Blind Leading the Blind

ROSE

I opened my eyes and was still alone in the drawing room.

My body was vibrating, but the itch had long faded.

Even the glow of the tattoo was waning.

It’d been decades since I had last tried to summon another witch with my magic. Compared to Holly’s accomplishment the other night, my session left me feeling like a helpless child.

~Maybe I’m just tired.~

I lay down on the sofa in the middle of the room. Before I could even close my eyes, the entire room began to vibrate.

The decorations shook as if we were experiencing an earthquake. But I knew better than that—this was something much greater…

A flash of light overtook the room, blinding me.

When my eyes adjusted, I was no longer alone.

“Hello, mother,” Devina said.

She hovered several feet in the air, the high ceilings and expansive room giving her plenty of space.

Devina looked like a marionette, but there were no strings holding her up. She was flying on her own. Seeing my daughter all grown up and so ~powerful~ was nearly overwhelming.

I had so much I wanted to say.

“Devina…” I gasped. “My baby. It’s really you.”

I couldn’t believe my eyes as my vision momentarily blurred with tears. Devina was not only grown, but she looked just like ~me~ when I was her age…

I tried to walk but felt my legs falter.

“Thank you for the invitation,” Devina sneered.

Footsteps pounded down the marble halls, and soon Holly and Bambi joined us in the room.

Holly gasped at the sight of Devina, and Bambi stared in shock.

“Rose, what have you done?” Bambi asked.

“I invited my daughter for peace talks,” I responded. “Things will be much easier now that we’re all together.”

Devina’s laughter bubbled out of her mouth, filling the room with an evil cackle.

She raised her arms, and the gravity in the room seemed to dissipate. The heavy furniture wobbled before lifting off the ground.

Holly pulled me toward the door, but I fought to stay in the room.

“Let me talk to my daughter!”

Another wave of evil laughter erupted from Devina’s hovering body.

“You had years to talk to me,” she said, “but you left Matthias and me on our own.”

This wasn’t what I had envisioned when I had reached out to my daughter. I wanted the smiling, happy child that I had left behind.

But she wasn’t a happy child from my memories.

A wicked smile was plastered on her face. And it was directed at ~me~.

“I took your life once already,” she snarled. “And it was the best moment of my life. Tonight, I get to kill you all over again!”

HOLLY

Devina was here…

She had infiltrated the compound…

In a matter of seconds, she would use all of her magic to kill each and every one of us.

I felt her spell forming…could feel the hair on my arms stand on end. It was like an electric storm was overhead, about to hit.

I summoned a shield of light magic and lunged to the front of the group. My body faltered as Devina’s spell hit me with the force of a runaway freight train.

Splinters of wood, shredded foam from the furniture, and goose feathers rained down around the room.

She’d almost pummeled us with the furniture. I was able to hold it off for the moment, but I knew Devina was only just getting started.

Bambi grabbed my shoulders and pulled me out of the room as another blast caved in the wall. Plaster fell from the ceiling along with paint chips and molding.

“We have to get out of here, now!” Bambi screamed.

She didn’t need to tell me twice…

We sprinted down the hall and found our way to the grand foyer. Rose stood with her mouth agape, unsure of what to do next.

“I’ll go get Ekon,” Bambi said. “You get to safety…”

The chandelier hanging above the stairs collapsed to the ground. Shards of glass exploded along with jewels and crystal.

“Not so fast,” Devina teased, hovering over the grand staircase. “The fun’s just getting started.”

Bambi looked at me, her face full of fear.

No matter what we tried to do, Devina was ready for us.

The only thing that would hold her off was ~dark magic~.

But I couldn’t match Devina’s magic…not while I was still afraid of using it.

Devina sent a concussive shockwave at Rose. I conjured another shield of light and lunged sideways, knocking them out of harm’s way.

Rose was saved…

But the blast hit my legs, sending me careening across the tile.

I tried to stand up, but another shockwave smashed into my back, throwing me against the wall.

“Holly!” Rose called out.

I opened my eyes and the lights stung. My body hit the wall so hard I was afraid I would be concussed.

I tried to stand, but my legs were weak…

I shook the cobwebs from my head and could practically feel my brain slide back and forth with each shake.

Hunter and Ryland rounded the corner, mouths agape at the sight of Devina. Hunter was slower than normal, but the look in his eyes told me he was prepared to fight.

Bambi and Rose also came into view. They were huddled together, staring up at Devina.

