Witchlock (44 page)

Turning an intense blue gaze on Evalle, Adrianna said, “We thought we failed when we went to Jafnan Mir, but when Veronika found out we’d been there trying rescue Ragan, she rushed the process, taking my sister out of the realm too soon. She assumed Ragan would still be absorbed into Witchlock as planned, so Veronika didn’t expend the energy to shield her mind from Ragan. But because she was taken out too soon, Ragan had access to everything Veronika knew. Ragan knew that if no one took possession of Witchlock, it would destroy this world.”
 

Evalle said, “Did you really ... call it to you?”
 

Adrianna nodded, eyes haunted.
 

“Is that how you could make a sun shield for me so fast?”
 

The witch nodded again. Pulling a hand from where it had been tucked against her body, Adrianna’s fingers unfolded and a golf-ball sized, spinning sphere appeared in her palm.
 

Storm leaned in. “You
have it
?”
 

“Or it has me. Only time will tell.”  Adrianna looked at Evalle with a sad smile. “But as far as I know, I now possess the most powerful witchcraft on this planet.”
 

Evalle cocked her head, staring at the spinning ball. “I thought only a marked KievRus witch could wield Witchlock. How can you…”
 

“I don’t know. Ragan and I have—we had—exactly the same powers. She was stronger, but whatever one of us could do, the other could do. All
I can figure is that Veronika set up a screaming-strong link to Ragan so she could draw on Ragan’s power, and through that, Ragan somehow gained Veronika’s ability to call Witchlock to her. Then when Ragan and I opened our bond, I guess I gained that ability too. And the ability to at least
hold
Witchlock. Whether or not I can actually wield it remains to be seen.”   
 

The responsibility of what she’d taken on showed in Adrianna’s eyes. And alongside it, the fact that she’d trade all that power for her sister without question.
 

Evalle had no idea what this meant for the future, and she had no idea whether her concern would be welcome, but she took a deep breath and said, “I know you didn’t want it, but you’ll make the right choices with that power.”
 

Adrianna folded her fingers closed and the ball of light vanished. She glanced over to where Quinn and Trey had Veronika bound and under control. Twenty Beladors had arrived, probably at Trey’s call, and were dealing with the crowd.
 

Lucien was there, too, and the look he was giving Hermia threatened far worse than Rowan’s scolding, but when his gaze shifted to Rowan, she looked up and smiled at him.
 

Hermia would be safe from Lucien’s wrath only because Rowan had her hand on Hermia’s shoulder in a clear sign she was now under Rowan’s protection.
 

Evalle’s gaze strayed back to the Beladors. She was glad to see that Quinn looked like Quinn. She turned back to Adrianna. “Are you sorry we didn’t kill Veronika?”
 

Adrianna sighed. “I could have killed Veronika the minute I took Witchlock, but my sister and I swore to never follow the dark witch—or the white witch—ways. My sister died to keep dark power from wreaking devastation on this world. It would be a travesty to use that power only to take a life, even Veronika’s, because yes, Veronika has some juice, but once she lost Ragan’s power, she was no longer a threat. At least as long as witches like Rowan are around.”
 

And you
, Evalle amended silently.
 

Storm added, “And as long as VIPER keeps her locked up.”
 

 Quinn walked up. “Evalle, I...”
 

She jumped up and hugged him. “I’m so sorry she used Kizira to get into your head.”  
 

Quinn hugged her back. “I screwed up. I believed I could take control of her mind and bring in Sen to lock her up. I’m ... not fit to be Maistir. I should–”
 

She pulled back and finished his sentence. “Accept that you’re human.” She gave him a soft smile. “Okay, not really, but sort of. As much as any of us are, because we’re
all
vulnerable one way or another, and please realize we need you. This shows how
much
we need you. She’d have gained full control of anyone weaker than you.”
 

