by Aileen Erin
“Got it. He’s a big boy, and his mother won’t hurt him,” I said, but I wasn’t so sure about that.
“She could hurt him worse than anyone because he’s her son,” Elsa said.
I blew out a breath and turned to Dastien.
He shook his head. “Non. You will not suggest that.”
His defiant look made me smile. Despite everything, he knew what I was going to ask before I could ask it. “Fine. But I think leaving him behind is a bad idea. We should go get—”
“No!” Adrian, Chris, and Meredith all said at once.
Meredith pointed a finger at me. “We let you go once, and we took care of your mate while he was half-crazed, but we won’t do it again. I’ll throw you in the cages this time. And believe me, I’m one hundred percent serious.” Meredith’s eyes hardly glowed before I got rid of the curse, but right then, they were so pale and bright, I took a step back. “You will not leave campus again until I say it’s okay.”
The power behind the command took my breath away. She had to have been borrowing some alpha energy from Donovan. He stepped forward, squeezing her shoulder. “I think Tessa understands that we’re all against her putting herself at risk again, love.” Donovan turned to me. “We’ll keep an eye out for this Daniel, but he might not be trustworthy if Luciana is his mother.”
“He’s trustworthy,” Raphael said. “He doesn’t like his mother any more than we do.”
“Are you sure about that? Could he be lying to you to get in with you?” Donovan asked.
Raphael opened his mouth to say something, but then snapped it shut.
“That’s what I’m sayin’. It’s mighty convenient that he went missing just as it was time for you to leave.”
“He has a point,” Cosette said. She tucked a piece of blond hair behind her ear. “The timing was too convenient. We would’ve arrived right behind you, but we were waiting on him.”
“I find it interesting that you’re in Texas,” Donovan said.
Cosette grinned. “The queen said things were getting interesting down here. I came to assess the situation.”
“And what did you find?”
“La Aquelarre and its allies are evil. The fey will be backing you,” she said.
“I thought you were only part fey,” I said.
She shrugged, but didn’t look the least bit perturbed. “I’ve been many things, but at the core, I’m fey.”
Was I missing something? “But you said you were a witch.”
“I have some witch in me down the line, but that’s only a small part. We don’t lie, but there are many shades of gray.”
Right, but I would’ve felt more comfortable if she’d just be honest. “Claudia, if you wouldn’t mind helping us out with some more of those vials for vampires—”
“Vampires?” Claudia shouted. Then her cheeks reddened. “I thought we were fighting the coven,” she continued at a much more normal volume.
“We are. But the vampires will be here first.”
The scent of fear hit the air, and I knew she was scared.
“I think we probably have all of the ingredients, but I’m not sure if I’m putting the spells together correctly. Would you mind showing me?” Adrian asked.
“Not at all. Let’s all go. I’m happy to share what I know about fighting with potions,” Claudia said.
As we headed through the quad to the school building, I knew that this was what I was here for. The supernatural community was fighting, but it was also changing. Witches and wolves working together to fight evil.
We had eight hours to prepare, but when the first vampire stepped on campus, we’d be ready. We could do this. We had to.
Even if I died trying, I’d stop Luciana here tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The sun was setting as we finished filling vials. Donovan had been gone for a while. He was with Sebastian and Muraco, finding a way to single out the bad pack members as soon as they joined the fight.
“These potions should be enough for us brujos,” Claudia said as she gathered up the little glass vials. “The rest of you will be shifting, right?”
Adrian nodded. “Yes. I think we’re all shifting.”
I shook my head. “I’m not.”
“What? Why?” Meredith said. “You’ll be much safer as a wolf. Are you still afraid of changing?”
That wasn’t it at all. “No. I just have this feeling that I need to be human. I need to be able to talk to the witches. I need to be able to command the wolves. I can’t do that as a wolf.”
“But you’ll be without your magic and you won’t have the protection of teeth and claws that you’d have as a wolf,” Chris said. “Not changing is a big mistake.”
