by JK Cooper
“Your grandmother didn’t see the Goddess turn a blind eye to her people’s suffering,” the king said. “The demons tore through us like we were made of the flowers we love.” Orange tinged spittle sprayed from his mouth as he staggered toward them. “We wanted only to force her to action. We never wanted her blood on our hands.” He stopped and stared at his shaking hands. “Did you say my son has given consent?”
Bryanne nodded. “Theo is your son, he is a royal of both courts.”
“That treacherous, beautiful, wonderful woman.” The king fell to his knees. “I will miss her.” He wiped at his eye. “eHI have a son, an heir to reunite the courts.” He lifted a hand to his lips and whistled loud and long.
Orange wisps flew through walls and to his side. He smiled up at them. “Heal as many Fae as you can in both courts. Get your lazy cousins to help, if you can convince them to act without Seely royalty.” He glanced at his healers and tormentors, eyes tightening. “Prepare Underhill Five Point Oh. We can’t stay here. And bind those two while you’re at it.”
The wisps buzzed about their duties, several blue ones joined them in healing wounds, while two orange spun around Genn and Bryanne, cocooning them in amber threads.
Bryanne slumped against Genn, her magic too exhausted to free her. They both fell to the floor. “At least I don’t have to watch another die, thank the Goddess.”
The king frowned down at her. “Thank the Goddess all you like, but I doubt we’ve seen the last of death.”
Terror flowed down the bond and into Shelby’s heart. Cold, so cold. Like the bitterness in her bones that night outside Odessa with Nicholas’s pack. She saw Kale’s strong arm flailing above her in the pool fire, reaching blindly for her, but she let herself sink deeper. The fire truly felt like liquid as she floated away from Kale’s reach, even down to the fluid friction on the object sticking out of her right shoulder. Gingerly, she raised her left hand and traced the arrow’s shaft. Athena. So, there had been a third witness after all. Eira growled and lent Shelby strength. With a swift rip, Shelby tore the arrow free. Its barbed tip tore flesh, and streams of blood trickled away, floating in the liquid fire.
Shelby!
Kale’s voice, through the bond.
I’m fine. The fire seemed to lick her wound. Already healing. Now fight!
She felt his mind turn toward assessing the threat. Her own instinct kicked in, and half-shifted, pushing hard against the stone bottom of the sentient pool. She launched into the cavern, trailing streams of multicolored fire. A howl tore free from her mid-flight.
Shelby landed as a wolf, eyes trained in the direction of the arrow’s flight. A shadow ducked behind a set of crystal studded stalagmites as an arrow pinged off the stone inches away. Kale stepped to her side, his bow drawn, a second arrow appearing from his gauntlet.
“It’s Athena.” He glanced toward the opening to the cave. “How did she get in here?”
And is she alone? Shelby added through the bond.
“Theo, Chelsea, get to cover. We don’t know if she’s got company.” An arrow bounced off of Kale’s helm with enough force to send him back a step. He focused all his attention back on Athena. “I’ll keep her busy.” He shot another arrow, forcing Athena to duck once more.
Shelby heard Chelsea and Theo scramble over a stone outcropping. She shifted and pulled her own bow, pinning Athena down with a few more arrows. Shelby also reached out with her Omega abilities to sense how many other enemies might be near. She felt nothing, but Athena had blocked her before.
“I don’t feel anyone else, but I also don’t feel Athena, so . . .” Shelby trailed off, not wanting to admit her uncertainties out loud.
Kale grimaced and knelt next to her, making himself a smaller target, even as he partially shifted to strengthen arms. “I trust your feelings.” His next arrow punched through stone. A chunk of demolished stalagmite bounced off metal, Athena’s armor.
Athena swore and rolled to the side behind thicker mineral deposits.
A flash of red light to Shelby’s right made her stand, her scythe appearing in one hand and an arrow clenched in her other fist with the point extending between her fingers, but it was Chelsea. The Wiccan stood in the open, spreading a net of light over the opening.
“Get down!” Shelby hissed at the girl and Theo who stepped out to aid her.
