CHAPTER 25 PART 1 | solstice

📎 A/N. Hello my lovelies, and Happy New Year!

Summer holidays are over, kids are getting ready to go back to school, my parents have moved in with us due to my father's ailing health, and I am back at work like a mad chook. There's a few things going on that kept me from writing, and if I suddenly drop off the planet again, it's not because I don't love you all to death. It means that there are some things out of my control.

If you remember, when we last left Keira, Ryker, Dayna and the others, they were heading off to Mystery Hill to take on Leviathan's Legions... I hope you enjoy this chapter. If you do, don't forget to vote.

Take care,

❤ ℳ

❧ ⚛ ✺ ✺ ⚛ ❧

By the time they had arrived at their destination, the summer solstice sun had set, and the strawberry moon majestically hung low and heavy in the evening sky. The glowing light, after forcing its way through thicker and humid air, resembled the color of honey. It's amber color giving it an ethereal radiance that that fascinated people since the dawn of time.

Keira closed her eyes and raised her face towards the moon. As the day had drawn to a close, giving way to the night, her body came alive as if it were already siphoning energy from the potent and undeniable power that was recharging the earth. Every nerve ending shivered and twitched. Her legs ached to race through the forest; her fingertips pulsed and longed to understand just how much power she could tap into.

A light touch at her elbow brought her back to the reality of the situation, and she swung her head around towards Dayna.

"Can you feel it?" she whispered to her sister in awe.

Dayna nodded. Even in the dim light, Keira could see the energy pulsing behind her sisters energetic and expressive eyes.

"I know you said that we would feel extra power, but this is unbelievable," said Maize, keeping her voice low.

While Keira and Dayna had experienced this phenomenon before, the intensity of the surge in energy was that much stronger the nearer they were to a doorway. Right now, they couldn't get much closer if they tried.

Keira peered around the large tree they had taken refuge behind and studied the clearing around the ancient stones. Small fires had been lit, enabling them a clear view of the Legions. As with their previous visit, Arnie, the muscled Legion who appeared in charge, and the robed older man they guessed was a Brother Superior with The Order, were focused on the ceremony to bring each Legion through the doorway into a host's body. However, with the increase in their little army, the original formation of Legions around the circumference of the clearing had changed. They were dismayed to discover that they were now scattered in an even pattern between the outer part of the clearing, all the way to the outer edge of the inner third of the clearing. Arms were crossed at their chest, with each hand resting on the opposite shoulder; their heads faced downwards, and a low hum resonated throughout the woods.

Both Deacon and Kahair had recognized it at once. The Legions were channeling their power through each other to begin their final assault. This same technique had been used across the eons to bring cities to their knees and allow the vampire forces to full reign to decimate Leviathan's enemies.

Keira pulled back and took a deep breath. Where are they?

Her question was answered a few moments later as a small gust of wind whipped at the dry dirt at her feet.

Keira's shoulders relaxed when Ryker, Deacon, Kahair and Vincent, another of the primordial vampires, appeared. Ryker looked as concerned as he had since their change in plan. Since its inception, Ryker had voiced his opposition to it. Check that, not the plan persay, but his part in it.

Their original strategy had been to punch a hole through the outer-rim. With no Legions between the outer and the small contingent in the middle, it would be easy enough to get the three witches close enough to the altar stone to allow them to erect a barrier before the Legions would realize what had happened.

The change in formation had caused them to scuttle plan A. There was now no alternative; they needed to make a direct assault and clear a path safe enough to allow Keira, Dayna, and Maize to reach the center third of the clearing. Without this, they had no chance of getting near enough to make a difference.

After a rapid change to their strategy, Deacon and Ryker agreed that the best way forward was to separate into three attack teams. The hope was to draw the Legion into three separate directions and tear a largely unguarded hole that would be able to be navigated with minimum resistance.

Deacon, Kahir, and Vincent would protect and get the three witches to the center. Once there and the barrier erected, they would split up and join the others in battle.

The only disagreement had been who would escort the witches.

"We have no way of gauging their strength," said Deacon after Ryker had voiced his concern at not being included in Keira's protection detail. "While you have exceptional strength and speed, it is nothing like a Primordial's. Did you really wish to jeopardize their safety, as well as the lives of everyone should Leviathan succeed this evening?"