In my vision, I’d been human. My gut told me that if I shifted, the fight could get even worse than I’d dreamt. I wasn’t about to ignore that feeling. “Trust me. I need to be human.” I shrugged. “Plus, I’m not even sure if I can shift. With the jar and everything…”
“Just because your alpha powers are in the jar doesn’t mean that you can’t shift. You’re still a Were,” Meredith said.
“I don’t know. Something’s telling me not to try. So I’m sticking to two feet.”
Chris held up his hands. “Okay. But for the record, I think it’s a bad idea.”
“Me, too,” Adrian said.
“Me, three,” Meredith said.
Dastien was silent as he sat on one of the lab stools. His long legs were stretched in front of him.
I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to chime in.
“I trust you to know what’s best. Doesn’t matter what form you’re in. You won’t leave my sight.”
I took him in. His long, lean form. The way his biceps bulged as he crossed his arms. His dark curls that were a little too long. I wanted him. So badly. I wanted a future with him. The thought of not being here—of leaving him no matter the circumstances—was a little too much to bear.
He sat up straighter, and I knew he was feeling something through the weakened bond. He couldn’t fully read me, but if I could sense basic emotions from him, he could do the same from me. I had to stop thinking about what might happen. The future could change and I’d do my best to make sure it did.
Donovan and Mr. Dawson strolled into the room. The Weres all sat up straighter, waiting to hear what they might say while the brujos just seemed nervous. They looked everywhere but at the two men.
Meredith crossed the room to Donovan, and he grasped her hand, pulling her until she was tucked against his side.
“What’s the story?” I said. “Any update on the bad wolves?”
Donovan shook his head. “Too many Weres went home after the Tribunal. I couldn’t even get hold of Ferdinand. Thought he was stickin’ around, but he must be on a plane back to Europe.” He sighed. “It’d be one thing if it were just one or two Weres in question and they were easily accessible. I could call them in. Order them to tell me where their loyalties lie and lock up the bad ones. But I can’t get in touch, and even if I could, where am I to put them to keep them out of trouble?”
I guessed that was true, but it didn’t make me feel any better about tonight. “We’ll just have to deal with them as they come.”
“The good news is that we’ve tracked down some that we believe are on our side and called in some Cazadores who are definitely loyal. That’s not nothing,” Mr. Dawson said. “They’re already in place, patrolling the area. They’ll stay hidden until the battle starts. We don’t want to give the traitors any idea that we know they’re coming. Surprise is our best tactic.”
“So who’s going to be leading them?” Dastien asked.
“Good question,” Donovan said. “I am.”
“And what about the witches?” Elsa said. “Not all of them are bad.”
“If they choose to step aside, no harm will come to them. But I’m afraid if they fight against us, we’ll have to fight back. I’m sorry, lass,” Donovan said.
“Maybe I can convince them not to
fight,” Claudia said. “It’s worth a shot.”
That didn’t seem likely. I wasn’t sure anyone from the coven would listen, especially not in the middle of a battle with Luciana leading the charge. “If you don’t want to fight, I think we’d all understand.” I couldn’t imagine trying to go against people I’d spent my whole life with.
“No,” Shane said. “We’ll do our part. If they’re that far gone, messing around with demonic stuff, then they’re not the same coven we grew up with. It’s something that we’ll just have to deal with.”
Raphael nodded. “We should’ve stepped up sooner, but we didn’t. It’s our duty to fix this now.”
I understood the sentiment, but they weren’t responsible for Luciana’s actions. “You shouldn’t take so much on yourself.”
Raphael lifted one eyebrow at me. “You’re the one whose powers are in jars. I know you were waiting for me. If you’d left the compound right away, this wouldn’t have happened.”
