by Jayne Hawke
That wasn’t entirely true. Sky had a good chance at taking the witch out by herself, but that wouldn’t reassure Briar any.
The young garou sat a little taller and ran her fingers over the slender blade Amy had given her. The red symbols glistened in the darkness. They would help Briar and the blade strip the life force from whomever she attacked. Amy had described it as a lesser version of what the blood witches had used.
I licked my lips and envisioned swooping in to save Cole. We were doing this for him. It would be over soon.
Butterflies exploded in my stomach as we got closer to the barn in question. I was a baker. I’d never been into battle before. This was completely different to when I took on the blood witches. I’d only put my life on the line, but now my entire pack was going to be right there. As Rowan insisted on reminding me, there was a lot more than that at stake. The outcome of this battle would dictate relations between garou and witches in the future, and potentially the future of the country.
No pressure.
23
We slowed as we drove deeper into the old forest and approached the barn. According to the maps, there was pastureland behind the barns and lots of trails running through the forests. Meaning there were many directions and paths potential enemies could approach us from.
I turned off the music and kept my ears pricked, trying to pick out any weird footsteps. Sky was bouncing her leg next to me and, with each passing second, the desire to sink my claws into her knee grew.
“Sky. Stop,” I growled.
“I can’t feel my swords,” she whispered.
“What do you mean you can’t feel your swords?”
“I can’t summon them.”
I let out a string of curses.
“Amy gave you other blades, right? And bombs?”
Sky nodded.
“Then we’re fine.”
“I don’t have access to my Morrigan magic, Rosalyn. The gods are pushing me to choose.”
“Use your blades. You’re still a skilled warrior. We’ll worry about the rest later,” I said reassuringly.
Sky swallowed hard. She was pale in the moonlight. Her nerves were palpable, and it was beginning to show on Briar.
“Sky is a skilled warrior. She doesn’t need her Morrigan magic for that to be true,” I said firmly.
“And you’re a guardian. You’ve already injured Liam once,” Adam said.
“Exactly.”
Cole was nearby. I could feel it. I stopped the car some twenty feet away from the barn in a spot where I could do a fast turn if I needed to without worrying about hitting a tree. The dirt was soft beneath my feet, far more sand and give than I was used to.
Everything about the place felt a little bit wrong. We piled out of the old Mustang and looked towards the barn. Cole wasn’t in there. He was somewhere in the forest.
My instincts kicked in, and I began heading into the forest towards him. We were here to get Cole and make the pack whole again.
“Rosalyn!” Sky hissed.
“Her other half is nearby,” Rowan said.
I heard someone exhale through gritted teeth as the plan went out of the window.
They spread out behind me. Adam and Briar remained closest, watching my flank while the others slipped between the trees on either side of me. The forest was entirely still as though holding its breath, waiting. Cole’s scent filled my nostrils, and I fought against the need to run towards him.
This had to be a trap. I couldn’t hear or smell the attackers yet, but they would be here. We approached a small shed with caution. There was a distinct smell of old leather and hay coming from the space.
“It’s an old tack room,” Sky said.
I could see the stable block not far behind it. The wood was rotten and the rooves sagged. Doors hung open; weeds had sprouted through the gravel and concrete in front of the old stables. This place hadn’t been used in a good while. It was perfect for Liam.
The tack room was in a better state of repair than the stables. The door was solid and new, the walls were well maintained and entirely without windows. There was only one entrance and exit. It looked to be made of solid stone forming thick strong walls, with a shingle roof that had stood up to time better than I would have expected. The area around it looked to be well walked and clearer than the main stables. Amy crouched down and pressed her hand to the ground, closing her eyes.
“I don’t feel any mines or magical traps in the area.”
That was all I needed. With my knives in my hands, I marched up to the door and kicked it. To my surprise, it was unlocked.
It was definitely a trap.
The room inside was almost as big as the entire ground floor of the house, despite the outside being some twenty feet by twenty feet. That meant fae magic was involved. I really hated fae magic.
Gritting my teeth, I stepped inside and braced for the worst.
24
The others were crowded in close behind me as we crossed the cracked concrete floor and listened to the soft dripping of water from holes in the roof. Holes that hadn’t been present in the building we’d seen in the forest. Damp filled the air and gave everything a dirty grey tone. The light was dull, and I couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from. Concrete walls stretched up around us and led to a plain concrete roof. There wasn’t a light or window anywhere to be seen.
Cole sat at the far end of the big empty room. His hands and feet were bound, his mouth stuffed with a gag. It wasn’t a bad look for him. He narrowed his eyes at us and snarled something. I ducked as an arrow shot out of the wall to my left. A glance over at the wall showed it to be entirely smooth and devoid of a gap for an arrow to have come from. That didn’t change the fact that it would have struck me in the temple had I not have seen the warning written on Cole’s face.
More arrows quickly followed the first. They seemed to come from the walls, but I couldn’t see any holes. It was as though they appeared from thin air. Not that I had much chance to look, given I was dancing around trying to avoid them, long slender wooden shafts with small silver heads. Large enough to cause plenty of damage.
