Witch's Fury (The Bone Coven Chronicles Book 4)
Witch’s Fury
The Bone Coven Chronicles
Jenna Wolfhart
Witch’s Fury
Book 4 of The Bone Coven Chronicles
Cover Design by Orina Kafe
Copyright © 2017 by Jenna Wolfhart
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
For my grandmother, Mabel. I miss you.
Contents
Also by Jenna Wolfhart
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Jenna Wolfhart
The Bone Coven Chronicles
Witch’s Curse
Witch’s Storm
Witch’s Blade
Witch’s Fury
Chapter 1
We were screwed. The Witch’s Blade—our only hope for survival—was gone. And, as far as I could see, the only reason someone would sneak in during a massive battle and pluck it out from under all our noses was that they planned to use it. And closing the veil wasn’t the only thing that weapon could do.
“It must have been your Magister Salvatore,” one of the Elders said while he swiped a smudge of dirt from his face. He’d been swept up in the exchange of magical fire on the dust-caked streets, just like the rest of us. “He’s been angling to get his hands on it all this time.”
Glancing at Dorian’s stony expression, I shook my head. “I saw him fall in the fight. Magister Salvatore is dead. It couldn’t have been him.”
The Elder’s eyebrows lifted to his receding hairline. “Your Magister is dead? Then, who is in charge now? The second-in-command, your Summoner?’
Dorian’s scowl grew deeper. “Unfortunately, Salvatore never appointed a Summoner. I know he was looking into candidates, but he never got that far.”
“And from what we saw on the battlefield, the entire council is gone as well.” I swallowed hard and closed my eyes, trying to block out the images of bodies littering the dusty ground. So many mages had died today. The air had filled with smoke and magic and screams, and there was no doubt in my mind that the covens would never be the same again. We’d turned on each other in ways that we never had before in all our shared history. Just in time for someone to steal that blade and prevent us from saving us all from extinction.
“I saw many fall as well,” the Elder said with a sigh. “Rachel and I are the only two Elders left on our side.”
Rachel nodded and leaned heavily against the stone-carved wall. “It’s not just the Sun Coven and the Bone Coven that got hit hard today. I saw a lot of blood mages out there, too. Not many of them made it.”
“So, we’ve all lost a lot of people,” I said, my heart squeezing tight. “I feel like I should be happy our side won, but I don’t feel that way at all. We shouldn’t be fighting amongst ourselves. The covens are falling apart, and if we keep this up, there won’t be many of us left to fight the demons.”
“The only ones left will be the shadow mages,” Dorian mumbled.
My breath felt punched from my lungs as I turned to Dorian, my eyes widening into moons. “You’re exactly right. They’re the only ones who haven’t been affected by this.”
“And we should be glad they aren’t involved,” Rachel said, swiping her long blonde hair away from her ashen face. “This battle would have been a whole lot worse if they’d decided they wanted the blade.”
Dorian cocked his head as his eyes locked on mine, and understanding passed between us, our bond clinching tight. Ever since we’d spent the night together, I’d felt even closer to him. Before that moment, we’d felt linked, but it was much, much more than that now. If I closed my eyes, I could feel his presence humming underneath my skin, his breath whispering from my lungs, and his desires filling up my mind. He knew what I was thinking now, even before I said it.
“The Witch’s Blade can only be wielded by shadow mages,” Dorian murmured as he turned toward the Elders. “You said it would be difficult for anyone else to even carry it. And who is capable of sneaking in and out of this place undetected? Who would choose that approach?”
Laura gasped and clutched my arm. “You think the shadow mages took the blade?”
“If Wagner got to them?” I asked with a shrug. “Then, it’s entirely possible they’d want to open the veil so they could control a demon army. They’re filled with darkness. Why wouldn’t they want some demonic servants?”
“It makes sense, Rachel said with a grimace. “Which means we really are screwed.”
Anastasia cleared her throat, and we all turned to stare at the vampire. For the first time since I’d met her, she looked something akin to sheepish, her sharp teeth nibbling on her bottom lip. “So, listen. Don’t get mad at me.”
“Oh god, what have you done now?” Dorian snapped.
Anastasia narrowed her eyes. “Well, if you’re going to take that kind of attitude, then I’ll keep the fucking information to myself.”
“Anastasia?” Laura said softly. “Please tell us. You know how Dorian is. He’s like this with everyone.”
“Hmm,” Anastasia said while crossing her arms. After a moment of intense silence, she finally shook her head. “Alright. While we were out there fighting, I caught the scent of a shadow mage. At first, I thought it was Zoe, but then I couldn’t spot her anywhere.”
