Misfit Angel

by Stephanie Foxe

  “If you’re going to barge into our pack meetings, you should show yourself,” Genevieve said, glaring around the room.

  The demon obliged, pulling strength from the demon mark to appear to them all. He’d taken on his red devil form again, only bigger this time, and sneered at Genevieve. “Better?”

  “It’d be better if you disappeared forever, but yeah, I prefer getting to hear both sides of the conversation,” she snapped.

  “And you wonder why I don’t hang around for chats,” Angel muttered as he arranged himself on the arm of the couch.

  “Maybe you just need to find the sorcerer, then call the police,” Derek suggested. “No matter what else is going on, he is breaking the law. You don’t necessarily have to do this all on your own.”

  Amber stared at her knees. He wasn’t wrong, it’d just be tricky. “We still have to find him.”

  “Siobhan should be getting back to me soon. She can talk to people we can’t. She’ll find him.” Ceri seemed confident, and Amber hoped she was right.

  “I hate waiting around,” Amber said, dragging her hands down her face and taking a deep breath. “Okay, we wait to hear from Siobhan, but if she hasn’t found him in two days, I’m going to have to do something.”

  No one seemed particularly enthused with the plan, but it was all they had. Amber felt completely out of her depth. She wasn’t a detective or a bodyguard. She probably shouldn’t be an alpha either at this rate.

  Chapter 50

  CERI

  Ceri sat across from Woggy, who was watching her hands intently. She was trying to expand his vocabulary now that he'd adapted to using sign language every day. He always enjoyed the lessons, but that was probably because of the treats he got.

  She began signing chicken when pain shot through her head. It was so intense her vision blurred and for a moment, she thought she might vomit.

  "Evangeline..." she gasped out as she collapsed to the floor. Her magic flared out from inside her, trying to defend her against the sudden attack. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to shout, "EVANGELINE!"

  Footsteps sounded on the stairs and through the tears of pain she caught a glimpse of the girl kneeling over her. She looked frantic. "What's wrong?"

  "Call...Amber...attack," she managed to force out. Each word was a struggle. Her muscles began to seize as magic flowed through her. She shut her eyes and pulled desperately on the pack bond. It came alive and poured into her, giving her just enough power to let her breathe again.

  She'd known this was coming, but she'd hoped she had more time. That maybe they'd find the sorcerer first.

  Her fingernails scraped against the wood floor and she felt the house come alive around her. It groaned, panicking at the rage and pain it felt in her.

  Please help me, she begged.

  All around her, the wards burst to life. The house's magic unfurled and lights danced behind her vision as she opened her mind to it.

  The painful sensations racking her body faded away as her mind linked with the house. The sorcerer's attack was all around them, pounding on the windows, curling through the rafters, and seeping under the door.

  The house roared, sounding like a dragon in her mind, and light burst from it, driving the darkness back. Her view shifted and she saw Evangeline shaking her limp body. It was odd to see her own face staring blankly at the ceiling.

  “What do I do?” Evangeline begged as tears slipped down her face.

  She drifted toward her, trying to be comforting, but the girl shrieked as she mentally touched her, whirling around like someone had touched her. “Who’s there?”

  The air shifted to Ceri’s left and she saw the demon appear. He looked straight at her as though he could see her even though Evangeline couldn’t.

  “What’s happening?” he demanded.

  “I don’t know! She said something about an attack, then just stopped moving! She said to call Amber, but I don’t have a phone!”

  “Use hers,” the demon said, keeping a suspicious eye on Ceri’s ethereal form.

  “It’s in the pocket of my cardigan,” she said, finding her voice suddenly.

  “Check the pocket of her cardigan,” the demon passed on, drifting toward her body.

  Evangeline dug through her pockets and found her phone. She never kept it locked with a password, so the girl was able to unlock it and find Amber’s number with shaking fingers.

