by Jayne Hawke
“What will happen in the witch community with the gaps we’re leaving? What about the role the Morrigan witches play?” Briar asked.
She was making notes on everything she heard about the witches. I’d have to borrow them at a later date, especially if I was going to sit on the council. This was the life I was going to have to lead now.
“The remaining Morrigan witches can step up and return to their position in the world,” Sky said sharply.
“You mean they’ll continue as enforcers?” Briar asked.
“Yes. We will, they will, return to be closer to the Morrigan and reduce the chances of such corruption returning. There was a move a year or so ago to make sure that the lower witches didn’t have direct contact with the Morrigan herself. It was said that it was a waste of the goddess’s time and we should trust in our elders.” Sky swallowed. “I refused to give up my direct connection to her. It felt so wrong. I don’t know why the goddess didn’t tell me of the rot within my own coven.”
“That is not how she works,” Fionn said.
Sky turned a venomous look towards him.
“And how would you know?”
Fionn gave her a knowing smile and said nothing.
“What matters is that the Apophis influence is being removed, and we will be able to move forward into a positive, stronger future,” Amy said.
I didn’t know what we’d do without the diplomatic Ma’at witch. She knew what to say and when.
“What happens if Cole really is gone?” Adam asked.
“Then I will hunt down every single person involved in his death and make them beg for such mercy as death,” I snarled.
“We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it,” Fionn said.
I hated him in that moment. He was right. A guardian’s role was so much more than protecting just the garou. I needed to step up and handle the politics to truly watch over my people. That would mean I couldn’t run around the state hunting down and torturing witches. I would need to be careful, restrained.
“What’s the plan of action for today?” Amy asked.
My phone rang again. I’d ignored it the first time in favour of teasing out the knots we were dealing with.
“Yes?” I answered.
“You are summoned before the council. Be there in 30 minutes.”
The man on the other end hung up. I growled and dropped my phone on the table.
“The council just summoned me.”
“You can’t be surprised after we slaughtered an entire coven of witches, the leader of which was on the council,” Fionn said mildly.
Once again he was right, and once again I hated him for it.
48
My Firefly t-shirt and denim cut-offs didn’t match at all with the pristine suits the council were wearing. Fionn had changed into a beautiful navy blue suit with faint silver stripes, his eyes practically glowing as he stood next to me. I should have felt better, safer, with such a powerful hunter at my side. The fact remained that he was an elf, and he’d rip my throat out as easily as defend me.
The Brigid witch stood distant from the Morrigan witch. Her expression was blank, but fire danced in her eyes as she watched me walk into the room. She was my best chance at an ally. We needed her and her coven on our side to help us rebuild the council and remove the Apophis problem entirely.
Digby was the first to speak, in deep rumbling tones, “You dared kill a councilman’s coven?”
“They were Apophis witches,” I said flatly.
“They were good Epona witches. The good they did-”
“They were Apophis witches, and you knew it. They turned into snake people and tried to sacrifice me in their basement,” I said.
Digby’s eyes widened a little, and I noted the new silver bracelet he wore. A slender ring of silver with a suspiciously snake-like appearance, the clasp widened into the shape akin to a copperhead or other viper.
“The fact remains that you cannot barge into homes and slaughter those you find there,” the bear growled.
“Can’t I?”
I felt Fionn’s smirk as he enjoyed watching this play out.
“No. You can’t. Even a Morrigan witch must play by the rules,” the Morrigan witch said stiffly.
“And yet here I am, a guardian, not a witch. Remind me, what exactly makes a Morrigan witch stand above their fellows?”
The Brigid witch watched very closely.
“Our lady is above others. She placed us as the protectors and enforcers.”
“You believe you are above guardians?”
“I know we are.”
“And how do the rest of you feel about this sentiment? Knowing that this woman stands before you stating she is above the rest of you?” I asked.
“That isn’t what I said,” the Morrigan witch snarled.
“But it was,” I said flatly.
“Damn witches, you’re all the same,” Digby rumbled.
The garou stepped forward. He had blended into the background, a silent observer.
“I believe it is time the Morrigan witches were reminded of their true place in the world,” he said with cool certainty.
He caught my eye and gave me a small nod. I had another ally.
“I stand with my wolf brethren,” the cougar said.
“Traitors, the lot of you. We stand and work for the betterment of the world. You are weak and pathetic. Loxwood deserved to die,” Digby spat.
I was moving before I’d even registered the desire to do so. Digby was kneeling before me with my claws sinking deep into his fleshy throat as I snarled in his face, all before I had realised I intended to move at all.
“What did you say about Cole?” I snarled.
“I said he deserved the miserable death. He was weak-”
I ripped his throat out. Warm blood coated my hand and streamed down the bear’s chest as his eyes widened and became glassy while his body came to terms with the fact life had left its cage.
