She noticed pressure around her temples that she figured was death coming to get her. Then her logical self realized it couldn’t be death since she held coherent thoughts. After a moment, the pressure eased, and she recognized that someone held onto her head.
Peeking open an eye, and with a little effort, she focused her vision.
Zia was kneeling beside her with her hands on Nexi’s head. Not only was that sight odd, but Zia was also drenched in sweat, convulsing terribly. Nexi might’ve been more inclined to help her if she hadn’t remembered what had happened. Panic enveloped her, forcing a scream out of her throat, “Kyden.”
“I’m here, Álainn.”
Nexi attempted to raise her head to find him, since he’d called from a distance, but she couldn’t move. Her body seemed to be glued to the grass, or weighed down by some power that she couldn’t see but could definitely feel.
She gave up trying to look for him when fingers squeezed hers. Forcing herself, she opened the other eye, discovering Haven on the other side of her, holding onto her hands. Even if Nexi couldn’t presently feel Haven’s tight emotions through their bond—which was odd considering she always sensed Haven—she spotted the worry hidden behind Haven’s smile.
“What happened?” Nexi asked, her voice dry and scratchy.
Before Haven could answer, Zia yanked her hands away, exhaling roughly. Leaning back on her legs, she wiped the sweat from her brow, then attempted to fix her normally perfect hair which now looked like something from the eighties. “Good heavens.” She winked, her baby blue eyes sparkling. “That was much harder than I anticipated.”
Nexi frowned, ready to get some questions answered, when suddenly a loud howl startled her. She lifted her head, realizing whatever Zia had been doing was the culprit, since she also sensed Haven’s concern through the bond now. Looking at the scene in around her, Nexi was convinced she wasn’t seeing things right.
Kyden stalked toward a wolf, which had a mini-tornado whipping around his body. With a determination that was more than duty—revenge oozed from him—he raised his sword, stabbing down, and with a twist the wolf dropped dead.
Gritting her teeth, Nexi pushed up onto her elbow and scanned her backyard, noticing that all the wolves had the same wind encasing them, and that Kyden wasn’t the only one offing them. Talon and Finn were also working their way around the yard, killing the wolves, one by one.
She got a good few seconds to look before her arm gave out and she lay back on the grass, staring up at the starry sky. Turning her head, she asked Zia, “What happened to them?”
“That’s your Air magic. Your wind is trapping them.” Zia smiled, continuing to fix her hair, as if this was everyday business. “Anger can trigger magic, and by the looks of things, you were very angry.”
“Bad time for a joke,” she muttered.
Nexi found nothing about this amusing. She’d be better off dead. More than exhausted, she was utterly spent. But the pungent scent of death filling the air around her added to her relief, knowing protection had come.
Starring up at the stars, she welcomed the reprieve. She had no idea how much time passed as she watched the clouds sweep over the moon when a face filled her vision, making things even better.
Kyden knelt down next to her and took her head in his hands, brushing his thumbs over her cheeks. His expression filled with tenderness as he leaned in, then he sealed his mouth over hers. She barely had the strength to kiss him back. But nothing else mattered except that they were reunited, safe, and belonged only to each other.
Through his kiss and the firm set of his lips, she read the heady emotions raging inside of him but eventually, he backed away. His expression screamed victory as he handed her her sword. “Finish it.”
Confused by what he meant, she lifted her head, and his intent became perfectly clear. There wasn’t a single wolf left in the yard, only one supernatural remained who didn’t belong—Lazarus.
Mine to kill…
She struggled to her feet, Kyden assisting her, and snorted. “Man, this is worse than a hangover.”
“Your magic has drained you,” Zia explained, gathering Nexi’s hand. “You’ll feel better once it’s restored and the levels have settled. I’ll help you so you can deal with Lazarus, but a warning: you’ll need to be quick. My assistance won’t last long.”
A sudden jolt of energy exploded inside of Nexi, rejuvenating her. Now able, she released Zia’s hand and moved out of Kyden’s hold. Drawing in a deep breath, elated to be free of the retched exhaustion, she approached Lazarus, who stood by one of the big oak trees.
