Divine Destiny: Serendipity Saga Book Two

Chapter Forty-Three

The tiny psychotic witch stepped gently from the forest line. She braced a large black crossbow over her forearm and aimed its tip in my direction. There were no bolts on it that I could see and she had no quiver on her petite form.

The bow shivered with black energy. It seethed from the structure of it and as she waved her hand over the weapon, so did a thick black bolt of energy. It reminded me of magick though not of any element I'd seen so far. The bolt lengthened until it fit the bow perfectly.

"So, finally we meet under less chaotic circumstances. You are Kyra Lucius, Magick Princess and carried of the Fate Seira. I am your one true adversary, Tempest with the influence of Kenos."

Her words were disjointed, as though she were narrating our situation instead of truly speaking to me.

"You have drawn Kenos' interest," she continued robotically, "she sees you as a roadblock in her path. But you really are intriguing."

She shifted the bow, leveling it at me more closely. She released the bolt though I never saw her finger press the trigger. It zoomed across the clearing.

But instead of impaling me once more, I was shoved away. The bolt sunk into Anton's shoulder with the sound of meaty collision.

I blinked.

Carson had shoved me aside, kneeling beside Valeria's broken form. At the same time, Anton had hurled himself between us, taking the bolt in his side.

The girl harumphed in irritation and stepped down from the darkness she had hidden in.

I whirled to Anton, grabbing the spear protruding from his shoulder in one hand. It burned against my palm but—like the wound in my chest—I barely noticed it. After a few good yanks it came free and I tossed it at the figure over my shoulder. I did the same with my own injury an instant later.

Anton groaned as the object came free and stumbled forward. I caught him against my shoulder and held some of his weight.

"So, the wimp finally did it," came a voice that was rough and grating but still feminine.

I twisted back to the girl as well as I could holding Anton. She stood in the middle of the clearing now and though she looked mostly the same, her posture and expression were different.

She had one hip thrown out to the side, her tiny fist propped atop it. Her shoulders were rigid. And her eyes glowed violet.

"Kenos," I said, knowing the truth of it as I spoke the word.

She grinned though it wasn't a pleasant expression. "Greetings, Seira," she called and swayed a few steps to the left. "How's your newest pet?"

I rolled my eyes at her, resting my hand against my hip in an almost mirror image. "The host is doing great, thank you. Seira isn't in at the moment," I growled, staring down at the petite woman. I could feel Seira stirring against my consciousness but still, she didn't assert her will over me though I was sure she could have, especially as her full power inhabited me.

Tempest's glowing violet eyes narrowed on me, seeming to see me for the first time. She sighed and hefted the massive crossbow again. Unlike Tempest, Kenos didn't heft the thing over her arm. She braced it's stock against her shoulder and lowered her eye to its sight.

There was no hesitation, no indication that the impact was coming. The bolt leapt from the bow, shimmering violet with a trail of silvery white energy in its wake. Something had changed. The entire attack was different.

I pulled Anton against me. He was getting his feet under him when I threw myself to the side, tugging him along. He crashed into me as we landed again and the air was knocked from my lungs.