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“Warrior witch incoming,” Donovan calls out while he, Kaleb, and Connor usher everyone away from me.
Icy wind howls through the trees, and clouds appear in the sky, dark and angry as they blot out the sun. Neva and Gina scream when the ice encases their arms and legs, burning their skin with the searing cold that shackles them to the ground.
With a voice that echoes with the power of life and death, I stand before them and shout, “You have forsaken your duty and corrupted your gift. I have judged you and found you unworthy. You will never again harm another through the means of the goddess’s blessing.”
Slamming my hands against their chests, I reach into them with magic-clawed fingers, search out their connections to magic, and violently rip it away from them.
Animalistic wails wrench from their lips as they immediately feel the disconnection from their magic. All they have is what exists within them, but they no longer have a connection to use it. They are human, filled with the knowledge of all they have lost.
“You can’t do this,” Neva yells, struggling against the ice that holds her in place. “You have no right to take my magic from me.”
“I’m the keeper of balance and protector of all the goddess’s creations,” I respond, my voice booming with the fury of the ancient power within me. “You have failed the goddess, and you will suffer her displeasure.”
Silence except for the winds that swallow Gina’s and Neva’s whimpering cries encompasses the desecrated clearing. Only the guys are brave enough to approach me in this state, each reaching for a part of me and refusing to flinch despite the cloak of frost that coats my body.
“It’s time to come back, love,” Nolan pleads, taking my right hand.
Donovan grips my right shoulder. “As much as I love watching you be a badass, there are a lot of people here you’d be really sad about hurting.”
Kaleb takes my left hand, holding it between his. “You’ve done so much today. It’s time for you to rest.”
“Vuelve a mí, reina,” Connor mutters tenderly, running his hand down my hair.
Collectively, they draw me back to the surface, the ancient magic receding into my inner self. The ice melts, and I collapse with four sets of arms to catch me.
“I think I want to go home now,” I slur as Connor lifts me into his arms. “I’m tired.”
“You’ve done a lot today,” Nolan comments, his gaze warm as he strokes my cheek.
My grandmothers rush to us and lead the way to Mildred’s car. After Connor carefully deposits me in the back, my nan politely but firmly tells the guys they can’t come home with us, because I need my peace and quiet to recuperate. Mei sneaks in on the other side of the car, climbing into the back long enough to give me my necklace.
“Don’t want to forget this,” she chirps, placing the chain over my head. She gives me a hug before flitting away.
Once everyone reluctantly leaves, Mildred and Carlotta get into the car and begin the process of taking us home. Before we get past the gates of the Campbells’ estate, I’m fast asleep.
Chapter 18
Kaleb
After landing just beyond the front porch of Callie’s home, I dismiss my wings and put my polo shirt back on. It’s wrinkled from being in my pocket, which isn’t an ideal look when confessing one’s feelings… again, but I couldn’t stand the idea of waiting long enough to drive over—not when I have such little time before leaving for the nephilim retreat. Common sense would advise me to talk to Callie when I return. I waited this long, so what’s another week?
However, after witnessing how close Nolan was to never seeing another tomorrow, it made me realize how precious every day is. Waiting until I can be the perfect boyfriend is asinine, and I’m just falling into the trap I’ve been in my whole life. I don’t want to be perfect, and Callie doesn’t want me to be perfect, yet I let that limitation stand in the way of what I want.
Grappling with this realization has also forced me to look at the real root of my resistance—fear. Fear of failure. Fear of not being enough. Fear that when she gets to know the real me, whoever that is, she’ll no longer love me. If I kept my distance, if we remained friends, then I could protect myself from the potential pain, except it feels like agony to push her away when all I want to do is hold her close.
It’s time to stop overthinking all the things that can go wrong. All it does is hinder any chance for real happiness. For once in my life, I’m going to be reckless and selfish. I’m going to be brave.
As I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans as I approach the front door, it dawns on me that I came empty-handed. I was so wrapped up in my need to tell Callie now, I completely forgot to bring flowers—not that they would have survived the flight over. It makes me feel strangely exposed. Moments like this are supposed to come with romantic gestures, but all I have is me. All I have to offer is my heart. Hopefully, that will be enough.
As I gather the courage to knock on the front door, I nearly leap out of my skin when it opens.
Mildred wears an amused expression, her lips quirked to one side as she takes in my startled state. “I do hope you’re not having second thoughts.”
“Second thoughts?” I echo like a prized parrot.
“About dating my granddaughter,” she supplies, raising one blonde brow. “That is why you’re here, right?”
“No,” I blurt, because my brain hasn’t quite caught up with my mouth.