“They’re poisoned!” Sky shouted.
Of course they were. I’d realised when I saw the arrows came from nowhere that we’d unwittingly stepped into Fae. There should have been a shimmer, a clue, and yet I found nothing. The fae didn’t like to do things by halves.
We pushed forward towards Cole while trying to avoid the arrows that flew around us. I swore I saw one swerve towards Briar. She ducked and rolled at the last second, causing it to collide with the far wall.
The arrows stopped, leaving an eerie silence. Cole was within reach. We all paused, waiting for the next attack. I was expecting elves to appear out of the ether. It was worse.
Writhing snakes made of pure fire began forming out of the concrete and made their way to us. They were as big as my forearm and were headed straight for me. The sound of hissing and crackling filled the space almost as quickly as the scent of burning paper. That didn’t quite fit with what I’d have pictured, but it was the fae game; it clearly made sense to them.
The snakes moved in quick fluid motions, carefully spacing themselves out to cover the most ground in searing-hot fire.
“Anyone have some water?” I asked.
“How do we kill them?” Briar asked, a tremble in her voice.
“Hack and slash,” Sky said confidently.
I wasn’t convinced that was going to work with fire, but we didn’t really have another choice.
Leading the way, I leaned down and hacked at what I thought was the head of the first snake. Blisters bubbled up over my hand from the heat, but the snake did seem to stop.
“Really wish I had my magic right about now,” Sky said as she kicked one of the snakes.
Cole was fighting against his bindings, his eyes amber where his wolf was trying to break free of his human skin. There must have been some form of magic wrapped around him holding him firmly in his huma
n skin. I moved as quickly as I could, feeling the fire licking at my jeans, leaving charred flesh in its wake. The snakes slowed down when we cut them in half, but they returned with a vengeance. Hot fangs sank deep into my thigh. The pain blurred my vision before I felt the very different pain of a blade slicing through my muscle.
I turned to see Sky shrugging as she pulled her knife away and the snake dropped.
“What else was I supposed to do? You’ll heal.”
I snorted a laugh and continued hacking at the snakes as we inched closer to Cole.
Amy spread her arms wide and screamed a single guttural word. Suddenly, everything slipped away. We were no longer standing in a concrete room with fire snakes. There was a rolling green meadow around us, slender trees covered in lilac leaves. Magic pricked my skin and I rushed to Cole, slicing through his bindings before the next thing came.
We were in Fae. It was dangerous enough for actual fae; my kind didn’t stand a chance there.
Cole pulled me into his arms and gently bit my neck. I desperately wanted to return the gesture, but we needed to get out of there. I kissed him quickly as I pressed a knife into his hand.
Turning, I saw the soft shimmer of the entrance we’d come through beginning to dull and fade. We ran faster than we’ve ever run before. That was our only chance of making it back to the Earth plane.
25
Cole practically crushed my hand as he gripped it in his own and pulled me through the thin slice that had once been a large doorway. We had sent the rest of the pack through first.
Landing with a thud, I was glad of the soft ground as we seemed to land from some ten feet up. Damn fae.
I didn’t get a chance to stand. Cole glared at everyone else, who quickly took the hint and returned to the cars. He held me close and stroked my cheek as he looked into my eyes with an intensity I hadn’t seen before.
“I’m sorry that I trusted Natasha. My sense of honor overrode my instincts. Natasha played me and put our pack at risk. Can you forgive me?”
I took his bottom lip between my teeth and slowly bit down.
“I’ll think about it,” I said playfully.
He buried his face in my neck and kissed along my collarbone. My heart fluttered in my chest as I felt the deep affection through the bone. Every kiss was a gentle caress and a promise that this would never happen again.
“This isn’t over yet,” I whispered.
Cole took a deep breath and nodded.
“No. It’s far from over.”
“I brought the Blue Dagger pack onto our side.”
He quirked an eyebrow.
“They refuse to speak to anyone.”
I grinned at him.
“I’m a guardian.”
Pride shone from his face and warmth spread through me in response. We both stood, and Cole put his arm around my waist. I leaned into him, glad to have him back where he belonged. It was far too easy, but I allowed myself a few quiet moments of happiness.
Cole tensed when he saw Rowan leaning against the hood of my Mustang with his arms crossed.
“This is Rowan. Beta of the Blue Dagger pack.”
Rowan nodded to Cole who in turn relaxed.
“Tell me everything,” Cole commanded.
I gave him a quick summary of the mess we’d gotten ourselves into while Amy plied him with food and water.
“We’re in a worse position than I’d feared,” Cole said.
Everything was going too smoothly. I couldn’t hear any footsteps. There was no sign of the witch or Natasha.
“Where are Natasha and Liam?” I asked Cole.
He frowned, deep lines forming between his eyes and at the corners of his mouth.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen them since I was knocked out. It’s difficult to track time in that place.”
No. This was too easy. Something was very wrong here. They’d never make it this easy.
Looking around, I tried to spot the traps, the incoming army, the attack. There was nothing. Just beautiful old forest and the crumbling stables.