"My old friend is correct," said Kahair, agreeing with Deacon. "We will protect the witches with our lives, as will all those who have joined us."

Earlier that day, once the primordial vampires Deacon had reached out to had arrived, they collectively agreed to let the younger vampires know how their race was given birth, and just what they went through to escape. While the majority were nowhere near as 'civilized' and absorbed into society as Deacon, Ryker, Kahair and his associates, they clearly had a single view when it came to Leviathan. They valued their freedom too much to allow her to rule them again.

The younger vampires had varying degrees of reactions. Some, while not admitting to the prior knowledge, did not appear as surprised as others. This could only mean it wasn't the first time they had heard the story. In the end, not one vampire had a desire to have anyone stronger than them to rain on their parade. Their kind had been the predominant predator for millennia. They were not about to let their reign end without a fight.

While their reaction had differed, their resolution had not. Leviathan was not coming through if they had anything to do with it. Whatever help the witches needed, they would supply it.

The vampire trained all afternoon diligently. Not speaking much, they were determined to not make any mistakes-even if that meant working with their natural enemy. While those vampires that called Massachusetts home were used to working and living with witches, the new arrivals were not. However, a common enemy made all the difference.

After depositing Keira, Dayna, and Maize in a safe hiding place, Ryker and the others took off to place the other teams in position. The CrossRoads witches, already secured a short distance away, were readying themselves for playing their part. It was important they keep far enough away to remain out of danger, but close enough to retain a line of sight to the ancient site, and the three witches that would take center stage.

The vampires return could only mean they were ready to begin their assault on the Legions and their deranged God.

"Everyone is in place," said Ryker.

Keira let out a long breath. There was nothing that could have prepared her for what they needed to do. Fear of the unknown terrorized her and, for a moment, she was immobile. Had her mother felt as she did? Had she had been as conflicted as to whether what she was doing was the right thing, and that it wouldn't cause more harm than good?

Ryker came to stand by her. "Are you ready?"

Keira raised an eyebrow. "Can you ever be for something like this?"

"I'll take that as a yes then," he said with a wink. Ryker turned to Deacon, and his face turned to stone. "Keep them safe,"

The older vampire nodded. "We have this. Fear not, they will be guarded with our lives. We understand more than you what is at stake."

Keira could feel Ryker's intense gaze as he readied himself to return to his team. "You remember what I said Doc. No heroics. You need help, you call me."

She felt his arm snake around her. A moment later she was hard against his chest, and his lips had found hers in a crushing kiss. As quickly as it had begun, he pulled away. The resulting gust of air an indication that he was already gone.

Deacon checked his watch. "Two minutes. Be ready to move to our position. Once the others have diverted their attention, Kahair and I will clear a path and Vincent will bring you through when it's safe."

Keira, Dayna, and Maize huddled together and crouched down to keep out of site as Deacon and Kahair blended in with the night to check on the Legion.

Dayna elbowed Keira. "Well, that was hot. When this is over, you and Sherriff McSexy will need to get a room before you blow the state up with that repressed tension."

Maize let out a slight giggle. "He is easy on the eye, but don't let Grant know I said that."

"Pfft," said Dayna as she waved her hand dismissively. "There's no harm in window shopping. You don't need to buy. I'm sure Grant does it all the time."

"Will you two quit it," hissed Keira in exasperation.

They looked up as a throat was cleared and discovered Deacon, Kahair, and Vincent staring down at them. Keira felt her face grow even warmer than it already was in the humid night air. There was no way the vamps had not overheard the conversation.

"It is time," said Deacon as he reached out to Dayna and pulled her up into a standing position.

With as much stealth as possible, they made their way to their assigned position at the opposite end of where the action was about to take place. With the light from the full moon, they needed to be extra vigilant to stay out of sight.

The painful minutes waiting for something to happen, felt like hours. The inactivity only served to make Keira acutely aware of the energy that poured into her body with the force of a waterfall after a heavy rain. It took an extreme amount of willpower not to fidget. From Dayna and Maize's uncomfortable twitching, she wasn't the only one.