  “Hello? Amber? Something is wrong…I don’t know…Amber? AMBER?” She dropped the phone and put her face in her hands.

  “What’s happening?” the demon demanded.

  “I don’t know,” Evangeline sobbed. “I think something is attacking them. We’re screwed.”

  Ceri’s heart fell out of her chest. The sorcerer wasn’t just attacking her, he was attacking her pack too. The house felt her fear and wrapped around her, pulling her out of the living room.

  Her view changed and she saw everything around the house as though she was sitting on the roof. The house was an island in a sea of darkness. The black magic churned around it like they were in the midst of a hurricane.

  Ceridwen Gallagher, a voice said, sliding around her like a snake. I told you I'd find you.

  The flap of wings startled her and she looked up. Her owl was flying toward her but a gust of hot air knocked it aside, sending it careening toward the ground.

  “No!” she cried, reaching out with her magic to protect it. The sorcerer’s magic whipped upward and wrapped around her ankle, yanking her from her feet. Cold seeped into her leg as it dragged her toward the edge of the roof.

  The spell had grown in power tenfold. She could feel the sorcerer’s evil intent in the very air. The house groaned beneath her as it strained against the relentless attack.

  Inch by inch the spell dragged her to the edge. She looked over her shoulder and saw the darkness waiting for her. Its maw stretched wide open, sharp teeth and a swirling, fiery throat that eagerly lifted toward her.

  How many people did you have to kill to steal this power? Ceri demanded as she held onto the roof with aching fingers.

  A chuckle floated past her. Are you jealous?

  No, I pity you.

  A vicious jerk ripped her hands free and for a moment she was falling. Her view shifted once again as the house dragged her inside to protect her. Her body was shaking now, teeth chattering as her head rocked from side to side.

  “It won’t work!” Evangeline shouted at the demon, hands curled into tight fists.

  “Try it regardless! Or would you rather die crying in the corner?” He sneered at her. “Don’t be pathetic.”

  A window shattered, glass spraying over the carpet. Ceri rushed toward it, chanting a spell of protection, but without her physical body, she was struggling to use her magic. If the spirit had been able to make it to her, she might had had a chance.

  “Evangeline,” Eloise said from the top of the stairs. “Look at me.”

  The girl turned toward her mother, eyes red with unshed tears. “I can’t do this.”

  “Remember that lullaby I used to sing to you? The one about the castle. Sing that for me, just shut your eyes, and sing.” With a pained grunt, Eloise lowered herself down to the floor and leaned against the banister, a gentle smile on her face.

  Evangeline nodded tremulously and, keeping her back to the demon, began to sing. “Ah! Mon beau château…”

  Her voice lifted all around them, twisting through the air as if it were pure light. Ceri had never seen anything like it, then again, she’d never watched an angel sing from the spirit realm. This was powerful magic, though not the type most people would understand. It wasn’t a simple spell. It was life…power…and beauty. It was everything the sorcerer’s spell wasn’t.

  Evangeline’s magic, which was tied to the protective spell Ceri had cast, surged through their shaky bond. Her white blonde hair lifted from her shoulder and her pale skin glowed with a light that pulsed inside of her.

  The lyrics didn’t matter, they w
ere nothing more than a focus for the magic inside of Evangeline. With renewed determination, Ceri took hold of the strength Evangeline was giving her, and opened the front door.

  I’m going to kill you! the sorcerer howled, the darkness whipping into a frenzy.

  Not today.

  She lifted her hands and light poured forth.

  Chapter 51

  AMBER

  Amber smashed another spider with the end of the broom. "We will, we will, smush you," she sang along with the radio, changing the lyrics to suit her current activities.

  The warehouse was starting to look less like a haunted house and more like a place someone might actually want to leave their truck to have it fixed. They'd already cleared out all the trash in the main area where they'd work. She was tackling the office today.

  There was a crash and she poked her head out. Tommy was sprawled out in front of a stack of now broken wooden pallets and Derek was cackling. "Told you that was too many."

