by Quinn Loftis
“I don’t like this,” said Dalton.
“None of us do,” said Gustavo.
“I don’t care,” said Peri. “I have orders from the GL. She pulls rank on moody wolves.” Peri walked around from healer to healer and held out a hand. One by one, she ran a blade across their hands so that when they joined hands their blood would mix. Once all were joined, she moved to the middle of the circle. She held her hands up and began to chant.
“I call upon the power given to my ancient race,
The light that lives inside, I fully embrace.
Fill the darkest places inside each of these,
Cast out the shadows and bring darkness to its knees.
Bind the evil magic that tries to own each soul,
Give them what they need only you can make them whole.
Goddess of the moon and wolves, we ask for your ear,
Take notice of our battle and our petitions hear.
A light fell from the sky. It hit Peri and exploded outward in five directions, connecting the healers like spokes in a wheel. The five fae stones appeared, each hovering in front of one of each of the girls. “Great Luna, we beseech your blessing on this spell. The sacrifices are prepared,” shouted Peri. Wind began to blow about the clearing, and dark clouds formed above them. Soon, the sky opened up and rain came pouring down. Lightning crashed around them.
“Peri,” yelled Gustavo. “Is this normal?”
“Everyone, hold on,” she yelled. “Not much longer now.”
“Stella, go,” commanded Peri.
“I sacrifice the relationship with my brother,” said the healer, raising her arms.
There was an answering clap of thunder that shook the surrounding trees.
“My queen, what’s going on?” asked Ciro.
“Leave it, Alpha,” said Peri.
“I sacrifice my ability to bear children,” said Kara without being prompted.
Another answering clap of thunder.
“What the hell?” said Nick. No one responded.
“I sacrifice my relationship with my father,” said Anna. Gustavo stood next to her with his mouth open. He reached for her, but she was just out of his grasp. He strained against Peri’s bond but couldn’t move to reach his mate.
“I sacrifice my sight,” said Heather.
“NO,” yelled Kale, who looked pleadingly at Heather. “No.” She just shook her head and faced the ground.
Dalton screamed at Peri. “What the hell is going on Peri? Answer me, dammit!”
Peri looked sad as she answered. “This is all their doing, wolf. I couldn’t stop them. The sacrifices had to be blood sacrifices but not necessarily the shedding of blood. Everything they are giving up is bound by blood in one way or another. This is between them and the Great Luna. Just be thankful no one has to die.”
Dalton turned to Jewel and his eyes narrowed. She could feel the worry and fear coming off him in waves even without the magical bond.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hear her above the roar of the wind and the pounding of the rain, but he would be able to read her lips. “I’m so, so sorry.” And she was.
But what other option did she have? She started this whole thing. She was the original witch/healer. It was up to her to end it. The others had done what they could. Each of them had given a sacrifice in their own way. No one had died, but there was plenty of pain associated with what the others healers had given up.
Still, Jewel knew it wouldn’t be enough. All five healers needed to provide a sacrifice, and since Jewel had the most of Volcan’s blood coursing through her veins, her magic was the darkest. Which meant her sacrifice would have to be the most painful.
“JEWEL!” Dalton bellowed her name as she drew the fae dagger from her boot. She’d stolen the blade from Elle—borrowed was actually the better term. Jewel wouldn’t have much use for it soon. The fae would be free to take from Jewel’s dead body soon enough.
Jewel had waited for the precise moment to make her move. Now that they were all arrayed in the circle and the spell had begun, none of them could move from their spots or the spell would be broken. Peri had cast a spell ensuring no one would move until the spell was complete. No one could stop Jewel now.
“It has to be done,” Jewel whispered to herself. “And I’m the only one who can do it.” She knew her words to be true. There was no mate bond between her and Dalton. If she died, he would continue to live. He would have another chance at love. That was all that mattered to her now.
