Jonas (Darkness #7)(27)

Dominicous glanced at me. “What cover will you provide us?”

“Um.” I couldn’t help a shrug as I glanced behind me at Toa.

It was Cato who answered from about five feet away. Mage June, his mage, was right beside him. “We will overshadow your advance with spells, of course. I have reason to believe Sasha will lead the assault with me providing the necessary touches to ensure your safety and the enemy’s demise, where applicable.”

“Are we going in?” I asked Cato.

“We shall see.” Cato’s eyes crinkled again.

I gave Stefan a put-upon expression and felt our link color with humor and love. I nodded at Dominicous and then Tim before I turned toward Cato. Showtime.

“So you guys have been planning this for a while, huh?” I asked Cato conversationally as the battle commanders broke up and headed to their men.

“Yes. We weren’t planning to engage so early, but when you requested aid—well, no time like the present, as they say.”

“Who is going in with you?” Paulie asked as he unsheathed his sword. Charles already had his out.

I shook my head and glanced back at the gaggle of magic-workers behind us, most still in the cabbage field. Cato’s experienced workers all faced straight ahead, grim and ready. The humans chatted in hushed tones with nervous smiles and shifty eyes, often ogling one of the many warriors standing ready.

“I don’t even know that I’m going in. That’s what the warriors are for, right?” I turned back to the empty field as Stefan stopped behind Jameson and the giant Kodiac. Ann, the mountain lion, took off at a graceful lope to the right.

“Who’s going in?” Paulie repeated.

“Whoever runs that way, bro.” Charles looked up and down the line. “Probably just us at first. Birdie will be walking fast toward the fight, you know she will. She’ll probably have her hands on her hips and everything. And the twins will go with her, because they rarely know what’s going on. They’ll just follow. Then some of the others. But they’ll be the second tier. Sasha will lead us right into the heart of it.”

“We’re supposed to stay out here, though, right?” I glanced at Toa before I turned to Cato. “Aren’t the magic people supposed to stay back and out of the way?”

“They know you’ll see your loved ones charging, and follow.” Toa’s voice had an edge. “You do not follow protocol at the best of times.”

I sighed. I kind of hated that he knew me so well—especially when I was trying to be good.

As the sun climbed, and all the non-humans put on sunglasses, things went unnaturally still. Thousands of people were gathered, holding swords, staring out at an empty field. A hush fell over the crowd, even the witches and warlocks. Time ground to a halt.

Dominicous glanced back at us.

“It is time.” Cato turned his head to me. His faded blue eyes held a ruthless edge. I had never seen the equivalent. I could almost see pain and suffering from hundreds of years past staring out at me. Shivers racked my body. “Trigger the spell. I have up a shield in case the worst happens. Then we will link. When we link, you will feel a momentary rush. Your stomach will heave. You will feel disheveled. Maybe dizzy. It is the meeting of two wells of power. It is the connection and fusing of two equal halves. You will see how I do it. You can mimic this with any white, but do so under the best of circumstances if at least one of you isn’t experienced.”

“I feel like we should’ve practiced this, because that’s not how it is with Toa.”

“I am the only person in America that is experienced in this type of link. It is time to learn on the fly, Sasha, as you do so well. Let us begin.”

Expectation rode the moment. All of a sudden, this battle took on a completely different feel. It wasn’t just about chasing the enemy from our land and rescuing one of ours. This was beyond that—the meeting of two opposite powers. The resuscitation of an old magic that hadn’t been used in hundreds of years. The experimentation of Cato’s race working with mine. Of making two into one.

I got the distinct impression this was a very beneficial, but very dangerous, superpower.

How do I get myself into these things?

Trying not to focus on possible death a moment away, I turned my attention back to that web of spells created by a master. I sank back into it, just to feel it again. Just to be at one with it for a while longer. And then, with a concentrated effort, I triggered all my dormant spells.

Energy rushed out of me. I felt more bleed in through my link, trying to fill me back up. But more just poured out. Cato reached out to Mage June, steadying himself. The same was most likely happening to him since he’d put his magic into the spells, too.

Nothing happened at first.

The rustle of fabric and people shifting sounded off behind us. A body hit the dirt.

“Take all the energy you can. Release them before you kill them,” Cato advised. “You will most likely be cut off when the battle begins, and for that, you should have full energy.”

I reached out blindly as I closed my eyes. I felt Charles’ hand grab mine before his arm came around my waist to fully support me. I sucked energy from the weaker magic-users first, releasing them when I needed to, as Cato had said. Many fainted, but they’d be fine. Actually, they were probably better off, because once the bloodshed started, they’d most likely freak out. I was helping them.