“Okay. You weren’t wrong though. That was me,” I said. “Dorian and I had to break out of the cells, so we were late to the fight, but we did get there in the end.”
“That’s just it though,” she said. “The scent was there long before you showed up. Then, it disappeared and came back again. That’s when I looked over and saw you.”
“So, you’re saying you smelled another shadow mage out there?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “Before Dorian and I joined the fight?”
“I did.”
“Are you sure it was shadow magic and not bone or blood?”
Anastasia laughed. “Zoe, I knew you were a shadow mage far before you ever admitted it. We all did. The Daywalkers, I mean. The aroma is unmistakable. It’s a spicy sort of scent that cuts through everything else and fills the room like a thick fog, just the way a hot curry does.”
With a nod, Dorian said, “Well, that confirms it then. A shadow mage snuck into the middle of things while we were too distracted by the fighting, and she stole the goddamn blade.”
“I don’t think she needed to sneak in,” Anastasia said. “If she was down there on the streets, she was fighting. Or pretending to fight
. Which means, she was using some other form of magic to avoid getting caught out.”
Laura gasped. “Which means she’s learned how to masquerade as another coven member.”
Realization crashed over me like a tidal wave. I knew how this story went. Hell, I’d done it myself.
“It’s someone who’s pretending to be a member of another coven,” I breathed. “Someone else who has faked it, which means it could be anyone. There’s another Zoe Bennett out there.”
“And this one?” Anastasia said, raising her eyebrows. “Wants to destroy the veil.”
Chapter 2
“We need to go back to Boston and talk to Belzus,” I said, pacing across the stone floor. “He’s the one who put the wheels in motion. He’s the one who got me here. He knows far more than he’s ever let on, and maybe he can help us find the blade.”
“Who is Belzus?” Rachel frowned. “Sounds like a fae name.”
“That’s because it is one,” I said.
Rachel sucked in a sharp breath and turned to her fellow Elder, whispering something too low for me to hear. After a moment of hushed words, she turned to me with a harsh glint in her eye. “You should not have involved the fae in this. They are dangerous, and they do not suffer human emotions like we do. They are cold and calculating and could very well be working with the shadow mages.”
“Belzus doesn’t work with the shadow mages,” I said. “He cares about this realm. Hell, he guards the graves to keep the world safe.”
“That’s what he says,” she murmured. “But that doesn’t mean it’s the truth.”
“Fae cannot lie,” Dorian cut in, his eyebrows furrowed. “While I agree that the fae are nasty beings, and we should avoid them if at all possible, Zoe is right about Belzus.”
“If you go to the fae, we can no longer help you,” Elder Andrew said, taking a step back. “Your quest to find the blade will have to be yours and yours alone.”
My face blanched. I couldn’t believe the bullshit I was hearing. “How can you do this? Again? A shadow mage is out there, ready to cut holes in the veil. Wagner is trying to make corporeal demons, and all three of our covens are down by countless numbers. We need each other. Going full Switzerland is no longer an option.”
“Our decision is final.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but Anastasia stepped up to my side and placed a hand on my arm, squeezing tight. With surprise, I flicked my gaze her way. Her own face was stony, an exact replica of every other expression in the room. “The fae are to the Sun Coven what the vampires are to the Blood Coven. They can’t see past their centuries-long hatred in order to see the benefit of teaming up with your fae friend.”
“He’s not my—”
“The Daywalker is right,” Rachel said, cutting in. “We, as sun mages, are tasked with the responsibility of keeping the fae in check, of keeping them from harming humans. As innocent as your fae might seem, he isn’t. They lure humans into their realm and trap them there, feeding off of their emotions.”
“Times have changed,” Dorian said. “It’s been a long time since they’ve kidnapped anyone.”
“That we know of,” Rachel said, raising her eyebrows. “And just because they do not kidnap does not mean they still don’t take humans.”
“Willingly,” Anastasia said. “As hard as it is for you to believe, some humans enjoy having a taste of the supernatural.”
“I assume you’re talking about your so-called blood bags, the humans you feed from,” the Elder said with a frown. “We don’t approve of that either.”
“They come to us out of their own free will,” Anastasia said. “Just like the humans that are more than happy to take a little trip into the faerie realm. I hear it’s quite the experience.”
Rachel let out a disgusted cough and turned her back to us. “I’ve heard enough. We will not work with a fae. If that’s what you choose to do, then we will remain here and repair our base.”
“But—” I began, but Dorian stopped me with a single glance my way. We weren’t going to get through to them. They were as stuck in their ways as the Blood Coven was. When I’d first arrived here, I’d hoped that they were better, I’d hoped that they could break free from the past in order to do what was right for the future. But they were just like everyone else. If we were going to do this, we’d have to do it on our own.
