Mine to Fear (Mine #3)(61)

Her grief when she told me becomes fresh in my mind. But then, so is the image of those suffering at the power plant, something she has yet to see for herself. “If you had seen the way those people suffer at the power plants, I think you would all agree with me that they need to be saved.”

Serena's lips tighten while Bethany's eyes go wide. I'm grateful the babies are with Pernilla, even if they are too young to understand what we're talking about. Just having them about with this conversation would make me queasy. Or queasier rather. I'm already feeling sick at the thought of what the Grand Chancellor's done.

“Is it really that bad?” Serena asks, voice small.

“It's one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life,” I say.

“The only thing worse,” Cynthia adds, “was the sacrifice at the tournament.”

Bethany says, “Maybe we should try. I'm just nervous for everyone's safety.”

“It's something I've considered as well.” More than I want to. There are too many people here that rely on us. “But I think it's worth the risk.”

“It's worth a try,” Theodore says.

“Agreed,” Jack says. “We're stronger now, and those people need us.”

“I think we should,” Serena says. “As long as precautions are taken.”

“Can we leave tomorrow?” I say.

“The sooner, the better,” Cynthia says. “And this time, we'll all be prepared.”





Chapter Forty-Eight





Dusk is just brushing the sky when we look on the building. It looks so innocent from the outside. Nothing to hint at the atrocities going on in the inside. This time, there won't be any failure. I won't allow it.

“Let's move,” I say.

Cynthia goes first. As much as I'd like to lead, it only makes sense to have the strongest of us take the front. Jack and I follow close behind with an even larger group behind us. There are about fifty of us, more than we've ever taken on a raid, but stealth is no longer an option. We will win this.

“There's someone on the side of the building,” Theodore says from behind me.

“Cynthia?”

“I see him.” A burst of purple light shoots from her to the right side of the building.

Then there's nothing.

“Did you get him?” I ask.

“I think so.”

“We need to be sure.”

“Stay here.” She runs forward toward the side of the building, Lukas darting after her. Despite her strength, he must not want her out of his sight. After our near capture the last time we were here, I don't blame him.

Only a short minute later, they both return. Cynthia says, “He's out.”

I point toward the door, and we move out again. I wish we could just blast off the front of the building like we did the law office so long ago. With this many people, it'd be a breeze. But with the prisoners in there, we can't risk it.

As soon as we get to the door, we don't bother knocking. Lukas opens it, quickly moving out of the way while Cynthia stands at the ready, hands up. She blasts the warlock standing guard with another purple spell. He falls to the ground with a thunk.

Another warlock quickly takes his place. I beat Cynthia to hexing him to the ground. My skills have improved since our last encounter. He falls to the ground on top of the other warlock who is out cold, and my magic is still near full strength.

When no one else comes out, half of us pile in the building, the other half waiting outside to protect our backs. We meet five more warlocks in the hall, of which we take turns knocking out. I'm beginning to think we can do this when we make it to the main room.

The room is filled with not only the prisoners we meet before, but it's packed with warlocks, all of whom are surrounded by a bright yellow shield spell. I motion to those still in the hall to keep coming in. We're going to need all the firepower we can get.

“Give up now,” one of the opposing warlocks says. “You can't win.”

“On the contrary.” I picture a sledgehammer coming down on their shield with more than enough force to break it and burst that image out in a gray spell speckled with green. It smashes against the shield, cracking it.

Others around me immediately follow suit, throwing spells at it to break it. Outwardly, I'm yelling praises and throwing more spells, but the shield is strong. And after we get through, if we get through, there are still the warlocks to contend with. What have we gotten ourselves into?

The opposing warlocks shoot spells at us, coming almost as fast as we're trying to take down their shield to reach them. My fingers go numb as I try to put a shield spell up in front of us. Too late. An orange spell zips through. I turn just in time to see it hit Theodore in the shoulder.

He collapses to the ground. I dive after him, readying to heal him if he is hurt bad enough. As I crouch beside him he says, “I'm fine.”

Ignoring him, I brush aside his hand to see his charred shoulder beneath. The damage is severe, but something I can at least help with. I picture the skin's healing quickened, turning from a char to a pink to undamaged skin. The spell eases out in a soft red, straight for his shoulder. As it pours over his shoulder, I glance around to see if anyone else has fallen. No one. Even better, I find a way for the battle to lean in our favor.