“Not yet. It’s, like, really close to done.” But Chelsea sounded out of breath, and the last few threads of the net looked thinner and dimmer than the rest. “My magic’s fading, but it’ll still slow anyone down trying to come in.” Her words slurred, and she wobbled to the side.
Theo caught Chelsea before she cracked her head open on the stone floor, but Shelby felt Kale tense. Theo’s hand came up. An arrow curved around Chelsea’s head. Another was caught midair by Fizz and incinerated.
“Get her out of the open.” Shelby yelled as she spun back and down. An arrow punched into her thigh just as her knee touched stone. She bit back her scream for Kale’s sake, realizing he’d know she was hurt through the bond a moment later.
He started to turn her direction, but she cut him off. Still fine. Still healing. Focus, my Alpha, on the enemy. I might get shot less if you do.
He grunted and nodded. “She has better aim than me.”
“Me too,” Shelby admitted through clenched teeth. Her shots all pulled hard to the left, and she didn’t know how to correct it. When she tried, her aim became even more unpredictable.
“That’s because some of us studied archery and other weapons,” Athena taunted from behind a crystalline formation, “while others went to human schools where they learned how to use crayons and solve for x.” She kicked off a stalagmite and ran along the side wall of the cavern, arrows forming and flying in a smooth coordinated motion that appeared effortless. She spun around a stalactite using the curved blades of her scythe as a counterpoint, bounded off a boulder, and sent three arrows at once before she landed again.
Shelby managed to cut an arrow out of the air with her scythe and lifted her left hand to deflect several others, a small shield forming from the armor as she used it in defense. She bit her tongue as titanium punched through metal and into her wrist. The shield dissolved, and two arrows clattered to the floor, but one remained behind to make it impossible for Shelby to draw the string on her own bow. She pulled it out, nearly missing the twinge of pain that came to her through the bond.
Kale had been hit. He fell backward, clutching his chest.
Fear and sweat prickled Shelby’s neck and trickled down her forehead. She crawled to Kale’s side and put a hand around the arrow over his wound, willing him to be okay.
I’m fine. Healing. Focus. He used her words. He shifted into his wolf. And I’m a better weapon like this.
She could taste his anger. He wasn’t fine, but he’d be worse if her loss of concentration let more arrows through. Okay. She turned back to Athena, a growl in the back of her throat, but it transformed into a yelp as she found Athena running across open ground toward her, bow pulled back. The arrow flew.
Shelby rolled to the side, but Athena’s arrow curved to follow, ricocheting off a vambrace. How did she do that? Shelby had no time to contemplate Athena’s newfound skill as a glowing blade whistled through the air a fraction of an inch from Shelby’s nose.
Shelby scrambled backward, her armor deflecting most of the next few blows, her own scythe used purely in defense.
Athena pushed her advance. A small crossbow formed on one arm, punching a bolt into Shelby’s side. The scythe swung cutting into her arm. A second crossbow formed on the other arm as soon as the scythe passed, sending another arrow into Shelby’s leg as Athena swung the dual blades at her middle.
Shelby’s wooden shield blocked the blow, but Athena didn’t miss a beat. The scythe appeared in Athena’s other hand as it swung toward Shelby’s neck. The magical armor kept Shelby from losing her head as blood sprayed from a shallow gash. Her hands shot to her throat as she staggered back.
Kale caught Athena’s wrist in his jaws before it came for the second killing blow, armored claws ripping at her back.
Watch out! Shelby tried to shout it, but her vocal cords were still healing.
A bolt slammed into Kale’s neck from point blank range, and Athena arched her back, her armor forming spikes along her spine. She spun as he fell, pulling her dual bladed scythe into two, both cutting through his armor in twin gashes over his stomach. He snarled as he landed and lunged, jaws clamping hard around Athena’s thigh. Magical armor bent under the pressure.
Athena grunted and put two new bolts into Kale’s hide, but the Alpha bit down harder. Armor tore, and Athena screamed. She punched Kale in the head over and over, her gauntlets spiked and spraying blood. He bit harder, and bone snapped.
Athena dragged her scythes across his ribs, but Kale would not let go.
