Magic

Chapter 16 - Face Off

Sounds of celebration fill the air as I wake from the darkness. The sting of Nathan's hand still pulsates on my cheek. I try to rub the pain away, but my hands are tied behind the chair I'm sitting in. Nathan even had them tie my ankles to the chair. I struggle against the ropes, hoping to loosen them, but the ropes cut into my skin. Trickles of blood spill out. Thankfully the binding heals my cuts. Something tells me the timing for the binding isn't a coincidence.

I lift my head slightly to get a glimpse of my surroundings. There are a lot more Witches than before. I guess those who attacked the house have returned. My ears perk up, hoping to hear if everyone at home is ok. Their smiles worry me. It doesn't sound like anyone was killed, but something gives them reason to celebrate. Maybe I was their target. I hope they are enjoying their victory, because Marcus will make sure it's their only one.

Nathan emerges from the trees to congratulate his soldiers. He gives praise as he makes his way through the crowd. Standing a few feet from me is a tall, husky man wearing a hooded cape hiding the scars on his face. Nathan approaches him with a wide smile and offers a welcoming hug. They speak in friendly tones, but it goes sour quickly. Nathan screams out in rage as he launches the man into the air. As he hits the ground, the celebration ends.

"Everyone was supposed to return, no one was to be left behind. Those were your orders. Thirty against eight!" Nathan screams. "How the fuck can you be stupid enough to leave someone behind?"

No one speaks, not that I blame them. Nathan's roar shakes the trees and brings every Witch to their knees. This is worse than I thought. Nathan has men and women willing to die for him. This is going to be a war. The Cummings family is powerful, but there are only eight of them. Nathan has fifty people here, maybe more. Eight verses fifty. I don't like those odds.

Any attempt to contact Marcus fails. Just like the night he tried to kill me, a pain surges through my head, but the binding keeps me from screaming. I have no way of knowing if Marcus knows where I am, or if he knows about Nathan's army. I keep trying, despite the pain, but there's nothing. Not even static. Right now I am completely alone. 

The sound of leaves crunching under hurried steps forces my attention. I look up just as Nathan's hand slams across my face. "Your boyfriend is really pissing me off and since he's not here for me to beat on, I guess you'll have to do."

"You mean my husband," I gasp as I recover from the pain. The shock on Nathan's face makes me smile. "Marcus is my husband now."

The look on his face is priceless. He's angry, sure, but he's mostly hurt, and I love it. Our marriage is a slap in the face, like we're laughing at him. Despite the people he killed and his cruel attack on Tony, I still married Marcus. With all the ugliness around us, we made it a point to be happy. That pisses him off. 

His anger builds, and though I shouldn't, I smile. His wound is sliced open, and I feel the need to pour on a little salt. "It was Tonys' idea," I say smugly. Another level of shock hits him. He didn't know about Tony. "After you failed to kill him, he suggested we get married, despite you. Aside from dumping you, it's the best idea he's had."

Nathan grabs me by the throat and throws me on the ground with me still tied to the chair. "You won't remember this as a happy day. This is the day you became a widow and an orphan. I'm going to kill your brothers and your parents, then your loving husband. I'm going to make him bleed and beg for his life while you watch, helpless."

"You seem confident," I choke out. "You'll sing a different tune when Marcus gets here."

Nathan laughs as he kneels next to me. "Your husband may be a Sorcerer, he possess great power, but the truth is, he's weak. Only Dark Magic can find us and he won't use Dark Magic. He knows it will consume him. He won't find us until I'm ready."