by Liv Brywood
“Well? We’re waiting!” Kael huffs.
I bite back a snarl. “I have her trajectory. Can you keep up?”
“Try and stop me.”
“Hah. What the wolf said,” Bastian says with a smirk.
My wings beat frantically, and I rise into the air. I take off at a good clip, but not recklessly. I want plenty of time to spot any ambushes along the way. These vampires are smart and resourceful. I can’t forget the silvery gleam in the crow’s eyes. Every animal in the forest could be possessed by them. No one is safe anymore.
In order to avoid the trees, I have to fly above the others. I continually cast glances at the ground to make sure they’re keeping up. They’re doing well enough. I just hope they aren’t burning through all their energy.
When we reach the vicinity of Azealia’s cabin, I land. I stalk through the woods, carefully avoiding the overgrowth. The bushes are thicker here, which makes it harder to focus on the energetic string, but I can still track it.
Maybe Azealia already escaped the vamps and made it back home. Perhaps I was mistaken, and there was no foul play. It would explain the lack of any magical disturbance while we were sleeping. She may have run just to get as far away from Kael and Bastian’s bickering as possible.
As soon as the other guys arrive, we circle around her home. The string passes through it, but comes out the other side, and continues into the woods beyond.
“Shouldn’t we check to see if she’s home?” Bastian asks.
“No.” I turn to face Bastian and curly shake my head. “The trail leads back into the woods. She’s not in there.”
He grunts but doesn’t question me further.
We leave her cabin behind and continue deeper into the woods. Bastian suddenly stops in the middle of the path. I turn to face him, as does Kael.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Trouble? Can’t you smell it?”
After a few seconds, the scent grows strong enough that I can also detect it.
“It’s coming from the North,” Kael says.
“And the South,” Bastian says.
“It’s everywhere.” I back up into the center of the path. Our backs form a triangle. “Be ready.”
“I was born ready.”
“Shut up, Kael.”
A furry creature bursts through the foliage. It’s a bear, all snarls, and claws, and fury. Its eyes are silvered over, just like the birds had been.
Bear shifters march in from every direction. Their humongous furry forms block the sunlight. The closest one swings its sharp claws at Kael, but the nimble wolf shifter dances out of the way. Kael snaps his jaws about the bear’s forearm and hurls it to the ground.
Bastian is larger than these possessed bears. He uses his greater mass to full effect and tosses two shifters against a nearby tree. Another beast latches onto his back with iron jaws. Bastian roars and claws at his attacker.
Before I can assist him, a possessed bear shifter charges me. There’s no time to move. His claws struggle to penetrate my glittering scales. My talons strike at his flesh and rip away chunks of fur. We fight like rabid savages, while howls and savage snarls echo through the trees.
I snake my serpentine neck around and bite the bear firmly on the back of its neck. In seconds, he’s gone. I toss him to the side. There’s no time to celebrate because Bastian is being overcome by three large shifters.
Kael is running from half a dozen more. He leads them on a zig zag path through dense trees. They’re running with careless intent and smash into the trunks. Kael’s using their size and lack of agility against them. For now, he’s winning, but if he slows for even an instant, or snags himself on the dense underbrush, he’s history.
Since Bastian’s in worse shape right now, I leap toward him. After inhaling deeply, I breathe a wall of fire to engulf the vicious bear. The disgusting scent of burning hair and flesh reaches my nostrils. I twist away from shrieking beast.
Bastian roars in pain as one of his attackers sinks its jaws deep into his flank. Kael is cornered, unable to stay out of the way of the whirling claws of his attackers. They’re both in trouble, and I can’t decide which one to save, so I decide to save them both.
With a nimble bound, I leap into the air. I beat my wings twice for speed, and then spew fire at the bear shifters who are attacking Kael. To my surprise, the bears continue to fight even as their flesh melts from their bones. I’ve never seen anything like it. Obviously, we’re dealing with powerful magic. Could the vampires be stronger than Azealia?