I hoped I hadn’t made him feel guilty for anything. It wasn’t his fault. Not even a little bit. “Raphael,” I said his name firmly so that he’d know I was being totally serious. “I don’t blame you for what happened.” He pressed his lips together in a firm line. I wasn’t being nice. I really didn’t blame him at all. It hadn’t even entered my mind, but from the fierce look on Raphael’s face, I knew no amount of reassuring him would change his mind.
Claudia stepped next to her twin, leaning on him a little. “Our coven has gone bad. We know what might happen, and we’re going into this fight ready to do what needs to be done.”
Donovan grunted. “It’ll be harder than you think. You’ll be armed with the spells for the vampires. Focus on those. We’ll try and cover the witches as much as possible.”
“I think they’re aware how hard it will be to fight la Aquelarre,” Cosette said. “But the answer is the same. They know what they’re doing.”
“And you’ve permission to fight as well?” Donovan asked. “I don’t want the queen to come calling if you get hurt.”
“Yes. You’ll be safe. For now at least.” Cosette shook her head, sending her blonde curls bouncing with the movement. “The fey aren’t always the most reliable, but Luciana’s magic is bad business for all of us so they’ll support the fight. It’s too short notice to get help for tonight, though.”
“Of course,” Mr. Dawson said. “We just don’t want any trouble with your people. We’ve got enough on our hands already.”
“I’ll handle that.”
This was getting us nowhere, and I had one more question. “What about the rest of the students? Has anyone warned them?”
Mr. Dawson crossed his arms. “I called them into a meeting while you and Dastien snuck away. When the alarm sounds, any seniors who choose to do so will join the fight. I ordered the underclassmen to stay in the dorms no matter what. I don’t want the younger pups getting in over their heads.”
I didn’t make a comment about me being new to the whole Were thing, too. I might have been inexperienced, but I wasn’t backing down from this fight.
“So, where are we supposed to be? I assume we’re waiting outside to ambush them?” Adrian asked.
“Yes,” Mr. Dawson said. “The loyal pack members will be hidden in the forest surrounding campus. They’ll try to cut down the number of vampires that make it to the quad. As the fight progresses, they’ll either press in or move out to cover our backs as needed.”
I nodded. “This sounds like a solid plan.” Although only a million or so things could go wrong. “I’ll be in the center of the quad. As soon as I see both Luciana and Mr. Hoel, I’ll smash the jars. I don’t want either of them no-showing because I got my powers back too early. Which means I’ll be vulnerable for a time.”
“I’ve got your back. Always,” Dastien said, and I knew he was telling the truth.
“Luciana is too strong to fight while she has access to my powers. No one should approach her until the jars are broken.”
“What happens if you get caught up? If you can’t break the jars?” Meredith asked.
That would be bad fucking news. If I didn’t break the jars, they’d be using my powers to fight against us. Not even a little bit acceptable. “I have to break them.” I checked the clock. “They’ll be here in less than an hour. If we’re all set, then I’m going to go change into something with more pockets.” Last thing I needed was to run out potions mid-battle.
“I think we’ve covered everything,” Mr. Dawson said. “Everyone okay?”
There were a few yes’s and some nods. I took that as a sign that it was okay to go. I slipped the backpack with the jars over my shoulders and headed for the door. “Meet everyone on the quad.”
I caught Dastien’s gaze as I left and once again I felt sad. So sad. I had to make it through tonight, but if I didn’t, I needed to know that he’d be okay. I wasn’t so sure that was the case.
Dastien caught up with me in the hallway. “You were scared about something earlier, and just now, you looked at me and you felt sad. What aren’t you telling me?”
I kept walking. “I’m scared about fighting. That’s all it was and it’s totally natural.”
“No. That’s not what I felt from you a second ago. Fear. And resignation.” He grasped my hand, pulling me to a stop. “What do you know that you’re not sharing?”
