Reigning Hearts Read online

  And Serena still hadn’t looked up.

  The witch was so confident in her place, surrounded by guards and an army of zombie minions. She’d opened the torn pages, Ashlynn could see, and was already chanting. Time was running out. They needed to get to her now, before it was too late.

  As far as she could see, blood covered the ground like crimson rain had fallen. More of her people dropped, next to Serena’s minions, all equal in death. It took all of Ashlynn’s willpower to stay put, to not stride through the mass of carnage, and take the enemy on herself.

  But she couldn’t risk a backlash of magic striking her and the baby as she moved through the chaos, and she likely couldn’t face Serena alone, not with her powers as unstable as they’d been.

  She glanced around, watching sparks fly, and nearly fell to her knees as she watched two young men lose their heads as several of Serena’s witches bore down on them with a spell that swirled and then sliced through them.

  To her left, Faith was barely hanging on, taking on two very powerful older witches on her own. Before she could stop herself, Ashlynn threw out one hand and shot a green lightning bolt at the feet of the witches, determined not to let her power destroy anyone while also refusing to lose another close friend. Vines began to grow around their ankles, climbing and tightening as they crawled up the women’s bodies. With time to recover, Faith climbed to her feet and dealt a deadly blast of energy to each of them.

  Forcing herself to hold back when all she wanted to do was help others who were, one by one, losing to the enemy, Ashlynn turned her focus toward Serena again. The layers of protection, both through her warrior witches and the spells cast, were slowly diminishing. She sat so thick in the surrounding mayhem, but Ashlynn couldn’t guarantee that they would break through in time to stop her. She wouldn’t accept defeat, not now, when victory was so vital.

  Through the deafening noise of the battle, she heard a familiar cry and swirled, instantly spotting Cian as he fell to the ground. A warlock stood over him, with a dark green rope in his hand, obviously formed with magic. One end wrapped around the warlock’s hand, and the other curled tightly around Cian’s throat, pulled tight so that he couldn’t breathe. His face reddened and started to turn a sickly shade of purple as the life drained from him. He kicked and flailed, fighting as he grasped at his neck.

  Ashlynn couldn’t hold back. She raced into the fray, arms outstretched, letting bright red flames fly from her palms.

  It didn’t matter who was in the way or who got hit, friend or foe. They’d come too far, been through too much to stop now. She couldn’t bear the weight of death on her hands, but she had too much at stake. They all did. Ashlynn swallowed her moral pride and accepted whatever may come, that she would do anything to protect Cian. And if she died in the process of saving her love, so be it.

  She couldn’t live without him anyway.

  But, now, with her magic in overdrive, Ashlynn felt invincible. She could feel the blood splatter and pooling on the ground as she went, sticky and making her steps more difficult.

  Sadly, as she frantically glanced around, she realized much of it was from her clans’ people. Ashlynn’s rage took control. This time, she wouldn’t hold back, wouldn’t care what morals she broke. She would kill this warlock, and she wouldn’t have any problems with her conscience afterwards. She would save Cian, and she wouldn’t worry about the consequences.

  Her fire hit the warlock square in the chest and he loosed a blood-curdling scream that pierced her ears but it was alright now. As the warlock went down, Cian recovered, and managed to take down three others aiming straight for him. With relief, Ashlynn turned away, flinging her magic at a witch trying to hit her with a freezing spell. She shattered the ice into shards that she threw back at the woman and watched her drop to the ground covered in bloody gashes.

  Ashlynn sensed the attack a split second too late. It was like a whisper of danger on the wind, too quiet and unassuming to be seen while you had time to fight back. She understood in the span of a heartbeat that it was her time, that she’d failed to keep her child safe. She closed her eyes and wished only that she could tell Cian how much she loved him one last time.

  She heard his voice, heard him cry out and turned her head to find him. His eyes were wild with terror. In them she saw her future and her end.

  Something surged around her, and a wind like nothing she’d ever felt before flashed through her body. She inhaled sharply, gasping for breath as if she’d been without oxygen for hours, and the danger was gone.

  Time slowed.

  There was a barrier, she realized, formed around her like a shield. She gazed around in wonder, not understanding how she’d throw up a spell she didn’t know, then the smell of roses touched her and she realized exactly what was happening.

  “Hey there,” she whispered, glancing down at her barely visible bump. Power brewed inside her, limitless, beautiful, but it wasn’t hers, and she couldn’t actually touch or use it.

  It was fascinating. From inside the magic, the sounds of death and war faded. Ashlynn watched Faith strike down the man who would have killed her, moving so slowly Ashlynn could see every move. She frowned.

  She was safe here, inside the bubble her child had created from magicks she didn’t yet understand. But outside, people died, blood was being shed. Her friends and family were fighting for their lives, for life itself. She needed to get out and help.

  Ashlynn tried to deconstruct the bubble with her own magic, which, suddenly, was back under her control. Nothing she tried worked. Nothing passive anyway. The power inside her, from Masilda’s gift and from her child’s powers, was growing again, building inside. It felt as if she were connected to the magick on a cellular level, as if she understood it. As if she could talk to it.

