I swallowed the angry lump in my throat and clutched my arms against my chest, trying to stop the trembling and asked through gritted teeth, “And how do you plan to kill Lucan when he possesses all of the magic from the last Oracle?”

“By taking the magic from the last Oracle’s granddaughter,” he smiled triumphantly.

Chapter Twenty-Six

I stifled a laugh. I knew Dmitri worked extra hard to sound intimidating and smug, but really, he had no idea what he was up against. He smirked at me from across the room, his hands clasped behind his back and his insipid blue eyes roaming over my body as if it were already his.

“You really think you can take my magic?” I asked, not able to keep the irritation out of my voice.

“I know that I can,” he smiled and took a step forward.

“Really? You’re that awesome; you can do what no other Immortal has been able to do?” I squinted in disbelief and watched his face register surprise. He really thought he claimed the first place in line to capture my magic. “You’re a little late in the game to try, but I’ll let you if you really want to. I mean, we can pretend I haven’t stopped ten Titans at once, or that I haven’t taken more magics in the last six months than you have in your entire too-long life. If you want my magic, go right ahead.”

“You’re a cocky little thing, aren’t you?” Dmitri laughed a harsh bark, meant to intimidate me.

“Does that offend you?” I took a step forward, tired of the fear. “Do you want me to pretend that you scare me or that for one second I think you’re capable of taking my magic? Because I can, I mean, I can pretend. But that’s all that I’ll be doing. Not for one second do I really think you have enough power to go up against me. My grandfather was the last Oracle, but he is gone and I took his place. I will rule this kingdom, not you. I will set the magic free and welcome the Shape-shifters back into our people. And if you’re lucky, I’ll leave you with just enough magic so that you can watch it all happen.”

I felt Avalon cheer inside my head, but I ignored him, not fully believing every word I said, but hoping that I sounded convincing. The memories of how I got here, to this point, fueled my anger. From the moment my parents went on the run so they could be together, to my grandfather’s death, to Avalon’s suffering, and then Ronan’s brutal murder in front of my eyes only a little while ago, all culminated into a driving force of frustration that threatened to consume me entirely, I became blind with rage and vengeance. Dmitri brought me here for evil gain, to replace one tyrant with another, and I could hardly stand the thick air of his selfish magic, the pathetic threat of his evil scheme.

“And what makes you think you can do all that?” Dmitri’s face drained of all humor, his eyes narrowing into slits and his mouth twitching in one corner.

“Because Dmitri, you are a pg-13 villain, and nothing more. If you wanted my magic, you should have just shot me in the back and then taken it from me while I lay unconscious. That was your first mistake. Your second, was assuming any kind of prison could hold me. I don’t bend to the old magic, I have something new entirely, something that’s a little more grown up than you can handle. So if you want to fight, let’s do this. You’re not going to win, I’m warning you now.” I finished strongly, all fears disintegrated and replaced with the righteous purpose I started to believe I was born to possess.

“I’ll take your word for it,” he mumbled menacingly and then directed loudly to the man with silver hair, “Take her to my room; apparently she needs to be disciplined.”

The man with silver hair grabbed my wrist, intending to pull me out of the room. The thought of being locked in Dmitri’s bedroom both disgusted and infuriated me. Apparently, he didn’t hear a word I just said. I shook to the core of my being with rage and decided to get things moving. Besides, Kiran would be here soon and I wanted to go as soon as he arrived.

I used the contact of skin between me and the silver-haired man as a catalyst to start drawing his magic from him. A little rusty in pulling the magic out of someone, he jerked with my effort and my magic sort of sizzled into nothing. The last magic I claimed had been my own and that required an entirely different process. I cracked my neck and pulled harder at the energy field the white-eyed man did not even realize he was about to lose.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I growled and tugged at his magic harder so he felt the loss of energy to mine. He dropped my arm physically hurting him to touch me and backed away from me. Already on the war path, I couldn’t stop. I pulled harder, and he fought back, sending magic at me that I blocked easily with a wave of my hand.

Dmitri realized what was happening between us and took a seat on the edge of his table to watch. His casual aloofness bothered me more than anything, so I reached out my hand at the man who struggled to get away from me and drained the rest of his magic with little effort. The stolen magic connected in my blood and with all of the other without protest and I took that as a sign to continue.

Several of the other men stepped into the room when their partner stumbled out and fell in a heap on the wood floor. The angered looks on their faces told me they knew what had happened and I abruptly found myself fighting three of them, while two others dragged the unconscious man down the hall.

“This isn’t going to be enough,” I warned, blocking their magic with my own.