“Maybe you’re right.” He pulled his hands back and raked them both through his hair. “It was so ... real. I tried to use mindlock to fight her, but—”
 

Adrianna interjected, “That was her gift, Quinn. She could draw an image from any thought. She didn’t even need to get past your shields. Once you reached out with your mind, she only had to pull up enough visual to attack your most vulnerable point. I’m just starting to figure out some of the other gifts she had, and intended to abuse.”
 

“What do you mean?” Quinn asked as Storm stood and pulled Evalle next to him again.
 

The men in Evalle’s life were protective and possessive. She’d just have to accept that.
 

Adrianna stood, too. She looked around and leaned in, keeping her voice down. “I think Ragan’s power brought me a mirror of Veronika’s consciousness.”
 

“Like a backup hard drive?” Storm asked.
 

“Something like that.”  Adrianna looked around again and added, “Veronika had some truly ambitious goals.”
 

“What else did the egomaniac want?” Evalle asked.
 

“I told you she’d need maybe ten years to take over this world unless she gained my power, but she planned to go up against Queen Maeve first thing.”
 

“Wow. She was more mental than I’d have thought possible.”
 

Quinn shook his head and said, “Evalle, I hate to bring this up, but we have to meet the Tribunal in eight hours.”
 

Storm’s arm tightened. “See if you can get an extension.”
 

Adrianna broke in. “He doesn’t have to, because we found out the truth last night.”
 

Storm stopped. “You said a warlock confessed last night. Who is he?”
 

Evalle supplied the answer. “Over there on the ground with his head hanging at the wrong angle. While we were on our way to dinner, Veronika and that Medb warlock, Don—“ She tossed her thumb in the direction of the dead one. “—admitted making the demon from another warlock, and adding the glamour. Don is the one who took the body and gave it to Cathbad. But then our enterprising warlock, Don, moved up to
the big leagues with Veronika. Whatever he’d been up to sounded as if it hadn’t been sanctioned by the Medb, believe it or not.”  
 

“Too bad he’s dead. What are we giving the Tribunal for evidence?” Quinn asked.
 

Adrianna answered, “Me. I’ll testify and they’ll accept that since I can’t lie in a Tribunal.”
 

Evalle thought on that. They wouldn’t accept
her
not lighting up red as evidence, but the Tribunal wanted an end to the Medb and Belador issues. When Adrianna didn’t light up, they should take that testimony as truth. Evalle recalled Tzader’s comments at the Tribunal and asked, “You think Cathbad will end up sanctioned?”
 

Quinn sighed. “Probably not. The Medb will find some way to prove their warlock was either rogue or coerced into doing this, and testify that Cathbad knew nothing. As long as he doesn’t light up, he’ll get away with it by offering to call it all done.”  Quinn glanced around. “I’ve been through a few legal battles in my time. You have to think like your opponent.”
 

Stepping back, Quinn said, “Please excuse me. I need to speak with my Beladors.”
 

“Wait, how did the Beladors know about this? Did Trey call them?”
 

“Yes. When he and Storm determined that the shielding around this gathering was of hostile origin, Trey called for any Beladors who could get here, and told them not to link.”
 

Evalle nodded, and when Quinn walked away, she asked Adrianna, “Why would Veronika go after Maeve first?”
 

“I’m not sure. All I’ve picked up was an obsession with a dragon that belongs to the Medb.”
 

Storm said, “That’s new. Why would Veronika want a dragon?”
 

Adrianna tapped a long red nail against her chin. “I don’t know, but I intend to find out. I know Ragan wants me to...” She paused. “I can’t explain it, but I can feel when she’s gently pushing on a thought.”  She drew a deep breath and her voice lost the thickness when she spoke this time. “I suppose since Storm is here, you don’t need a ride home.”
 

“Thanks, but no,” Evalle replied. “I’ve had all the terror I can take for one day.”
 

“This from the maniac on a Gixxer.”
 

Evalle narrowed her eyes at Adrianna. “Let me know when you want to see what it’s like to take curves laid over close enough to touch the ground.”
 

“Pass.”  Adrianna told Storm, “Her sun shield will follow her to your
truck, but you only have about ninety minutes left to worry about.” Then she gave Storm the words he’d need to break the spell.
 