  An idea slipped through the cracks of her thoughts, and she tilted her head, considering it briefly.

  Could she – communicate with the magick?

  Could the solution be that easy? Was it possible? Ashlynn took a deep breath and reached out with her mind, her soul, and searched for another soul inside the power that surrounded her.

  She gasped and felt her face light up. It was there, a tangible force, one she was sure she could communicate with, and it was powerful.

  Ashlynn probed the soul gently, sending out thoughts broken down into images and emotions and laughed delightedly when she was sent back a wave of pure love.

  She watched Faith turned to face another opponent and closed her eyes. It was time to help. If she could just use the magick instead of being overwhelmed by it. Ashlynn reached out again and hoped her child would understand. Ashlynn concentrated on the peaceful flow of magic coming from her child, connected with it. After everything,

  She flexed her mind, asking the magicks swirling together inside her to obey her will, then opened her eyes and looked straight towards Serena.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Cian’s heart stopped dead in his chest.

  Ashlynn was meant to be safe, protected from the chaos of this battle, but she was here, now, in the midst of blood and ruin, saving his life – and unaware of the attack at her back.

  Magic surged through him and shot out of his hands before he could rationally make the decision to lash out. But, even as his magic travelled towards its mark, Cian knew it was too late.

  He was going to watch his wife and unborn child die in front of him.

  “Ashlynn!” Her name screamed from his lips, renting the air, and she turned towards him. Their gazes locked and, in her eyes, he saw every word of love and trust they’d ever spoken, even the words they hadn’t yet had the chance to speak.

  Then the charmed sword, flickering with deep blue magic, was falling, cutting through the air as it headed straight for her neck.

  Cian felt the blast of raw power that exploded from Ashlynn’s body as the sword crashed into something invisible and powerful, sending her attacker flying back. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, sending him sprinting ov
er fallen bodies and destroyed land, racing towards Ashlynn.

  The war around him blurred and she was all he saw. The shock on her face, the realization of what had almost happened, the way she looked down and cupped her stomach.

  He was out of breath when he reached her and wrapped his arms around her in a fierce embrace. He gripped her tight, moving his hands over her head, her shoulders, incredulous that she was untouched.

  “What?” he managed to gasp out a single question.

  “The baby.” Ashlynn’s gaze, filled with tears and wonder, met his, then went wide. Her hands dropped from her stomach even as she spun around to look in Serena’s direction.

  Even from across the battleground, she was watching. Cian’s mouth went dry with fear as he saw the smile lift the corners of Serena’s lips in cruel mockery.

  “She knows,” Ashlynn’s whisper broke with fear.

  Serena watched them for a moment longer, then turned back to what she was doing.

  Cian lifted a hand to push hair back from his face then turned back to Ashlynn and cursed.

  Her eyes had narrowed down to black slits that arrowed across the battle and focused in on only one person, Serena. Wind that had come out of nowhere lifted her hair, whipping it around her face, as she stepped forward and around him.

  He reached for her in desperation, knowing her thoughts, feeling the hatred pouring from her. But his hand connected with something firm and unseen, the barrier the baby had thrown up in defense.

  “Ashlynn!” he yelled, moving around her to place himself directly in her path. “Stop!”

  She shook her head, tearing her gaze from Serena to look at him. “No, Cian. She needs to be stopped.” Her voice was soft, as if she were talking to a child.

  Her magic pushed him back, making him stumble as she stepped past him and moved in a direct line towards Serena.

  A roar of deafening wind filled Cian’s ears, drowning out his voice as he shouted for her to stop. Cian threw himself into the tumult to get to her.

  The fury of her magic tore at the world around them, ripping trees from the ground, sending people who stood in her path flying through the air. Her focus was singular, aimed like a weapon, and unshakable.

  The earth shifted beneath Cian’s feet but he didn’t stop, couldn’t stop. He fell to the ground and clawed his way through the bodies, desperate to stop her. He’d seen that look in her eyes before, when they’d been attacked in the clearing. The powers inside her had overwhelmed her, sucked her under, like the dark curse had affected him. She’d wanted to take a life.

  He’d stopped her then but Cian knew his power was nothing compared to what she wielded now. She wanted Serena dead, unable to hurt them anymore, unable to hurt their child, and he didn’t blame her.

  But she would blame herself.

  She would feel the tug of darkness that came with taking a life for the rest of her existence. She’d saved him back there, gods knew she may have already taken a life. But, those kills would have been done in the heat of the moment, in the wildness of battle. A life to save a life. What she would do to Serena was premeditated and, deep down, he knew it would be different.

  Cian shoved his magic out through his hands and feet, using it to propel him forward through the storm. If he could just reach her…

  A bright flash of light blinded him, driving him to the ground. Cian covered his head then fought to open his eyes to see through the brilliance that burned. He blinked tears and peered into the sun and saw Ashlynn.

  Her body rose above the earth, arms extended by her sides, and in her raised palms she held twin beacons of pure light. Her face looked serene, like an angel of peace, except for her eyes. They were dark with intent and staring straight at Serena.