“JEWEL STONE, DROP THAT DAGGER RIGHT NOW,” Peri yelled, drawing Jewel’s attention from the face of her mate. Jewel’s eyes met the piercing gaze of the high fae, and the pain hidden in their crystal depths nearly drove Jewel to her knees.
“DON’T DO THIS. I’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, AND FRANKLY, IT PISSES ME OFF WHEN YOU DAMN HEALERS GET HEROIC.”
“There is no other way,” Jewel shouted back as water matted her hair to her face and dripped across her lips as she spoke. “No one else can do this, and you know it must be done.”
“Someone else can do it. I’ve already told you I would take your place.”
“This world needs you, Perizada. We’d be lost without you. I cannot do what you do, Peri. I cannot fight the darkness like you can,” said Jewel.
“You’re just as important as me, if not more so,” Peri yelled. “I cannot heal others like you can. I cannot bring unity to the packs. Luna knows I’ve tried over the years.”
Jewel shook her head. “The only job left for me is to end this. I started it. It’s only right I stop it.”
Now it was Peri’s turn to shake her head. “No, Jewel, you mustn’t. This is madness.” Jewel could hear the fae’s voice quavering as she spoke. Jewel knew she couldn’t drag this out. The longer she waited, the harder it would be. Still, she couldn’t leave this world without taking another look at her mate, something to carry her through to the afterlife.
The pain of Jewel’s decision hit her as she turned to gaze at Dalton. Jewel hadn’t even pierced herself with the dagger and yet it already felt as if the blade was slicing through her heart.
“NO!” Dalton’s voice filled the night and sounded like thunder as he realized what she was saying.
He couldn’t move, none of them could. Dalton stood there staring at her, anger radiating off him even as the helplessness he felt was glaring at her from the eyes that now were filling with tears. Her strong, steady mate was crying … for her.
“Don’t do this, Jewel,” he cried. “There’s always another way. Don’t do this! If you love me, please, Little Dove, don’t do this!”
Jewel gasped as the sobs she’d been holding back burst forth. “It’s because I love you that I do this, my mate,” Jewel shouted back. “I will not allow you to live with a woman whose darkness will eventually consume us both, nor will I allow my sisters to live in such a state. I am the only one who can do this. Please, my love, please understand.” She took a deep breath, holding his gaze even as he shook his head at her. “Dalton Black…” Her voice was as firm as she could make it as she screamed into the storm. “I love you. Every single cell that makes you the man you are, every bone, muscle, and tissue, I love. I love your stubbornness, your determined will, and your faithfulness. And I am beyond thankful I’ve had the privilege of being loved by you even for such a short time.”
“PERI! Don’t you let her do this!” Heather suddenly shouted. “By the stars, I will kill you myself if you let her do what I think she is going to do!”
“PLEASE, JEWEL!” Anna joined in, her voice every bit as loud as the others. “Don’t leave us!”
“BREAK THE DAMN CIRCLE, PERIZADA,” Stella screamed.
Jewel couldn’t look at them. She couldn’t take her eyes away from Dalton. “I will be with you always,” she said as she poised the sharp dagger at her chest. “Take care of my sisters, Dalton. If you love me, you will protect them with your li
fe.” It was a jackass move, but it was the only thing she knew to do to keep Dalton from taking his own life once everything was said and done. She pulled the dagger back, and after hesitating for the briefest of moments, Jewel plunged it through her chest, aiming for the space between her ribs that would leave her heart unprotected.
The blade slid in effortlessly.
She heard the gasps and cries of the others, but one voice rose above the others. It was the cry of a man who had just lost any reason to live, and it hurt Jewel worse than the blade she’d just plunged into her chest. Dalton’s voice was the last thing she heard as the world went dark. It was the last thing she wanted to hear, but not like that.
Dalton couldn’t stop screaming. His mate lay lifeless on the wet ground with a fae blade sticking out of her chest, and he couldn’t move to get to her. He couldn’t save her. He couldn’t hold her. All he could do was stand there, frozen by fae magic, watching the woman who held every part of his soul die right before his eyes.