Almost in unison, the three teams began their assault. At first, it looked like the plan would work and a quiver of excitement rippled through Keira. The Legions began to separate and head towards the team nearest them. Her hopes came crashing down around her as the segment nearest their position regrouped around the available space. While they had fewer Legions to get through, there were a damn sight more than the handful they had hoped for.

Kahair made a disapproving sound and shook his head. "It could be worse."

Deacon studied the teams that were embroiled in battle, then the Legions that remained at their post. "They are too coordinated for my liking. It can only mean that Leviathan has managed to get one of her Generals through." He glanced back at Vincent. "Kahair and I will clear a path. Only bring them through when it is safe."

Before Keira could object, the two Primordial Vampires disappeared in a blur. By the time she looked up, they had entered the fray and joined in the chaos. Keira found it difficult to keep up with the speed in which the battle was taking place. While there were no words spoken, the grunts, growls and pained shouts as fists and legs made contact with each other, drowned out any conversation. At first, it was difficult to keep up, the figures were moving too fast. Once her brain caught up, she was able to follow the Vampires and Legion as they crashed into one another and attempted to physically remove a limb or any other part of the body that could cause serious injury.

Keira peered into the darkness of the woods surrounding the clearing. Somewhere, just behind them, the CrossRoads witches had begun to channel their power in preparation for the three witches heading into the center of the clearing to tap into. Every nerve ending was enhanced by the additional source of power now available to them, making it difficult to focus.

"Are you alright?" Dayna asked.

Keira nodded. "I'm fine. I was just wondering where the additional power has come from. It's almost like someone has returned the stolen power and added to it. I've never felt this much energy before."

"I wouldn't over think it," said Dayna as she turned back towards the clearing. "Just be thank-" Dayna halted mid-sentence and let out a small cry.

Keira snapped her head around to where Dayna's attention was riveted. Deacon had just taken down a Legion, and three others were about to attack his position in unison. Her heart leaped into her throat. She was unable to look away as the Legion descended on him. His board shorts and summer boat shoes a stark reminder that just a few short days ago the original owner of the body was a carefree young man on vacation.

Keira sent out a silent prayer that their guess was right-Primordial Vampires were much stronger than the standard Legion.

The first Legion rushed Deacon, and he stepped to one side at the last moment. At the same time, Deacon rounded on the nearest walking corpse and, with a roundhouse kick, his booted foot crashed into its torso, sending it flying. Before he'd managed to land his boot back on the ground, the third managed to breach his defenses, and he was pushed back with the force of a full body slam. Quickly recovering, Deacon began to circle the third man, watching for his moment to strike. Keira was dismayed when two more moved closer and looked to strike. Kahair, after disposing of his attacker, moved closer to Deacon and they began to work in tandem.

"I don't think this plan is working either," said Dayna as they watched the two Vampires take on another Legion.

Keira frowned. She had to agree. The enemy was so confident in their ability, they simply readjusted their positions around the clearing, rather than send out their entire battalion. Even going so far as to have many of those fighting the vampires, leave the battle and return to their original position.

"There must be another way," Keira said a quick calculation of their opposition.

While they had disposed of some, it was nowhere near enough to make a difference or clear a path. She flinched as a vampire Keira recognized as one of Ryker's deputies was set upon by a small group of Legion. He put up a good fight but was outmatched through pure numbers, not ability.

Maize let out a cry of shock when an unexpected shot rang out in the night, followed by a series of others. The small group of men from The Order, still guarding the prisoners, were taking pot shots at any vampire that came near them. Keira only hoped that Mitos and Grant strike at the right time. They were instructed to wait until the barrier was up.

Dayna brought a hand up to cover her mouth. "We need to do something."

"I know, but what? We don't have the physical strength to fight our way to the middle."

While the outer two-thirds of the clearing were full to the brim with vampires and Legions, the inner third was bare. It appeared the ceremony to transfer a Legion from hell, into a living host required a bit of space.

Dayna clasped her hands and squeezed them together. "There has to be another way. This will be all for nothing if we can't stop Leviathan."

Keira opened her mouth to answer and stopped in shock. Dayna was gone. She was there; then she wasn't. Her head snapped up to see if Maize or Vincent saw what had happened, and her eyes opened in surprise. Her sister was now standing four hundred feet away, a short distance from the altar stone and just inside the inner circle around the ancient stones and structures.

