by J. E. Taylor
“She has been trying to strip this from me for the last two decades,” he whispered. “While her son’s experiments were a futile attempt to cure whatever this disease is, her experiments were aimed to drain the power to control the pack.”
“Did Jaden know her true plan?”
My father shook his head. “He always talked about a cure. About how we could get better. He was always a little naive that way.”
I would have never categorized Jaden as naive, but as soon as my father said it, it held true. This was just as naive as thinking the two of us could be together while his mother still ruled the sector. It was also as naive as believing Samantha wasn’t evil. That slanted truth shattered the moment Jaden found himself in chains and witnessed it firsthand.
“She knew she was losing control of the barrier, didn’t she?” I thought Jaden suspected as much, which was probably the reason he stepped up his efforts. “And there is no cure, is there?” I stared at the group of ravagers.
He sighed. “No. And as far as creating more intelligent monsters, Samantha was never able to recreate the same circumstances that led to the way I am with either her magic or her son’s scientific experiments. There is no cure for what I am and no cure for these beasts.” He waved at the pack behind him.
“Intelligent monsters?”
“Precisely. She wanted an army that she could control.” He licked his lips. “Now you need to get away from me before I lose control. There is too much blood in this cell, and it is turning my bloodlust into an uncontrollable beast.”
Sweat broke out on his forehead, and saliva bubbled up at the corners of his mouth. He was on the edge, and despite me being his flesh and blood, that would soon be his only singular focus. My flesh and blood.
I took a step away and pointed at the remaining members of my father’s pack. “Samantha sent one of those things out to the gardens that day to kill my mother. Didn’t she?”
“Yes. Because I would not give her this power, and she couldn’t steal it from me,” he said and took a predatory step in my direction. “Make sure they know what she did. What she is.” The whisper of his voice carried a feral growl despite the soft smile. “And make sure they know what you are capable of.”
The pack advanced just like he had. I turned to the group, pointing at them.
“Back off!” I snarled, afraid of what might happen if I didn’t have full control over them. The pack halted and even took a step back. So did my father.
The beast in my father finally surfaced, making his eyes glow red and his lips peel back from his sharp teeth, but he did not attack. None of them did. My eyes widened. While I now harbored my father’s alpha powers, the practical application of controlling the pack stunned me. Once I gave a command, they had to obey. The realization left me dizzy, so I reached out, grabbing one of the bars to steady myself. My gaze darted to my father, and he gave me the slightest of growls.
“You had this while you were human?”
He nodded.
This new dynamic stalled my brain and I blinked, unable to corral my pinging thoughts. In some ways, I understood why Samantha coveted this power. It would make her a goddess in the eyes of the sector, and she wouldn’t need Jaden.
The thought of him jolted me back to reality, and my internal alarms sounded. I forced myself to focus on the issue at hand.
Getting out of this godforsaken cell block.
“Think,” I muttered to myself and did the unthinkable. I turned my back on the pack, but I didn’t care. If I didn’t get out of this cell, and out of this building, my hopes of sparing Jaden became less and less certain.
The quickest way out of the building was via the elevator, so that was my target. The only thing between me and the elevator was the damn cell door. I focused on the lock keeping me from reaching my destination.
“What is now locked, let be unlocked.”
The click gave me a start. I pushed the gate open but stopped half in and half out of the cell, debating. Leaving them locked up didn’t seem right, but if I let them out, what kind of hell was I unleashing on the sector?
If I could control them, perhaps I could lead them to freedom without harm to the people of sector eleven. The responsibility of the alpha fell on me, and somehow I knew that if I didn’t protect both the pack and the people, my station would mean shit. The pack would turn on me as fast as they had their downed comrade.
Without looking, I said, “If you want your freedom, follow me.”
I left the cell door open, doubting my decision, but I knew if I showed a hint of weakness, I would be ripped apart. My heart charged, even as my feet kept a steady pace. The patter of nails on the floor followed. When I stopped in front of the elevator, my father stepped in the space beside me.
Shock, bitter and tinny, filled my mouth. They hadn’t attacked, or even sniffed me for that matter. Every nerve in my body tingled, and if someone yelled boo, I probably would have let out a yelp and jumped as high as the ceiling. The door opened, and I took the biggest gamble of my life. I stepped inside and held the door as the pack filtered into the tight space. Cool soft skin brushed my leg.
I focused on the most important piece of instruction for this fool’s journey. “If you attack, I will end you. Understand?” I had no idea if I was capable of following through with the threat, but the creatures nodded. I glanced at each ravager, making eye contact before my gaze landed on my father. “That goes for you, too.”
His response was a low chuckle that bordered on a growl.
“If you do what I ask, I will lead you beyond the barrier where you will be free of the tests and spells.”
“The Regent will never allow that,” my father said.
The pack shifted restlessly.
“The Regent will have no choice. She played her hand, and now I am playing mine.” The strength and conviction in my voice wasn’t contrived, and the power that lay dormant since birth flared in the center of my being. “Jaden is my primary concern. I do not want him harmed. If I need help protecting him, will you help me?”
They rumbled and shifted, exchanging glances with each other before giving me a nod.
