Cassie (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #3)

by Virginia Hunter

  Screw that! She yanked her hand off of the handle.

  J’onn fell over, gasping.

  “Thanks,” Caleb croaked, as he looked up at her, rubbing his neck.

  “My pleasure,” Cassie replied in all seriousness. She pressed a hand to her wound. It ached like hell, but wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been. “Are you okay?”

  Caleb sat up. “I should be asking you that question.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she said, offering him a hand. “C’mon, we’ve got one more little problem to deal with.”

  “A little problem, huh?”

  “Okay, a big one,” she conceded, and pulled him to his feet.

  A gurgling sound came from J’onn. The pair glanced down at the cult leader, as he shuddered his last breath.

  “Good riddance, Asshole,” she spat.

  “I’m free!” Carreau bellowed in the distance.

  Cassie spun around to face the ongoing fight, startled by the demon’s proclamation.

  Carreau’s insectoid-like hand smashed into Troy who was clinging to its side. The redhead was peeled off like an unwanted band aid, and sent flying through the air.

  The demon raised its head. “Finally free!”

  Dominic darted in, his thin dreads whipping in the wind as he moved. He punched the demon in the knee, but the creature didn’t stumble. A gnarled fist slammed Dominic to the ground, as he tried to dart back out.

  “Hey!” Cassie yelled at the demon. “Don’t you still want me?”

  Carreau leered at her with that jagged-tooth smile. “Now you’re truly mine!” It lunged in her direction, using Dominic as a starting block.

  Not the wisest decision you’ve made, she thought with a pang of regret. In her current condition, she wouldn’t stand a chance against the demon. She’d have to make a run for it.

  “Run Caleb!” she yelled, as she made a break for the tree line.

  Their salvation came within arm’s length, before the demon’s attack finally struck Cassie in the back. She flew forward, smacking into one of the oaks she’d been so desperate to reach. Carreau grabbed her, as she bounced backward, and threw her to the ground.

  The air rushed out of her lungs.

  The demon stood over her, with Caleb struggling in its clawed hand. “You always run, Sweetling. Even when you know there is no escape. So delightful.” Its elongated head turned to look at Caleb. “You’re suffering is always a pleasure to me.” The monster’s jaw stretched wide, accompanied by the sickening sounds of popping bone and dripping saliva. Its mouth opened enough to easily swallow Caleb’s head.

  Dread filled Cassie. She tried to scream, but had no air to do so.

  Carreau leaned forward to bite Caleb’s head clean from its shoulders, but he managed to free an arm. He grabbed hold of the demon’s jaw, slowing its descent. Carreau chuckled, as his sharp teeth continued to inch ever closer toward Caleb’s face.

  Cassie watched in horror as her lover—no, he was more than that—her companion was being put to death, and she could do nothing to save him.

  A mighty roar heralded the giant Kodiak’s return to battle. A flurry of tooth and claw crashed into the demon, driving it farther into the woods. Caleb was dropped, as the two giants once again resumed battle.

  Cassie almost wept with relief. She struggled to her feet. Pain shot through the knife wound as she did, but that wasn’t going to stop her. She needed to get to Caleb.

  She rushed to his side, and began looking him over frantically. “Are you hurt?” There were gashes all over his body, but none of them looked fatal.

  He shook his head groggily, “Go.”

  “I can’t just leave you here.”

  Caleb waved her on, “Finish it.”

  She glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of the battling pair, as they stumbled through the trees. There was still hope for her to be free of the horrid demon, and she needed to help. She needed to be a part of its destruction. Caleb knew it as much as she did. With effort, she leaned down, and kissed him on the head. “I’ll be back for you.”

  “No need. I’ll be along soon,” he replied.

  Not sure if he was telling the truth, Cassie got to her feet, and staggered after the brawling beasts. There was no time to lose. She moved as fast as she was able around the warring goliaths, toward the witch’s circle. Carreau unleashed a savage barrage of claws and bites at his fur-covered opponent. The bear howled in pain, but continued to drive the demon through the woods.

