Southern Secrets: Book 2 in Southern Charms Series

Chapter Forty-Two: Escape

Rose

It was satisfying watching the sheer panic drop over the king's face like a blanket, and I hoped he smothered under the weight of it. Instead, he cast his hand out to the side, the magic he'd been building broke free from his fingers and hurtled toward me- its intent dark but not deadly. He would not risk my life, but pain... of pain, there would be no end.

All the wind rushed out of my lungs as Ash landed on top of me, knocking me out of the way of the spell before rolling to his feet and sending his own power after Atticus. He shielded against it, but backed away wearily, his attention split between Malphas and Ash and me.

From my perspective, Malphas was the one worth watching. Rage morphed his razor edge features into something feral and dangerous as he flexed his hands at his side. He would not kill Atticus swiftly or offer mercy, and I mustered no sympathy for the king. Clemmy would certainly have none.

"You okay?" Ash asked, helping me stand. He put himself between Atticus and me while he ran his eyes over my body, searching for injury.

"I'm fine," I said, stepping to the side.

Ash once accused me of being a martyr, but he had little room to talk. Less than a minute ago, he nearly died, and now he was putting himself directly in the line of fire. If we went down tonight, it would be as partners, working side by side. Starting with rescuing my family before the shock of Malphas wore off and Atticus remembered to use them as leverage.

"Son," Luis called. His head appeared over the boulders in the tunnel. "Come this way. We can get out through here."

I tuned out their conversation- which mostly consisted of Ash's incredulity and then anger over his father's assumption that he would just abandon his friends- and his sister. Daddy inched closer to me, and we crept to the bottom of the hill directly below the Atlanteans guarding everyone. Looking up at them, their weapons pointed at our loved ones, I considered it a blessing they were so terrified of their king that they refused to take action without his command. If they dared think for themselves, they might have already injured the others in an attempt to take back control of this situation.

"What are you thinking, pumpkin?" Daddy asked me.

Tugging on my bottom lip with my teeth, I shook my head. "We don't know how skilled they are magically, but I bet they know how to use those spears. If we can just get them away, Malphas can do the hard part of taking care of the king, but any minute, Atticus is going to use them against us."

He nodded in agreement, and warmth surged in my middle. I had spent my entire life being invisible, and he was asking me what to do. And giving serious thought to what I said.

"What if-"

Flesh striking flesh sounded across the cavern, and the guards swung their weapons toward Malphas as he drew back to hit Atticus again. Blood dripped from his fist and down the king's face, but instead of looking concerned, Atticus spit a crimson stream across the platform and laughed.

"Now," Daddy whispered as magic zipped between us.

I wiggled my nose, resisting the urge to sneeze. For a split second, I was terrified I was having an allergic reaction to magic again, but it was only the scent of his power- something peppery and earthy. I'd never noticed it before, but I'd never had power of my own before this.

Whatever spell he cast made the earth buckle beneath the guard's feet. Two dropped their spears to maintain their balance. Willow and Caly didn't hesitate to turn on them, swinging their bound hands at their faces and contacting a crunch.

Atticus roared, turning his back on Malphas and shouting at his guards to hold the prisoners. Sliding on my knees, I drew on the strands of magic around me, careful not to touch the ones connected to my family and friends. They were still faint- I wasn't completely recovered from opening the portal- but it was enough to give me a boost.

As always, the spell I wove was unconventional- not based on textbooks or teachings but formed from need. It sliced through the air and severed the bindings- freeing everyone and their magic.

"Rose!" Ash shouted a warning.

I rolled in time to avoid being gouged, but not quickly enough to avoid being cut. It slashed the fabric of my suit open. Blood welled up on my arm in bright red spheres until the tension broke and they turned to rivulets.

The Atlantean lunged again, his arms raised to strike. I braced myself, not trusting my ability to dodge him at such a close range, and my magic twisted and turned out of my grasp. Only, the blow never came because Harmony jumped between us and set him ablaze with the snap of a finger.

"You're welcome," she said with a toss of her hair; however, her words lacked their usual bite, and there was no chill in her blue eyes as she stared at me.

"Thanks."

The surrounding fighting died down as the Atlanteans were quickly overwhelmed- especially once Okea joined in. Even concussed, she moved like lightning- each impact of her fists and feet hard and precise. I had to turn away when she used the fin jutting out from her wrist to tear through the throat of a soldier who wouldn't stay down, but the time for mercy had passed.

"Rose," Mama cried out, pulling me into a hug. With a strangled sob, she grabbed my sisters and squeezed until it hurt.

"Mama, good lord," Caly complained, prying Mama's hands off her hip. "We gotta go. Hug later."

"I hate to agree with her," Jemina sniffed. The entire right side of her face was a bruise, and pain dulled her green eyes. "But let's get out of here and let those two fight to the death."

Everyone scurried down the slope, heading toward Luis, who had stayed in the tunnel the entire time. Everyone but Okea, Ash, and Willow. The latter squeezed my hands and glanced at Malphas. He appeared unharmed, and he paid us no heed as he circled his enemy slowly, looking for an opening to injure him.

"We did it," Ash said. "Whatever happens now, Atticus can't open the portal to the gods, and the Visians know the truth."

"He is right. Atticus will never be king again. The people will know the truth," Okea added solemnly before swaying. She touched her head. "We should go now."

"We can't just leave him. What if Atticus kills him?" I said, my heart pounding as Atticus lunged for the sorcerer, his magic arcing after Malphas in a dark and oily stream.

After everything we'd been through, I couldn't walk away. Had it really been days ago that I loathed him with every atom of my being? That I was desperate to break our contract so I wouldn't have to marry him. That I thought he was a monster?

When I learned his true story, I often thought of him and Ash as being similar, but perhaps that had more to do with the possession, because now I knew his story was just another version of my own.

Outcast. Less than and lacking. Without Chavi, he would have been completely alone because he was different from the others in his village, and if his raven had appeared before Chavi died, the Visians would have kept him on the fringes because of superstition and bitterness. Just like so many witches would do if they learned I was a Siphon.

"Rose," Willow said, tugging on my arm as everyone called to us from the tunnel.

"Ash, we can't."

I held his gaze. Little love had been lost between these two, but I wasn't alone in my changing opinion of Malphas. Surely, he felt the way I did. When you found people you belonged to, you held on to them. Malphas belonged to us.

"Willow go."

"Ash, no-"

"Willow," his voice was harsh, and my best friend narrowed her eyes at her cousin.

"We started this mess together, and we're going to finish it."

I grinned at them both before turning to face the fight. I never saw it coming, and then there was nothing but darkness.