“Then we can deal with the Regent.” I met my father’s gaze. She was the only one that I might consider allowing him to attack, and based on the darkness that flared in his eyes, I might not have a choice.
“You will not be able to get back through the barrier once you breach it,” he said.
“If Jaden is already beyond it, that’s where I’m going.”
His jaw tightened. “This control. It is only temporary.” Concern flared in his eyes.
“What do you mean temporary?” My whisper sounded more like a hiss in the tight space.
“I wasn’t able to hold off an attack,” he said, and the meaning in his eyes dried all the spit in my mouth. “You may have to choose.”
“I choose Jaden.”
“And if he is already dead?”
The thought never occurred to me, but I wasn’t going to let it cloud my judgment right now. If I harped on it, I would lose my focus and my raw nerve to face Samantha on such a bloody battleground.
I needed my wits. I needed to believe Jaden was alive, because if he wasn’t, that would be the end of my rebellion. And the end of sector eleven. The barrier would fall because my last act would be to kill the witch.
I was also sure that if I challenged Samantha and stripped her of her Regent station, the wall would fail. I was the only one who could counteract the breakdown of our barrier. I had read those ancient spell books, and I knew exactly what was needed. The spell required blood, but thankfully not a blood sacrifice.
Like all the other ancient spells found in those books, I had memorized every line, every nuance, and every action. I just hoped like hell the combination of elements and spirits I called on would obey me instead of Samantha Mallory.
Otherwise, we were all doomed.
Chapter 22
The estate was quiet. I stepped out of the ele
vator, aware of my lack of clothing. I couldn’t conceive of marching through the streets in only my underwear and bra, but time was not on my side.
I slowed as we approached Samantha’s office and put my hand up, halting the pack. The Regent kept an array of jackets in the closet, so I darted inside. I scanned the collection and grabbed the longest one. The red fur-lined trench coat would not only keep me covered, but it would also keep me warm. I pulled it on as I headed back into the hallway.
My father’s nose crinkled, as did the beasts’ surrounding me.
“I know, but I can’t exactly stroll down Main Street and make a stand in my underwear.”
I finished buttoning the jacket and tied the sash as we entered the atrium. The guards paused at the sight of us, their jaws dropped. I had to issue a spell quickly before they got their bearings and went on the attack. I needed to stop everything until I had a chance to make things right.
I cast a protective net around my little posse and bellowed, “Gods of the sun and moon, hear my prayer. Stand behind me and add your might to mine. Give me the power to command time.”
The impact of the elements hit like a gale force wind. I braced against the pressure, continuing the spell.
“Time stand still. I order you. No minutes shall pass until I am through doing what I must do. Time stand still, I order you!”
I broke out in a sprint. It took the pack a moment to catch up. I knew it was going to be cold out, but I didn’t expect a dusting of snow on the ground. I nearly went tumbling down the stairs. My father’s arm wrapped around my waist, picking me up as the pack effortlessly traversed the stairs.
The guard at the gate didn’t move. He didn’t even look as we passed. I smiled, letting my father carry me as they ran. Their sprint left me breathless at the speed and agility they displayed. When we rounded the last corner, my breath sucked in at the thick crowd frozen in time.
The ravagers dodged through the crowd without stopping. As soon as we entered the executioner’s circle, we stopped. My gaze shot to the shimmer of the barrier and the wild ravagers surrounding Jaden in the same horseshoe form as the crowd.
My heart hammered against the walls of my chest. This was the scene Gypsy showed me in her crystal ball. Jaden’s wrists were bound behind his back, and he knelt on the ground with his head bowed. His right shoulder had already been torn, but I couldn’t tell if it was by teeth or claw. The beast coming in for another attack didn’t have blood dripping from his mouth. None of the close attackers had blood on their snouts.
My father put me down and glared at Samantha. I ran straight for Jaden, and the pack followed. The minute I burst through the barrier, time shifted back to normal.
“No!” I screamed as every hair on my body stood on end.
One of my pack launched, catching the attacking ravager before he reached Jaden.
Jaden’s head snapped up at the sound of my voice. His tear-filled gaze met mine. Confusion crossed over his features, and his gaze traveled over the pack as it created a barrier between us and the wild ravagers.
“Were you bitten?” I asked. I suspected he wasn’t, but I wasn’t sure.
“Not yet,” he said. “How...”
“Subterfuge. My father faked it.”
“Did your father bite you?” he asked, struggling to his feet, his gaze leery as he studied me.
“No.” I didn’t expand on the fact one of the other ravagers took a bite out of my leg, nor did I tell him my father healed all my ailments. I didn’t think he realized how powerful my father was. Behind me, my dad was close to the barrier and using Samantha as a human shield against the advancing guards.
Another ravager launched, and Jaden stumbled closer to me, but my pack stopped it.
“Is this you?” He waved towards our personal safety barrier, his eyes as wide as I’d ever seen them, making his green irises stand out.
“Yes.” I offered a shrug. “My father gave me a little gift. Something your mother has been trying to steal from him for years.”
His jaw dropped.
“But it won’t last,” I said.