"No, no, no, no, no," she said with dismay.

Her sister was alone and unprotected, surrounded by nearly one hundred Legion. Keira took a step forward and called out, "Dayna."

Strong hands pulled her back before she could take another step.

"There is nothing you can do," said Vincent, "Deacon and Kahair will get to her. We cannot risk both of you falling into their hands."

Panic swelled and threatened to debilitate her as the Legions nearest Dayna recovered from the shock of a woman materializing in their midst, and began to move in on her. Keira struggled against Vincent's grip.

"Let me go. I need to get to her."

As predicted, Deacon noticed Dayna had appeared where she shouldn't be and began to make his way towards her. His frantic movement an indicator that he too was concerned for her safety. Realizing the reason for Deacon's sudden change in tactic, his path was cut off by the Legion's, making it impossible for him to get to her before them.

Dayna swung her body round so that she was now directly facing Keira's direction. While she could see her sister, there was no way Dayna could see into the darkened woods. Her petrified expression was clear, even from this distance.

Keira fought against Vincent's grip. "I said, let me-"

The words died on her lips as a strange sensation shimmied through her body. She brought up her hands to look at them in time to see them vibrate so quickly her fingertips began to blur.

What the?

The pressure on her shoulders lifted and when she looked up again, she was standing a few feet away from Dayna. Just as quickly, her stomach churned, and she felt nauseous. She held back the bile that threatened to projectile vomit and forced herself to focus. It took less than a moment for her to come out of her shocked stupor to discover two Legions bearing down on her sister. There was no doubt what would happen if they reached her.

Whether it was anger or desperate need to protect Dayna, Keira instinctively raised her hand, palm out, and a blue-white ball of fire shot out and hit one of the Legion's square in the chest. He was propelled with such force he took out another one in his flight, and they landed in a crumpled heap on the ground.

"Dayna, I don't know how you did it, but get Maize here, now!"

Another sphere of fire was hurled towards the second man. As with the first, it was enough to incapacitate him. Whether they were injured or dead, Keira was unsure. They weren't moving, and that was all that mattered at that point.

She gritted her teeth, and her arm swung around to face another who had moved towards them. "We need to get the barrier up. I don't know if I can keep this up."

Upon seeing their comrades fall, four more turned their focus to the two women who had somehow appeared in the middle of the clearing. Dayna scrunched her face. It was a study in concentration as she called upon her new power. Her effort was rewarded when Maize appeared next to them.

Maize's face had lost all color, and she brought her hand up to cover her face. "I'm going to be ill."

Keira hurled a few more energy balls towards the Legion and moved in closer to her sister and Maize. "We don't have time for that. We need to get that barrier up."

Maize nodded and took a deep visible gulp. The three of them began to chant. To Keira's surprise, the wall locked into place before they had finished, and the noise from the battle that raged dimmed to a low murmur. They were effectively cut off from the majority of the Legions, as well as the Vampires. Keira, Dayna, and Maize, no longer had any protection. The outcome of this now rested solely on their shoulders.

In the span of less than two minutes, they had teleported across a war zone, killed or badly maimed half a dozen Legion, and had erected a protective wall around the inner third of the ancient site. Not bad for a couple of three hundred odd-year-old women and a grieving mother who had only just tapped into her true power.

"Do you think it will hold?" asked Maize as they watched Legion after Legion race at it, only to be repelled back when they came in contact with the barrier.

Keira took a deep breath and glanced around the immediate area cordoned off from the outside world. In addition to them, three prisoners bound and gagged, an elderly man in robes, she counted five Legion they needed to defend themselves against if required. In addition to the four Legion foot soldiers, they were trapped in the inner circle with Arnie, the head Legion. "Yes, but for how long is the question."

Dayna took an involuntary step backward as one of the men moved cautiously closer, clearly having learned from his downed fellow soldier's mistakes. "Ladies, I think we need to get our own personal barrier up before they get any bright ideas."

The three witches quickly moved close enough to each other that they could erect another barrier. This time one that would encircle the three of them and protect them from those remaining in the inner circle.

