Chaos (Book 4) (The Omega Group) (19 page)

Gracey watched the coven members throw their heads back as a
group and gasp.  She remembered how it felt when she’d been a part of the
channeling Tori used to shut down a nuclear plant in California. The power from
so many different covens filling her up, then traveling through her to the
crystal, had been incredible. And that was before Europe and the rest of the
world got involved. She couldn’t even imagine what they were feeling now.

The inner circle stood nearby this time. Perhaps they felt
safer being in close proximity, or perhaps Tori just didn’t care if people
figured out what she’d done. It would be too late for anyone to do anything
about it, so why bother hiding?

Gracey wandered over to the old campfire where dozens of
excited children used to congregate to hear cheesy ghost stories, roast
marshmallows, and look for an excuse to sit near their latest crush. Happy
times Gracey feared would be gone forever after today. The thought of
everything that would be lost increased her nausea, and Gracey had to fight
against a violent urge to vomit.

All four members of the inner circle stood round the
crystal, holding hands and chanting. Both Tori and Liza stared at Gracey,
wearing the arrogant smirks only people who’d crushed an enemy could wear.
Tori’s brother and another gunman Gracey hadn’t seen yet were joined by Keith.
They surrounded the women in a layer of camouflage and weapons that was, quite
frankly, unnecessary.

Even Phoenix seemed to know they’d missed their chance. He’d
been seated on one of the logs lying around the fire pit, presumably where
Nicole told him to wait. But he stood up, walked over to Gracey, and put his
arm around her.

“Is there anything you can do? Or your team?” Gracey asked
in desperation.

“I’m sorry. As soon as they started the ceremony I tried to
get the crystal. Not only are the Beverly Hillbillies protecting it, but
there’s a spell or something around it, too.” Phoenix squeezed her shoulder.

The four women flung back their heads as the coven directed
the power they’d been collecting to the crystal. Although the energy remained
invisible, Gracey could see the disturbance caused by that much concentrated
power in the atmosphere. The beam narrowed as it got closer to the campfire,
hitting the crystal at a diameter of no more than a couple of inches. Within a
few seconds, it would stream out of the top, into the stratosphere and—

Gracey’s head jerked back and her arms flung wide. Phoenix
was tossed to the side, as breathtaking energy surged into her. Wave after wave
crashed through her chest, threatening to drown her in power. Visions flashed
through her mind of so many women—some she recognized and others she didn’t.
These were their powers. Orano had done it.

Now it’s your turn, Sherwood. Save the world.

Gracey pulled her arms in against the unseen forces fighting
to escape the bounds of her body. They didn’t belong to her and would struggle
against the unnatural imprisonment, especially after just being released from
their jars. She took a deep breath and tried to fill her soul with love and
light, to calm the power and give it comfort and understanding.

A moment later, she had total control. And the force filled
her with a confidence she’d never experienced before. Gracey squeezed her palms
together in front of her chest until she felt the power swirling just beneath
her skin. When it grew to a high enough intensity, she thrust her hands up and forward.

Energy drove from her fingers, intersecting with the beam
about ten feet above Tori’s head. The air around the spot shimmered and
crackled as two incredible forces fought for dominance. Gracey felt the beam
move ever so slightly, but Tori must have felt it, too. She increased her
chanting along with the others, and Gracey felt the beam push back against her.

She closed her eyes, silently praying for help from Hecate,
the Goddess of the Witches. Although her coven worshipped Morrighan, Gracey
always felt more connected to Hecate. Her altar at home was dedicated to the
deity and so was Gracey.

With renewed inspiration, Gracey began to draw power from
the Mother Earth. A warm sensation radiated through her, adding itself to the
energy she wielded and moving the beam off course again. Each time Tori pushed
back, Gracey absorbed more power and thrust forward. She would be victorious.

“Shoot her!” Tori wailed.

Samuel’s eyes widened in fear that had nothing to do with
the magic being worked all around him. He slowly raised his rifle but kept his
finger off the trigger. Before Gracey could even register the danger, Phoenix’s
back pressed against her front. He’d chosen to be a human shield again, only
this time he protected Gracey instead of Tori’s crystal.

“Shoot them both, you useless hick,” Tori screamed at her
brother.

It wouldn’t have taken a psychologist to predict the attitude
adjustment coming from Samuel. His rifle lowered immediately, as did those of
his friends, and the three left their post—and Samuel’s sister.

