste of torment, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my hand viciously. I can’t control my tears. I don’t want to weep in Roman’s arms, but my emotions overtake me. My heart shatters like glass and I need to release the pain.

“Shhhh, let it out Anna.” Roman places his palm on the back of my head, pushing me deeper into him.

I grip the front of his shirt, twisting it in my hand. A bellow escapes from throat, as tears continue to pour from my eyes. Heavy sobs climb out from the deepest recesses of my heart—areas I never knew existed. I feel utterly crushed.

Losing Valen hurts too much to breathe. “Make it stop! Please, Roman... make it stop!” I plead in between heavy sobs. I push myself off his chest, gazing into his alarmed eyes. He stares back at me, distraught. “Please Roman! It’s too much to bear,” I choke out.

He presses my head into his shoulder, chanting under his breath. Relaxation pours over me, soothing my heaving chest. My eyelids slide closed from the un
forgiving weight of exhaustion. I slip into the darkness and this time I welcome it with open arms.

Nothing matters anymore.

Nothing.