"Just supernaturally lucky I guess. We'd better find those artifacts."
Lyra and Mace sprinted away from the middle of the street and spied one of the wolf statues attached to a streetlight in the very center of town. Mace spotted it at the exact same moment. "There's another one across the street. It's like they're acting as some kind of magical beacon."
She nodded, but she couldn't help but notice that while they were scoping out the Loop's latest decorations, hundreds of wolves that had previously been shopping or walking were now prowling. And all of them seemed to have eyes for her.
Chapter 25
Mace glanced to his left and right, but wherever he looked, a wolf seemed to be circling toward them.
Lyra pressed her back against his as the wolves continued to build their presence. "Well, if we destroy one of these, it should break the spell, right?"
Mace grabbed the nearest weapon he could find, a hunk of a cement block he had to rip from the ground to lift. "Let's find out."
As the wolves continued to converge, their teeth bared, the vampire tossed the block through the air. Its aim was true, crashing hard into one of the artifacts. The wolf statue broke into a thousand pieces, but the wolves remained.
Lyra cursed under her breath. "What do we do?"
His nostrils filled with the smell of fur. "Start punching."
Mace didn't have to tell Lyra twice. Despite her injury, she flew through the air and began attacking whichever wolf was closest to her. The creatures struck with incredible efficiency, but she was faster.
Mace turned toward his own set of creatures. "Trust me when I say this is for your own good."
Mace's fists blazed through the line of wolves ahead of him. His knuckles cracked furry heads around him. Speed was his only weapon against numbers this ridiculous. As he knocked several wolves down, more creatures filled in the gaps to face him. When they leapt for him, he punched them in the underbelly. When they stood their ground, he went for the head. Before he knew it, two dozen wolves lay unconscious on the ground. But now any nearby wolf seemed poised to fill their spot from the surrounding city blocks.
The sound of hundreds of growling angry creatures surrounded them.
"Mace? Can you hear me?"
The vampire kicked one wolf into another trio, giving him a moment of respite. "Doug? You're still human?"
"It's a miracle. Now, it seems like the artifacts together created a magical frequency. If you're going to stop the frequency, you need to destroy all of them."
The vampire cracked one wolf with the back of his knuckles and swung his foot through the air to take down two other assailants as well. "And that should turn everybody back?"
"That's what the data says."
"One plan is better than no plans." After knocking down another creature, Mace leapt off the shoulders of one wolf and propelled himself into the air. Wolves jumped up and swiped at him as he reached another streetlight. As he climbed up, he could see another artifact hanging from the top. He looked down at Lyra and noticed that while she was surrounded, the hunter knew how to hold her own.
He shimmied up the streetlight with incredible speed and cracked the artifact in half.
"Two down. Four to go."
He climbed atop the streetlight over 20 feet above the ground. Mace spied the third artifact across the street and leapt with all his might toward it. As he flew through the air, he didn't expect a shifter to be able to jump just as high. But, when the wolf creature grabbed Mace by the leg, the vampire knew he had no chance of reaching the other artifact. Mace attempted to reestablish his balance in midair as the shifter threw him down hard onto the middle of the street. The blacktop cracked beneath him as he tried to ignore the pain.
Landing softly beside him was the shifter who transformed back into human form.
Mace was surprised to see the smiling Nikolai staring straight at him.
"If it isn't jealous boyfriend. I hope you like what we have done with place."
Mace bent his knees and clenched his fists. "If it rains, this city's gonna smell a lot worse than usual."
Nikolai laughed. "Now, everyone will know what it is like to be wolf. And everyone who isn't so lucky will be first meal."
Mace sensed more wolves coming around behind him as his stare into Nikolai's eyes intensified. "You knew what was happening all along."
"Guilty as charged. Except no one will be left to charge me."
Nikolai easily transformed back into a hulking wolf figure. But as he took a step toward Mace, something whizzed past the side of the vampire's head and struck the creature in his hindquarters.
Nikolai yelped and growled as both of them turned toward the source of the projectile. Aella and a dozen vampires behind her walked proudly into the square. Mace's sister loaded the next crossbow bolt.
"It's about get Twilight up in here."
Chapter 26
As Lyra saw the dozen vampires streaming into the intersection, it was the first time she could remember ever being glad to see the unhumans in mass. She swung her leg around in a circle, keeping several approaching wolves at bay.
"Looks like the cavalry has arrived."
While she appreciated the support, 14 against an army of confused wolves and their shifter masters still didn't inspire much confidence. A wolf that, from the looks of her, used to be a housewife in mom jeans leapt for her back. Lyra ducked the assault and spun to sweep her leg into the other attackers who tried to take advantage. The endorphins had kicked in to reduce the pain of her leg, but it wasn't completely gone. Between that and constantly having to fend off what used to be a few hundred humans, she wasn't sure how much she could keep this up.
"I'm getting a little tired of doggie daycare. Sandwich Man, you got anything that can help?"
Doug's voice was frantic on the other line. "This is happening throughout the city. Unless you get to those artifacts, I'm not sure what we can do from here."
