Page 64 of Jackal's Pride
One of them flicked a hand, throwing Fear back with a wave of magic. “Witches and warlocks,” I guessed.
“We have a little of everything actually,” she told me. “There’s really nothing special about you, Maureen.”
And why was she on my case? Didn’t know. Didn’t care. Closing my eyes, I sought out the strings of fate tethered to each of the intruders. When I gazed upon the red cloaked hooligans, I saw the chains hanging from their chests. Stepping close, I let go of Ben, letting the blade hover by my side as I snagged the one belonging to the group’s chatter box and yanked. She fell to her knees with a gasp. “You should really stop talking.” I sighed and gave the chain another yank. Suddenly, someone stepped from the shadows and pressed its boot on the chain, preventing me from pulling her with it. It wasn’t possible for someone else to see them. “How…?”
“I know everything about you, Maureen.” My stomach recoiled. I gaped at the cloaked figure in disbelief. He turned his head and peered down at his companion. “Don’t think I didn’t see that it was you that aimed the arrow at her, Nadine.”
She stood up beside him, smoothing out the cloak. “Like your brother, your infatuation with her will get you killed.”
Grabbing one of my blades in the air, I hissed. “Newt, explain yourself.”
With careful movement, he slid back his hood and removed his mask. “What’s to explain?”
I couldn’t muster any words. In my palm, Jerry shook with fury as I never let go of her chain with my other hand.
“Gavin was my brother,” Newt admitted.
I swayed, boots stumbling as I righted myself.Get a grip, Pride!
“How? Why didn’t either of you say anything all this time?”
“He’d forsaken his roots for vampirism. It was only natural that we didn’t tell people, but it didn’t mean I didn’t give him whatever he requested.”
“He gave him the cloaking spell,” Barron said through barely controlled rage. His red essence boiled out around him.
“I did,” Newt acknowledged. “But I knew he would fail.”
“Enough,” I shouted. “I’ve heard enough.”
Eyeing the chains in the room, I let go of Jerry, leaving him to hover with Ben, and swept them up in my hand, but Newt was already ahead of me. I took in the way he studied my hands right before he jerked them out of my palm. “How can you see them?” I asked as I observed him.
It was Barron that responded. “He can’t. He’s using your movements to keep track of what you’re doing, then he’s counteracting it with his own magic to hold on to something he can’t see.”
“Bingo.” Newt whistled, pleased.
“We’ve shown ourselves like he wanted, now let’s go.” Nadine said as she gazed at Newt. Who told them to do this? I had a suspicion I already knew.
“Maureen,” Newt whispered softly. It was all wrong for him to think he had a right to say my name in such an intimate way. “The choice is yours, always. But with me, I can make sure you live even after the end.”
I gritted my teeth as my glare skimmed over him. I didn’t know which was more upsetting, his betrayal or the fact that he’d ever think I’d choose that option.
Six red cloaks keeled over in sync with one another. I knew they were dead before I even glimpsed at Barron.
“No!” Nadine cried, dropping down on her knees beside one of them.
“Don’t think he saw your hand signals, Barron,” Sebastian said with a shit-eating grin. Barron only killed six of them—playing with them.
“If he wasn’t making googly eyes at Maureen,” August mentioned with an exhale. “He might have noticed…”
“Newt!” Nadine screamed, anguish in her voice. I thought she might actually be crying beneath her mask.
“The Reapers know what’s coming for them,” came his response as his glare swept over his dead friends.
“One of them must pay right now,” she hissed. Staticky magic flared from her black gloves as she aimed at me.
Grabbing my hovering blades, I stood with my feet apart and lifted my hands. As I beckoned to her to take a shot, a hulking shadow ported in front of me. His crackling energy rolled into me. Not as intense as the sensation of him inside me, but enough to set my nerves on end.
“You’re the ones that came here with some sort of vendetta against us.” August scratched his head in wonder. “Now you cry?” Nadine’s mask landed on him.