"That was close," said Maize.

Their magical barricade locked into place just as the Legion broke into a run towards them. It held true, and he flew backward as the barricade recognized him as a threat and rejected him. He landed on the ground with a slight bounce as he hit the dirt.

This only served to enrage him further, and he quickly rose and moved to make another attempt. Keira shook her head and raised an eyebrow. While the original host reminded her of a bookish librarian, complete with pocket protector, the Legion who had taken the unfortunate man as a host, did not share the same level of intelligence. If he couldn't get through the first time, what made him believe it would work if he repeated the exact same action?

When he landed in the exact same place a moment later, Keira rolled her eyes.

Idiot!

Now that she had a moment to breathe, Keira took a quick look around, as she pulled her onyx crystals from her pocket. The chaos beyond the barrier was now a distorted, angry hum. It was still difficult to keep up with the speed of which some of the skirmishes took place. Others were easier to follow

Now that they were safely ensconced in the middle, Deacon, Kahair, and Vincent had joined the fight. In the distance to her right, the fire and air witches, with Grant and Mitos leading the way, began their assault to free the remaining prisoners.

Keira let out a wry grin when she noticed one of The Order's disciples drop his sidearm and snap his hand away, holding it to him as the other reached up to cradle it. Mitos's idea had worked. They knew they had no chance of getting near The Order while they were armed. After raiding the Sherriff's Office weapons cache, they could take on a tank if required. They needed a way to separate them from their weapons. The question was, how? Mitos, with his usual politically incorrect flair, had asked, "Can't you freaks just turn lead into molten lead? Make it too hot to handle and burn the fucknuggets."

It turned out, they could.

Satisfied that the prisoners were now safe and the Legions were limited with their easy access to additional hosts, she completed the task of dispersing her crystals in a large circle along with her sisters and Maize's. They stood and moved to stand on the outer rim, an equal distance apart.

Keira closed her eyes and tipped her head so that the stars in the night sky was all she could see. She held out her hands and reached up as she began to chant, "Illam Terra parens aestivum solem, lunam offertur. Ad nos praeditos canalibus. Iubeo instar Huc Concede nobis praecipere fluxus."

Just as she finished, Dayna repeated the process. This was immediately followed by Maize. Finally, in unison, they intoned the ancient incantation that would allow them to draw power from each other, as well as from the other CrossRoads witches.

"Did it work?" Maize asked.

Keira nodded. She could feel the additional power surge. The pressure from the supply they now had access to was building up.

As they began to prepare for what would come next, Keira cast a glance into the battle hoping to spot Ryker. As before, he was in the thick of things. He and another vampire had teamed up and were now protecting each other's flanks as they waited for the Legion to come to them. She flinched as one flew at Ryker and managed to knock him off his feet. He was up and paid his attacker back-in-kind, in quick order.

"He'll be fine," said Dayna when Keira let out a barely audible cry when a large gash appeared on Ryker's shoulder and down his arm. She nodded her head in the direction of the altar stone. "It's him you need to worry about."

Keira tore her focus away from the chaos. The massive Legion they had dubbed Arnie had successfully brought through another who was now making his way to join his three comrades trying to break through the barrier separating them from the main battle beyond.

Arnie turned his attention to the three witches. A shiver of fear ran down her spine as his piercing gaze rested on her. There was no doubt that he was powerful. She could feel a ripple in the air as his energy reached out to push against their protective barrier.

"Mother Earth, did you feel that?" asked Dayna.

There was a sharp tug, and Arnie's eyes opened wide with shock as another push failed to break through. It had, thankfully, held strong. He made his way towards them, his stride confident as he walked, his expression calculated as he studied each one of them in turn. "I know not what you hope to achieve, but it will fail. You are mere witches against the mighty Legion. I suggest you cease this foolhardy behavior and submit to us now. Our Lord and Master will be lenient and may overlook your transgressions."

He held out his hand and felt around the boundary. Every now and then, she could feel another attempt at a breach.

When Maize let out a slight whimper, Keira gave her an encouraging smile. "Have faith," she said, "It will hold."

As expected, Arnie made another attempt, this time, not hiding the fact he was attacking their defenses. His shocked expression was enough for Keira. While he might have incredible powers, and be able to summon Legion from hell, he couldn't call the power required to get to them. They were safe-for now.