Suddenly, his knees hit the ground and he fell forward, his hands barely catching himself before he face-planted onto the ground. Dalton breathed in great heaves as he processed what had just happened. He could move. Without another thought, he scrambled across the forest floor, pushing aside two of the females who’d reached Jewel before him. He took Jewel’s still form into his arms.
“Little Dove.” He growled as he shook her, even though he knew he wouldn’t get an answer. “No, no, no, no,” said Dalton over and over as he buried his face in her hair and fell to the ground in a heap. Everything around him disappeared, and all he could hear was his mate’s voice in his mind. All he could smell was her scent as it washed over him. All he could feel was her cooling body against his own. Dalton could feel his wolf pushing against him, begging to get closer to their mate, needing to feel her against his fur, but Dalton couldn’t release Jewel from his arms, not even for his wolf.
The wolf in him snarled and then forced the man to throw his head back and release a howl that any supernatural within fifty miles would hear. It was a howl that spoke of pain, loss, terror, and grief on a level Dalton had never felt before. It was a howl he didn’t even know how to stop. He feared if he did stop, he would destroy anyone near him. So, he just howled as he held his mate and hoped someone would kill him next and put him out of his misery.
“Peri! Stop!” Lucian snarled as Peri reached to take Jewel away from Dalton. She needed to do something. She had to fix this.
“Not again,” Peri muttered. “Not bloody again!” Firm hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her back before she could touch the girl’s body.
“You can’t touch her, mate,” Lucian whispered harshly in her ear. “He will kill anyone who tries to take her. You know this.”
“This can’t be happening, Lucian. This wasn’t supposed to happen. HOW THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?” Her voice pierced the air as her hands fisted, and she threw her head back against her mate’s shoulder. Peri wanted to hit something. She wanted to rage against everything and curse the world.
“Hit me, my beloved. Take it out on me,” Lucian said softly into her mind.
But Peri shook her head. “It wasn’t supposed to end like this,” she said.
Chapter 21
“For a genius, Jewel does some really stupid things … like sacrificing herself when I’ve specifically told her not to.” ~Peri
Waves of peaceful thoughts came to Peri through the bond. “You must be strong now, my love. For Jewel.” Peri knew he was right, but how could she go on?
“You do not honor Jewel’s sacrifice by mourning her now,” said Lucian. “The healer will be celebrated, but only if we defeat Volcan. Otherwise, her sacrifice was in vain.”
Peri nodded, drawing in a huge breath to calm her trembling body. “I’ll see you again, Jewel Stone. And when I do, I’m going to slap you so hard…” she whispered.
“Take her back to my house, Dalton,” said Peri. “We cannot wait or we risk the draheim veil closing again. We have to move against Volcan now. I am so sorry for your loss. We will mourn Jewel properly after.”
The large man said nothing. He simply lifted Jewel’s body like it was an overstuffed pillow and began running back toward Peri’s home. He was met by the other wolves and fae as they approached. They tried to hail him. He simply snarled and ran past them.
“Peri, what happened?” asked Crina.
“Jewel sacrificed herself.”
“Oh my god,” gasped Elle.
“What do we do now?” asked Adam.
“We stick to the plan,” Peri replied. “We have to attack Volcan now.”
“How can you be so callous?” asked Kara through a rush of tears. “We can’t go on without Jewel.”
Peri looked around, steeling herself. There was shock on every face. “I hate to use a cliché at a time like this,” she replied. “But it’s what Jewel would have wanted us to do. She sacrificed herself so that we might defeat Volcan. We cannot hesitate.” There was a murmur of agreement from the others.
“But what do we tell Volcan?” asked Stella. “He’s expecting five healers, not four.”
“Tell him Jewel attacked me and I killed her. The rest of you were only able to escape during the chaos. Tell him we’re on our way but in no position to fight,” Peri replied.
“Will he believe that?” asked Anna.
“He’ll have to,” said Peri. “Good luck, girls. It’s all up to you, now.”