  Cassie stumbled through the forest, until she reached the path again. The circle only a short distance away. Cassie called out as she entered the clearing. “They’re coming!”

  Three women looked up from a myriad of intricately rendered circles made of powdered silver. Alix was one of them, who immediately looked over at the auburn-haired beauty from Cassie’s dreams, Miranda.

  “Come.” The matriarch signaled for Cassie to move closer. “We will need your help.”

  “But the demon...”

  Miranda glanced over at the third woman, a dark-haired, girl-next-door type and said, “Go.”

  Cassie stumbled down into the clearing. The dark-haired woman, dressed in varying shades of green, gave her a sharp nod, as she passed in a rush.

  When Cassie got closer to the circle, Miranda stood. She wore a heavy white coat, and matching sweats. A small leather bag dangled from her wrist.

  “I wish we had met under better circumstances, but we must hurry.” The auburn-haired woman pointed at one of the smaller circles. “You’ll need to stand there once the demon is in place. Don’t worry about chanting, we just need your presence and power.”

  “Okay,” Cassie said, looking down at the witch’s circle. Symbols and geometric shapes filled the many layers within each of the circles. There were six circles in all. The largest was nearly a dozen feet across, and five smaller ones that were maybe three feet. The smaller circles surrounded the largest, overlapping its edges to make one cohesive design. “Will this kill it?”

  Miranda frowned. “We can only banish it back to where it came from.”

  “Well, that’s good, right?”

  “Yes,” Miranda nodded. She was on the verge of saying something else, but hesitated. She quickly looked down at the circles. “I must finish the details. Stand near your place and be ready...and don’t leave the circle once the ritual has begun.”

  “Why?”

  “You could be drawn in with the demon,” Miranda answered. “Stay in place, and you will be fine.” She lowered to her knees, and opened the leather bag around her wrist. Silver dust poured out, filling gaps in one of the curving lines.

  Cassie glanced around the witch’s circle nervously. She knew there had to be risks involved getting rid of the demon, she just hadn’t anticipated the possibility of being pulled into hell as one of them. She noticed Alix on the other side of the large circle with her own little bag of silver dust. I wonder if she knows the risk? Cassie shook her head. She’d have to.

  Coming to terms with her role, she walked carefully to the circle Miranda had pointed to and waited. She could hardly stand it. The thought of Caleb being out there with that monster was grinding on her nerves. A chill shuddered through her body. It was cold out, especially now that her clothes were torn to shreds. But most of the chill came from the building fear of what was to happen next.

  The roars of the bear had stopped, but the demon continued to scream in rage.

  Cassie rocked anxiously from one foot to the other.

  Alix finished her part, and then jogged around the witch’s circle to Cassie. “Are you okay?” she asked, staring at Cassie’s wounded breast.

  She nodded, “Yeah. It will heal.”

  Alix gave her a half-smile. “Are the others okay?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “The guys you brought along got hit pretty hard.”

  “Did they still have their tattoos?”

  Cassie shook her head. “I don’t think so. Not toward the end anyway.”
<
br />   Worry strained the purple-haired woman’s expression.

  Guilt rolled over Cassie. “Shouldn’t I go...to help the bear?”

  “No,” Alix replied. “Hannah will handle it.”

  “The dark-haired woman?”

  “Yeah. She’s really powerful.”

  As if on cue, Hannah backed out of the woods. Her attention was focused on something up in the trees. She continued edging her way backward with her hands raise like she was conducting a slow playing orchestra. She came to a stop just shy of one of the small circles.

  “Time to go,” Alix said, and moved to her place just to Cassie’s left.

  The demon roared, and finally came into view.

  Cassie couldn’t believe her eyes, as she watched the massive oaks come to life. Layers of wispy vines had coiled around Carreau’s arms, legs and head, immobilizing him, as if he were a small child in the midst of a temper tantrum. Thick branches passed the raging demon from one tree to the next, until it hovered over the large circle.

