by A L Fogerty
Kayla focused on the creature, blowing her power out of her palm. It blasted the creature, sending him back several feet, but he was so large that her power wasn’t enough to stop it. She nocked an arrow and focused her power into her draw. She aimed at the monster’s neck and let it fly. Even with the energy directed behind the arrow, the tip bounced off the monster’s thick hide, falling uselessly onto the ground.
She snapped her head to the side, looking for Quinn. He was right there, gathering his power between his palms. Their eyes met just as he called down the spirit lance bestowed on him by the goddess. He gripped it in his palm, pulled back his arm, and threw. The lance sailed through the air and caught the monster in the arm. It sliced the creature’s limb, and it dropped to the ground.
“Again,” Kayla yelled.
The monster scooped up another mass of bodies, including horses, narrowly missing Sid. The sickening sound of slurping and crunching made her want to retch. It was eating her men.
“I can’t,” Quinn said. “It’s too soon.”
Kayla yelled, pulling Lightning away. The monster kept scooping up her army as new gnolls fed on the meat that fell from its giant mouth.
Kayla wheeled back toward the monster, her mind desperately searching for a solution. If she couldn’t defeat this beast, then how did she expect to defeat Veronica’s army?
She gathered her strength again, her mind searching the creature’s body for some weak point, some vital organ she could crush. The demon was so unlike a living being, it was nearly impossible to understand what was inside it.
“Felix!” she yelled. “What is that?”
“Maw demon,” he said. “Closest to any creature that exists in mythology.”
“I can’t find its heart.”
“Maw demons don’t have hearts.”
“I need a vital organ. All I feel is mush.”
“It uses a primitive stomach to process food into energy. Find that, and you can cut off the flow.”
She gasped, focusing back on the creature. Closing her eyes, she searched its body for a stomach-like organ. It was hard to understand. But finally, at the very center of its body, she found the great gurgling mass that must have been the stomach. She raised her hands and began to focus her power between them, pulling them closer and closer together. Finally, she slapped her palms closed with a loud clap, crushing the organ between them.
The monster let out a long, low moan. The gnolls chattered and squawked. The maw demon began to vibrate, its massive body violently jiggling before it stopped moving and slammed to the ground.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The army camped for the night near a town that had escaped the ravages of the storm. Kayla helped Sid and Jagger set up her tent, a shelter she was becoming more and more grateful for as the trek grew longer. The army had been marching for over a month, and the tents had become needed respites from the relentless exposure of the road.
After the tent was set up and the dinners cooked at the campfires outside, Kayla gathered her council to discuss the maw demon’s attack. Willa, Mackenzie, Felix, Sid, Jagger, and Quinn all sat with her in her tent, passing around a bottle of whiskey Riddick had tucked away in her pack. Looking from one to the next, she read their faces for signs of progress.
“How do we better protect our soldiers?” she began.
“With mine and Mackenzie’s talents, there isn’t a lot we can do,” Willa said, sucking a breath through her teeth as the liquor slid down her throat. “My illusions are temporary. I can only make shields because I learned to adapt my magic to create them. They are permanent but are in a fixed position. I am racking my brain to think of a way I could adapt that to armor, but I haven’t come up with any ideas yet.”
“My specialty,” Mackenzie said, “is raising the dead. Without dead bodies, there isn’t a lot a necromancer can do.”
“Quinn?” Kayla took a sip of whiskey, gulped, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Other than small protective bubbles and healing? I have my lance, but it’s still limited to my aim, unfortunately.”
“Felix, what do you think? How can we make the army more effective?”
“Poison-edged blades. Better steel. Thicker armor.” Felix passed the bottle without drinking.
“How are we going to find those resources while on the road?”
“I haven’t gotten that far yet,” he admitted.
“Jagger?”
“We were tactically unprepared for an attack like the one we suffered today. Better preparedness could help. I suggest more scouts. But like the ooze, it was a surprise attack that came out of nowhere. There is little even the best scout can do in those circumstances.”
“What are the other alphas saying, Sid?”
Sid took a deep swig before he answered. “They’re concerned. Afraid. I heard some speak of leaving.”
“I can’t expect them to march with me if they aren’t confident in our ability to prevail.”
“What should we tell them?” Sid asked.
“To remain confident. We are working on the problem. There will be a solution. If I don’t feel we are strong enough to proceed after another week, we will disband the army and return home.”
“You can’t mean that,” Quinn said.
“What else can I do, Quinn? If we can’t beat one monster, what hope do we have against an entire army? It is cruel to expect these men and women to follow me into certain death. I won’t do it.”
“Malik and the others have many more magical abilities,” Mackenzie said. “Once he finds us, we will have far more direction.”
“I don’t know if we can keep waiting for them to contact us,” Kayla said. “Maybe something happened to them. It was wrong for us to lead all these men and women into the unknown without confirmation that they would meet us.”
“Malik and the others will contact us,” Willa said. “They are completely dedicated to this fight.”
“Okay. We’ll meet again in a few days, once I’ve had time to consider.”