Chapter 3
After the Elders had left the blade room to take stock of the damage outside, the four of us gathered in a circle while I flipped off the lights and cast the spell that would take us back to Boston. I aimed for the center of the cemetery. There’d be plenty of shadows there, and we didn’t have much time to lose. There was no telling where that blade was and how soon it would be used to cut a hole in the veil.
When the cemetery shimmered in before me, I let out an exhale of relief. Taking three others with me took its toll, and Dorian’s words had echoed in my mind. If I got it wrong, we could get lost or leave a part of us behind. There was still so much I didn’t know about my powers and so much I hadn’t practiced yet. When Grams had—
Shit. It had been days since I’d been home. Hell, at this point, it was close to a week. As far as Grams knew, I’d gone off to work one night and had never come back home. She must be worried out of her mind.
“What’s wrong?” Dorian asked, squeezing my shoulder from behind. The musky scent of him consumed me, and I leaned back against his chest with a sigh. Having his solid presence there soothed my nerves and calmed the roar that threatened to build in my chest. But it didn’t erase my own worry, not completely.
“Remember how our phones didn’t work when we got captured by those rebels? And then how we never took the phones with us to Scotland? Well, I’ve had no way to contact Grams. She’s probably freaking the fuck out by now. I know she’s used to me being gone all the time, but it’s been nearly a week since I’ve been back to the apartment. What if she got sick again? What if she—”
Dorian pulled me back against his chest and dropped his chin onto the top of my head. I breathed him in, an intoxicating mixture of magic, pine, and cloves. The scent of him was so familiar to me now. It was like going home. “We’ll go there straight after this. But remember, she knows that training can sometimes take you away for weeks at a time. She had to deal with your mother becoming an Enforcer as well.”
“Still, news must have reached her about the trouble with the rebels and the Sun Coven.”
“I doubt it,” Dorian said. “The council probably kept all that under wraps. I doubt they wanted the bone mages to know just how bad things had gotten. Of course, I’m sure everyone will find out soon enough.”
His arms enveloped me, strong and warm, despite the coolness of his skin. As an Unbound, Dorian always carried with him a permanent chill, and his skin sometimes felt like sheets of ice. That never stopped a fire from brewing within me every time we touched. Wrapped in his arms, I was an inferno.
“Honestly,” Anastasia said with disdain dripping from her words. “We came here to have a chat with Belzus, not watch you two bump uglies.”
“Bump uglies?” Laura asked with a laugh. “Is that what you call it?”
The vampire’s lips twisted into a wicked smile. “That’s only what I call it when straight people do it.”
In the dark, I could have sworn my best friend’s face turned the color of the Martian sky. She and the Daywalker had been exchanging blood for months. Every time I turned around, they were sneaking off for a private moment, and they’d been spending an increasing amount of time together. Laura hadn’t said, but I had a sneaking suspicion the two of them might share the same kind of bond Dorian and I did.
“Did someone call?” a cool voice rang out behind us. I’d recognize the lyrical, eerily-calm tone anywhere. With a deep breath, I turned toward the fae.
“Belzus,” I said quietly, meeting the glowing eyes of the fae. Today, he’d decided to forgo his usual illusion—one of an old and withered man in a billowing cloak—in f
avor of the real thing. He was tall and towering, and his skin glistened under the pale moonlight, the tips of his pointed ears shooting through the slick dark hair that curled around them.
“Zoe Bennett.” He smiled, and the entire graveyard seemed go brighter in an instant. “I’ve been expecting you.”
His words put me on edge as a sudden fresh wave of anger tore through me. The way he stood there all smug, like he was in on the biggest secret of the universe. I curled my hands into fists and narrowed my eyes. This fae had been pulling my puppet strings for far too long. It was time he stopped. Maybe the sun mages had been right. Maybe I couldn’t or shouldn’t trust this fae. There had to be a reason he’d done everything he had. And it was probably more sinister than I’d thought.
“Of course you were,” I said through clenched teeth. “This is all some elaborate game to you, isn’t it?”
“Game?” He raised his eyebrows. “No. More like a plan.”
“Getting dozens of mages killed was your plan?” Dorian raised his eyebrows.
“Killed?” Belzus frowned. “Where? When?”
“At the Sun Coven base in the desert,” I said. “Don’t tell me you didn’t know about that.”
Belzus’s frowned deepened. “I knew that they were being kept under siege. But did you not get the blood rune and end all that madness? Did you not negotiate a peace?”