  Caleb limped into the clearing shortly after. He was supporting a naked, Native American woman, who looked like she’d been flogged with razor wire. Despite her injuries, her eyes were focused and determined. She pointed to one of the circles, and Caleb helped her over to it.

  Cassie breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad to see that Caleb was okay, and on his feet.

  Miranda stood, finished with her work. She raised her arms, and signaled for the others to move into place. Alix and Hannah quickly stepped into their circles, while Rhea—Cassie thought that’s what Alix had said her name was—eased into one with Caleb’s help.

  Cassie did the same.

  The matriarch closed her eyes and began to chant in a language Cassie didn’t understand. Hannah and Rhea joined in, but Alix apparently didn’t know the language either, as she remained silent. The demon continued to struggle and scream, as the tempo of the chant began to pick up pace.

  A tingling, not unlike the one that drove her mad with desire when Caleb touched her, danced across Cassie’s skin. However, the emotion triggered was different. Instead of being put into sexual overdrive, she found herself filled with empowerment, and heady from the surge of adrenaline.

  The witches’ cadence became sharp, and grew in strength. The symbols on the ground began to glow. They strobed softly at first, pulsing more rapidly as the chant continued, until there was no pulsing at all, only continuous light.

  “Whores!” the demon wailed in rage. “I will taste your flesh!”

  If Carreau’s threats were bothersome to the witches, they paid them little heed. Miranda and the others chanted on, louder and faster. Cassie herself shook with power. It coursed through her beyond anything she’d experienced before. She felt as if her skin might burst from the pressure. The others radiated power too, she could sense it. There was a oneness among them. A sharing of body and soul. It was wonderful.

  Glowing silver from the magical runes drifted into the air like little specks of starlight. The individual grains multiplied, transforming into a shimmering funnel of luminescence. The swirling vortex climbed upward, surrounding the demon. Whenever one of the blazing dots of light touched Carreau’s skin, it erupted into a fiery web of embers that crawled across his distorted form.

  The demon screeched in agony. He thrashed about, tearing at his bonds.

  The witches were practically screaming the verses now. Cassie could barely hold her position within the circle the power coursing through her was so great. She wanted to yell at the top of her lungs, but was afraid that doing so would disrupt the spell. She clamped her teeth together in a desperate attempt to remain silent.

  The gathering wind whipped Cassie’s hair in every direction, making it hard to see. She thought the massive oaks surrounding them were swaying under the strain of the supernatural storm, but couldn’t be sure. Her focus was on Carreau.

  Most of the demon’s flesh was charred now, blackened and gray. The beast appeared as a corpse excavated from an ancient tomb, yet still alive and kicking. The earth within the witch’s circle suddenly collapsed into a bottomless chasm. The five smaller circles, where the witches stood, remained intact; tiny ledges on the precipice of hell.

  Cassie bent her knees to stabilize herself, as she remembered Miranda’s warning about being drawn in. The void below was definitely a place she didn’t want to visit.

  The twisting cloud of silver that wrapped around Carreau rotated with greater speed, tearing what remained of the seared muscle from his bones. His skull turned to face Cassie, the black orbs it used for eyes were still intact, and locked with hers. The chilling stare promised vengeance eternal, before the eyes themselves were stripped away. Carreau’s jawbone opened in a soundless shriek, as the rest of his skeletal body began to shake. The silver mist ate away at the flailing skeleton, until nothing was left but burning embers drifting among the spots of light. As one, the remains of Carreau and the glowing silver spiraled down into the rift, disappearing far below.

  The earth reformed, but the brown grass that once covered its surface was gone, as well as the symbol of power. Tendrils of smoke seeped from the red dirt, coiling up into the cool, crisp air. All of the witches had fallen to their knees. All of them except Cassie. She stood, staring at the smoldering earth in disbelief. The monster was gone.

  Miranda set J’onn’s dagger on the handcrafted coffee table. The blade radiated a dark and foreboding energy, as if calling for a soul to brush against its hungering edge.

  A shiver went down Cassie’s spine just looking at the thing. She remembered its desire, and knew she’d never forget it. Her grip tightened on Caleb’s hand.