Kayla handed the half-empty bottle to Sid as he got up to leave, but he pushed it back, telling her to keep it. She watched the others go, taking another sip of the warming liquid. The night was frigid, and without the warmth of the campfire, Kayla was grateful for her furs.
She took the bottle of whiskey and climbed into her bed, sliding under the thick wool blankets and heavy furs. She propped herself up on her pillow and took another swig. Jagger had disappeared outside, but Quinn stood in the doorway, bidding the others goodnight.
He turned to her, the light of the oil lamp flickering in his eyes. He crossed the space between them and climbed under the furs beside her. She wordlessly handed him the bottle, and he sipped.
“Are you worried?” he asked her.
“I’m not sure ‘worried’ is the right word for it after what happened today…”
“We needed to know our weaknesses to better prepare for the final battle.”
“We lost a dozen men.”
“A dozen losses shouldn’t be taken lightly, but imagine if it was the whole army.”
She took the bottle back and took a long swig, enjoying the feeling of it burning down her throat and settling like a warm wash inside her stomach. She closed her eyes and let out a long breath. She’d been in such a good place that morning, but those good feelings seemed far away now.
She focused on the warmth of Quinn’s body beside her, the fuzzy pleasure of whiskey in her stomach. She leaned back, putting the bottle down on the ground.
Quinn lay beside her, and they stared wordlessly up at the ceiling. Their even breathing was the only sound in the tent. The distant noises of the horses and the voices of men echoed outside. She curled up beside him, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped a long, wiry arm around her and pulled her close. She could feel his heart beating against her cheek and smelled the subtle scent of his body. Closing her eyes, she collapsed into the comfort of being so close to him.
Their mate bond wrapped around them like a cocoon, suspending them in that moment, protecting them from anything beyond their tiny bubble.
She ran her hand over his chest, breathing him in. It had been so long since they’d been together like that, in the soft and gentle space that only they shared.
“Kayla,” he breathed into the top of her head.
He held her tightly, his arms encircling her and pressing her into him. She felt a flood of emotion that had been deeply tucked away in a hidden pocket of her consciousness, kept safe from the darkness that had consumed her for so long. She ducked her face into his chest, hiding from his eyes. She couldn’t face him or the power of her own feelings. She let out a quivering sob. Quinn rubbed her back, murmuring comforting words into her hair. Tears slid down her cheeks, unrestrained. She gasped as she looked up at him, pressing her wet lips to his mouth.
He shuddered against her, gasping for breath before their mouths met and they consumed each other in a hunger neither of them was prepared for. She climbed over him, resting her legs on either side of his lap. He caressed her hair and cupped her face, accepting all the pent-up passion that she directed at him.
She felt his body rise, hard against her sex. She’d changed into her woolen camp dress before the meeting. He pushed it up around her waist, and she was naked under the thin fabric of her gown. She unfastened the ties on his wool pants and pushed them down his hips. With nothing between them, she slid her wet core over his hardness. His hands were cool against her hips as he pulled her closer, tilting his hips to press harder against her need.
“I’ve waited so long for you, Kayla.”
Their tongues flicked together, tasting greedily. She bit his lip, the desire inside her burning at an alarming heat. She opened her mouth, breathing him in as he pressed the head of his cock against her soaking entrance. She pushed herself down on him, her mouth open and her eyes wide, staring at her mate’s blue irises. He bit his lip as she sank to the hilt. They groaned together as the pleasure of their mingling bodies consumed their senses.
She sat back, riding astride his slim, taut body. He looked at her with such adoration in his eyes that her heart quaked with love for him. He pulled her to him, kissing her greedily, cupping her face as their bodies and minds merged in the infinite longing to be closer. She felt her need coiling tightly like a serpent at the base of her spine until the desire burst into an explosive release of energy. Quinn groaned below her as they climaxed together. Holding each other closely and breathing each other in, they came down from the heights of the shared experience of their peak.
They breathed together, tasting each other’s air, and she gazed into his eyes, loving him in that moment more than she ever had before. It was as if the many trials they had experienced only served to bring them there, to that place where they could be stronger, closer, and more connected. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath, placing her forehead against his. His hands slid over her back and down her spine so tenderly that it was akin to worship. She breathed her power into him, and she felt him return his own. Their magic mingled as she slid away and turned onto her back. They held each other under the blankets, feeling warm and full. Contentment surrounded her, and she knew it did him as well.
Neither spoke as they held each other. Jagger slipped into the tent and broke the silence with his rushed words, talking about the meeting with the others. He was still in a place they’d departed long ago to share a totally new universe in that moment together.
“Willa and Mackenzie are working with Felix. They think they might have a solution,” he was saying.
Neither responded.
“Aren’t you interested?”
“Of course, Jagger,” she said lazily.
He finally turned to them and took them in. “Oh,” he said, turning to the tent flap.
“You don’t have to leave,” she said, reaching out to him.
“I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine.”
“I’m surprised,” he muttered. “You’ve been so… distant.” She hadn’t been intimate with any of her mates since her daughter’s birth.
“I know. But I’m moving past that now.”