"You are no match for General Zahir. I am the right hand of our Lord Leviathan and General of the Seven Legion armies. You will fail."

Keira stared unblinkingly at the General. People who referred to themselves in the third person irritated her. "I'm sorry, am I supposed to be impressed?"

He let out a vicious bellow and bared his teeth at Kiera. "Witch, I will have the upmost pleasure to make your death particularly painful and prolonged; and I will make sure you have front row seats for your friend's demise. They, I will give as a gift to Brother Amos for his loyalty. I understand he takes special delight in giving pain, and is quite the expert, or so I am informed."

"It was nice talking to you," called out Dayna as General Zahir stormed back to the altar stone and pulled another prisoner up off the ground. "Sorry couldn't chat longer, busy stopping that evil bitch from coming through."

Keira took a deep breath and briefly closed her eyes. The energy now running through her body was painful.

It's time.

As one, the three then began the arduous task of breaking the connection of the Legions power source.

At first, Keira didn't think their efforts were bearing fruit. She could feel the surge, dancing, teasing as it flowed from the earth up through their bodies and out into the night sky. The combination of shared power they were siphoning from the witches was heady and thick. She could almost taste the different flavors as they flowed through her, allowing her to command and direct them.

Never before had she considered the magic that she had access to having a taste. However, with the mixture of shared magic as it combined and melded together, it appeared it did.

Keira took a moment to check her surroundings and was dismayed to raise her head the moment the Order's Brother Superior, she now knew to be Amos, carved a symbol into the prisoners' forehead. She winced when the man screamed in agony as blood trickled from the wound. From the glint in his eye and cold smile, it appeared Zahir had not been lying when he informed them of Amos's predilection for inflicting pain. Keira blinked a few times and narrowed her eyes. If she didn't know better, there were earbuds in Amos's ears which was connected to something in the pocket of his robe.

Before beginning the ceremony, General Zahir glanced towards them in disgust. She expected him to say something. However, he ignored them and returned to his prisoner.

With renewed effort, Keira tapped back into her power source and focused on severing the connection. However, without knowing exactly where to focus their efforts, they could only hope they were at least in the right vicinity.

The seconds flew by as they disbursed the spell as wide as possible. Keira watched closely when the General halted his efforts and let out a loud growl. After a short conversation with Amos, he redoubled his efforts. A feeling of satisfaction rushed through Keira. Something wasn't going right with his parasite summoning.

"It's working," said Maize.

Keira grinned, a heavyweight was lifting. Perhaps this would work after all. "Yes, but disrupting a single transfer is not enough, we need to sever the link between Leviathan and all her disciples to give our team a chance."

They turned to the battle that still raged beyond their sanctuary. There were a few more dead vampires on the ground than she was comfortable with. A few she recognized, some she didn't. Mostly, Keira was relieved to discover Ryker and Deacon were still holding their own.

Another angry growl cut through the noise, and she turned towards it. Zahir stood halfway between the altar stone and their position. His hands were clenched into fists, and she could see veins had popped out along his neck.

"He doesn't look happy," remarked Maize.

Her voice was more strained than usual. Before Keira could investigate why, the giant of a man took an angry stomp forward.

"What have you done?" he demanded, "if you think this will work, you are deluding yourself. You have not stopped us, just slowed us down. All you have succeeded in is sealing your own fate."

"Settle big boy, if you put much more strain on that stolen body, it's likely to have a coronary," said Dayna.

Zahir's eyes narrowed, and his rage overflowed. "Get them." His voice boomed across the clearing.

A moment later, a dozen Legion broke away from the battle with the vampires and headed in their direction. He either shared telepathic abilities with this army for they had very well developed hearing. To understand his order through the wall was no mean feat.

The four Legions within the inner area began an assault on their personal barrier, just as those trapped beyond the larger wall began their attack.

Dayna winked. "Someone's got rage issues."

"Dayna," said Keira with an edge of irritation. "You need to focus. We need to siphon off more power. We've slowed them down, but it's not enough."