He blinked like I had short-circuited his brain, and then his eyes hardened. “Jesus, woman, then why the hell did you come out here?”
“For the same reason you just gave up without a fight.”
His cheeks turned red, and his gaze fell to the ground. “I thought...”
“I know what you thought,” I snapped.
The creatures holding the line started their restless shuffle. I grabbed Jaden and backed towards the barrier. The control was ebbing, and with it our chance of survival.
I glanced over my shoulder. The barrier was an arm’s length away. I stepped closer, putting enough distance between Jaden and me. My gaze shifted to my father’s dark stare. He smiled in a gleefully evil way.
I shook my head. “Don’t you dare,” I growled, but my command wasn’t strong enough to stop his thirst for revenge.
His teeth buried into Samantha’s throat. Then he threw her through the barrier.
I grabbed Jaden and dove as bullets rained through my father. Each shot jerked his body. I pulled Jaden farther away from the kill zone. His mother thrashed on the ground, screaming as the virus fought for control. It would be a blessing if she bled out before it turned her, but with the knowledge my father had given me, I knew better. Once the virus was in your system, that was the end.
The beasts held in captivity turned their attention to their mistress, baring teeth in what looked like an ironic smile.
My father’s body fell through the barrier. He reached out, grabbing my ankle as I tried to shuffle us away. The connection of skin against skin shot enough power into my form that I thought I would explode. For a brief moment, I swam in his memories. Memories of my mother, their love, their brief life together, his joy when they found out about me. His reading nursery rhymes to her belly, all the cherished memories that kept him alive all these years. Hope and horror comingled at his exile and every day under Samantha’s thumb.
The light faded, but before it died with him, he bestowed on me one final gift. One he stole by ripping Samantha’s throat open. He gave me every ounce of magic the witch harbored, along with what little was left of his.
“Starlight...” he whispered through a bubble of blood. Then his eyelids dropped closed, and he breathed his final breath.
The wall behind us began to spark. If it failed, the people would be at the mercy of these beasts. I wasn’t sure they were aware of the danger because they still watched as if they couldn’t tear their eyes away.
The Regent rolled onto her hands and knees, her breathing that of an animal, as blood dripped from her throat. My pack surrounded her, and the rest of the ravagers split their attention between the dying ruler and us. I was sure the fresh blood dripping from Jaden’s arm captured their attention just as much as Samantha’s soaking the ground.
One of the closer ravagers launched.
Before I could recite a spell to repel the beast, Jaden’s strong command of “stop” filled the air. The beast stopped mid-air and then fell, dazed like he’d run into a brick wall.
The crowd behind the barrier gasped at his unusual display of power.
“We need to get out of here,” he said, and his nose began trickling blood.
“We need to protect sector eleven.”
He turned, and for the first time, saw the crumbling wall dividing the people from the beasts. When his gaze came back to mine, it was frantic.
“How?”
“I’ve seen the ancient spell books, Jaden. I know what to do, but I need your help. I need you to stop them from attacking while I fortify the barrier. Okay?” I said, praying he still had the strength to do what I asked.
“I think I can hold them off, but I’m not sure about her,” he said, nodding at something behind my back.
I took a quick glance in time to see the pack attacking his mother. She was fighting back as the change took over in earnest. She was becoming another
intelligent monster like my father had been, and something about that gave me a shiver. Even though I knew her magic had been stripped, the newly formed beast would be a foe to be wary of. All it took was one bite.
I met his gaze, took a deep breath, and went to reach for the barrier.
Jaden stepped in front of me, shaking his head. “You can’t do that.”
“Get out of my way. I need the power in the wall to do this.”
“Even in this depleted state, it can still kill you,” he said, glancing over my head at the restless pack.
“If I don’t, they will turn our sector into a battle zone,” I said, following his gaze as the pack closed in. “You have the ability to put up a barrier around us, so do it and let me protect the rest of the people.”
“Star,” he whispered, pleading.
“Shut the fuck up and make sure those things don’t get to us.”
He leaned over and caught a quick kiss. “If this doesn’t work, if it kills you, I’m walking right into the middle of them. Understand?”
I paused and cupped his cheek. “I love you, too, but this isn’t a suicide mission. Trust me. All I need is a few minutes, okay?”
He yielded and stepped to the side, dipping his head. With a deep breath, he inhaled, filling his chest enough so it puffed out. When his head rose, his eyes nearly glowed they were so green. “Stay.”
The simple word created a ripple effect, and the beasts in our attack circle froze in place. I studied the handsome line of Jaden’s jaw and the tremble of the muscles underneath as he used what little strength he had left to protect us.
With a deep breath of my own, I sent a silent plea to the gods asking for mercy. I swiped my hand across Jaden’s torn shoulder, receiving a wince in response, and reached out. The electrical current tickled my blood-soaked fingers as I closed the distance. Then the full power of an electrical storm surrounded me. Instead of crippling me with pain or shutting down my heart, it fueled me, increasing the magic inside me a thousand fold.
I leaned my head back, screaming the incantation to the heavens.
“I call on thee, Hecate, Goddess of Witchcraft and Sorcery! Come to me, and be my shield. Banish these creatures, let this wall make them yield.