Jagger pulled off his leathers and slipped into the furs beside her, bringing the cold air with him. He wrapped his arms around her and nestled his chin in her hair. She threaded her fingers through his, kissing his hand. She took a deep breath and let it out, settling into the contentment of having both her mates so close. She missed Riddick in that moment, wishing he was there beside her in bed, his hot breath against her neck. But she knew Riddick had his own path, and it wouldn’t help any of them to feel his absence. She would only think about how good it would be to be with him again when their mission was done.
Quinn kissed her lazily, and Jagger rubbed her body from behind. The heat of his sex pressed against her back as he kissed her neck and licked her earlobe. She gasped, reaching back to grasp his hair. His shaft slipped between her legs, finding her wet core. Sliding back and forth over her swollen pussy, he taunted her tight need with firm pressure. Quinn tweaked her breasts and slid his hand down her body and between her legs.
While Quinn caressed her, Jagger pressed the tip of his cock inside her. His teeth pressed against her neck as he angled her hips back toward him. Moisture flooded her body, and Jagger pressed inside. She groaned, throwing her head back. Quinn’s nimble fingers twisted on her pleasure point while Jagger’s long, thick shaft moved inside her.
Jagger bit her neck, mimicking the mating bite as his thrusts grew more insistent. Quinn licked and sucked her nipples while twisting his fingers between her legs. The intensity of her mates’ attention gathered deep in her spine and coiled around her brain. She opened her mouth, and a low moan slid from the depths of her belly.
Her body throbbed, clenching Jagger’s manhood. He growled into her neck, gripping her breast as he bit harder. Quinn kissed her lips, gentle and passionate as Jagger’s hips slammed into her from behind. The release of another orgasm hit her like Sid’s hammer. Her entire body vibrated with the electric shock.
Jagger came, his teeth still gripping her throat. She could barely breathe, but it just made the pleasure that much more intense. Her body was like a lightning strike of pleasure, alive with light and power. She reached out to both her mates, running her fingers through their hair, worshiping the love and passion they instilled in her.
She drifted off to sleep, nestled between Quinn and Jagger, their warm bodies wrapping her in a sense of completion she cherished. The dreams came, vivid and intense. A year before, before traveling to the City of Ghosts to find the spirit box, before the possession, before Oksana, she’d dreamed of herself as a being made of light.
That night, an avenging angel overtook her again, filling her with ecstatic grace. Wings burst from her back, and she held a sword of light aloft in her outstretched hand. She flew high above the world, piercing the dark night with her electric blade. Lightning thundered across the sky, zigzagging in all directions.
Below her, the armies of darkness fell before her power. An earthquake of explosive light shattered the land. The earth opened, swallowing the demons and sending them back from whence they’d come. Power and glory filled her heart. The moon shone like a halo behind her, filling her with the power of the goddess.
Her wings brought her slowly downward, her bare feet touching the scorched ground. The armies of darkness had disappeared, the only trace of their existence the blackened soil that spread in all directions.
Feeling a sense of rightness and completion, she sheathed her sword, walking carefully forward. The ground rumbled below her feet. She looked up. A portal opened before her, creating a view into the world below. She peered into the darkness at the writhing mass of demonic bodies. Those she’d defeated, she thought. But above the horde stood their monstrous master, red bodied and black horned, his eyes so vacant of light that they absorbed all that came in contact with them. He set his gaze on his legion. And with
a swift tilt of his head, his gaze turned to her. Their eyes locked. The soulless chill of emptiness consumed her.
Kayla gasped, sitting up in bed. Her heart slammed in her chest. The world reeled, and she couldn’t catch her breath. She felt a hand reach out to her. She flinched at the contact.
“Are you all right?” Jagger’s disembodied voice said.
She couldn’t catch her breath. Her heart raced, and she felt as if she might faint. She shook her head in the darkness, knowing he couldn’t see it. She tried to speak, but her vocal cords wouldn’t cooperate.
Quinn turned over and sat up beside her, placing his hands on hers. “You’re okay, Kayla. We’re here.”
Quinn’s calm, healing energy filled her body, and her heart finally slowed.
“What’s wrong? What’s going on?” Jagger asked.
She tried to form words, but they were slow and garbled. Finally, she was able to speak. “I-I had a dream.”
“What happened in the dream?” Jagger whispered, stroking her back.
“I dreamed I was an angel. When we first returned to Mist Valley with the pack, I had the same dream.”
“An angel?” Quinn asked. “You never told me about that.”
“I was unsure of what it meant. And then we got so distracted with the ghost problem. I guess I just forgot about it.”
“Tell me more,” Quinn said.
“I had wings and a sword of light. Wolf Mother was in her form as the moon, beaming her power into me. The armies of darkness fell before my sword.”
“That sounds like a good dream.”
“It was. But then there was a portal into the void. I was able to see into hell. I saw him, the Lord of Darkness. He looked at me. I saw blackness in his eyes. It hit me with overwhelming emptiness… the chill of infinite evil… I felt it enter me. I woke up, and I couldn’t breathe.”
“You’re fine now. We’re with you,” Jagger said.