Shelby felt every new injury lash through her own body. “Stop!” she managed to yell, her voice raw and new, inhuman to her ears. She pulled a hand away from her still bleeding neck to throw her scythe. A gauntlet slick with blood didn’t help her aim. The blade sliced through Athena’s side and then along Kale’s spine.
Forgive me. Shelby felt the bite of her own blade and Kale finally let go.
It did draw the woman’s attention away from Kale, though she hobbled on her ruined leg. Already, Shelby saw her healing take effect.
Athena pulled back on the string of her bow while it was still forming from her armor. An arrow grew from the fingertips of her right hand in less than an eye blink. It slammed into Shelby’s foot, pinning her to the ground.
Shelby fell backward as another arrow punched through the armor, flesh, and bone of her other foot. Another found her wrist as soon as it hit stone. The fourth punched through her forearm. Holy Hell, Athena was fast. Shelby’s eyes blazed with Eira’s fury. She started to shift, but something blocked her.
Eria?
I’m not alone, her Immortal Wolf answered.
Athena stood over Shelby, scythes forming before the bow completely dissolved back into the armor.
I don’t know what you mean, but we need to shift! Shelby screamed inwardly. To her side, Kale languidly rose.
Too slow, too slow. Eira, why can’t I shift?
Eira didn’t answer, and Shelby’s heart thudded frantically. Then, she noticed Athena’s eyes, that they flared with amber pin pricks like stars in the night sky but did not turn fully to those of her wolf.
Ptyas, Eira gasped. He’s . . . here. With me.
She felt it then, another presence within her. A streak of cold raced through her veins, somewhat paralyzing her. Athena was interfering with her and Eira’s bond, and had somehow—on some level—projected her Immortal Wolf into Shelby.
Shelby dropped onto a lush carpet of green grass surrounded by tall trees. There was no moon, but the stars felt brighter than Shelby had ever experienced, a swirl of them cutting through the sky in a way the milky way never managed. Its pulsing light illuminated a path toward the jagged mountain on the horizon in streaks of silver. She recognized it. Of course, Eira lives inside a recreation of Alsvoira in my head.
A large wolf darted out from behind a tree, sniffing the air. Ptyas. How is he here? He slipped back into the trees, seeming not to notice Shelby, or not to care about her aspect in this fight. Shelby felt Eira more than saw her as her Immortal Wolf darted over an outcropping of stone covered in a blue moss and blanketed in shadow. She’s sneakier than you.
Pain ripped into Shelby’s side. She looked down to find her blood glowing in the starlight. What? She realized her peril. Athena. I’m still fighting Athena.
Shelby split, half of her inside her mind, following Eira and Ptyas, and half of her facing the blades of her enemy, who had knelt down to slide a scythe into her ribs. Shelby ran toward where Ptyas closed on her internal companion while she ripped a hand free to punch Athena in the face as hard as she could. Magical metal cracked and healed in seconds, but it was enough to force the woman back.
Kale slammed into her, toppling her over and allowing Shelby a few seconds to fall back into the hidden landscape of her mind. She was almost on top of Ptyas, but the wolf had also found Eira, backing her into a corner formed by a fallen log and cracked stone. Eira could still escape. Shelby knew how agile her wolf could be. Why isn’t she escaping?
Eira snarled at the attacker who advanced slowly. Get out of my head, Ptyas. I will kill you if I must.
Ptyas shook his muzzle. I do not want to hurt you, Eira. I simply want to sever your bond with the girl. You will live.
Why would you do that? And how?
Ptyas bared more of his teeth, glinting in the starlight. So there will be only one Summer Omega. The prophesies will make sense again. Athena has the power, and so do I as a part of her.
Shelby saw past the imagery of the realm. Eira was not cornered. She guarded something. The log and stone melted away into a stream of energy. Our bond. That’s why she isn’t running. Shelby stepped between them. Not gonna happen, dogbreath.
Ptyas laughed. You aren’t really here, sweet girl. He walked through Shelby to punctuate his point. You are a ghost in this realm where we who sacrificed our autonomy are banished. You can do nothing to me.