Lyra leapt forward to avoid another attack and planted herself beside one of the city's parking meters. She braced herself and tore it out of the ground. Quarters flew out into the street, clanging as they went. She swung the meter like a bow staff, keeping an ambitious trio of wolves away.
"Great. Anybody know any other vampires’ gangs we can get our hands on?"
Mace grunted on his comm. "I don't exactly have them on speed dial."
Lyra twisted herself like a top, swinging the meter in every direction. The wolves kept their distance, but they seemed to be growing feistier and hungrier with every passing minute.
Lyra spied one of the remaining artifacts in throwing range. She took the parking meter in one hand, wound up, and threw it like a javelin. The metal pole whirred through the air as it struck another artifact right in the center. The sculpture shattered as she prepared herself for the next onslaught of wolves. "That's half of them."
Lyra could see the other magical artifacts mocking her from across the street. Between her and them was a battlefield she couldn't see any way to cross.
"I could really do with a tidal wave right about now."
As she punched four more wolves to knock them to the ground, the kernel of an idea began to expand.
"Doug, we need a storm. We need a tornado."
The computer programmer seemed confused on the other line. "I'm not exactly sure what you mean. We don't control the weather."
Lyra pushed a diving wolf hard in the chest. It crashed into several more approaching creatures. She flipped backwards over another attacker and back-handed the wolf who tried to take advantage. Her arms started to grow numb with the flurry of attacks.
"I don't mean an actual tornado. Tap into the city's controls and set off a tornado warning."
She could hear Doug's mouth open wide on the other line. "I think I know where you're going with this. Just give me a second."
Lyra watched as half a dozen wolves circled around her. It wasn't hard to tell that they planned to strike at the exact same moment.
She breathed heavily. "Not a problem, Doug. Take all the time you need."
"You called me by my real name."
"Set off the damn alarm!"
Lyra tightened her body and readied it for the assault as the alarm began sounding throughout the city streets.
The sound echoed loudly against the buildings. She looked intently at her would-be assailants and watched as one of the wolves lifted his head into the air and started howling.
Chapter 27
Mace didn't have time to cover his ears to block the deafening noise that engulfed the city streets. But after landing one final blow on one of the wolves beside him, he watched as wolf after wolf lifted their heads and joined the city's alarm system. As he spied so many of the converted humans joining the chorus, something unexpected happened. Not only did the street open up considerably for the quest to take down the remaining three artifacts. He could also tell from the wolves who weren't howling, exactly who the shifters were. From the corner of his eye, Mace saw Lyra dash across the street and obliterate one of the remaining artifacts with a powerful kick.
Two left.
Mace followed suit, running through the howling creatures and grabbing one of the statues from its high-up perch. He tossed it to the ground, where it fractured into hundreds of pieces. He landed on the street beside it.
One to go.
As Mace's eyes darted over to the final artifact, he could see a wolf with no interest in howling at the base of the streetlight. As Mace began walking over, he spied the former hunter sprinting toward the artifact and the shifter. But she never made it half way. A bloodied and massive shifter who could only have been Nikolai's brother tackled her to the ground and began slicing at her face.
Mace was about to rush to her side when a shout entered his comm.
"Get the statue, Mace. Just go get it!"
His heart stung a bit as he followed directions. He stared down the only shifter who wasn't currently engaged in combat with the vampires.
Mace wiped the sweat from his brow. "Nikolai. I'd say your undercover assignment is over."
The shifter smiled a bit before clenching his teeth together in a growl. Mace ran toward him, but the wolf was faster than he expected. Before the vampire had a chance to react, the shifter had sped through the air and clamped his teeth down on Mace's shoulder. Mace whipped his elbow into the creature's face, which knocked him off and revealed the massive wound the shifter had left behind. As Nikolai came in for another speedy attack, Mace dove to the ground, but a sharp set of claws tore through his shirt and his back on the way past.
The vampire kipped up to standing and felt the pain of the two assaults throughout his body. Straightening his back was nearly impossible, but he wasn't about to slouch in front of the shifter bastard.
"Is that all you've got?"
Mace could swear he heard the wolf laugh as he leapt in once again. But this time, the vampire was ready. He circled his arm over Nikolai's outstretched paw and tightened his grip hard. Before the wolf could clamp down his teeth, Mace let loose with his free arm. He wasn't sure quite how many body blows he unleashed on the wolf, but he could feel one punch in particular absolutely tear through the shifter's ribs. Nikolai's wolf face went from angry to frightened in a hurry as Mace continued to strike time after time. When the vampire finally let go, Nikolai wobbled on shaky paws. Mace didn't give him any space to stabilize, however, as he leapt high for a superman punch and slammed his fist down just behind the wolf's neck. The shifter's legs splayed out as he slammed into the street with his chest.
Mace held back instincts that told him to clamp down on the shifter's neck. "Why'd you even do this? Why would you want the city to all be like you?"
The vampire watched as Nikolai's body changed back from wolf to human.
The Russian seemed to have a lot of trouble breathing, as if his lungs were on the verge of collapse. "We didn't find artifacts ourselves. A vampire helped us."
Mace shook his head. "No vampire is going to work with a shifter."