Stepping back, I dropped the flesh and sinew on the floor and looked around at those who stood before me. Who else had taken part in Cole’s disappearance? Who else had wished him harm, or worse, harmed him?
“You cannot just kill councilmen! You will suffer for this!” the Morrigan witch snapped.
As the bear shifter drooped to the floor, his skin fell away, revealing deep coppery scales. His body was more human than Kyra’s had been, but the transformation had begun, and it sat there for all to see.
“He was an Apophis ally.”
Fionn walked to my side, an imposing presence.
“Understand this. We will remove the Apophis scourge from this world. Every single one of the god’s allies, lackies, and pets will die. Some at my hand, some at the guardian’s, but it will happen,” Fionn said.
“How dare you! Fae are all the same, bringing war to our peaceful plane. You have no right to be here at all,” the Morrigan witch raged.
The pixie and the puka moved to stand on my other side. The promise of death and violence radiated off them as they dispassionately gazed upon the witch.
She swallowed hard, understanding that her chances of leaving this room in one piece were slim to none.
“As a Morrigan witch, I am in the best position to help remove this plague from our lands. I will lead this investigation,” she said as she smoothed her skirt.
I laughed, a sharp bitter laugh that made the witch’s blood rise, colouring her skin a deep shade of pink.
“You will be lucky to live until sunset.” I took a step forward. “We are coming for you, and we will return Cole to his rightful place.”
49
Fionn had placed a tracking spell on the Morrigan witch before we left. We were pretty sure she’d go running straight to whomever was running the full Apophis cult and lead us there. They knew we were hunting them, and that would push them into action.
The garou, Rafe Webster, alpha of the White Oak pack, remained behind after the meeting.
“How do we help you?�
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He was easy to overlook, but there was a fire burning within him. I could see how he became alpha of a very respected pack. They hadn’t managed to climb the social ladder high enough to hold a position on the national garou council, but I had read up on his reputation. I planned on making him and Erin co-leaders of the Vermont packs. Eventually I’d push to elevate them further, but one step at a time.
“We’ll be attacking the Apophis coven this evening. Gather every pack member you have that can fight. We’ll text you the location,” I said.
We exchanged numbers and Daniel walked out with his head high and a sense of purpose about him. We were so close, I could taste it. Now we just needed to get the Brigid witches on board. Amy was trying to talk to the techno-witches.
The redheaded witch was waiting by my Mustang when we stepped out into the beautiful sunny day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I almost paused to enjoy the peace of it, but there were battles to be won.
“You’re serious about removing the Apophis influence?” the witch asked mildly.
“We are,” I said.
She nodded and smiled, a feral expression that seemed almost out of place with her less memorable features.
“You understand that I won’t risk the lives of my coven for nothing.”
“Your place on the council will be secured, and that will give you some sway over what happens to the businesses that find themselves without ownership,” I said.
Fionn had told me what to say on the ride over there. This was a business transaction. The Apophis witches were an irritation to the witches. They were sure their gods would watch over them should the darkness come. They would find a way to turn their businesses into something that would keep them comfortable.
The witch nodded.
“Many of my coven are healers, not fighters.”
“Then they shall heal,” Fionn said.
“Those of us who can wield our lady’s fire shall do so, the rest will hold back and heal the injured. Let me know when and where.”
And we had one more ally. I didn’t know how many Apophis witches we would be up against, or how many shifters would rally around the now fallen Digby. This was going to be the fight of the century, and I had no intentions of losing.
50
The techno-witches had refused to get involved. Amy had spent three hours trying to get them to talk to her, only to have them flat out refuse. They wanted nothing to do with our little war. It was disappointing, but we had bigger things to focus on.
Erin and Daniel had arrived with their betas to meet Nicole, the Brigid witch, and her second in command, Scott.
The kitchen felt as though it was overflowing with people as everyone turned to face me with expectation that I would know the tactics and logistics. Fionn’s tracker had shown that the Morrigan witch had gone to a recent clearcut. It looked to be the size of a football field, large enough for the type of ritual we thought they were going to be doing.
The forest gave the shifters a place they were comfortable moving through. It also offered cover and hiding spots for the enemy. We wouldn’t be able to control the entry and exit. There weren’t enough of us to surround it entirely.
My stomach twisted as I understood how many lives were depending on me. If I screwed this up, countless lives would be lost for nothing.
“We need the healers scattered throughout the area so there will always be one close enough to reach. The fire-wielding witches can disrupt the enemy lines, stop the ritual, and give the shifters room to come in behind them and kill the enemies. The Apophis witch can only be killed by a flaming blade. Those shifters who’re fighting in their human forms will need a witch on hand to produce that fire,” I said.
Strange footsteps came up the porch. I left the group and opened the door to find a pair of cougar shifters.
“We’re offering our pride to help fight,” the taller man said.
“Come in.”
