by M. J. Caan
Instantly, more wolves were on her, leaping and attacking, trying to land a bite on her wings. Austin cried out in response and used her powerful wings as battering rams as she tried to swat the creatures back. As she swept aside their attacks, she launched into her own offense, snapping at the wolves and ripping into them with her razor-sharp talons.
The shock of the sight quickly wore off, allowing us to turn our attention to the wolves that were still charging from behind. I sent a volley of blue fire into their midst, singeing the ones I could. Elion and Cody rushed the wolves, meeting them head-on with claws and fangs. A roar erupted from behind that was so loud that I knew it wasn’t Cody. Leaping into the pack, Jhamal tore into the wolves, biting and ripping with all the power his lion possessed.
Elion’s form blurred as he sprinted to the great lion’s side. He grabbed one of the wolves that had managed to lodge himself on Jhamal’s haunches and pulled the creature away from him. He twisted to the side and drove the werewolf into the ground. Straddling the surprised shifter, he sunk his teeth into the wolf’s neck, ignoring the sharp yelps it elicited. Within seconds the wolf grew still. Elion reared back and offered up his own roar to the moon, blood that looked black coating his face and running down his chest.
I fired up more of my magic, determined to take full advantage of the distraction and route these monsters.
That’s when they all stopped attacking. As a unit they began to retreat, silently slinking back from the fray. I heard one lone howl, long and piercing, echoing all around us. Someone was calling for a retreat.
Shira.
At least I thought it was a retreat.
“Allie,” whispered Cody next to me, “something is very wrong.” He was sniffing the air ahead of us, a warning growl echoing out of his deep chest.
Elion appeared next to me, fangs still fully extended. “We need to go. Now!”
“What is it?” I asked. His eyes were fixed on something in the treeline straight ahead. I followed his gaze.
There was a slight orange glow creeping through the trees. As it got closer I could see the undergrowth and saplings beginning to burn. Slowly, an immense figure appeared and stepped into the clearing. At first I thought it was a large wolf. But then I realized it wasn’t quite shaped like a wolf. The body was definitely that of a canine, close to six and a half feet tall at the shoulders. It was massively muscled and looked to be the size of a small SUV; it had to weigh at least a ton. The head was massive, more like that of a giant mastiff than the long, sleek muzzle of a wolf. It was meant to take a beating and not flinch. There was a thick tuft of fur that grew around the head that made me think of Jhamal’s mane. The same tufted formation grew down the beast’s legs from below the knees, flowing out to cover the feet. Even through that hair I could see the glint of incredibly sharp claws peeking out from paws that were more than twice the size of a human hand.
Of course, the other thing that set the creature apart from the other werewolves was the flames. It looked like it was on fire, with red and orange fire covering it from head to toe. Even at this distance, I could hear the crackle as they danced in the air around it. Its huge head lowered as it stalked forward. Its eyes burned the same reddish fire as the flames surrounding it, and steam hissed from its open maw.
“That,” said Elion, “is a hellhound.”
“Holy shit,” said Esmee backing up. “What do we do?”
“You run,” said Elion calmly. “Get everyone back to your house and make sure your wards are up.”
“What about you?” I asked.
“That thing can easily keep pace with your vehicle. I’ll distract it long enough for you to get away.”
“Elion, it’s almost dawn,” I said, giving him a knowing glance.
“I’ll be okay. But now isn’t the time for you to lose half your team. And if you try to fight that beast that is exactly what will happen.”
“I’m going with you,” growled Cody as he prepared to shift from hybrid to full wolf.
“No you’re not,” said Elion. “You need to stay close to Allie. If they are risking the hound at this point in time, then Mallis’s end game is near. He’s going to start pressing on all fronts. Protect her and her aunts, that’s who he will start to target now.”
With that, he was gone, sprinting in a blur towards the hellhound.
“C’mon!” I yelled. “Everybody out of here! Austin, Jhamal, get back to the house as quickly as possible. We’re outta here! Cover your eyes, people!”
I raised both hands overhead and summoned a ball of light. Then I threw it into the retreating wolves behind us where it exploded in a shower of white sparks that rained down on the shapeshifters. Temporarily stunning them, it gave us enough time to run from the back of the burnt house and towards the long winding drive that would take us back to the car.
Austin provided more coverage for us as she flew low, her powerful wings whipping the air into a frenzy and further scattering the wolves, before she arched gracefully into the sky and out of sight. Jhamal simply ran, easily outpacing any wolves that may have tried to give chase. Esmee, Cody and myself made it back to the Navigator unscathed.
“Hang on!” said Esmee as she gunned the big vehicle, turning it towards home.
12
“We shouldn’t have left him!” said Cody.
The house was surprisingly quiet as we entered. I slammed the door behind us and mentally checked to make sure the wards around the house were operating at peak efficiency. As I suspected, Jhamal and Austin had beaten us home.
“And what were you two doing there?” Cody continued. He was clearly agitated.
“Ummm, saving your asses, in case you hadn’t noticed,” replied Austin.
“Allie was clear when she told you to stay behind! So much for having the element of surprise when the time comes to reveal the Totem Shifters.”