While both the wall keeping the Legions away from the inner circle, and their personal barrier had held so far, Keira wasn't sure how long that would last. The majority of the power they channeled was now focused on severing the connection. Even with her advanced abilities, her body felt as though she had just run a marathon. She glanced across at Maize to discover the woman's brows were furrowed, and her mouth was set in a grim line. Her hair was matted to her forehead as it stuck to the bead of perspiration across it.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Maize nodded. "I'll be fine." She stiffened her shoulders and pulled them back. The rapid rise and fall of her chest indicated she was anything but. "I probably won't be able to move for a week after this, but it will be worth it to see those bastards suffer."

"Don't be a martyr," said Dayna, "make sure you let us know if it becomes too much."

From Dayna's expression, Keira understood the message she silently conveyed. It was the same thing that had raced through her mind. They needed to make sure between them, they drew the bulk of the power. It didn't look like Maize could take much more.

To make matters worse, Zahir was correct, whatever they were doing only slowed, not stopped the process. The General had resumed his chant; this time, joined by Amos. The man strapped to the slab was losing his struggle. Any moment, the incoming Legion's consciousness would overpower him, and he would be lost forever.

Adamant she needed to put a stop to it, Keira redoubled her efforts and sunk to the ground, one knee bent the other on the uneven dirt and rock. She placed her hands, palms down, on the earth and breathed in deeply. Keira ignored the prisoners screams as it echoed around the clearing. The barrier had created a feedback loop that bounced the sound around as it if were a pinball.

The three women continued to siphon power as they chanted in unison. A jump in the energy coursed through Keira, and jerked her body into an arch while she fought to control it. Her heart thumped against her ribs as she forced it out, and focused on severing the connection. It was as if she could now see it. Each Legion had a faint strand of energy linking them to Arnie. A second, stronger strand, weaved its way to the large standing stone on the far side of the clearing. The entire area resembled a giant spiders web, beautiful and stunning in its complexity; chilling in its purpose.

Keira let out an audible gasp as it dawned on her how Leviathan expected to come through. The deranged wannabe God had anchored her power to the ancient stone. Its sister stones rested in vigil at each of the doors around the globe. Leviathan had managed to tap into the entire CrossRoads network. No wonder the General still expected to bring her through with a depleted army. He didn't need the numbers, he needed to feed the network. Like a worn car battery, it had the ability to recharge if sufficient energy is passed through it.

We need to stop this now!

Now she could see where they needed to concentrate their attack, she barked out instructions to the others. Dayna, without hesitation, mimicked Keira's position and tapped directly into their power source. They needed to up their game before it was too late. It didn't take too long before her sister saw what she had.

"Focus on the main standing stone. Push everything you have towards it."

At first, there was no visible change. Persevering, they refused to let up the continual bombardment of the stone. It took a few minutes, but Keira opened her eyes wide when she detected a flicker in the web. Slight at first and then more pronounced.

"It's working."

Zahir must have detected the change in his power levels as there was a renewed effort, both inside and out, to break through the barriers.

Dayna smirked when one of the Legion nearest her began to pound on their protective wall. "Nice try, but we've made sure your kind can't get through."

Keira ignored General Zahir's outburst and remained glued to the stone. The web wavered but didn't appear to be in distress. They needed to up their game. Something out the corner of her eye caught her attention. There was a flash of black, followed by a woman's cry of pain.

Keira spun her head around and locked eyes with Maize's surprise pair. Standing directly behind her, was the black robed Brother Superior, his expression triumphant. They had been so focused on the Legions, they had forgotten there was still a human within the inner circle that could cause them harm.

Maize wavered and sunk to her knees, her face still etched with shock. Amos smiled, reached down and, with a yank at something behind her, raised his arm. Clutched victoriously in his hand, was a dagger dripping with blood. Before Keira could react, he plunged the blade downward.

❧ ⚛ ✺ ✺ ⚛ ❧

📎 A/N. Good Lord! Do you think they'll manage to save Maize in time?

They certainly underestimated that weasel Amos. I wonder where they are getting this additional power from. I know that their abilities is naturally greater during the summer solstice, but this seems unnaturally powerful... What do you think?

Next chapter will be posted late Friday PST. See you then.

Take care, and thanks for your continued support. It means the world to me.

❤ ℳ