“We’ll be home in half that time,” Evalle said, then extended her hand to Adrianna, something she’d done only once before. That first time had surprised the witch because you didn’t touch a witch unless you had no choice. When Adrianna took her hand, Evalle said, “Thanks for taking Witchlock and ...you know if you need me...”
 

Adrianna glanced at Storm, then back at Evalle. “I know.”
 

“I hope Ragan’s at peace.”
 

Adrianna nodded, then walked away.
 

Evalle searched the area for Rowan, who wasn’t hard to find since only Rowan, Hermia, Veronika and the Beladors were left.
 

“I don’t know how Rowan didn’t turn into charcoal after Veronika torched her.”
 

Storm explained, “I’m thinking she saw it coming and called up a protection spell that minimized the damage.”
 

Evalle called over, “Rowan? Are you okay? Your clothes are smoking.”
 

Rowan met Evalle’s gaze and answered, “I’ll be fine. Come by this week and we’ll talk about the council.”
 

“I will.”
 

“Thanks for being here.”
 

Evalle smiled and shrugged then Rowan’s sweet look vanished and her don’t-piss-off-Rowan face returned when she started in on a humble-looking Hermia again.
 

Storm turned Evalle around to face him. He stared at her so long she fidgeted and started talking.
 

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you about last night because you didn’t wake me up and I know we could have talked on the way here, but–”
 

“Stop.”
 

She didn’t. “I want you to be happy and I want Feenix to be happy and I want–”
 

He shook his head and sighed then he kissed her, and kissed her again until she forgot about talking.
 

Chapter 44
 

“Wake up, sweetheart.”
 

Evalle blinked and shook off the dregs of deep sleep. She looked around, orienting herself.
 

She was inside Storm’s truck.
 

With Storm.
 

All was good in her world.
 

She sat up and looked around as Storm drove north on the interstate toward downtown Atlanta. She stretched and ran her fingers through her hair that had to be scary by now. “Did I sleep the whole way?”  
 

“Yes. For the first time this week, you slept without nightmares ... or majik,” he said, mouth tight from some unhappy thought. “You can be angry with me for using my majik, but I can’t watch you struggle even in your sleep.”
 

“I’m okay with that. I’ve just been...” A bitch? “Grumpy.”
 

“Stressed and worried is more like it,” he amended. Then he changed the subject. “Tell me all of what happened last night with Isak.”
 

Might as well get this done. “I met him at Six Feet Under, but he didn’t want to eat there.”
 

“Of course not,” Storm growled.
 

“It was fine. Adrianna showed up.” Evalle smiled at him. “She said you sent her.”
 

“I told you I wouldn’t leave you alone with Isak. I don’t trust that bastard.”
 

She shouldn’t be smiling even bigger over that, but she could admit that Storm’s possessive side sometimes warmed her heart. Sometimes it made her want to pull her hair out, but she could live with that, too. She had to put this whole Isak issue behind them, because she doubted Isak was going away completely. And to be honest, she wanted him in her life, just not between her and Storm.
 

Evalle cared about Isak and Kit, and she still wanted their friendship. “I don’t think Isak is focused on me anymore.”
 

Storm glanced at her, but she saw no sign of his being convinced, so she explained, “We fought Veronika and her Medb minions.” Evalle lifted a hand to dismiss it. “I’ll tell you more about that later.”  When Storm gave her a nod, she said, “When Isak stepped in to help, he shoved Adrianna behind his back to protect
her
.”
 

The look of amusement on Storm’s face brought a chuckle from Evalle. “Yeah, I know. Adrianna found it hilarious, but didn’t let Isak know.”
 

“I don’t care who he goes after as long as he stays away from you, but that sounds like an unlikely pair.”
 

“Don’t discount Adrianna. She’s more likely to make it work with Isak than I ever could.”  Evalle snapped her lips shut. That had sounded better in her head. She’d just given Storm a reason to continue questioning her relationship with Isak, when that had been meant as a statement of her own lack.