by Raven Steele
Chapter 16
It was almost midnight and Oona still hadn’t arrived. A symphony of deep-throated toad croaks and high-pitched cricket chirps filled the air with their music. The song was a slight distraction from the suffocating weather. The back of my neck dripped with sweat from the hot, muggy air. I impatiently snapped at a mosquito buzzing near my leg, killing it effectively. What was delaying her? Maybe we had been right about her all along.
As for the rest of us, we’d been at Raven Cemetery for almost an hour preparing. Briar had ordered Samantha, who had taken over Gerald’s position over security, to guard the perimeter of the graveyard with her security team. I couldn’t see them, but I could sense them in the distance prowling among the many headstones and mausoleums.
Lynx, Roma, Adelade, and Owen were finishing up a giant pentacle they had burned into the grass. Aris and Angel stood together watching the process intently, while Luke and Mateo lit tall torches, twelve to be exact, bordering the pentacle.
I glanced up into the night sky. Even though I couldn’t see the full moon behind dark clouds, I could feel it. That and the terrible humidity. It seemed to have reached a new level tonight.
“I can’t believe she talked me into this,” a low voice said.
My gaze dropped to Detrand. He stood in front of me, looking stiff.
“Believe me, I tried to get you out of it, but we need your strength.”
He glanced across the lawn at Adelade. “The things I do for her.”
I smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll never tell anyone your weakness.”
Briar jogged over to us from out of the darkness. She swiped wet hair off her forehead and fluffed her shirt away from her chest. “Security is in place. I think we’re almost ready.”
“All we need is Oona.” I shared a worried glance with Briar.
Lynx straightened just as she sealed off the center of the pentacle and looked around. “Something’s coming.”
All of us slowly backed up to each other and searched the darkness. That’s when I felt it, too. Electricity in the air. The hairs on my arms lifted, and my breath hitched just as a shot of lightning zapped in front of us, illuminating the darkness. I held my breath, my heart pounding. Mateo took hold of my shoulders and pulled me to him.
Out of the darkness, two figures emerged. Oona and Folas. At first, I thought she was naked. Her skin-colored gown fit her tightly and yet, she walked so comfortably, it gave the illusion of being nude. Folas wore traditional fae guard attire with a blue petticoat to his knees, and a silver sash tied around his waist.
Briar stepped forward to meet her. “You came.”
“You doubted?” She looked beyond Briar at our small group. “I’d love introductions.”
Briar took a few minutes to introduce everyone. I watched Oona carefully, then scanned the darkness. “Where’s your guards?”
Oona turned away from Luke, a conversation I had interrupted. “They are here.”
Briar and several others spun around, searching the area around us, but most likely they wouldn’t see anything. She had probably made an illusion to conceal them. I didn’t like being watched secretly. I wanted to know how many Oona had brought with her.
“Why hide them?” Lynx asked, still staring into the darkness.
“I have many enemies. If word escaped that I left Black Glen, they would try to find me. My men are hidden for my protection.” Oona drew her eyebrows together. “Why do I feel like you don’t trust me?”
I wanted to say because we didn’t, but we needed her here.
“What? Of course we do.” Briar scoffed and laughed it off. “We just get nervous when we can’t see a bunch of men with weapons.”
Oona forced a tight smile. “Understandable, but I assure you, you’re safe.”
“Let’s get this party started,” Roma called. “It’s past my bedtime.”
I kept an eye on Oona as Roma told her where to stand within the pentacle’s circle. Roma did the same to the rest of us until we were all standing close enough to hold hands. Detrand’s attention was on the darkness around us, whether planning his escape or watching for threats, I couldn’t be sure. Adelade stood next to him, her expression more somber than usual. Maybe it was because Loxley was here. Adelade had tried to prevent it, but Loxley wouldn’t hear of it. I understood Loxley’s motives, though. When someone you loved died, staying busy was best.
After placing Lynx inside the circle, Roma walked around us, eyeing us up and down. She stopped in front of Owen.
“What?” he asked.