The Russian ignored Mace's words. "Yes, he led us right to artifacts. It was very generous of your father to help us."
Chapter 28
Lyra could hardly believe Nikolai's brother had anything left after their previous encounter, but she supposed that a little bit of crazy went a long way. She pressed her legs against the shifter's chest and kicked him high into the air. As she rolled back to standing, she marveled at the shifter's mid-sky-flip and redirection. The shifter landed back on all fours with ease.
"I guess they do always land on their feet."
Vanya briefly transformed back into his human form. "That is cats. You humans never understand shifters. So we make you all become them."
She smirked. "Looks like you left one of us out. It's a pity."
"You will not become wolf. You will become corpse."
Vanya shifted back and ran for her with incredible speed. She tried to punch him as he arrived, but the wolf clawed her arm out of the way and slammed her hard in the chest. Lyra lost her balance and felt the impact of a car's hood beneath her. She turned to her left and noticed the wrist Vanya had clawed was bleeding profusely. When she turned back toward the fight, the Russian was already on top of her. First he clawed at her chest. Then the side of her face. The warm trickle of blood from all her wounds began to coat her body. She could feel darkness press in from the corner of her eyes.
Vanya reared back his wolfish head and made one final leap for her neck. Lyra gripped down hard on the metal behind her and rolled at the last second, taking the entire hood of the car with her. She heard the crunch from Vanya as the creature bit into the car’s engine. His teeth seemed to tear through it as easily as he'd ripped the sword blade earlier.
Lyra held the hood with one hand as Vanya quickly turned and rushed toward her. As he leapt into the air with a snarl, Lyra kicked hard in the exact right spot. Her aim was true, connecting with the unhuman's throat. Vanya's trajectory changed drastically as the wolf fell to the street, clutching at his neck while he tried to breath. Lyra leapt toward him and placed her foot on his chest.
She held the car's hood high in the air. "I guess you won't be the best man at me and Nikolai's wedding after all."
With impeccable speed, she slammed the metal object straight through the wolf's throat. The attack was so quick that her improvised weapon easily severed the shifter's head.
She turned away from the gushing blood and convulsing wolf body and looked toward the final artifact. She could see Mace standing nearby, but he seemed to be dealing with a shifter of his own.
She grabbed the bloody car hood and set her feet. "And here I haven't played Frisbee since college."
With a flick of her wrist, Lyra threw the hood like a disk. It traveled over the howling wolves, the fighting vampires, and the dying shifters. As the metal object connected with the sculpture, she could feel a wave of magic shoot through the air. When the artifact shattered, the transformations began immediately. The wolves, who had minutes ago been aiming for her throat, shifted back into humans in tattered clothes. They looked down at their hands and bodies, wondering what on earth had just happened.
Lyra ran towards Mace, who appeared to have Nikolai right where he wanted him.
The former hunter ignored the Russian. "We have a lot of confused people here. It's probably a good idea to get a team out here."
Mace looked down at the coughing Nikolai and back up to Lyra. "According to your fake Russian boyfriend, all of us have one hell of a problem."
Chapter 29
Lyra stood across from the battered Nikolai in one of the pristine rooms of the headquarters 10 stories beneath the Hancock Tower. She crossed her arms and looked into the eyes of a shifter she'd thought could be different.
"I'm surprised you'd go to all this trouble for a family you didn't see eye to eye with. Or was that a lie too?"
Nikolai smiled, though it appeared as though it pained him to do so. "Women are always trying to change
men. The case is no different here."
Lyra shook her head. "I don't think I wanted to change you, so much as hope that you weren't an asshole trying to take over the city."
"I don't think you understand the plan." He winked. "We weren't trying to lead. The hope was chaos. Chaos was what we got."
Lyra scratched her head. "Then why work with Mace's father? How is Mace's father even alive?"
Nikolai's eyes twinkled. "I keep thinking back to that night in bed. If things were different, maybe you would have wolf child inside you."
Lyra shuddered at the thought. She had found Nikolai attractive, that much was true. But for some reason, she thought of Mace's reaction above anyone else's.
"Just tell me how the Tuscan King is still alive. That's all you need to do."
Nikolai raised one eyebrow. "Is not too late, you know. You turn off cameras. You take off shirt. Everything can be as it was a few days ago."
Lyra slapped the shifter hard in the face. His hands instinctively reached toward his now-red cheek, but the restraints wouldn't let him get that far.
He shifted his jaw from side to side. "Violence always comes from truth. Just undo restraints and I will be happy to give pleasure."
Lyra considered hitting him again with all her might, but she was worried an attack like that might leave him in the same state as his brother.
"Rhea, Mace? We're gonna have to get creative."
The vampire and their leader walked into the room. She was impressed that Mace looked a few shades shy of wanting to tear a hole through the shifter's chest. She lamented that she'd yet to say anything about the news related to his father.
Rhea lifted her small, wrinkled hands and a bubble of purple magic appeared between them. "Creative, you say? I'm happy to oblige."
Nikolai struggled in his restraints. "What is witch doing? You cannot make me say a word."
Myths & Magic: A Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection Page 38