A Little Wicked (The Bewitching Hour Book #4)(53)

“Go,” said Bastian, notably not answering the question. “I’ll hold them off.”

“Hold them off?” Her annoyance finally sparked something inside her and rage bubbled up. “It’s an army. When I say that, I’m not exaggerating. I saw dozens of witches, all hooked on dark magic, coming here. And who knows how many I didn’t see? Now I don’t know what the hell you are, but you can’t take them out all on your own.”

“I don’t need to take them out,” said Bastian between clenched teeth. “I need to distract them. Now go!” Bastian pushed Claudia and her away in one quick motion.

Claudia, who seemed barely conscious, let out a moan of pain. “Don’t leave,” she managed to get out.

A look of frustration combined with agony crossed Bastian’s face. “No. Don’t make me stay here.”

“It’s an order,” she said, even through clenched teeth managing to sound authoritative. “You’re needed here.”

“I’m not going to leave you!” screamed Bastian, and suddenly Sam felt as if she’d intruded on something much too personal.

“Thank you,” said Claudia, more softly.

Just then a loud pounding started, as if the witches were physically banging on the door. But soon enough the pounding was replaced with the sounds of exploding wood. These weren’t mindless zombies. The witches had found a way inside.

Bastian looked as though he wanted to say more, but instead he just bent in and kissed Claudia. Sam’s eyes widened and she leaned away from the utterly mismatched couple. Claudia had to be at least three times older than him, but Sam knew better than most that witches’ ages were tricky. If they had a thing, that was between them. Though, at the moment, she was literally in the middle.

The second they pulled apart, Sam started to pull Claudia down the hall. She didn’t want to stop true love or anything, but she could hear steps on the stairs and knew they didn’t have much time.

She’d like to get out and to a car, but that time had passed. Right now, she had to worry about getting to a place to hide. There was only one room that came to mind. She half encouraged, half dragged Claudia toward the little research room, but when she turned down the hall to the east wing, a group of six witches was walking right toward them. Sam let out a curse before she sent a wave of energy down the hall, enough to send all the witches flying into the far wall behind them and crumpling into a dazed heap.

It probably wouldn’t kill them, but it would give her the time she needed to get to Abigail’s library. She entered in the key code and sent up a silent thanks to the heavens when it opened.

She was just starting to help Claudia in when she heard more footsteps behind her. Sam managed to pull Claudia out of the way as another witch send a fireball right where her grandmother had just been standing.

Hiding wouldn’t do them any good if the house burned down around them. With a wave of her hand, Sam sent the grandfather clock against the wall careening toward the new witch, but right behind her, Sam saw a bunch more coming. More than she could count. The house was utterly overrun.

She pulled Claudia inside and slammed the door shut right as she heard bodies slamming against the steel protection. She fell back a few steps and stared at the sound. The steel wouldn’t hold them forever. There were high-powered spells protecting this room. It would hold up against a dozen—maybe two—witches working together.

Not a horde.

“Any ideas?” she asked.

Claudia fell into the room, leaning heavily against the bookshelves as she went farther from the door. “I can’t take us away. I’m too weak.”

Sam had a sinking feeling she was going to say that but still hoped Claudia could find something else in her bag of tricks.

But once again, her grandmother was letting her down when she needed her the most.

“You took him.”

Claudia was quiet, but Sam couldn’t help turning all of her accusing glare to her grandmother. Even though they’d almost died, it was only now that the full extent of her anger came out. “You took his body from me.”

“Samantha—”

“No!” she screamed. “You’re supposed to love me and watch out for me and when I needed you the most, you stole him! Why? Did you want to celebrate his death? Did you want to make sure there was no chance I could bring him back? Tell me why.”

“I....” Claudia’s breath came in deep gasps. “I tried to be the grandmother you deserve. I tried to do things better, but....” She took in deep breaths of air. The bangs on the door increased and vibrated against the entire room, the protection spells working their hardest to keep the oppressive force out. “I can’t be the good guy and beat the darkness. I just can’t.”

It felt as though Claudia were asking for some sort of forgiveness, but Sam didn’t have any absolution to give her right now. And she never answered her question. “Why. Derek.” The bang on the door was hard enough that one of the ancient spell books tumbled off the bookshelf, but Sam knew that wasn’t why she was shaking.

Claudia shook her head and turned to face the shelves, not answering Sam’s simple fucking question. Sam was torn between just sitting back and waiting for the army to get in or yelling at Claudia more. But her grandmother seemed so... defeated. Sam just shook her head and leaned back against the nearest bookshelf. She’d have to die never knowing the truth. Just like Claudia probably wanted.