“Your aura is a hot mess. I don’t like it.”
His lips pinched together. “Just perform the spell. I have enough power in me to help.”
She sighed and moved on to Angel, then Briar and Luke. The rest of us must’ve passed her inspection, because she stepped next to Lynx. “I’m going to stay in the circle with you to make sure you don’t take on too much power.”
“Will it hurt you?” Lynx asked.
“Worry about yourself right now. What you’re about to do could be like stepping into the worst horror movie you’ve ever seen. The Phoenix uses power directly from Hell. Severing the bond between her and Korin could be quite violent.”
Lynx’s face paled.
“Maybe this is a bad idea,” Aris said.
Briar groaned. “Aris is right. You don’t have to do this.”
Lynx straightened taller. “No. It’s fine. Take your neighbors’ hands please.”
The tension in the air immediately notched up and my stomach squirmed. Even Briar’s face was a little pale. Everyone shuffled as hands began to connect, albeit a bit hesitantly, as if we suddenly weren’t so sure we wanted to participate in this anymore. I entwined my fingers into Mateo’s comforting grip, and on my other side, I held Adelade’s hand. It was cold yet firm. Detrand stood stoic, Adelade’s other small hand held in his tightly.
Inside the circle, Roma held Lynx’s palm and said to us, “Whatever happens, do not break the circle. We must contain the magic within. Do you understand?”
We all agreed, glancing around at each other nervously.
Roma turned and nodded at Lynx. Lynx lowered her head and began to speak in the old language. My head snapped toward her. It was one I hadn’t heard in centuries. She must have learned it at the Principes Noctis. I didn’t like that she knew it, as it was a language that had only been used during a time when black magic ran rampant. That had been a dark time in history, one many of us would rather forget.
I met Mateo’s gaze. He shook his head slightly, no doubt thinking the same as me.
Whenever we’d heard that language, it was always followed by blood and violence.
Chapter 17
Lynx’s chanting grew louder, and a great gust of wind blew through the air, lifting the hair off my shoulders. My heart hammered in my chest, and my lungs struggled to fill with air.
With the wind came a sort of growling. At first, I thought it was sounds from the forest at our backs, but then it grew closer and began to separate into hundreds of voices. Dread filled me from head to toe, and the sound made me want to let go and run into the night. Mateo tightened his grip on my hand.
Their presences came next. I couldn’t see what was here with us, but I could feel them, crowding the space where we stood. At one point, I swore I felt hot breath on the back of my neck. I shivered and closed my eyes, afraid a swarm of demons might appear in front of me.
Through my panic, I felt someone watching me. My eyelids snapped open. In the distance, near the tree line, I spotted Samantha watching us closely, her brows furrowed. She quickly looked away when our eyes met.
Lynx’s head snapped back, drawing my attention to her, and she yelled into the night, calling upon the Lords of Hell to give her more power. A frigid wave of ice-cold air followed, sending shivers down my spine, chilling me to the bone. In the next beat of my heart, a breath of inferno heat replaced the cold so quickly, the rapid temperature change actually hurt my flesh, an
d I sucked in air past my teeth. I opened my eyes to see the flames on the torches exploding higher, nearly reaching ten feet high.
But heat wasn’t all I was feeling. Pressure began to wrap around my feet, a painful sensation that had me gasping for air. By the pinched expressions of those around me, they too were feeling the same pain.
It worked itself up my body, squeezing everything inside me, finding the spaces between my organs and my spinal cavity. No space was left untouched. The pain became so intense, I cried out. Mateo groaned next to me, then sucked in a great breath. Other cries from within our circle escaped into the night.
My vision blurred, and I choked on air when the pressure squeezed my throat. Across the circle, I spotted Loxley squirming to get free, but Angel and Detrand squeezed her hands tight to keep the circle from breaking. In the center, Lynx’s eyes had turned all black and the veins on her face, neck, and arms were visible, almost as if her blood flowed black. I didn’t recognize her.