Kael and I strike out in every direction with tooth and claw. I add the occasional burst of flames to keep the bears at bay. Eventually, we stop giving up ground, and we’re able to press the bears back until they lie dead or dying at our feet.
Bloody, bruised, but still in the fight, the two of us charge toward Bastian. He has managed to kill one of the three shifters who were attacking him. The other two have him pinned down and are snapping at his hide. Kael and I each tackle one of his attackers from behind. Between the three of us, we manage to put down the final two shifters.
“Is that all of them?” I ask.
“Yes, no thanks to Bastian.” Kael seizes the opportunity to lash out at his rival.
“What are you talking about? You ran away like a coward,” Bastian says.
“First of all, I was retreating—temporarily—until I found a suitable battle ground. Second of all, maybe I could have employed more aggressive strategy if you didn’t have to struggle against a couple of bears.”
“A couple? There were at least seven on me,” Bastian says.
“Guys, settle down,” I say.
Without responding to me, they shift back into human form and glare at each other. Kael tries to tackle Bastian but can’t budge the big man. He keeps his arms wrapped around the bear shifter’s midsection anyway. Bastian lifts his clasped hands high overhead, and then brings them down on Kael’s back. I wince at the sharp impact, but the stubborn wolf won’t let go. They fall over and roll around on the forest floor. If they keep this up, we’ll never find Azealia.
“Enough!” I release a tremendous dragon roar. The sound reverberates across the mountainside. Kael and Bastian are still on the ground, but their gazes are firmly fixed on me.
“We all want Azealia to be safe. All of us. We have the same goal. Can’t you idiots see that?” I ask.
They sheepishly climb to their feet but refuse to look at each other. Kael opens his mouth to speak, closes it, and then shakes his head.
“I love Azealia,” he whispers.
“I love her, too,” Bastian says.
“I love her as well. Obviously, we all do,” I say.
“Well, I’m not giving her up for a bear or a scaly lizard.”
“I’m not giving her up for a scrawny puppy dog.”
“Guys!” They turn to glare at me. “There’s no point in fighting because Azealia’s made it clear that she doesn’t want to have to choose between us. She wants all of us equally. Why can’t we be happy with that?”
They’re silent. We might not like the idea of sharing, but none of us want to give up Azealia either.
“Fine. If no one interferes in my relationship with her, then I don’t see a problem,” Kael says.
“Me neither,” Bastian says. “We can each have a relationship with her. I’m sick of fighting anyway.”
“Me too,” Kael admits.
I relax slightly, glad that we’ve finally had a chance to clear the air. All of the fighting wasn’t helping the real problem. Someone, or something, still has Azealia and we need to get her back.
“Let’s see where the magical thread takes us,” I say.
“After you,” Kael says.
I know he hates to give up control to anyone else, so maybe he really is willing to change. Maybe he will work with us to make sure Azealia’s safe and happy. That’s all any of us really want, or at least I hope we’re in agreement in that regard. I won’t know until we find her. And wit
h any luck, she’s close, and she’ll be easy to rescue.
But as the thread winds through the forest, my heart sinks. We’re heading toward the cave that Bastian and Azealia found. The smell of death is all around us. Whoever, or whatever, we’re facing is inside. And it has Azealia.
Chapter 17
Azealia
Something hard and knobbly digs into my back. Half awake, I try to roll away from it but soon realize I can’t move. I can’t move at all, and as soon as my eyes snap open, I know I’m in trouble. The attack comes back to me. I remember darkness, and fangs, and the metallic scent of blood, but after that—nothing. I must have lost consciousness.
I’m bound to a large stalactite by tough silk cords. My restricted arms are stretched out above me; my legs are spread wide and tied to the cave’s wall. It’s a humiliating position.
Sharp pain brackets the corners of my mouth. My throat is dry. Someone has stuffed a wad of cloth between my lips. It’s been tied with a tightly knotted length of twine. I’m unable to speak, so I can’t cast a spell to free myself.