  "I almost had it!" Tommy hopped up to his feet and brushed the dust off his shirt.

  She rolled her eyes but smiled at their antics. Her brother and Tommy got along great. He had a knack for bringing out Tommy's adventurous side that she appreciated. Between her brother and Deward, Tommy was really coming out of his shell.

  Crouching down, she swept the dirt into the dustpan then headed outside to dump it. Derek had forgotten only one thing. A trash can. So, they had to get creative until he had time to go to the store and grab one.

  She tossed the dirt and turned to head back inside when her phone rang. Tucking the dustpan under her arm, she pulled out her phone.

  "Hey Ceri, what's––"

  "Something is wrong."

  Her fingers tightened on the phone as every sense jumped into high alert. That wasn't Ceri. "Evangeline? What's wrong?"

  The wind shifted and the smell of something wrong blew past her. It smelled like fire and death. She stepped back outside and saw something moving in the trees. There was more than one of them, whatever they were, and they were big.

  "I don’t know," Evangeline said sounding frantic.

  Amber felt Ceri pull on the pack bond and desperately sent her every ounce of strength she could. At the same time, a monster burst out of the trees. It wasn't like anything she'd ever seen. It was as if the earth itself had spit the thing out. Thick arms made of dirt and debris from the forest dragged along the ground as it lumbered toward her on thick, tree trunk-like legs. The thing had no eyes, but its wide, gaping mouth roared as it charged toward her.

  She dropped the phone and shouted over her shoulder as she ran toward it. "Run!"

  She didn't hesitate to shift. Her clothes tore and fell away as her body changed. The wolf came alive inside her, ready to fight. The creature was faster than she expected and it caught her midair with a swing of its massive fist.

  Disoriented from the blow, she hit the ground and slid. With an enraged howl, she leaped back to her feet and raced after the thing. It was headed for the warehouse. Derek stood right in its path, a look of shock on his face. She wanted to scream for him to move, but she couldn't.

  The creature lifted its fist, swinging it at her brother. Derek was shoved to the side and Tommy caught the blow with his side, stopping the creature's momentum completely. His teeth were bared, and a wild look was in his eye as he shoved the arm away, then shifted and lunged at its face.

  Amber jumped on its back as it roared its displeasure. It reared up, trying to grab her. She dug her claws into the dirt that made up its body and bit into the back of its neck. Her mouth filled with soil and rocks and the sickly taste of magic. She spat it out and struck again, biting and tearing.

  The ground shook as it stomped around, swinging its arms wildly. With one particularly vicious shake of its head, it threw her off. She hit the ground on her feet this time but was frozen in place for a moment.

  Emerging from the trees were two more.

  Chapter 52

  TOMMY

  Tommy saw the other two charge out of the forest and he wanted to run. There was no way they could defeat all three. They hadn't even managed to hurt the first one. There had to be something they could do to slow it down, but it wasn't made of flesh and bone. It was dirt and rock and magic.

  A gunshot rang out and he dropped to the ground in a panic before he realized it was Derek. He racked his shotgun and fired again, hitting the first monster in the face and knocking it back. It seemed to stun the monster more than their attacks had.

  He darted in and bit a chunk out of its ankle before hurrying back out of the reach of the thing's huge arms. It was slower than they were since it was big, but it was still faster than he'd expected. Faster than something that huge should be.

  Amber charged toward the two new monsters, trying to get their attention. They roared and began following her, almost stumbling into each other in their haste to attack her. She wasn't going to be able to keep them running in circles forever though. They had to kill these things.

  Derek shot the first one again, this time in the chest, and that's when Tommy saw it. There was something glowing inside it. If they couldn't damage the creature's themselves, maybe they could destroy whatever was powering them.

  He yipped at Derek to get his attention so he didn't get shot, then ran toward the first creature. As soon as he got close enough, he bunched his legs up underneath himself and jumped. The force of his impact knocked the creature back slightly. He tore into its chest, ripping away chunks of dirt until he saw it.