Roma dropped to her knees, grimacing. But she still didn’t let go of Lynx’s hands, even when Lynx’s hair began to change color, a brilliant white.
Through all of Lynx’s words, I recognized one. Korin. She must be getting close.
A searing hot pain stabbed at my spine, then reached my head. I couldn’t hold back the scream that ripped from my lungs. It felt like someone had torn the flesh from my body and yanked out my bones. Mateo tugged on me as he dropped to his knees in agony. He almost let go, but I managed to hang on to him.
Without warning, the sudden and sharp pain stopped, and I gasped for air, tears stinging my eyes. I blinked, and they spilled onto my cheek. Across from me, Loxley had gone to her knees, as well as Angel. Owen, too. Adelade leaned on Detrand, who had sweat pouring down his face. I glanced over at Briar and Oona. The fae queen sobbed softly, and Briar, her face white, stared at the ground, breathing with her mouth open like she might vomit. Luke was already throwing up.
In the center of the circle, Lynx and Roma laid unconscious.
“Lynx?”
The sound of my voice made Briar blink. “Can we let go?”
I looked at Owen. “Can we?”
He nodded, too exhausted to speak.
Briar and I stumbled to the center and fell to our knees. Briar gently shook Roma while I patted Lynx’s face. “Wake up, Lynx!”
Aris joined me and looked her over. Roma was the first to move. Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned, touching her head. When her eyes met Briar’s, she frowned and turned to the side to look at Lynx.
“It wor—” her voice cracked, and she tried again, “I think it worked.”
I gently squeezed Lynx’s shoulder. “Come on, Lynx, wake up.”
She sat up suddenly, making me jump, and sucked in a great breath. Her eyes had returned to normal. She looked around. “Did it work?”
“I think so, but we can’t be sure until we see Korin.”
“I felt something leave me.” Lynx rubbed at her arms. “But it wasn’t what I expected to feel. It was dark and—” She shook her head, her eyes full of worry. “I don’t know. How’s everyone else?”
“We’ll be fine. Just worry about you.”
Aris helped Lynx to her feet and she leaned into him, smiling up at him appreciatively.
“Don’t ever do that again,” he told her.
Her eyebrows lifted. “Did it hurt much?”
He flinched. “I don’t care about the pain it caused. It was you. You changed. Your eyes turned black, and,” he hesitated, “and then something came over you.”
“I saw it too,” Loxley whispered.
Adelade ran a shaky hand across her brow. “It was the Shadow of Hell.”
Lynx’s eyes widened. “What does that mean?”
“Did it get out?” Briar asked.
Mateo straightened and looked at me. The Shadow of Hell was the dark entity who ushered deserving souls into Hell. It was rumored that if one from the living called upon him, he could take control over their body or someone’s close to it. The end result often ended in death when the Shadow of Hell attempted to leave the body, for it never left a soul behind.
Adelade shook her head. “It couldn’t leave the circle, but it was feeding off Lynx, trying to take her soul.”
Briar helped Roma to stand and kept a steady hand upon her arm. Roma asked, “Are you sure it was the Shadow of Hell? I’ve never heard of him leaving his realm. It’s too dangerous.”
Adelade looked at her pointedly. “I know what I saw.”
Angel stared into the distance. “We should go. I don’t think it’s safe here anymore.”
Briar turned to him. “What is it?”
Luke spat on the ground and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Samantha hasn’t contacted me. I’m sure it’s fine.”
Angel snapped his head in Luke’s direction. “It’s not fine. It’s time to go.”
Mateo didn’t question Angel. He hurried around the outside of the pentagram and put out the flames. “Samira, let’s go.”
Before he finished speaking, Samantha jogged up to us. “We have company.”
Briar turned to Oona. “Is it your soldiers?”
The fae queen had regained her composure, thanks to Folas. He had his arm around her and had been speaking soft words to her in the fae language, but stopped when Briar spoke. Oona shook her head. “They were told not to reveal themselves unless I said so.”
“We should go, Your Majesty,” Folas said to her. He didn’t wait for a response. He snapped his fingers and a giant black hole appeared behind them.