  He smiled at her, and gently squeezed back.

  A wave of calm washed over her. His presence worked wonders on the jitters, and the tingling spark of his touch helped her relax. She was glad he was there.

  They sat together on a couch that was much nicer than anything she’d ever had the pleasure of placing her backside on. The huge living room fit into a similar never-before-seen category with polished stone, and wood accents that gave the place a “vacation lodge” feel, but with ritzier furnishings. Everyone had come inside the manor, and settled in the great room. They had checked the bodies of the cultists before coming in, but all of them were dead. No great loss in Cassie’s book, though seeing any dead person wasn’t a highpoint on her bucket list.

  “I’ve seen that knife before,” Alix stated, as she took a seat on the sofa near Cassie. Her purple hair gleamed in the firelight. “Or one like it.” Her expression darkened. “When Sam was killed.”

  Her boyfriend, Troy, placed a hand on her shoulder.

  Cassie wanted to ask who Sam was, but it didn’t seem the appropriate time. “J’onn said he could take my power with it. He said his ‘group’ hunted witches for that very purpose, and that they’d been doing it for centuries.”

  Miranda nodded. “I’ve seen daggers like these before as well, though it was a long time ago.” She sat down across from Cassie. “What else did this J’onn say?”

  “Nothing else worth repeating,” Cassie answered. That wasn’t entirely true, but all that came to mind were his lewd comments and sickening attempts to rape and murder her. “Who was he?”

  “A witch hunter.” Miranda glanced at Alix. “We’ve had trouble with them recently.” Her gaze drifted to Hannah. “And in the past. A dangerous group of people to be sure, as everyone here knows.”

  “They want our powers?” Alix asked, horrified. She looked at Troy. “They must have thought Sam was a witch. That’s why they killed her.”

  “Who is Sam?” Caleb asked, saving Cassie from having to do it.

  Alix frowned at the dagger as she spoke, “A good friend. Someone I knew before I came to Coven’s Grove.”

  “Sorry,” Cassie said. She suddenly felt ill. The subject brought to mind her own tragic incident involving the past. She wondered if the matriarch would still want her in the coven if she knew the bright, new candidate, ha
d killed a high school teacher. Not something she wanted to bring up just now, so she shoved the thought to the back of her mind.

  Alix nodded in thanks, but said nothing more.

  “Dominic,” Hannah said, filling the awkward silence. “We should take care of the mess outside, and let them talk.”

  Dominic strolled over to her from the bar. “Of course.”

  “I’ll help,” the Native American woman chimed in. She had clothes on now, which was good. “I need to address these wounds anyway.” Dark stains of blood had seeped through her sweats where the demon had clawed her.

  The three of them made their leave. Dominic was holding Hannah’s hand, as they stepped out the door. The small show of affection helped put Cassie at ease. These strangers had more than proven they wanted to help, but it was nice to see the warmth exchange between them. It made their actions seem more genuine. Perhaps the dreams she’d been having held some truth in them. Maybe this truly was a place to find solace, and answers.

  A thought suddenly came to Cassie. “J’onn did mention something about Caleb being a guardian. Do you know what he meant?”

  “Yes,” Miranda replied. “It means you’ve bonded with him on a supernatural level. Caleb will feel inclined to protect you, while in turn, you’ve granted him the power to do so.”

  “I didn’t give him anything...” she paused. “The dream. We were in a glade, the three of us. The grass was doing something to Caleb.”

  Miranda nodded. “That was the granting of guardianship.”

  “That makes sense,” Caleb chimed in. “I’ve been able to do some stuff that’s hard to explain.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Cassie recalled him going toe to toe with J’onn after the cult leader had absorbed part of her power. Not something she thought he could have done as a normal man.

  “If you recall anything else, please let me know,” Miranda said. “Any information we can get about them will be useful. As for the dagger,”—she looked down at the dark blade—“We’ll keep it for further study. Documentation of your contact with the artifact would be helpful as well.”