by Rachel Jonas
I stood to my feet, covered in the slick blood of the lycan I attacked.
Sebastian approached, looking me over with pride behind his gaze. “You’re ready for phase three,” he said, holding my attention. “I tried to keep the hybrid alive, but she’s proven time and time again that she will never cooperate. So, it is with regret for what could have been, that I have to send you out into the world to do what it is you were born to do.”
Excitement rose within me, anticipating what his next charge would be.
“Bring her to me,” he ordered. “Dead or alive.”
***
Evie
“I think we should run for it,” Beth spoke up.
Her head popped up from behind the pew, covered by what, after a week without brushing, was now a blonde nest. Her skin and hair took on the oddly spaced red, blue and green geometric shapes of the stained-glass windows surrounding us. Beneath our knees where we crouched, the torn pages from the congregation’s hymnals and debris from years of abandonment, looters, and stray animals.
“What if we were supposed to go further out?” she asked next. “Someplace further away. Someplace outside this godforsaken town.”
Errol didn’t budge as he shook his head. “We can’t risk moving again. They’ll find us. I put the red strip on the knob like they said to do, so … they’ll find us,” he repeated.
While I, too, felt a bit vulnerable here, I agreed with Errol’s logic. I was certain that, if we left again, we might not be as lucky as when we fled from the prison.
“We’ll just … wait here, and someone will come,” was Errol’s attempt at a comforting word.
So, for now, we were basically stuck here, but at least we had each other.
“Got food on you by any chance?” Beth asked. When prompted, Errol proceeded to dig into the pocket of the dark hoodie he wore. My eyes lit up with hope he’d come out with something good, but it was only gum—one measly stick at that.
It disappeared from his fingers and was split between us before he could even offer it. We hadn’t eaten since the day before and even when the guards did feed us, it was mostly table scraps from their own meals. So, yeah, a stick of gum was like a buffet to us at the moment.
We were plunged into silence, hearing only the commotion that went on outside and our own light scuffling over the mess that covered the floor. I was just going to see what other info Errol had to share when Beth spoke up instead.
“So … you’re kind of like a spy, huh?”
Errol glanced at her and nodded. “I guess you could say that.”
“Impressive,” Beth added with a smile, and there was no missing the redness that tinted Errol’s entire face when she did.
“It beat having to return to my hometown, pretending like being at Damascus didn’t change my life,” he replied. “I know we didn’t get to stay for the full experience, but it still impacted me in a big way.”
“Big enough for you to risk your life saving us tonight,” Beth observed.
This time, Errol was slow to speak, keeping his eyes trained on her.
“Yeah … I guess you could say that.”
These two were so much alike—competitive, fearless, loyal. Heck, he hadn’t seen Beth in months, but he still thought nothing of coming to our aid tonight.
“So … when whoever you take orders from told you to help us, did you know who we were?” she asked next.
Errol smiled a bit. In my opinion, there were very few things that could make a guy smile at a girl in a situation like this. He had to have some pretty intense feelings for her, which I suspected to be true.
“I uh … I saw you the day the soldiers brought you two in. Your eyes were covered, so it took me a sec to convince myself I wasn’t seeing things, but … then I knew,” he shared. “Actually, even before orders came down, I was already working on a plan to break you guys free. But let’s just say I was incredibly grateful when I got the order and realized I wouldn’t be on my own. Having an entire army behind you makes things a bit easier.”
Beth smiled at that. “Well, I’m glad it was you.”
I smiled, too, watching them dance around their feelings, still too focused on the mission to own them. The most I could do was hope they’d get a chance to explore them once this all blew over.
The sweet moment between them was shattered into a million pieces when a soul-crushing roar filtered beneath the door, through the walls themselves. It didn’t sound like any of the others that had torn through the area tonight. It was … different.
“What the heck was that?” Errol asked, his eyes widening when he seemed to reach the same conclusion I had. Whatever made that noise wasn’t your average, everyday shifter.
I swallowed hard as a thought passed through my head. I was quickly reminded of a lycan. One who was far from ordinary.
“I think … I … that’s … that has to be Nick,” I stammered, hating how prevalent the presence of terror was in my voice. “Sebastian must have set him free.”
For a time, Sebastian seemed hellbent on laying claim to the child I carried. He must have changed his mind about how much trouble I was worth or maybe even thought he’d just use Nick to find me and bring me out of hiding. Only, if that was the case, he’d grossly underestimated the hold this curse had on Nick.
Because, if he found me, he’d kill me.
“We have to hide her someplace else,” Beth said in a rush. “Someplace safer than this. He’ll hear her heartbeat and then come straight for her.”
Errol stood, not bothering to ask questions as he took Beth’s hand and practically sprinted from our hiding spot between the pews.
“There’s an attic,” he panted. “I came to check this place out a few nights ago and found a way up there. The main stairs have rotted and caved, but there’s a ladder we can use to bridge the gap, and then pull it up with us so no one suspects anyone’s crossed it.”
He didn’t understand.
There was no outsmarting Nick, no hiding in an attic and hoping for the best. Beth and I shared a glance and I believed we shared the same thought as well.
