Unblessed Witch (Phases of the Moon #4)

6. Deva

6

DEVA

I was wrenched from my state of pseudo-death and brought back into the world of the living, my heartbeat the guiding force— the spark .

My eyes opened as the glass coffin exploded, marble shards and water arching above me in a wave before flying out in all directions like weapons. The ward that had been placed around me to keep me captive was flimsy and broken beneath my power.

My heart beat loudly in sync with the others, vibrating through every single one of my bones and nerve endings. My body felt electrified, as if I’d been shot with adrenaline, my eyes fluttering as my fingers gripped the stone surface underneath me.

A single breath whooshed out of me and a wisp of my magic escaped into the air. The cavern trembled, warping the edges of reality, as the world itself became tilted. My head spun as I tried to track the world around me, but all I could see, hear, or touch was my own magic. Shadows played with moonlight as particles of my own body lifted off my fingers before settling back into place.

The cement slab I’d been resting on cracked underneath me as I sat up and stood, struggling for footing as debris fell from the ceiling. A phantom wind whipped around me, and my dark hair, now streaked with silver, seemed to glow in the darkness of the broken cavern. A cavern I’d been imprisoned in…

That was when it hit me, my fury with Astaroth. I was blinded by it, unable to breathe or think logically. My fists clenched as my nails sank into the soft skin, drawing blood. The water that ran on the perimeter of the room shot toward the sky, and the slabs of cement and bodies littered throughout floated upwards. Shadows absorbed all of them, drawing in their death magic like a flame from gasoline. I wavered as my magic returned to me in one big whoosh, the air itself trembling in the shockwave.

It was time to find the bastard responsible for this.

The bastard responsible for killing me. For killing so many.

For putting my men in danger.

I took a deep, cleansing breath, deciding to shadow portal through the door, but that momentary lapse in focus on my immediate surroundings cost me. Before my shadows could collapse around me, something dark and dangerous wrapped around them instead. The edges of reality grew softer, less distinct, and my vision went blurry, my knees weak as my power was imprisoned by a force strong enough to counter my raw energy.

“Little jaguar.” A familiar voice tickled my ears as I felt shackles wrap around my arms and legs. I threw my power at the darkness, but it only absorbed it, wrapping me tighter. My heart slammed against my chest in wild, uneven beats, the constrictive force of that outside power keeping the warmth of that voice from reaching me.

“Let me go.” My demand was sharp, my voice echoing in a tri-layered effect that rippled through the cavern, bolts of lunar magic dancing in the shadows.

“Never again.” The surety and sharpness of the voice had me feeling momentarily weak as I tried to search out the owner of the rough cadence.

Warm fingers ran over my waist and a muscular arm slid around me, my body sheltered by a massive frame that caused my skin to prickle with need. A rune on his wrist caught my attention and I fought the urge to touch it, the man’s cool, familiar scent nearly suffocating me with pleasure.

Icy shadows slid against my skin, and I tilted my head back to find a stunning man looking down at me, an overwhelming intensity shining in his obsidian gaze. A deep navy glinted there as I examined his masculine features and the way his jaw seemed to tighten as he looked at me. I wasn’t sure he liked what he saw.

My voice caught in my throat as the man rounded me, my body held by his shadows, as my gaze danced over his large frame and the way he moved with a confidence that I found so insanely distracting. His chest suddenly pulsed with a light that captured my attention, moonlight sparkling from within.

“Deva, I need you to come back to us.”

His fingers captured my chin, and I gasped at the brush of his lips against mine.

“Grimshaw?” I whispered, my mouth feeling thick as my power leaked out from me once more, trying to break free from the shadows. I needed to get to him. My heart began to beat even faster in panic. The other heartbeats I’d grown familiar with dipped in and out of sync, making me want to latch onto them—but I couldn’t. I felt out of control. I needed…

“I know what you need, little thief.”

The shadows tightened around me as an orb of moonlight lit up the space, revealing a gorgeous man cast in a silver light. His bronze skin was lit by silver runes that peeked out from his short sleeves, his muscular frame overwhelming my vision as light danced from his fingertips. The wild, powerful dominance that lay under his skin had me wanting to surge forward to meet him, to meet that power head-on and then bend under its will.

In a flash, the man was there—right in front of me. His nickel eyes flashed with victory as his hand wrapped around my throat, his lips coasting against my own in greeting. Silky scarves of lunar energy ran up my body as his presence clarified some of the confusion in my head. I shuddered with relief.

My men were here, at least two of them.

I could tell that something had happened with them, though. I could see it in their faces and as clarity slowly reached me—it didn’t take a lot to understand what.

I had died.

They had felt me die. And they had come for me anyway…and that obviously had affected them. But I hadn’t expected to what extent.

“Lazaro,” I whimpered. This time he kissed me deeper, the moonstone’s energy between us dancing much like it had with Grim.

But my magic wasn’t satisfied, not caring that the suppressing force had been designed by my men for my safety. To it I was still imprisoned, and that was all that mattered. It once again tried to lash out, pushing Lazaro away as I let out a pained cry. Why couldn’t I break free?

“I can answer that for you.” Another piece of me relaxed as Cage nipped the skin beneath my ear. “You’re about to bring this entire compound down on us, little siren, so we’re doing our damn best to get out of here alive.”