I reached for one of the men’s magic remotely, while sending a flare of magic at another, sending him against a bookshelf. I grabbed just enough of the first man’s magic to start to pull at it, when the third man got a shot at my feet, knocking me off balance and to the floor. I fell hard, losing my breath and hitting my head solidly. Another stream of magic came down on me, but I blocked it with an outstretched hand just in time.

I held the magic with my own, keeping the sender locked in my grasp as I stood to my feet. In a move I didn’t even know I was capable of, instead of sending the magic back at the men who meant me harm, I absorbed his magic into my palm. He stood defenseless against my pull, frozen by the force of my electricity. I dragged it out of him and sent him to his knees and then to the floor with one final burst of magic that left him unconscious.

The two remaining attackers stepped forward, ready for battle and the two men from the hallway joined in their pursuit. With an aggressive scream and a forceful push of my hands I sent all four men scattering to the floor in a rush of magic meant to warn them to leave now.

Of course, they didn’t take the hint. They scrambled to their feet, sending furtive glances at each other and building their magic in their veins. Dmitri stood to his feet too, his pale blue eyes flaring with concern and the smug smirk erased from his face.

I stomped my foot against the floor, sending a ripple of magic from me, a favorite trick of mine. I reached out my arm and took the magic of the closest man to me. Strong and confident at one time, the minute his magic started to disappear he fell to his knees in desperate pleading. I shut out his cries for help and finished him easily.

I noticed the difference between these ordinary Witches and the Titans I was used to fighting. Even Kiran put up a better fight, and seemed to possess a stronger kind of magic than these men. Their magic dissipated from their bodies easily and the strength behind their fight not nearly comparable to the Titans I fought in the past. My heart went out to them then. I felt their struggle, their plight to regain their magic. They were misguided and manipulated, but they only wanted what belonged to them. They only wanted the strength the history of their people promised them.

“I can’t do this,” I admitted, dropping an outstretched arm. “This isn’t even a fair fight. If you leave now, if you never even look my direction again, you can go. I’ll spare you. But I swear, if I ever see you again, even if by accident, even if Lucan himself invites you to dinner and promises to chop off your head if you don’t come, I will take what I spared today. I will take your magic.” I didn’t promise, remembering my broken vow to Sebastian, but I did make the gravity of my threat evident.

“Do not listen to her!” Dmitri argued, taking a step forward. “She is just a little girl, those men were weak. You are stronger than them. Take her now; take the magic that belongs to us.”

I stepped back as the men took a step toward me. I could feel their confusion, the wavering resolve that argued Dmitri’s case and warned against my obvious ability. I stayed silent, wanting desperately for them to come to their own conclusion. I didn’t want to take any more magics; I didn’t want to make anyone else suffer.

Except for maybe Dmitri.

“I warned you,” I breathed, in a sad sigh of defeat when their internal argument flickered in the wrong direction.

I fought against them, blocking their magic as best as I could, but there were three of them. Some of their magic found me, burning hot against my skin, bruising or cutting me, but no serious damage could be done. The blue smoke moved in my blood deftly, as smoothly as my own blood cells, pulsating with the rhythm of my heart and healing me before I noticed the pain for too long.

One of the attackers, realizing nothing seemed to bother me, rushed forward aggressively and my magic caught him, lifting him off the ground in a stronghold of my aggression. I pulled at his magic, while my other hand stretched out to bring about the same fate to the rest of them. All the while, Dmitri stood by idly, watching as his faithful followers fell at my feet.

The man in the air breathed his last magical breath and I let him drop mortally to the floor. Simultaneously I found the magic of another attacker and started on his. The last remaining man looked at me with fear, real fear and I felt my cheeks flush with shame. He stopped his attack, and slowed his useless approach and stared at me.

When the latest man to give up his magic fell to the ground, I wiped the sweat from my brow and straightened. “Go,” I commanded, giving this last man a chance to live. “Tell the others what you’ve seen and go. Don’t come back. Don’t do anything but run, or I will leave you just like your friends.”

“Are they dead?” he asked, the terror in the back of his throat warbling his words.

“It’s worse than death,” I promised darkly.

He backed out of the room, stumbling over the bodies of his unconscious friends. He waited to take his frightened eyes off me until he reached the staircase and then nearly fell down them in his hurry to flee.

“Quite an impressive show,” Dmitri clapped for me sarcastically.

I turned my attention back to him, thoroughly disgusted. Through the picture window I could see three cars speed down the long gravel drive that led to the farm. They raced with intent and reckless purpose. Kiran made it. Dmitri glanced over his shoulder at the sound of steady rumbling and sighed at the approaching vehicles.

“You are truly magnificent, aren’t you?” Dmitri continued. “All of the rumors are true. They have to be. All four types of magic. The Indian palace. The next Oracle. The rightful heir. You are going to set the magic free,” he stated clearly, without question or doubt in his voice.