Gracey held firm, but wouldn’t last much longer. No human
was meant to wield that much power, and the longer she did, the less focus she
had. Her beam of energy, once hitting Tori’s in tight formation, now spread out
into a wide stream, diluting its strength. Tori’s beam pushed further and
further back as Gracey’s weakened.

“Need a hand?” The girl all but screamed in her ear.

The next thing Gracey knew, Mirissa stood at her back, arms
raised parallel to hers with her palms facing inward. She slowly squeezed her hands
together and Gracey’s beam followed suit. Somehow, the girl was able to push
the energy back into tight formation. Gracey supplied the stream of power, and
Mirissa molded it into a force of nature.

Tori’s beam shattered, creating sparks out of thin air that
shimmered in the bright sunlight and fizzled as they fell to Earth. As they
fell, Tori’s shoulders sagged. Her alabaster skin took on a sallow appearance
and her eyes lost their shine. As every coven member looked to her for
guidance, Tori simply stared straight ahead, seemingly in shock at the
unexpected outcome.

Gracey silently thanked her deity, the Earth, and the
borrowed powers for their help. She let go of the forces she’d absorbed from
the jars and sent them to their rightful homes. As they poured out of her body,
she grew weak and dizzy once again.

Gracey’s trembling lips turned up in a smile as a wobbly
image of Orano running toward her filled her blurred vision. He wrapped her in
his arms as though he hadn’t seen her in years. When he pulled back, a worried
expression covered his face.

“Are you all right? You don’t look so good.”

The baritone voice sounded far away but filled every cell in
her body with comfort. The afternoon breeze drew goosebumps from her damp skin,
but she didn’t care. They’d won, and that was what mattered. She reached up to
give the man she loved one last kiss, then collapsed in his arms.

“Gracey!’ Orano yelled. “Gracey!” He gently lowered her to
the ground, placing her head on his lap and stroking her hair. She stared up at
him with glassy eyes, a weak smile still on her lips. Even like this she seemed
happy.

Phoenix knelt in front of her, holding her hand in both of
his. “Come on, girl. Don’t you dare give up this easily.”

“What’s wrong with her?” one of the coven witches called out.

Orano almost shot an energy ball at the woman but kept
himself under control. “Stay the hell away from her.”

Myrine crouched down beside them. “What can I do to help? I
don’t know anything about magic, but I’ll do whatever I can.”

A blinding light erupted all around them. Orano
instinctively bent low over Gracey to cover her from whatever new danger had
caused it. When nothing exploded, he raised his head to see something he’d
never expected to witness again.

Three goddesses stood by the campfire. Two wore long, hooded
robes covering most of their faces, while the third—the one Orano knew to be
Artemis from the time she’d popped in on them on Ortega—wore the same white
gown and gold belt she’d worn back then. All of them, however, radiated awesome
power.

The one closest to them pulled back her hood to reveal the
kind of beauty only a divine being possessed. “Do you know who I am?” Her voice
reverberated through him.

“Yes, Hecate. I do,” Gracey whispered as she tried to push
herself up.

Orano took the hint and pulled her onto his lap, where he
supported her weight and held her tight.

“And I?” The other removed her hood and stood before them.

“Morrighan,” Gracey looked to the last smiling goddess and
added, “And you are Artemis.”

Every coven member, including Tori and her inner circle,
bowed low. Orano didn’t understand what was happening, and Artemis seemed to
take pity on him.

“We are known as the Triple Goddess and have been deities to
witches for all time.” She glanced to Myrine and smiled. “Many gods and
goddesses pull double-duty.”

Hecate kneeled next to Gracey. “Do you call for justice to
be done here?”

The gasps coming from the other witches told Orano that
question wasn’t as simple as it sounded. “What does that mean?”

Hecate turned toward him. “I deliver swift justice when
asked.”

Orano waited for her to continue. He felt quite sure there
would be more to it than that. He was right.

“However …” She once again focused on Gracey. “Should you
ask me to dole out justice, you must be willing to accept the same upon
yourself. Are you willing to pay that price?”

“You don’t need to do this, Gracey. We can make sure Tori
gets justice,” Orano reassured her.