A cluster of bats hang from the ceiling. The mass of hairy, pointy-eared bodies writhes above me, wings flapping, fangs slick with saliva. One of them detaches from the ceiling and dives toward the ground. Its sickening cry sends chills down my spine.
As I turn my face away, I shudder. For a moment, I wonder if it’s sick, or dying, but then a marvelous transformation ripples through its furry form. The body grows many times larger before morphing into a human. A man. His features retain a great deal of the frightening, primal aspects of the bat. His nose is snubbed and resembles that of a pig; his eyes are black. His ears are abnormally large and flick back as he turns away from me.
The man barely spares me a glance before walking out of the room. He’s probably on his way to inform my captors that I’m awake.
I take the opportunity to study my bonds, which have been magically enhanced. Given time, I could probably unravel the tangle of both enchantment and cord, but I have a feeling time is a fleeting luxury.
My thoughts linger on the vampire—because that’s what he must be—and his transformation. That must be how the vampires are getting around Bonfire Falls without anyone noticing. I’m sure I’m in the same cave where Bastian and I were surrounded by bats. I have no idea how long they’ve been lurking here, but I have no doubt I’m being held in their lair. At least now I know why there are so many bats on the mountain.
The sound of footsteps spurs me to struggle harder. Using both my muscles and mental magic, I try to budge the bonds. Unfortunately, I don’t make any progress before I have to stop.
My kidnapper makes an appearance.
Imagine a dark, churning sea, beautiful and deadly, and yet somehow irresistible. That’s my first impression of Eleonore, the vampire queen. Her ash-gray eyes possess a sinister cast, like that of a feral animal, but her countenance couldn’t be more regal. She carries herself with the forgotten grace of past monarchs. There isn’t a trace of humility or irony in her manner. Clad in a long, slinky black dress, she exudes a seductive yet menacing aura. Her hair is bound up in an elaborate braid, like you’d see in a classic European painting.
As she stares at me, her red lips part to reveal a toothy smile. What could this creature possibly want with me?
“Do forgive me for the gag, my sweet Azealia.” Well, she knows my name. That’s probably not good. “After centuries of existence, one does get terribly fatigued when listening to the commentary of one’s prey. Do you have any idea how many times my food has begged for freedom? Or threatened me despite their ludicrously helpless state? Too many to count. Maybe all of them.”
I’m too afraid to move. It doesn’t take much effort to look appropriately fearful of this beautiful but deadly woman.
“I digress. You’re probably wondering why I’ve kidnapped you. It’s all about delicious, delicious power. But, I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir—” She chuckles. “You are quite strong, perhaps the strongest witch I’ve ever dined upon.”
Did she say dined upon?
As my panic rises to new levels, a whimper escapes, only to be muffled by the gag.
“Oh, poor darling.” Eleonore smiles, displaying her dreadfully sharp fangs. “I’d apologize for feasting upon you, but we both know that would be a blatant lie. Instead, I’ll assure you that your death will be for a worthy cause—for my greatness. The world has changed. I’m no longer the potent, feared monster I once was. Now humans have guns that spit out a barrage of bullets in a second, and they have bombs which can rival the sun’s ferocity. In order to ensure my position as the most powerful being on earth, I have to take measures some might consider… extreme.”
She laughs ruefully.
“Your blood, the blood of the most powerful witch the world has ever known, will give me enough strength to last a thousand years or more. Yes, little witch, tremble in fear, for I am about to take what I am due.”
I’ve heard enough. As I tremble with rage, the force of my magic gathers within my body. With a gagged shout, I unleash the energy in the form of powerful explosions. The bonds holding me to the stalactite are partially damaged. Some threads hang loose, but the rest still hold me in place.
Although the bonds have been enchanted to absorb magical energy, I almost overwhelm them. With another blast, I’m free. I fall to the floor, but as I try to scramble to my feet, trailing ropes slither around wrists and ankles.
