Chapter Twenty-Nine – Sofie
I knew my mouth hung open but I didn’t attempt to pull it shut.
Mortimer took only seconds to adapt to his new surroundings before pulling Veronique into his chest, his broad frame swallowing her tiny body.
Evangeline stood watching everything unfold with a contented smile. After having her fate controlled by puppet masters for far too long, she had now taken the reins. All of our lives seemed to rest in her hands.
Irony did not adequately describe this turn of events.
“Evangeline?” Golden eyes flashed to me. “Can we deal with him and get out of here?”
Only at my words did Mortimer look up to see the still form pinned against the wall, the open gashes in his face dripping crimson. I imagined they’d never stop unless Evangeline willed it.
“You!” Mortimer roared, lunging for his archenemy. Arguably, Mortimer had suffered the most at Viggo’s hand, having tolerated him for a hundred and twenty years while waiting for Veronique. Perhaps it was only fair that Mortimer would be the one to finally kill him.
“No!” Evangeline called out and Mortimer instantly halted. By the shock on his face, it was not by his choice. “I want him to suffer. Like he has made all of us suffer.”
Mortimer whipped around to glare at her. “Are you nuts? If you leave him alive, no one will ever be safe.”
“He’s right, Evangeline.” What the hell had gotten into her? Why would she want to protect him? Viggo deserved to die. “There isn’t a corner of this world that Caden will be safe in. Tell her, Caden!”
“Let Mortimer do it,” Caden whispered, sliding his hand over her back in a soothing manner. “Or me. Or Amelie. Or anyone else here, if you don’t want to.”
She seemed to be pondering our words.
“Uh, guys? What’s that over there?” Fiona said, turning our attention toward the window, to a distant light in the sky. A second one appeared, rising quickly.
“Lilly? Status report?”
Lilly fumbled for the earbud that now dangled off her ear. With a few rushed words to Isaac, she was able to confirm. “Helicopters are incoming. The soldiers reported the lights on the building.”
“I suppose a perfectly intact and powered building in the middle of a citywide apocalypse would attract attention,” Mage said wryly. “This place will be crawling with military and witches in no time.”
The witches would have no clue how this happened or what it meant. There wasn’t a trace of sorceress magic touching it. That would either scare them enough to back away, or enough to attack full-force.
As much as I enjoyed watching Viggo ensnared, we needed to deal with him and move on. Quickly. “Evangeline. We need to end this. Now.”
“She’s not a cold-blooded killer like you, Sofie,” Viggo murmured with a smile that didn’t reach his arctic blue eyes. Call his renewed composure a last-ditch effort. “She still has a conscience. If it would help you at all, Evangeline, why don’t you release me? I’ll put up a fair fight.”
Evangeline merely stood staring at him. My ears caught the faint sound of helicopter blades. Would they dare try to land?
“Evangeline! We need to end this!” Caden urged, desperation in his voice. No one wanted Viggo alive.
Evangeline closed her eyes. Her hands raised, the ground began to rumble. Everyone’s focus shifted beyond the windows to see the dust kicking up, until nothing could be seen but dirt and darkness. We were cocooned within the building but whatever Evangeline was doing outside was awesome in power and size.
And no doubt, noticeable.
As quickly as the turmoil began, it stopped.
“There. Now they won’t know which building to search,” Evangeline said as we all, except for Mortimer and Viggo, dashed to the windows to take in the view, our jaws gaping open.
Evangeline had rebuilt Manhattan.
Or at least what I could see of it.
Stepping forward until she was mere inches away from Viggo, Evangeline stopped to peer up at him. “I know what you wanted to do to Caden. I saw it.” Her face tightened with pain. “Now, what was that you asked me to do? Release you and you’ll put up a fair fight?”
The vein above Viggo’s eye twitched, a sign that he was suddenly very apprehensive. I was sure he had finally figured out he was not getting out of here alive.
I couldn’t help it. I laughed, a deep bellow that echoed through the cavernous lobby.
Hateful eyes darted to me. “You don’t think you’ll be next, you vile witch?” he spat. “And you,” he glared at Mortimer. “And you,” he threw at Mage. “She is an abomination! Do you think she won’t turn on you eventually? Look at her, already changing.”
“Goodbye, Viggo.” Evangeline stepped away as she spoke, her words flat. She must’ve freed Mortimer’s legs because he suddenly shifted, testing his mobility. When he realized he had it, he looked up at Viggo. A smile stretched across Mortimer’s dark handsome face, one that made Viggo close his eyes.
Mortimer lunged.
And plowed into the wall where Viggo had just been restrained.
“No!” Mortimer screamed, rage flashing as he turned to Evangeline. “What have you done?”
All she offered us was a secretive smile and, “I promise you, he can’t reach any of us ever again.”
I suspected there’d be more questions and shouting matches but they’d have to happen later.
“Fledglings!” Lilly shouted, pointing out the window to dozens of figures darting past. They eyed us but, surely sensing our lack of heartbeat, continued on in a hurry. “How did they get out?”
“Evangeline rebuilt the city.” They would no longer be buried within the tunnels and beneath buildings.
“Well, crap,” Amelie muttered, her shoulders slumping. “Here we go again.”
“What’s the plan? Hunting?” Bishop cocked the gun he’d slung over his shoulder, a grin on his face.
“No. No more risk to any of us. No more of this.” Evangeline stepped forward, her gaze trailing the figures, watching until every last one dropped to the ground.
Dead.
“For the love of …” Mortimer wrapped his arms around Veronique in protection. “Someone please tell me what is going on.”
Evangeline turned to face us and I gasped.
Her eyes, still golden, with the same twinkle that had won my heart when I saw her take her first steps through a patch of wild daisies, now held the slightest iridescent shimmer. “I can undo it all,” she rushed with excitement. “I can give us back everything they’ve ever taken, Sofie!”
I wanted to ask her what she meant. I wanted to ask her how she knew. I wanted to know if she’d forgiven me, if she would let me be a part of her life.
I wanted to say so many things, but I lost my chance. I was suddenly falling into eternal darkness, my name on her lips the last thing I heard.
I knew this place.
I’d been summoned here once before.