Cage’s tall athletic frame came into view, his maroon eyes filled with so much affection it was palpable. There was something else there though, a void that I hadn’t seen before. He’d painted his face with a manic smile that was obviously meant to cover his desperation.

“Cage,” I whispered in concern, looking over his golden skin and the dark circles under his eyes, his richly colored hair making my fingers itch to run through it in a comforting motion. I could see he needed that, and I didn’t bother hiding my worry.

“Just need you back,” he murmured, his hand pressing against my heart. My moonstone pulsed, and I could feel the draw of his blood magic rolling over my skin. Copper danced on my tongue as he kissed me hard, before biting my lip. I whimpered in frustration as he pulled away, my heartbeat slowing as I began to relax into the hold their magic had on mine.

My new insanely powerful magic wanted, at least in part, to be wrapped up with theirs, and all I could do was appreciate how damn strong they were. In some ways I felt out of my league, even with all this magic right at my fingertips. Clearly there was an adjustment period to be had if I was putting us in so much danger.

“Help me,” I pleaded, nearly shaking with the effort of keeping my rage in check. I didn’t want to hurt myself or my men, but bloodlust threatened to eclipse my more lucid thoughts.

“Just stay with us. We think we have something that will help,” Cage said before his frame flickered out of his existence. My heartbeat was controlled by his magic, but I could still feel my own magic fighting against it, calling for pure, unadulterated revenge. Nothing else would do.

When the scent of thunderstorms grew near, I looked around for Alek, tasting the sweet, cool scent of ozone on my tongue. I hadn’t had a name for our magic before, but now I did—now I understood what had happened to us. Or could feel what had happened to us, what the ritual had turned us into.

Hard arms wrapped around my center as the shadows loosened around me, allowing me to turn into Alek’s embrace. My head fell back to find his deep midnight blue eyes. His skin lit up, showcasing his runes, although he seemed to have more than before. His dark hair was messy and mussed, and there was a deep pain embedded in his gaze. It couldn’t outshine the feral, determined glint though, one that had me feeling like the man would do anything to protect me.

“Zaya , we’re going to try to siphon your magic. Share it amongst us to allow you to regulate.”

I nodded, my fingers sliding up to wrap around his neck. Tears welled in my eyes as I listened to the deep thump of his heart. “I missed you. I missed all of you.”

Alek pulled back slightly, his tone dead serious. “I will never leave your side again, understand? Ever.”

“I love you. I love all of you,” I murmured in agreement.

“Oz is going to start. Do your best to relax into it,” he said, pulling me closer. “You don’t need to do a thing, I promise.”

My power vibrated in eager anticipation to be released, and I let out a frustrated growl as Alek flickered out of existence. It was my own magic’s doing, pushing them away. It loved them but also believed they were distracting us, stopping us from our mission to find Astaroth.

“Oz?”

The darkness of my power was pushed aside as Oz appeared, his skin decorated with runes, a mix of his own and those that were lit up from me. Had the other three men before Alek had them as well? His shirt was torn down the center, and his nearly 6’6 height seemed to shrink the space. When his lavender gaze met mine, I almost let out a sound of desperation, needing to feel his touch.

The space between us felt miles wide and I could feel, practically taste, the darkness spiraling off of him. All of my men were more than a bit obsessive and possessive, but my probably sociopathic, most definitely serial killer unblessed witch had a look in his eyes that was unmatched. The thread of energy that normally wrapped around our relationship was lit up with a dominating power that vibrated against my own, demanding my attention. I was speechless in the face of his rage, the pure fury at the state I’d been placed in.

I swallowed, feeling slightly nervous as he slowly stalked toward me, as if trying to control himself. My eyes grew heavy as he captured my jaw with both hands and brushed his nose against mine.

“Oz, are you—” My voice was less than a whisper.

“No.” His tone was rough and harsh. I could feel him teetering on the edge of insanity, the flip side to Cage’s psychopathic tendencies. There was something so cold to Oz, almost like the only thing that was keeping him alive was his heartbeat and the warmth of the moonstone. As if he was dead inside.

That had changed when I’d entered his life…but I’d been killed, and that seemed to be taking him to a place I couldn’t fully comprehend.

“I need help.”

“Give me your magic, starlight.” His fingers running through my hair soothed me as my limbs shook with the effort of keeping my magic contained. “Send it through our bond.”

“I don’t want to hurt any of you.”

Oz’s gaze flashed with an agony that leveled me, but it was nothing compared to his words. “I’ve died a thousand times since he took you. Nothing can hurt me, Deva. Nothing.”

Hot tears ran down my face as I surged forward and kissed him hard. My ocean of power suddenly broke into five rivers as I opened up my bond with my men, uninhibited.

A wave of pure emotion crashed over me. Fury and sadness. Desperation and love. Obsession. Our bond became something it had never been before, and I didn’t hold back, deepening my kiss with Oz. When the world around me began to break apart, it was softer, more gradual, like a tide receding instead of an explosion.

Finally, there was nothing but silence.

My eyes opened. I was in someone’s arms in the real world, outside of any shadowscape. Trembling slightly, I let out a shaky breath as I met Oz’s gaze before looking at the other four around me.

“ There she is.”

I had come back from the dead—for the final time.