Shelby stared down at her translucent form. Past her flesh she could see shadows fighting. Kale had Athena on the ground, pinned while he bit into her. Her armor buckled and tore under the shear force of his attacks. Goddess is he powerful! But he did not see the crossbow forming on her vambrace, angled toward his chest. No!
A cold seeped into Shelby’s bones, starting in her fingers and toes, curling inward, as though all the warmth of her body and the surrounding air crawled toward her middle where it was devoured. She had felt this once before, when Nicholas and his pack attacked her and her father.
Something burned inside her heart, eating up all the surrounding energy. I give you autonomy, Eira. Shelby’s voice came out low, hints of thunder in it.
Her wolf stared at her, shock on her canine face just before she vanished. Shelby felt her body spring to life outside herself, shifting, but it felt even farther away than before. Eira rolled over Kale, the bolt lodging in Shelby’s side, but she felt almost nothing.
Ptyas pounced on the bond, tearing into it with teeth and claws.
Shelby lifted her hands, which were no longer translucent. Every inch of her body felt like ice, except a flare of heat at her center and a pulsating link to her mind. Enough!
Ptyas turned to face her, his jaws dripping golden light, the blood of her bond with Eira. He growled. You are too late. He made to bite into the bond once more.
Stop, she felt the ice grow as she said it, heat channeled into the fire inside her.
He froze inches from the glimmering stream of it, shaking with tension and snapping empty jaws on air. What is this?
Shelby smiled. I am here now, this is my mind, and I can hurt you.
She slammed her hands together, releasing all the energy inside her at once. A wave of fire flew from her pressed palms. Ptyas blew into the starry sky, pushed by air and flame. He vanished, his face a mask of confusion.
Shelby collapsed. The last time she’d used this power, she’d fallen unconscious and forgotten everything. I must hold on this time.
But whatever magic she’d wrought had taken a toll on Eira as well. Shelby felt herself collapse in the real world. Athena kicked Kale in the chest while he was distracted with Shelby’s sudden fall and raised her scythe. Shelby looked through Eira’s eyes, unable to lift a paw as death swung toward her neck. I don’t think we can win this.
Fizz streaked in front of her, buzzing through the air and into Athena’s face. Mareus’s daughter swung at the wisp, but the flame creature zigged and zagged at blinding speeds, bumping into Athena’s legs and chest before darting away again. “Get away from me, you pest!”
Kale stood, recovering, but moved too slow to her aid.
It isn’t over, Eira screamed at her. Take
back autonomy and kick!
Shelby did as she was told. Her skin tore and melted, legs finding the powerful middle between wolf and human. Shelby fought back the spiraling darkness that wanted to overtake her. I am not giving up after just getting Kale back! But the darkness closed in on her fast. Through shadows, she could see Athena pushing the wisp aside, blades spinning past it toward Shelby’s neck once more.
Shelby’s vision went black, but she rolled into a ball on her back. Her legs came up as powerful muscles coiled. She kicked.
The force of it crumpled armor and shattered bone on both sides. A magical zapping sound came to Shelby’s ears, followed by the music of metal colliding with demon bones and solid rock. A palm slapped against stone, and thick walls ground together with thunderous vibrations that set Shelby’s teeth rattling.
Grant dropped into the bed and fell asleep immediately, but his dreams came feverish and chaotic. Dragons poured through a portal, spilling fire across the sky. Blood poured from a golden chalice into a fountain, a fountain he’d seen before.
His heart beat fast in his chest, rhythmic, thumping hard as the water of the fountain changed from clear to red. The thumping grew insistent, and a part of Grant realized it wasn’t his heart.
He opened his eyes and found he still clutched the book to his chest. The cover pulsed softly against his sternum.
“Now what?” Grant sat up, leaning against a cinder block wall. “I haven’t slept in days, book. I need rest if I’m to save what remains of the Hunters.”
But he opened the book, flipping past pages and pages, guided by something, to land on a diagram of the fountain. It was the same fountain Grant had drunk from when he’d taken the vows to become a Hunter. He read the first paragraph.
Once the Fae key has been unlocked, if we hope to defeat the Advent and prevent annihilation once more, the true ceremony of blood and fire must be completed. The Hunters must be prepared.