We were going to need all of the help we could get. Fionn told the newcomers the broad plan. It was loose and basic, but it was all I could manage. We had no idea how the Apophis witches were going to be arranged, how many there were, or what weapons they’d wield. We were going in blind, and had no choice but to depend on brute force and fire.
Swallowing hard, I put on a brave smile and told myself this was going to work.
Deep in the forest, not far from the open space where we believed the Apophis witches were gathering, I stood on a tree stump and looked at the people gathered before me. There were almost one hundred people there, each looking at me. Waiting.
I had no idea how to give a rousing speech, or plan a war, but I would do everything I could to ensure each and every one of those people returned in one piece.
“Remember, the Apophis witch, the full Apophis witch, can only be truly killed with flaming blades. Do not waste your time and energy hacking at them with a non-flaming blade. Kill everyone present that isn’t with us. Do not take any risks.”
A small murmur went around the group. It was a cold calculated move, but there was no point in all of this if we allowed someone to get away.
“Remember. The fate of the world is on our shoulders.”
“No pressure,” Briar muttered behind me.
Those who were shifting did so in silence before they slipped away through the mature trees on silent paws. The witches moved through the space with long swords made by their own hands and fire burning in their eyes.
Sky’s face was ashen as she watched them.
“I will have to kill my sisters. I don’t even have any magic,” she said softly.
“You need to make a temporary alliance with Set,” Amy hissed.
Sky frowned at her.
“This is not a small dragon like last time. This is the real avatar, and only Set can defeat that. We need you, we need Set,” Amy said.
Sky tried to read her face in the dimming light.
“My lady has spoken, and we need you to step up, Sky. For the sake of everyone here, make a temporary deal.”
“Are you saying all of those people will die without her Set magic?” I whispered, not wanting to alarm Briar and Adam.
“Possibly,” Amy said.
Sky stood taller and closed her eyes.
“Never let it be said I shied away from what needed to be done,” she said.
I watched in awe as she changed before my eyes. On the surface, she was still the fearsome blonde witch I had come to care for. Beneath that, though, a storm brewed, lightning crackled through her veins, and chaos was born.
Sky opened her eyes and exhaled slowly.
“He has agreed to this. A temporary agreement for the sake of the world. A decision must be made within a month,” Sky said with a slight crackle to her voice.
Rolling my shoulders, I turned towards the space where the trees had been cut down leaving short trunks and bare ground. It was time to end this mess.
51
The familiar calm of my guardian state settled over me as I approached the screams of agony, fury, and victory that spread through the area before me. Blood already coated the charred and broken tree stumps. Ruined bodies lay between the hardy shrubs that had been spared from the culling of the trees.
My pack was nearby - the siblings in their lithe wolf forms, my witches striding with swords drawn and expressions of vicious determination. Gone was any sense of empathy or mercy. We were here to tear limb from limb and ensure that no Apophis witch walked in our territory again.
The Brigid witches were spread evenly throughout the area before us. Fire plumed from their hands and left blackened earth and crackling plants in their wake. The Apophis witches and shifters, I soon saw, fought with ferocity. The bears were clustered around a familiar form, one with a scar upon his cheek that I had given him.
Liam.
A familiar scent snapped my mind away from the bloodshed and screams around me. Cole’s scent. Scanning the space around me, I tried to pinpoint his location. Fire licked a
t the air to my left, searing my skin from the heat of it and alerting me to the presence of the enemy. My blade sank deep into their scaled chest before I had fully acknowledged they were there. A hissing gurgling sound accompanied the look of surprise upon their now lifeless face.
The bears moved their great brown forms, and I caught a glimpse of him. Cole. He was bound to a makeshift altar formed of an old log. Whatever shred of fear I might have felt previously was extinguished to be replaced with the certainty that I would save my life-bond.
I ran between tree stumps, jumping over bodies and shying away from great streams of fire as I made my way closer to the bears and my prize. Natasha was there somewhere, I caught snippets of her voice over the death gurgles and curses. She would die at my hand.
The bears formed a solid wall of muscle and dense brown fur. Liam was inside that wall chanting and pacing around Cole who lay there, too still for my liking. Natasha knelt at Cole’s feet, her head bent over a book as she whispered. A roar from the closest bear pulled my attention back to them and the problem they presented. I was strong, and fast, but bears were three or more times my size, with claws that would slice through me with ease.
A brilliant light blinded me for a second. Once my vision had cleared, the stench of burning fur and flesh overwhelmed my senses and I saw the blackened hole in the bear that had stood directly in front of me. Sky strolled up next to me with small arcs of white electricity playing over her hands.
“I could get used to Set’s magic,” she said casually.
A garou screamed in pain nearby. I felt its anguish slicing through me more keenly than any claws could. I had failed her as a guardian.
The bears looked down at their fallen comrade and back to us. The witches were being kept busy with my allies. It was just us and the bears. The largest of the group, with shoulders wider than my arm span and head bigger than my torso, began towards us.