With each step she took, she noticed how weak he looked, pitiful even, as he stood frozen, unable to run away. A coward had to cage his victims to defeat them. She was no coward. “I won’t end his life this way.” Glancing over her shoulder, she asked Zia, “Is there a way to unfreeze him?”
“Of course.” Zia approached in slow measured steps. “But that power rests in you alone. Your emotions are so tightly wrapped around him that you need to free yourself—calm down—before the spell will break.”
Nexi rolled her eyes. “Supernatural talk is so damn confusing. Do you care to explain how I’m supposed to do what you suggested?”
Kyden yanked her into his strong arms, and his eyebrow arched. “I’ve got the perfect cure for such a problem.” Then his mouth crushed against hers in a kiss to stop time, as he tangled his fingers into her hair.
Heat flared between them, tongues twirled, and passion weakened Nexi’s knees. Drawing closer to him, she allowed his body to cradle her, and moaned against his lips. How he kissed her now was different, not gentle and careful. He stole the kisses right out of her mouth. Now he handled her like a man intent to devour.
Talon cleared his throat. “Kyden, she’s relaxed enough.”
Soft laughter filled the air around her, but Nexi paid it no attention, staying focused on Kyden as he leaned away. He brushed his nose against hers, his eyes blazing. “Go and end this. Let’s go home.”
She nodded, then turned to Lazarus, discovering he hadn’t moved an inch, her mini-tornado still encaging him. “What am I missing?” To Zia, she asked, “I thought you said if I relaxed it would release him?”
“No, I said you needed to relax first, then you could release him.” Zia folded her arms, regarding Nexi. “You had the power within you to freeze him. Therefore, you have the power within you to undo it. Trust yourself. You’ll know what to do.”
Was Zia nuts? “Might I remind you, I haven’t learned how to do this, yet.”
“You did it already.” Zia lifted a lazy shoulder with an air of indifference. “Just…do it again, but remember he has the ability to vanish. Don’t let him.”
Where was a magical instruction manual when needed?
Having no idea what to do, Nexi shut her eyes and focused on what she wanted, seeing that Zia didn’t plan to help her anymore than she had. Perhaps it was as simple as Zia suggested. She’d done it before. She could do it again.
Concentrating on what she wanted, she pictured in her mind unfreezing Lazarus enough so he could move, but that her magic erased his powers. Almost like a big bubble around him, keeping him bound to the backyard.
After a few breaths, she noted her body pulsed with energy like it had before she was burned alive, only this time it seemed easier to manage. The warmth flowing through her wasn’t overwhelming, but balmier. Her skin tingled slightly as her magic started to build and rise deep within her soul.
The heat grew steadily within her—not wicked hot like before—and it tickled, as it spread over her body. When the sensation centered in her chest, she had the real sense she wasn’t using the full force of her magic, but she was grateful Zia had put some sort of control on her.
She definitely didn’t trust herself.
Lazarus sucked in a harsh breath and Nexi smiled, knowing whatever she’d done had worked. But what had she done? Pictured it in her mind and that’s how it all worked? Was this a visual thing for her magic to ignite? She really didn’t know, and she honestly didn’t care at the moment.
The why and how weren’t important. The only thing that mattered: ending this with Lazarus tonight.
Opening her eyes, she caught sight of Lazarus rocking on his heels as if he tried to vanish, but her magic held strong. She approached and, once settled in front of him, she stared up into his face.
His malicious eyes didn’t hold half the strength and arrogance she’d seen before. “You know, there’s nothing special about you. You’re just a vampire who has done some seriously cruel things. Things you can never be forgiven for.”
Surprisingly, she found her emotions were in a far different place than they had been when she arrived tonight. “I thought when I had you here I’d want you to suffer for all the pain you’ve caused me. Now, I’m not doing this for me. I’m doing this for all the lives you’ve stolen.”
With her magic awakened and flaring inside, she drew on the warmth coursing through her blood. “My only hope is that wherever you go from here, those you’ve wronged will be there waiting for you.”