Cole flickered out the corner of my eye. His eyes sparked a brilliant green for just a second. Amy blurred and became slightly taller when I glanced over at her.
No. This was wrong.
I pulled away from Cole and snarled.
“Who and what are you!?”
26
“Don’t you recognise your life-bond, sweetheart?” Cole asked, wounded.
I reached for my knife. Cole would never use the word ‘sweetheart’.
My knife was gone. Running my hands over my sheaths, they were all gone.
Cole tilted his head slightly and watched me with an increasingly wide grin as his face dripped and contorted into something horrific. I watched, unable to look away as the handsome face of the alpha I’d come to call my own slowly turned into something black and angular. Gone were the beautiful blue-green eyes and brilliant smile. Instead, a cold flat darkness watched me.
My heart was trying to break free of my ribs as I realised that nothing was as I had thought. How much of the past few hours, or even days, had been real? Where was I, even?
Swallowing down the blossoming terror, I knew that I needed to know if I was stuck in Fae, or in a dream. That would dictate my next move and how I got back.
My friends all vanished in wisps of meadow green smoke, leaving the black creature that had been Cole. The surroundings remained solid and unwavering, but that could just have meant whoever or whatever was in control wasn’t ready to rip those away just yet.
“You’re in my land now,” the black thing rasped.
I stepped forward and bared my teeth.
“I will free myself of this place and ensure no harm comes to my pack,” I snarled.
“Such fire for such a weak little being,” it taunted.
The entire supernatural society had viewed me the way that creature viewed me in that moment. Something small, weak, and laughable. Even when it had come out that I was a guardian, they had continued to see the quiet little baker. I had reached my limit.
I surged forward and punched it in the throat. I was a guardian. My people were in danger, and I wasn’t going to sit around allowing some irritating thing to get in my way of saving them.
It felt as though my fist collided with bulletproof glass. There was a cool smoothness that I associated with glass, but it didn’t flex or move much, like punching a wall. The creature laughed at me. A vicious rasping sound that echoed around us, taunting me.
Anger rose within me and I tried to remember everything I’d learnt about Fae. It was full of magic, and far more dangerous than anything on the Earth plane. If there was magic there, maybe my own guardian magic would be of some use. One thing was certain, I wasn’t going to give in or lose this fight.
“You can use your fists to your heart’s content, it won’t do me any harm. Although, time is ticking. I’d be looking for a way home in your shoes.”
I exhaled slowly and searched my inner calm. He was right.
The landscape around me flickered and suddenly I was standing right in the middle of something from The Wizard of Oz. Rolling greens hills stretched out all around me with a golden-yellow path slowly unfurling before me. I narrowed my eyes; this was ridiculous. There wasn’t a chance that path led to where I needed to be. That would be far too easy. If this was Fae, then it likely led to a death pit or something.
No. I would not be merrily wandering along that path. Looking around for something else, I tried to get a feel for what I was dealing with here. There wasn’t the tingling sensation I’d come to associate with magic, and I could feel my wolf just fine. So that meant I hadn’t been bound. The landscape could change at will, which made me think it was more likely dream magic than Fae. If I was locked in a dream, then I could take control and break myself out.
Of course, if I was in Fae, then I was nothing more than a plaything for the fae. Getting out would depend on finding an ally, or pure luck. Gritting my teeth, I refu
sed to give in and think negatively.
Behind me there was a dark gnarled forest full of closely-packed trees covered in large thorns. The smell of decay and blood came from the area, and I knew that was where I’d be heading.
27
My body rebelled against me. Everything screamed that I should turn away from those woods and flee down the yellow brick road as fast I could. My feet became leaden and my mind turned into a haze of pure terror. Slowly, I pushed on, refusing to believe that I needed to walk that ridiculous path.
Finally, I reached out and grasped onto the thin, twisted black branch of the closest tree and used it to haul myself into the darkness. Shadows writhed around my feet. Small slivers of light revealed dark oozing pools of deeper darkness riddled between the broken and twisted trunks of the trees.
Once I had fought to drag my entire body into the confines of the woods, I was free to move once more. Everything unlocked, and my senses returned. I’d passed the first test.
Closing my eyes, I breathed deep, trying to find something, a clue to point me in the right direction. The only scents were those of rotting leaves, old damp wood, death, and blood. My guardian instincts cautiously spread outwards, giving me a different feel of the space. Somewhere deep within myself, I became aware of a path to the other side. This was only the beginning, but at least I was fighting now.
The need to mentally chastise myself for not realising something was wrong sooner was strong. Allowing myself to do so was a waste of energy, but the desire remained. How much danger had I put my pack in by being a fool and not seeing the signs sooner?
Thorns scratched at my skin, leaving burning lines in their wake. My natural healing was slowed by some fiery poison that coated every spike adorning the trees. The deeper I got into the darkness, the more comfortable I became with it. Everything was black on further shades and hues of black, and yet I could see quite clearly. The trunks of the trees were heavily knotted with large balls of rough bark. Something told me not to touch them. There were creatures hiding there. Awful, painful creatures.