Gracey’s smile grew wide. “Hecate has been my deity since I
became a witch. I’ve worshiped her for years. I respect and trust her.” She
turned to Hecate and answered the goddess’s question. “I am willing to pay the
price.” Gracey placed her hand on Orano’s cheek. “Thank you for coming for me,
Sparkles. I love you.”

The goddess stood and every coven witch cowered in fear.
Everyone except Tori, who turned to her coven’s deity. “Morrighan, I’ve
worshipped you for years. My whole coven has. There must be something you can do
for me. I shouldn’t be punished. The mundanes deserve to be put in their place.
They’re the weak ones who should be forced to live in hiding.” When angry
murmurs broke out from the other coven members, Tori appeared hopeful, until it
became obvious their outrage was directed at her.

The Morrighan placed her hand on Tori’s shoulder. “I’m
sorry, child. Justice has been called for and must be accepted.” The goddess
pulled up her hood and moved to stand beside Artemis.

Tori doubled over, heaving convulsively. She braced herself
with her hands on her knees, but the spasms got worse. Orano crinkled his nose
at the thought of watching her vomit, but what happened next shocked him even
more.

With every heave, blue smoke gushed from her mouth. Each
puff hung in the air for a moment before disappearing, sucked into the earth.
As Tori continued to spew, Liza started the same process, followed by Nicole,
and then Joy. All four of the inner circle coughed out blue smoke until the clouds
became smaller and smaller and finally stopped. The women crashed to their
knees, their heads hung low.

“You used other witches for your own gains,” Hecate began.
“You bound powers to protect your secrets. You will no longer have the ability
to do that. Your access to magic has been removed, as has your access to
speech.”

The crowd, already driven into silence at the spectacle,
slapped their hands over their own mouths as though doing so would save them
from the same fate as their coven leaders.

“You,” the goddess addressed the coven. “You knew not what
your priestess planned, but you should have.” Hecate turned to Greco. “Show
them.”

Greco pulled out the journal he’d retrieved from Tori’s shop
earlier and held it high.

“You believed what you wanted to believe, not what your
hearts—and Gracey—told you. You were blinded to reality by your dreams of
acceptance. As a result, until the next full moon, you will each live a transparent
life. You will not be able to hide a single thought or feeling from anyone. You
will learn the importance of truth.” The goddess let her gaze capture each of
the women. “And this journal will never be locked away again. The messages it
contains are far too important.”

Some of the witches looked relieved, while others looked
horrified. Orano thought they’d been let off far too easily.

“And you, young Gracey. Your ancestor set an example that no
Sherwood since has been able to live up to.”

Gracey’s back arched and her eyes flew open. Orano held her
tight. “How can you do this to her? She stopped them from destroying
everything. Take me instead. I’ll pay the price on her behalf. Please.”

Gracey coughed and black smoke billowed out of her mouth. As
with Tori and the others, it hung in the air before soaking into the ground.
Gracey’s body relaxed back into Orano’s chest, her breathing stronger than before
the episode.

“As I was saying”—Hecate raised her eyebrow at Orano—“no
Sherwood has lived up to her ancestor’s example … until now. Young Gracey, your
soul is pure and unburdened by poisonous thoughts or actions. Now your body is
likewise unburdened.”

Gracey jolted to her feet. “The foxglove. You saved my
life.” She bowed her head in heartfelt reverence. “Thank you.”

“You have much to do, my child. Do it well.” Hecate turned
to the woods. “And you, gentlemen. Please come forward.”

Orano turned to see the
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brotherhood, or what was left of it after their short battle with him and
Greco, step tentatively out of the trees.

“You have done much harm in the name of your religion. Many
innocent lives have been taken to honor a belief that is based on a lie told
long ago.” Hecate focused on one man. “You are their leader, correct?”

“I am,” the older man answered with more strength than Orano
expected.

“State your name,” Hecate ordered.

“Bishop Abiola.”

“Bishop, from this day forward, you and your followers will
only be able to dole out justice that you are willing and able to accept upon
yourselves, as anything you inflict on others will be inflicted upon you. You
will no longer judge people based on anything other than their character.

To Orano’s utter shock, Abiola and his men fell to their
knees in supplication. “As you wish, Goddess.”

Another blinding flash of light, and all three deities were
gone.

“Did that just happen?” Gracey asked.

“Yeah.” Orano smiled. “Stuff like that kind of does happen around
us.”

Gracey swallowed hard, looked into his eyes, and whispered,
“I think I may have soiled my big girl panties.”