The only chance we had … was to run for it.
“We might be able to get out in front of him if we stick to the woods,” I suggested, pulling the hood of the cloak over my head.
“But, Evie,” Beth interjected, her gaze drifting down toward my stomach where, just beneath the loose-fitting material, my newly-rounded stomach ached and burned with the sudden growth, but … we had no choice.
“I’ll be fine,” I lied, knowing the pain I felt would only increase if I overdid it, but I was certain death would be worse.
We moved toward the door and it wasn’t until Beth stared at me with that hopeless look that I realized I had teared up. The next second, a few fell and there was no hiding it. We didn’t have time for our emotions to get in the way, though. The proof of this was the sound of another of those bloodcurdling roars.
And he was closer.
“Promise me something,” I sniffled, doing what I could to conceal how distraught I was on the inside. “Promise me that, no matter what, you won’t look back,” I said. “Promise me you won’t slow down or double back because of me.”
Beth was already shaking her head before I even finished. “Absolutely not,” she rebutted. “We’re in this together, Evie. I’m not leaving you.”
She was making this so, so hard.
“It’s not you he wants,” I went on. “I can’t be responsible for anything happening to you. Your family needs you and I’m the one who got us into this mess.”
That part of my statement confused her, but it was true.
“If I hadn’t chased down the soldier. If I hadn’t—”
“You did what was right,” she cut in. “You went after that soldier because you have more heart than anyone else I know. You went after him because … you’re a born leader, Evie. And the good ones are strong and selfless. Just like you.”
I didn’t know what to say. I’
d done my best to offer her an honest, no-strings-attached, guilt-free way out of this, but …
“Either we make a move together, or we don’t move at all,” was Beth’s final thought.
She took my hand and we made the decision to step out into the night as a team. Errol opened the front door of the church and our hearts were prepared to face the night. However, as I stared out, a set of huge, yellow eyes heading straight up the hill for us meant our plan had just changed.
None of us would be going anywhere.
Chapter Twenty
Liam
My hair and skin were soaked with blood, and the mutts were still coming at us fast and hard. Dallas, Elise, and half her boys had taken to the air, slaying Sebastian’s dragon recruits. Declan and Ethan stayed grounded to beat back the wave of mutts and soldiers. There were so many, and all I could think about was how each one stood between me and Evangeline.
She was somewhere out there—alive but not safe.
With the anarchy that erupted here in Ridge Borough, she had to have been terrified. I couldn’t imagine what this time in captivity had been like for her. It was of little comfort imagining how I’d make Sebastian pay for what he’d done.
But I did pray that I’d be the one to end him.
I was owed at least that.
Richie and both his brothers were keeping up with the number of lives Declan, Ethan, and I had reached. For every life we took, each of them had taken one as well. I’d foregone the use of a weapon and resorted to doing what felt natural—fighting with my bare hands. Even though my veins glowed red, I continued to suppress the flames. Burning the bastards to death was too good for them. Today these cowards would die the good old-fashioned way.
I killed for Evie. I killed for Ivan who still suffered. I killed for Elise who, like me, had lost everything once. I killed for Noah’s legacy to thrive like it was always meant to. I killed so our family could live in peace—something we never had a chance at before. When my limbs became fatigued, these were the thoughts that kept me going.
Roz, Lucas, and Chris caught up, and from the looks of them, they’d taken on just as many as we had. Wounds and gashes on their arms, legs, and torsos told of a few close calls, but they were still on their feet, fighting.
“Behind you!” Roz called out, but I was already on it. The mutt that attempted to use the element of surprise was met with an elbow to the throat. Stunned, he didn’t even put up a fight when I palmed his face, smashing the back of his head to mush against a tree.
We were making a bit of progress, but we didn’t intend to take this army out one by one. We had a bigger plan, one that would sweep the entire area clean, but that couldn’t begin until I had Evangeline and Beth in my possession.
In between being attacked by mutts and soldiers, I scanned the area, looking for where she might have been and … that’s when I heard it, a guttural howl that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
I’d heard the sound before—the morning Nick showed up at our door doing all he could to claw his way to Evangeline. I’d heard it centuries ago as I chased his predecessor into the night.
“He’s loose,” I yelled, signaling the rest of the team.
They made quick work of finishing their current fight and then moved in closer to form a tight unit. We all had reason to track Nick down. His brothers and Roz hoped to wrangle him in before midnight, still clinging to a hope that he could be saved, but my one and only goal was to retrieve Evangeline and Beth. As far as Nick was concerned, I saw this ending one way and one way only for him.
We moved out quickly to outrun what would come next.
“North,” Caleb called out, raising his voice over the noise.
Above, Dallas and Elise dropped in altitude, following as we pressed forward.
“I … I think I see something.”
I glanced at Chris after he spoke, following his gaze to where they focused up ahead. And, sure enough, I spotted a dark shadow. My initial thought was that this was just another lycan, but … then I realized I was wrong.
What I stared at was massive, a killing machine in the flesh, and he was tearing his way up a steep hill, trying to get to something.