I thought carefully about how to word it—I couldn’t give Dastien any information that would put him off his game tonight, and my potential death definitely fell in that category. “Look. I’ve seen what’s going to happen—or what might happen—and it’s bad. Really bad. I did my best to avoid all this, and it’s still coming anyway. So, yeah, I’m afraid, but resigned to the fact that it’s going to happen whether I want it to or not.” That was at least part of the truth, and giving him any more details wouldn’t help.
He wrapped his arms around me. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to get through this.”
“And if we don’t?” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
He leaned back, muscles tensing. “What are you saying?”
I closed my eyes. I shouldn’t have said that. “Nothing.”
“You’re lying again.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just in a mood. Let me go get changed. We don’t have much time.”
“Okay. But I’m coming with you.”
“Please.” I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. If this was it, if Mr. Hoel did manage to kill me, I wanted every second I had left to be spent with Dastien.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The night was quiet as I stood on the quad. No birds chirped. No cicadas sang. Not even a breeze to rustle the grass. My hands shook as I waited for the vampires to show. I took deep breaths, partly to calm myself, but also so I’d know when they were close. I’d smell them before I saw them.
Dastien had convinced me to take off my shoes. Apparently they were a bitch to rip through when shifting fully clothed. He didn’t try to make me shift, but he made it clear that I should if I needed to. He was hiding between the buildings. I couldn’t see him, but I knew he was there in wolf form watching out for me.
I dug my toes into the cool, damp grass and reached into my pocket to palm one of the vials. I had thirty. Please let that be enough.
I sensed motion behind me and spun. The smell hit me. Death and decay. Old blood and rotted meat. I gagged as vampires swarmed the campus.
So much for the Cazadores keeping the flow down.
Wolves jumped from the forest to meet the vampires in a clash of fangs and fur.
The alarm sounded, the soft wail alerting the students we were under attack.
It didn’t take long for the seniors to swarm out of the buildings in wolf form. I focused on the figures in black floating toward me. Hair like straw. Faces rotted and disgusting.
The wolves bounded toward the vampires, but I waited where I stood. They’d be here soon.
I knew enough about witchcraft to
know that I didn’t need to say the words aloud. As the first vampire approached, I threw the vial. In the name of Jesus Christ, I purify you.
Nothing happened. I froze. With or without my magic, the words should work. Should I shift?
“In the name of Jesus Christ, I purify you,” Claudia’s clear voice rang out beside me as she tossed another vial. Night turned to day as the potion exploded and the vampire burned to dust.
Thank God for cousins.
I let out a shaky breath and Claudia stepped in front of me. “Careful, prima. Your magic must be sealed.”
Magic shouldn’t factor into throwing potions, but I didn’t have time to figure out the problem.
Three vampires had Dastien pinned down and the wolves were being pushed back as more and more of them flooded the quad. The other brujos were throwing vials as fast as they could, but it wasn’t going to be enough.
“Cover me while I get the jars out,” I said to Claudia.
I slipped off my backpack and grabbed the jars. I’d been hoping I’d be able to fight at least a little, but not so much. I needed these jars gone. Now.
Another vampire flew at us, and Dastien finally burst free—he jumped on its back, snarling.
Where in the hell were Luciana and Mr. Hoel?
A voice cried out. “Kill the wolves!” I didn’t need to turn around to know who had arrived.
La Aquelarre.
They wore all white. Luciana was wearing one of her long skirts. Really impractical.
She paused her jog to the quad. Her face turned red as she stared at me.
One down. One to go.
As helpless as I was, I needed to wait a few more seconds. As soon as I spotted Mr. Hoel, I could destroy the jars.
Luciana threw a vial in my direction, but it fell way short of me and shattered against the ground, sending off a puff of fire and smoke.
“You don’t want to do this,” I shouted. “Turn back now.”
She laughed. “You’re weak. I have your power.”
“Do you?”
She raised her arms, and the scent of sulfur filled the quad. The ground rumbled.
She was calling something from below the earth. My pulse sped. This wasn’t what I’d seen in my dream. This was way, way worse. If she managed to summon something from hell…