“It was my fault,” said Jhamal. “I was planning to sneak out and follow you. In my lion form I can track you guys almost anywhere. Austin caught me sneaking out and wanted to come along as well.”
“I was backup to his backup,” she said. “Just in case shit got too real.”
“And not for nothing, but it looked like we showed up at just the right time,” said Jhamal.
“What is going on down here?” said Aunt Vivian from the stairway, making her way down.
Gar and Hope entered the room as well, rubbing their eyes sleepily.
“What’s going on is that Jhamal and Austin crashed our little party tonight after they were told to stay here,” said Cody.
“It’s okay, Cody,” I said. “And they’re right. We should be thanking them. If they hadn’t shown up when they did…we might not be here right now.”
Gar gave Jhamal a horrified look before turning and stalking out of the room. Jhamal took a deep breath and ran after him.
“Jesus, are you okay?” said Hope to Esmee. “Is that…blood all over you?”
“Yeah,” Esmee replied. “But don’t worry, it’s not mine. Well, at least most of it isn’t.”
“Wait, where is Elion?” Hope asked.
“He stayed behind to create a diversion so the rest of us could get out. We were attacked by Shira and a whole lot of werewolves,” I said. “And a hellhound. Elion took on the hound so we could get away.”
“My God,” said Hope, “is he…?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “He saved my life once during the fight. And then he risked himself to save the rest of us.”
“And as a thanks, we left him behind,” said Cody.
“Cody, what is going on with you? He made the call that I’m sure you also would have if you’d been in his shoes. I know I sure as hell would have done the same thing.”
He didn’t reply but instead began to pace the living room.
“You know what?” said Hope taking Esmee by the arm, “let’s get you out of these and into a hot shower. You smell.” She eyeballed me as she guided Esmee away and I breathed a silent “thank
you” to her.
“Okay, talk,” I said. “You don’t even like Elion. Why are you so worried about him right now?”
“Because I want…no, I need to finish talking to him about what he was saying on the way over. I need to know that he is lying about why I was created.”
I looked from Cody to Aunt Vivian. “We had been led to believe that the werewolves were created by the vampires to help protect them during the day. But Elion said they were created to hunt witches.”
“He said that was why I was drawn to you Allie,” said Cody. “If that’s true…”
“No,” I said. “No matter why werewolves were originally created, that isn’t the reason you and I are together now.”
“He didn’t say it, Allie, but he implied that at some point I might actually hurt you.”
“That won’t happen,” I said. I walked over to him and placed a hand on his cheek. “I have the utmost trust in you. That will never change.”
“What about your first attack…when you said you were pulled out of your body? You said my wolf was there…”
“Tricks and subterfuge,” said Aunt Vivian. “The witch was probably messing with Allie’s head. Trying to sow seeds of doubt and fear.”
“And it didn’t work,” I said, looking at Aunt Vivian. I was glad that she had said this, but I knew my aunts well enough to know when they were lying.
“Allie, what did you find?” Aunt Vivian said, trying to get us back on track.
“Blood. My blood in a vial at the site of the old Fischer place.”
Aunt Vivian nodded and then sat down on the couch. “So it was blood magic that the witch was working. She was able to create spells that were geared to you alone; that explains how she was able to pull your astral self out of your body like that. Nasty stuff. Did you destroy it?”
“Yes. Hopefully there wasn’t any more,” I said.
“It was a trap. Shira attacked and meant to kill us all,” said Cody. “And that hound…Jesus.”
“The good news is that the spell that created the totem shifters seems to have worked better than I could have expected,” I said. “You should have seen Austin tear into the werewolves. It was very impressive.”
Cody nodded. “They will definitely be a strong addition to the team. Still, I’m sure by now Mallis has received word that there is something more at play now than just run-of-the-mill shifters.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I said. “Elion was right. Judging from the size of the forces that attacked us, he’s determined to take us out before the eclipse. Gloves are off: we need to be prepared for anything at this point.”
“Something still doesn’t feel right,” said Cody. “I mean, if he was willing to throw that many werewolves at us, then he has to have way more in reserves. Why wouldn’t he have attacked us before? The eclipse is right around the corner. Why wait till the last minute to try and get rid of us?”
“Maybe he realizes that brute force won’t get the job done,” offered Aunt Vivian. “He needs to take out Allie. That’s where the blood magic attack came in. It takes time to create a spell like that. He obviously has a very skilled witch working for him, but he can’t risk her in a direct confrontation with us until she completes the Leveling spell.”
“Possible,” I said. “But he also has the Warlock as well. I would think he would at least have put in an appearance at some point. He seems to have been a pivotal part of Mallis’s plans up until now.”
“‘Up until now’ may be the key part of that statement,” said Aunt Vivian. “Perhaps, now that Mallis has a true witch at his side, he no longer needs a pale imitation.”
Harsh as it may have sounded, it was true. If magic was what the vampire needed to bring about his plans, then having a witch on his side made his job one thousand times easier. It also reduced his exposure to danger, as he no longer needed to risk capturing witches for the Warlock to use as a battery.