  Stars exploded behind his eyes and he felt himself flying through the air. He wasn't sure what hit him, he hadn't seen it coming. All the air rushed out of his lungs as he hit the ground, but he rolled immediately and forced himself back up to his feet.

  "Stay down!" Derek shouted, reloading his shotgun as he ran. Sliding to a stop not far from Tommy, he swung the gun up to his shoulder and fired another shot. This one hit the glowing, red spot in the monster's chest.

  It stumbled back, its arms flailing in panic, then it exploded. Dirt and debris flew in every direction and Tommy's ears rang painfully. He couldn't hear anything around him anymore, just his own panicked breathing.

  Derek had been thrown onto his back, but he pushed himself upright and climbed back onto his feet. "Holy shit that worked. Amber! There's something in their chests!"

  Tommy howled in victory, adrenaline rushing through him as he regained hope they could stop these things.

  He and Derek worked like a well-oiled machine as they attacked one of the two chasing after Amber. She kept their attention, attacking as needed to make sure they kept following her.

  Tommy darted in, his ears still ringing from the sounds of gunfire. He launched himself onto the back of the closest one and bit down hard on the back of its neck. It leaned back, trying to grab him as expected. Running into range, Derek swung his shotgun up to his shoulder and shot it in the chest twice, drilling a hole into the dirt.

  Tommy leapt away and Derek fired again. The shot hit the thing in its chest and it exploded, tossing him a little farther than he’d expected with the resulting shockwave. The last creature turned, roaring its displeasure, and ran for Derek.

  Derek, using common sense, took off at a run toward the warehouse. Amber leapt on the thing’s back, but it immediately grabbed her and tossed her aside. A pulse of magic glowed within the creature, growing brighter and brighter as it ran.

  As Derek ran into the warehouse, it launched itself after him in a leap that left craters behind in the soft dirt. It hit the front of the warehouse, its massive head catching on the top of the already broken roll-up door.

  With one final, bright pulse, it exploded. A fireball erupted from the center of it, engulfing the front of the warehouse in flames.

  Amber raced toward it, jumping through the fire without any concern for herself. Tommy followed close behind, his heart beating a million miles a minute. As he skidded through the smoke inside the building he saw Derek running for the fire e
xtinguisher. He had survived.

  Tommy couldn’t stop shaking even though it had been an hour, but he knew it was just the after effects of all the adrenaline that had been pumping through his body. That made it a little better, knowing that he wasn’t just trembling in fear. The monsters were gone and they had all survived.

  “It’s a perversion of a golem.” Ceri’s face was drawn and pale. Dark circles stood out in stark relief under her eyes. She’d come as soon as she’d heard about the attack and filled them in on what had happened to her. “They’re usually peaceful. Whatever magic was used to create them was twisted and filled with malice.”

  “The sorcerer did this, right?” He wrapped his arms a little tighter around his chest. He’d started keeping a pair of shorts in Amber’s truck but apparently, he needed an entire spare outfit.

  She stared at the pile of rubble, her eyes unfocused. “It could be. There’s just something that bothers me about it. This sorcerer is all about psychic attacks. The whole time I was under attack at the house, he was taunting me, but he never mentioned this.”

  The sound of an unfamiliar voice startled Tommy. He looked over his shoulder and saw a black sedan had driven up. The detective that had come by their house after the attack there was talking to Amber in the driveway. He didn’t look happy. Then again, neither did she.

  “I think the same sorcerer that killed Donovan did this,” Amber said, hands on her hips. She was still streaked with mud. None of them had had a chance to clean up.

  Ceri nodded her head toward them tiredly. “Let’s go help her out.”

  He nodded and trailed after her. The blackened front of the warehouse loomed in front of them. So much damage had been done. The fire hadn’t spread far, but it hadn’t needed to.