Oona forced a smile and looked at us. “Remember that I helped. We can trust each other.”
She stepped into the darkness along with Folas. As soon as they crossed the barrier, the hole sealed shut as if they were being swallowed by a great beast.
“Wait!” Briar called. “We might need your—”
They were gone, along with their soldiers. I could feel the power leave the air as if the space around us had suddenly gotten bigger.
“What’s coming?” Luke asked Samantha.
“I’m not sure, but they smelled like shifters.”
Luke’s gaze shot to the tree line, and his expression darkened.
“Maybe a lone wolf?” I asked Briar.
She shook her head. “We know every wolf that passes through town. There have been no reports.”
“And it’s not just one wolf,” Samantha clarified. “It’s a lot.”
Briar’s gaze turned dark and her eyes flickered a brilliant yellow as she stared towards the trees. A low throaty growl echoed out from the darkness. I focused my night vision. Several human shapes approached. I sniffed the air. Definitely shifters.
Luke snarled and stepped away from our small circle.
“Luke!” Briar hissed. “Where are you going?”
He held his hand up as if to silence her. “Stay back.”
Someone laughed near a mausoleum in the distance and said, “He sure sounds like an Alpha. Giving his woman orders.”
Briar snorted. “Excuse me? Show yourself, douche bag!”
Luke looked back at Briar, a pleading look in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know they would come here. I told them not to.”
“Who?”
A woman stepped out from behind a tall gravestone. She had long brown hair that nearly reached her waist. It was combed straight. Not quite my height, she carried herself as one who held power and authority. Her keen brown eyes took in our small group, finally settling on Luke. “I didn’t expect to find you in a graveyard playing childhood games, Luke.”
Briar turned to Luke. “Who is this bitch?”
But he didn’t get the chance to answer. The long-haired woman, said, “I’m his mother, and I’ve come to take him home. It’s time he took his place as Alpha.”
Chapter 18
“Alpha?” Briar wrinkled her nose. “What’s she talking about, Luke?”
He returned to her and gripped her hands. “I wante
d to tell you, really I did.”
Detrand stepped forward, taking in the woman and the pack behind her. His gaze shifted to Samantha. “Is this the trouble you were worried about? A family dispute?”
She shrugged. “I guess.”
He turned to Adelade. “Let’s return home. I have a splitting headache.”
She nodded and gave Loxley a hug. “Do you want to come to our place tonight?”
Loxley looked back and forth from Briar to Adelade. Finally, she said, “I’d like that.”
“Don’t leave on our account!” Luke’s mother said to Detrand. “This party looks like devilish good fun.”
Not bothering with a response, Detrand turned his back and walked away with Adelade and Loxley. Roma also backed away with Owen. She mouthed to Lynx, “I’ll call you.”
Mateo whispered to me, “Should we go too?”
“Not until we know Briar is safe,” I whispered back. “I don’t like these new shifters.”
“My son invited us,” the woman said.
Briar glanced at Luke. “Is that so? Are you making decisions for the pack now?”
He groaned. “It wasn’t like that. Can I please just explain?”
Briar didn’t answer, but she didn’t stop him from talking either. Angel came and stood just behind her, his eyes focused on the new woman.
Luke motioned to his mother. “Briar, this is my mother, Peggy. She’s the head beta from my pack, the Wild Dogs up in Michigan.”
I sucked in air between my teeth. They were a long ways from home.
“Your pack?” Briar stared at Luke. I could see the hurt in her eyes.
“But you can call me ‘Trick’,” his mother told Briar.
Briar turned to Trick, her eyebrow raised. “What kind of name is that? Are you a prostituting shifter?”
Luke ground his jaw together. “Briar, please.”
Trick looked at her son, eyes blazing. “Tell me this isn’t the foul-mouthed woman you told me about.”
Realizing this conversation could get bad quickly, I walked over to Trick. “If you want to enter Silver Claws’ territory, you need to follow protocol and get permission.”