“Another thing: why would they have picked that particular site to set up a trap? No way was it just a random coincidence that the witch was using that burned out house as a hiding place for an artifact to bounce her magic off,” I said.
“No,” agreed Cody, “that was planned and staged. But why?”
“I’d like to know that as well,” said Esmee. She walked back into the room dressed in a thick, blue bathrobe. She scrubbed at her hair with a towel like her life depended on it.
“That was a quick shower,” I said a little too hastily. “Do you need to go lie down?”
“Thank you, but I’d rather hear the end of this conversation.” She plopped down on the couch next to Aunt Vivian and focused on Cody and I. “Elion said that the fire hadn’t been natural, that it smelled like magic. Was it from that hellhound? Was that thing what killed Isla’s aunt?”
No more secrets, I reminded myself. “No. It wasn’t.”
“Allie…” Cody said.
“No, it’s okay. This is something I should have told sooner.” I took a deep breath and walked over to sit on the large ottoman that doubled as a coffee table. I wanted to be at eye level with Esmee. “The fire that destroyed Dr. Garner’s home was magical in nature. I did it. I…we…were there that night.”
Esmee’s body went rigid as her eyes hardened. “Did you…Allie, did you kill her?”
“What? No! God, no, Esmee. That was Shira. Cody and I were following up on a lead that led us to Dr. Garner. She was attacked by the Order and Shira while we were there. She died fighting them.”
“Why were they there to begin with?” asked Esmee.
God, I was hoping that she would not ask that. “I’m not exactly sure. But—and I can’t prove this—she knew what was going on with the Order rounding up all of the scattered wolf siblings. She was working with them to get the parents to bring the wolves in…”
My words dangled in the air and I could see Esmee trying to digest what I had said.
“Esmee, whatever her reason for being there, I really believe she was doing the right thing. She had been helping to take care of the wolves since they were first adopted by humans. She was trying to help keep them safe in the long run. She died helping us live.”
“And as a thanks, you burned her body?” Esmee said, her voice quivering.
My voice caught in my throat. “I…in all honesty, I didn’t know what to do. She had been attacked by a supernatural. I didn’t know if she would turn into…something, or maybe rise again as a weapon of the Order. I wasn’t going to take a chance on any of that happening.”
She didn’t speak but I could see the questions forming in her mind. I didn’t need telepathy to tell what she was thinking.
“I haven’t told Isla, if that’s what you’re wondering,” I said.
“Of course not. We don’t have secrets.”
I nodded because I knew what that meant—I could only hope that Isla would understand, and if she didn’t, that she’d ask me why. She and Esmee had become more than just my partners in this fight; they were my friends. Keeping this from Isla had been eating me alive, and I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
“So what now?” Cody asked breaking the tension. “As far as our next steps, I mean.”
“We rest for a couple of hours, and then we head out and see if we can’t pick up Elion’s trail. I don’t want to go out now because we can’t risk the wolves still being up and about. Let’s go a couple hours after sunrise.”
“I’m going home,” said Esmee. I looked at her, not bothering to hide my hurt. She came over and gave me a hug. “I’m not leaving because of what was just said. But because I don’t like the thought of Isla being left alone. They know where we live.”
“I’m going with you,” said Jhamal, walking back into the room.
“Jhamal,” I said, “how’s Gar?”
“He understands why I went. Doesn’t make him any happier about it, but he gets it. Still, I think a day apart will do us some good.” He smiled and walked over to Esmee and placed a hand on her shoulder. �
�Ready when you are.”
Aunt Vivian gave both of them a hug, as did Cody and I, before they headed out the door.
“Whatever you do,” said Esmee before heading for her car, “be careful. Call me if you need anything.”
I promised I would and waved as they eased out of the driveway. I was just about to lock the door when I noticed another car pulled up to the house. It was a four-wheel drive Wrangler that I didn’t recognize.
Cody joined me at the door, and together we watched as two people got out of the car and made their way up the walkway.
“Who’s that?” Cody asked.
“Nate. He’s one of the new totem shifters. He went to get a friend earlier, someone he feels that may be a help to us.”
“I thought Otherkind were…I don't know…not daddy level hot,” Cody said into my ear.
I smiled and greeted Nate warmly, introducing him to both Cody and Aunt Vivian, who was just on her way back to bed.
“This is my friend, Rob,” he said, indicating the man who entered the house behind him. His friend was probably in his mid-forties. His hair was black peppered with gray. It was cut short but still a little unkempt. His face was lined with the evidence of his age and had the hardened, bronzed look of someone that has stayed out in the sun longer than they probably should have. His eyes were bright blue and sparkled with intensity as he took my hand, shaking it vigorously in a firm grip.
“So you’re the witch,” Rob said. I knew instantly that subtlety wasn’t going to be his strong point, and I immediately liked him as a result.
“Um, yeah that would be me. And this is my boyfriend, Cody.”
He shook Cody’s hand with the same vigor and stared him in the eye. “Heard about you, too. You’re the werewolf, right? Cool. We might have some things in common.”
“Oh?” said Cody. “What is your Kintype, if I may ask?”