My friends were vulnerable. And the magic glowing from Devina’s palms promised to finally hit its mark…

EKON

~White sand beaches…~

~Gentle waves, rolling with foam, crash on the shore…~

~Seagulls call out as they soar over the beach…~

~The ground begins to shake…~

~I look up at my mother, standing on a hill overlooking the beach.~

~Behind her is the home we use for vacation every summer.~

~The sun is low in the sky and is creating a halo around my mother’s head.~

~She smiles at me as if nothing were happening.~

~As if everything in the world is as perfect as it should be…~

***

I woke up and immediately tasted the alcohol on my tongue.

I breathed into my palm and cringed at the smell…

~What the fuck happened?~

I sat up in bed, knowing that I was in my room. But there was something very unusual about the situation.

For one, I’d been drinking. The images of my actions flashed through my head, vignettes of losing control.

My feet touched the floor, and I could feel the tile shaking.

I took in a deep breath, and my teeth ground together.

~Devina!~

I could smell her in ~my compound~.

As I stood up from the bed, I heard a massive crash from downstairs. It sounded as if my mansion were falling apart from the inside.

I lunged for the door, stumbling as I tried to regain complete control of my motor functions.

It was difficult at first, but soon I was sprinting down the hall. I wanted to shift, but my head pounded so hard it was difficult to focus.

The faster I moved, the deeper I inhaled.

Every breath brought Devina’s scent. She was all that I could smell.

I rounded the corner and felt ~her presence~ floating above the grand staircase. Dark magic pulsed in the air.

I leapt from the railing, taking Devina by surprise. Our bodies collided, and my arms wrapped around her, carrying her to the ground with me.

We hit with a thud, and the breath shot from my lungs. I released Devina as I helplessly slid across the ground.

“Ekon!” Bambi’s voice screamed.

I wanted to search for my mate, but Devina’s energy was already growing in power.

“I have a gift for you, brother,” Devina hissed. “It’s long overdue.”

I shot to my feet, ignoring the searing pain from my ribs.

Devina gathered the magic for her spell and sent a massive blast toward Bambi.

I jumped through the air, and the explosion of magic ripped into my body.

The impact sent me hurtling into Bambi, knocking us both to the floor.

Devina’s cackle reverberated throughout the mansion.

“I’ve had enough fun for one night,” she said. “Now, you all die.”

I pulled Bambi toward me, ignoring the agonizing pain shooting through my body. If this was the end…at least we would go together…

“Not so fast!” Rose shouted.

I could sense my mother, standing tall, defying Devina.

Holly’s presence was nearby as well, ready to counter my sister’s dark power.

I felt Rose summon her own magic. The light wasn’t dark like Devina’s, but bright like the sun.

I could sense my mother’s power…

“I failed you once,” Rose said, “but I won’t do it again!”

Rose clapped her palms together, and darkness overtook me…

***

~Gentle waves crashing on the shore…~

~Seagulls calling as they soar overhead…~

I came to and coughed furiously.

I knew we were no longer in my compound. In fact, we were no longer inside at all.

The air was cool but not cold. I inhaled the overwhelming smell of salt and pine.

Then, I opened my eyes and blinked.

And then blinked a few more times…

~I can see?~

The light was almost blinding at first—but as my eyes adjusted, I realized it must be early evening.

The sun was still out, but its soft light was fading on the horizon.

I looked around, and for the first time ever, I actually ~saw~ my mate.

Bambi was beside me; her body sprawled in the soft sand.

Her voluminous red hair was a shock of color on the white beach. She had freckles on her nose and cheeks that contrasted with her pale skin.

I’d only been able to see her from my half-shifted wolf form. I knew she was beautiful, but to finally see her with ~human~ eyes took my breath away.

She was the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen…

Other figures moved, and I realized that Bambi and I weren’t alone. Ryland, Victoria, Holly, Hunter, and Rose had all been teleported away from the compound.

They picked themselves up off the beach, wiping the sand from their clothes.

My mother had saved our lives.

~But where had her spell taken us?~

I stood up and noticed a mansion on a hill overlooking the beach.

It looked surprisingly similar to the one I’d spent summers in as a child.

“Do you recognize this place?” Rose asked.

I nodded, but couldn’t bring myself to speak.

“This is our summer home,” she said.

I couldn’t believe it! After all these years of being away in Alaska, I’d finally made it back to a piece of my childhood. And even my mother was here to enjoy the homecoming.

Bambi stirred on the ground below, finally coming to after the teleportation.

I scooped her up into my arms and twirled on the cold sand.

“I can see!” I shouted. “I can finally see again!”

Her fingers shakily touched my face. Her head moved from side to side, eyes blinking wildly.

There was something strange about the look in her eyes. They looked cloudy…

“I…I can’t see anything,” Bambi’s voice called out faintly. “I’m…~blind~.”