  Finally, Cian saw, Serena was looking up from her work. The look of shock on her face twisted now with fury and hatred. She barked an order at the men and women stand between her and Ashlynn and dropped back to the ground, scrambling to finish the spell, as she sicced her minions on her greatest enemy.

  They didn’t stand a chance. Cian cringed as they ran forward, struggling to get to Ashlynn through the winds that battered them. Magic shot through the storm, but it never reached her. Every spell they tried bounced off the magical barrier surrounding Ashlynn, the protection shared with her by their unborn child.

  Ashlynn waved a hand and sent them flying through the air. They landed in heaps, unconscious, broken, but, hopefully, not dead. Cian watched them for a moment, searching for life, then wretched his gaze away to find his wife.

  Her hair blazed around her face like fire, whipping up and away from her face, revealing her terrible beauty for all to see and fear. Cian’s heart seized at the thought.

  He frowned, watching her there, floating above the earth. The magic she held in her palms radiated with pure energy, more deadly than anything he’d ever seen in his life. She thrust her hands forward, releasing a blaze of light that shot from her like Zeus’ lightning, and struck an invisible layer that blocked her off from Serena. Her eyes narrowed further as she sent another barrage of magic.

  He was awestruck by her power and beauty, terrified for her life and future, and…

  And what? The question echoed loudly in his mind. What did he think she’d do? Why did he think, even for a moment, that she couldn’t rise above the chaos and keep her soul intact? Just because he’d failed to protect his soul didn’t mean she’d do the same.

  He pulled himself forward, covering the last few feet that separated them as shards of wood slices his exposed skin. He just needed to get there, to touch her, to help her.

  Cian pushed with everything he had and reached for Ashlynn.

  His hand touched the barrier that surrounded her and stopped short.

  A cry of rage and despair ripped from his chest. He was so close, so close, but she was untouchable. He hung his head and closed his eyes.

  A vision flashed through his mind, bright and beautiful, and filled with such joy that Cian gasped. His head shot up and he stared at Ashlynn as she sent blast after blast of magic at Serena, breaking down the last layer of protection standing in her way.

  She was intent on her goal, her body poised for war.

  Another flash took him under, blocking out the sounds and smells of death. This one was soft and dreamy, like the way it felt to wake up on a lazy morning with the sun slanting in through the windows. He felt Ashlynn with him but it was only an impression of her, of them, together. It was the feeling that came with the vision that stole his breath.

  There was love there, so much love it seemed to wash over him in waves of joy. Cian wanted to curl up in it, to take it into himself and never let go. He wanted to close his eyes and keep Ashlynn and their child safe there.

  A feeling of calm blanketed him, followed by a sense of rightness and trust. A soft glow surrounded him, bringing warmth and security. He smiled into the light.

  And recognized the soul.

  It wasn’t something he could have put into words or even understood outside this place, but Cian knew the magics swirling around him. He knew the peace and love of the soul embracing him.

  “Masilda?” he whispered.

  There was no response, just a slight brightening of the soft light that floated all around him. He didn’t question, there was no need. The part of his soul that had been touched by her grace recognized and knew.

  And with that knowledge came an overwhelming sense of pride and trust that seemed to burst out of him. Cian grasped his chest and tried to breathe through it, tried to understand why it was. He lifted his gaze and saw Ashlynn, still attacking Serena, breaking through, and understood.

  She was everything.

  The terror that had ruled his emotions since Masilda had sacrificed her life for him vanished. It felt like a weight being lifted from his chest, as if the light could finally filter through to his soul once more.

  He’d been living in fear, letting it control him, guide him, rule his life and Ashlynn’s.
/>   He’d fought back against Serena and her darkness without every realizing that by living with the fear, he’d let a piece of her darkness remain.

  Masilda’s light pulsed around him, like a beacon of hope. He wouldn't live like that anymore, he wouldn’t give into the fear.

  Cian pushed to his feet through the wild winds and the raging magics, his hand still pressed firmly against the shield that protected Ashlynn.

  And stepped straight through it.

  He reached for her, not to stop her, but to add his strength to hers. Because she was strong, stronger than he’d been, strong enough to know when to stop.

  Cian touched his palm to her leg and sent his magic into her.

  The wind died in an instant, cutting off the cacophony so abruptly, it felt as though he’d gone deaf. Ashlynn’s gaze shifted, leaving Serena to look down at him with a knowing smile, then he was floating through the air to join her, their fingers intertwining and their magics flying from their palms.

  The barrier protecting Serena dropped and so did they.

  She screamed in fury and threw up her hands to shoot angry magic in their direction but it merely bounced off the power keeping them safe.

  He felt Ashlynn’s intention, knew her move the second she thought it, and he lent her his magic in one final thrust. Together, they decimated the alter Serena had created to perform her spell, destroying everything in one moment.

  The blast sent Serena careening back onto the ground. She screamed, and the sound was like the banshee wails his mother had told him about as a child. It was hate and death all mixed up in one dark sound.

  “You can’t stop me!” she screamed, sending spittle flying. Her face twisted in a strange dance of mania and rage. “I’m more than you could ever be.” Serena laughed and, somehow, the sound was more terrifying to Cian than her screams.