The high fae watched as the four healers stepped away from the group and embraced their new mates. She could only imagine the conversations going on in their bonds. The wolves weren’t happy to let their mates return to Volcan, but it had to be done. A few moments later, the girls joined hands and disappeared as one, flashing to the entrance of the draheim veil. It was no surprise to Peri that the four men immediately transformed to wolf form. They raised their snouts and released a unified howl. It wasn’t a mournful sound. It was frightening, a howl to signify the start of a hunt. They came back to the group, hackles raised.
Peri turned to the others. “The rest of you, sharpen your blades and your fangs. We leave in five minutes.”
She stepped up to Thad. “Noble djinn, we thank you for your help, but I think you’ve done all you can do.”
“I agree, Perizada of the fae. I wish you luck. I hope I will soon record your greatest victory. If not, I will write that you died honorably, fighting for those you loved.”
“Just make sure it says I was having a good hair day.”
Volcan fell to his knees and clutched his chest. He felt as if a piece of him had been ripped away. Jewel was gone. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but her spirit was gone. Seconds later, he watched the four women rush through the veil, like the hounds of hell were on the heels. Four. So his queen was truly gone? They ran stumbling up the hill toward him. He rose to his feet.
“Where is Jewel?” he asked them.
“Peri killed her,” said Anna. “She attacked Peri again, and the fae got the best of her. She didn’t want to kill Jewel, but she couldn’t defeat her otherwise. We only escaped because the others were distracted.”
The dark fae screamed. “No! It can’t be! My queen is twice as strong as that damn fae. Why didn’t you help her?”
“We were going to,” said Stella, “but there were too many. We would not throw our lives away needlessly. We thought you’d have more use for us here.”
Volcan growled. “Good thinking, gypsies. I do. But I’m going to peel Peri’s skin from her body,” Volcan spat out. “Let’s go!”
“No need,” said Kara. “They chased us. I’m sure they’ll be here any second.”
“Then ready yourselves for battle. Even though Jewel is gone, her power is still my power. I will show Peri just how strong I am.”
“The time has come,” said Peri. “I don’t know what awaits on the other side of the veil, but I’m sure it won’t be pretty. Fight for everything you hold
dear. Fight for Jewel. Let her sacrifice not be in vain.”
As one, Peri’s army, consisting of nine wolves—four of them weary and beleaguered from the In Between—two fae, and a pixie stepped through the shimmering veil into the draheim realm.
***
As soon as she stepped through the portal, Peri had about half a second before a burst of fire engulfed her and her comrades. She threw up a shield and blocked the blast of flame released by the giant draheim swooping down on them. She held it in place as another dragon, twin to the first, passed over.
“Scatter,” Peri yelled, and the wolves and fae broke apart, moving in every direction.
The two minutes of warning the healers had given Volcan had been enough time to prepare his forces and take her by surprise. Peri saw the four healers standing around Volcan, who was pointing at her and shouting. She couldn't tell from this distance what the girls might be feeling. Of course, they'd seen some terrible things since they've been introduced to the supernatural world, but they’d never seen a full-blown battle before. Peri hoped their resolve would hold.
A large group of women came barreling down the hill toward Peri, shooting fireballs as they came. Apparently, Volcan had made more witches apart from her healers. Peri hated that the women had been subjected to that, but there was nothing she could do. She didn’t see how she’d be able to spare any of them. The wolves met them head on, and the battle was joined. “Adam, Elle, hang back,” said Peri. We’ll need to deal with the draheim.”
“Sly, is your mate here?”
“There,” said Sly pointing to dark-haired woman wearing a red tunic and leading the enemy’s charge. He ran to her, yelling her name. “Evanora!” The woman didn’t seem to acknowledge she knew him. Z followed after him.
“Don’t kill the one in red,” Peri shouted, though she wasn’t sure anyone heard her. She didn’t have time to notice what happened between Sly and his mate as the draheim swung around for another attack.