Despite my furious struggles, the ropes wind around my body, pinning my arms to my sides. The trailing ends also bind my legs together. I thrash around on the stone floor like an inchworm, deprived of my limbs, my magic, and my voice. I’m helpless as Eleonore simply gestures at me to rise. My body floats up from the floor. My hair lifts in a halo around my head. The vampire queen uses her magic to secure me to the same stalactite. Now I dangle, able to wriggle like a fly caught in a spider’s web, but I can’t do much else.
I only have one chance to get out of this cave alive. Desperation forces me to trust my magic. I haven’t used this much power in a very long time, but it’s necessary if I’m going to break free.
Another burst of wild energy courses through my body. I gather the power into my chakras where I can store it until I reach my full potential. As I continue to summon energy, I fill each chakra, one by one, starting at my root chakra at the base of my spine, and working up to my crown chakra.
Eleonore is either too arrogant or too distracted to notice what I’m doing. She approaches sinuously and caresses my extended legs like a lover. “The femoral artery is the most delicious place to drink. I’ve tried other arteries, but this is my favorite.”
Several bats fly down, landing in their vampiric forms. Eleonore glances back at her hulking minions which lurk in the dark corners of the room.
“Prepare my meal.”
I let out a muffled screech as the vampire men suddenly descend upon me. My eyes go wide as their clawed fingers rip and shred the clothing right off of my body. The sudden exposure and increased vulnerability only heighten my terror further, which might not be a bad thing. Wild magic is all about emotion rather than technique. Fury rather than precision. And make no mistake, this additional humiliation has enraged me.
Their pinching fingers linger on my naked body until Eleonore shoos them away with a bestial hiss. She clamps her hands firmly onto my bare leg and opens her mouth. Her jaw seems to unhinge. It’s open so wide that I’m momentarily fascinated. I forget about maintaining my power, and much of it drains from my lack of concentration.
Her head descends. A pair of sharp pinpricks herald the end of my life force. As Eleonore drains my blood, I can feel my magic draining along with the scarlet fluid. I have to act. Now.
I stoke the fires of my rage. I use my helplessness and my frustration with the three men in my life, along with the audacity of this vampire bitch, to summon my magic. With a final, ferocious push, the wild magic answers my summons.
Three of my most passion
ate desires are instantly fulfilled. My desire to contact my men sends out a magical call to them. My desire to be free incinerates the bonds. And finally, my desire to burn the vampire queen off the face of the Earth is answered—sort of. The fireball which engulfs the cave shatters the stalactite and sends a shower of charred bats flying out of the cave.
As I hit the floor in a crouch, flames explode from my wrists. The smoking remains of bats fall like rain, covering the cave floor in a macabre pyre.
When I spot Eleonore, it’s hard to believe that she’s the same beautiful creature who’d captured me. Half of her skin has been burned off to reveal the charred, underlying muscle structure of her body.
At first, I can’t look away from the horror, but then my gaze sweeps up to her seared face. Her remaining eye narrows and her disfigured hand thrusts out in my direction.
“You think that pathetic campfire can kill me?” Her voice is a pained hiss, borne of misery. “Even that small amount of your blood has made me invincible.”
“Let’s test that theory.”
With a sudden surge, I leap to my feet and send the flame whips toward the vampire queen. She stumbles backward, not so invincible now.
A half-transformed vampire drops from the ceiling and lands in my path. With a ferocious snarl, its lips peel back to reveal sharp-as-needles incisors. I snap my wrist and one of the flame whips slashes through the air, passing right through its body. Its bestial eyes widen in confusion before it looks down at its fracturing body. It falls into pieces and the remaining bits quickly sear away, consumed by the magical fire.
Two more swoop down to take its place. I send the whips flying, and the tendrils wrap around both of their necks. With a grunt of rage, I yank backward, and both of their heads are seared right off. The bodies fall onto the cave floor before they are consumed by flame too.