Or someone.
At the top of that hill sat a small, white church—it’s stained-glass windows and silhouetted steeple standing out in the moonlight. He was getting close, but there was still time to stop him. At least … that’s what I kept telling myself.
With how he barreled toward the mark, I was positive Evangeline had to be inside.
Now, I only needed to get to her before he did.
I couldn’t afford to fail or let anything stand in my way, but as if the universe heard and responded to my thoughts …
Two foreboding figures emerged from the thick fog that had fallen. Both walked with the slow gait of self-important royalty, carrying with them an air that implied they were invincible. Only, if I had anything to do with it, they would soon be convinced otherwise.
“This is quite the show you’ve put on,” Sebastian remarked, gesturing further down the hillside where his army and the Seaton Falls clan collided in battle. “After more than a week, I actually thought we might have been rid of you for good this time, but you’ve always been a resilient one, Reaper. Which is more than I think we can say for your mate.”
My fists clenched at my sides and adrenaline pumped through my veins. At his words, I gazed uphill to where the church sat off in the distance. I no longer heard or saw Nick, but was certain he was still stalking about.
“Speaking of your mate,” Sebastian spoke up again, “we were pleased to see her dragon present, which would have made for a speedy gestation. However, as I’m sure you’re already aware, our friend the Liberator seems to be on the loose, so we all know how that will end.”
“Again,” Blaise added, keeping his eyes trained on me as he waited for a reaction.
He and Sebastian shared a dark laugh. At the sound of it, I felt the heightened energy of our team all around me, each one waiting for my signal to launch an attack. Sebastian had given them more than enough reasons to. However, we had to be smart. Sebastian’s army could not be seen, but I sensed them lurking. Glancing up into the trees, dark silhouettes shifted, confirming my suspicion.
“I’ve waited entirely too long to send you back to hell where you belong, but I plan on fixing that today.” I felt my chest and shoulders heave as the unquenchable longing to make good on this promise overpowered me.
A slow, sinister smile turned the corners of Sebastian’s mouth upward. “You sound like a man prepared to kill or be killed,” he laughed. “I suppose that’s fitting … seeing as how the Liberator is likely already sucking remnants of your beloved from his teeth.”
Rage swelled inside me and the edges of my vision darkened like a tunnel, staying intently focused on Sebastian. Bright red flames ignited, bursting from my hands and quickly spreading until my entire body was ablaze. The added strength and ferocity that came along with being turned surged like a flood.
Sebastian shifted partially, but still mostly had the appearance of the man he pretended to be. He never looked away as he came straight for me, unsheathing a long blade from the holster at his hip. The flawless metal glinted in the moonlight as our longstanding feud was about to come to an end.
This was not a battle he’d be content to stand by and watch his soldiers fight, because our feud was personal. He’d taken so much from me over the centuries, and I’d evaded death by his hand more times than I could count. For me, this was about avenging Evangeline. For him, it was about settling a score.
The tip of his blade narrowly missed my throat when he swung it. He was wise not to get too close, knowing if I had the chance to set him on fire, it would end him. He wielded it through the air for a second time, passing it through the smoke billowing from the right side of my body.
My hands felt strange and I peered down at them. The flames at their centers moved wildly and, right before my eyes,
they stretched and twirled in strange ways. Within seconds two objects, one in each hand, began to take shape.
They were … weapons.
A large axe in one, a thick sword in the other.
Sebastian stared, his eyes alight with intrigue—his penchant for anomalies among supernaturals still present even now.
I didn’t have time to think or rationalize, just act. I swung the axe toward Sebastian, feeling the weight of it in my hand, as if it was a tangible object I held. I swung again and, this time, I managed to knock his blade away. His gaze followed as it tumbled across the ground. He was unarmed, but far from defenseless.
Time was running out, so I acted quickly to end this fight sooner rather than later. Around me, the team did the same, cutting down soldier after soldier, Declan choosing to take on Blaise.
I glanced toward the church again and Sebastian didn’t waste time trying to get under my skin.
“You’re already too late,” he taunted, causing my heart to race as I wondered if he was right about that. “And do you know why?” he asked. “Because I always win. Don’t you understand? Since the beginning of time, I’ve ruled these lands. And long after Evangeline’s blood has soaked into the soil, I will still rule,” his voice boomed.
I stared at my hands, the weapons outlined in flames, and wanted nothing more than for these moments to be Sebastian’s last. Only, mere weapons weren’t good enough. I wanted him to die in unspeakable pain, just like the endless suffering I’d lived through.
Heat rose from my lungs, and finally ripped from my throat in one thunderous explosion as I breathed red flames several feet in front of me. They fanned outward, first singeing the bark of the two trees beside me, then two lycans who meant to take me down before hitting my intended target.
Sebastian.
His eyes stretched wide with surprise when the first wave of heat touched his skin. And then, every tree within a mile must have quaked with the roar he released. It was the sound of several century’s worth of evading defeat coming to an end.
Still on his feet, he tore at his flesh as if he’d somehow peel away the rapidly spreading fire.