Before Quetzali can finish her spell, Knox bulldozes right into her. The gems in her hands spill out across the desert floor. Quetzali lies on her side, immobile.
One evil warden down, two more to go.
Inside my soul, my wolf stirs. “Go after the other wardens,” she growls. “Fight!”
Sometimes, I really love my inner wolf.
“On it,” I reply.
Across the desert, Quetzali’s shifter warden morphs into a massive bear. Or, to be accurate, a conglomerate of bears, all of them overlapping. Yow, does that ever look strange. With a great growl, the bear races in my direction.
No time to lose.
I try to shift into my wolf form, but it isn’t easy. I’m tired, thirsty, and stuck in a hot-as-hell desert. Every muscle in my body feels limp.
My inner wolf pants with effort. “I need a little time,” she says. “The shift isn’t easy.”
“No worries,” I reply in my mind. “I have a plan.” Once again, that’s definitely a fae-style answer on my part. My only plan right now is to come up with a plan.
Still, there’s no way I’m giving up. I refocus my thoughts on starting to shift just as the massive black bear lands in front of me.
Gasping, I fall backward. The bear rears on its hind legs, towering over me. Tilting back its head, the animal lets out the mother of all roars.
Honestly? I might pee my pants just a little bit. That is one terrifying bear.
The bear lowers itself onto its front legs. I may not be able to shift, but my shifter reflexes kick in, which is a good start. Just before the bear swats my skull, I roll out of the way. Instead, the bear’s massive front claws land beside my head with a mighty scrape. I slowly crawl backward, trying to get out of its line of vision without triggering the animal’s predator reflex.
“I think I can do it,” says my wolf. Her voice wobbles with strain. “Is it working?”
My skin ripples with fur. “A little.”
The bear lumbers forward, swiping at me with each step. Every one of its claws stretches as long as my finger, and they all seem to move in slow motion toward my face. Although I try to move out of its path, I can’t seem to go fast enough.
Ugh. Having my nose torn off by a massive bear during today’s ceremony. … I have to admit, I did not see this coming.
The claws are a breath away from my cheek when Wolf-Knox bites into the bear’s limb, tearing the animal away from me. At the same time, the Colonel and Elle stand nearby, their arms raised. Mists of silver power wind around their hands.
“Now!” cries the Colonel.
Both fae release their power. A mist of silver magic hurtles towards the bear, who’s now fighting Wolf-Knox. My mate leaps onto the bear’s back and chomps down hard on its neck. The Colonel and Elle’s spell combines in the air to take the shape of what looks like a silver missile. The torpedo slams into the bear’s chest.
BOOM! The missile explodes.
The bear bursts into a silvery mist. From the center of the haze, there appears the tall form of the Shadowvin. A long screech echoes through the air as the shifter ghost fades from view.
The Colonel straightens his hat. “And that is how you kill yourself a Shadowvin.”
Wolf-Knox prances to my side, the silver disc held firmly in his teeth. I pull it from his jaws and lean in to his muzzle. “That was amazing,” I say.
“We can celebrate later,” replies Wolf-Knox with a wink. “The fae warden is waking up.”
Scanning the nearby sands, my heart sinks. “Actually,” I say. “She’s wide awake.”
The fae warden stands nearby. Like the Quetzali and the bear shifter, this warden isn’t so much one person as an amalgam of many blue fae who are overlapping each another.
More innocents that she possessed and killed.
And more of a reason to fight her now.
“I got this,” cries Alec. He raises his fist. Red gemstones glow inside his hand. Lowering his arm, Alec releases a fireball that hurtles at the blue fae. Silver mist surrounds Quetzali’s last warden. The haze vanishes, and a silver shield appears in its place. Alec’s fireball hits its mark, but the blue fae crouches behind the shield, protected.
Alec reaches into his pocket. “Damn, that Quetzali took the rest of my gems. I’m out.”
The blue fae lifts her arm from behind her shield, revealing a ball of silver power in her hand.
“Watch out, Alec,” I call. “She’s about to cast a spell.”
“No!” cries Elle. My best friend instantly conjures a much larger ball of silver power and sends it hurtling toward the blue fae. “Leave him alone!” she cries.
Like what happened with the bear, Elle’s silver sphere lands squarely in the fae’s chest, where it also explodes.
BOOM!
Blue goop goes flying everywhere.
But mostly on Alec.
Like what happened with the bear, the blue fae may be gone, but her Shadowvin form remains to screech its undead head off as it finally disappears.
Good riddance.
Alec turns to us, his neat khaki pants and sport coat now dripping with fairy guts. “How come I got the sloppy spell? You evaporated that bear guy.”
Elle stares at her feet. “I got nervous. You were in danger.”
The Colonel sets his hand on Elle’s shoulder. “That’s why I suggest the missile shape. Less mess, even when you’re in a hurry.” He gives her shoulder a little squeeze. “I’ll teach you, sugar.”
Fact: the Colonel may be cryptic and terrible with showing up on time, but he’s a really great dad figure.
I scan the pile of blue slop that was once the fae warden. A little part of me feels bad that I just thought of a living being as blue slop, but not too bad. Those Shadowvin tried to kill me and possess people I love. They also possessed a ton of innocent folks who should never have gotten caught up in all this.
So, sorry not sorry.
Alec strides to where I stand beside Elle, Knox, and the Colonel. “Before we do any more crazy stuff, I have one request.” Alec rakes his hand through his gloppy hair. “I need to cast me a cleaning spell.”
“Not so fast,” says Knox. “The sooner this is over, the safer things are for Bryar Rose. Your cleaning spells take forever.” I’m happy to report that Knox is now shifted back into his human form and wearing black leather pants and a dark T-shirt. On the plane ride over, the Colonel figured out how to make Knox an unshreddable outfit like mine.
Yet another benefit of having that old dragon shifter in my life.
Speaking of the Colonel, he folds his arms over his chest. “I concur with the wolf boy. Let’s get on with things.”
Alec lets out a dramatic sigh. “Fine.” He looks to me. “How do we do this?”
I shrug. “I’m thinking I say the words I used before and hope for the best.”
Elle shoots me a thumbs up. “I like this plan.”
Closing my eyes, I try to picture the words from the Void that started this whole thing. They appear in a flash. “Dark to light. Day to night. Magic to Void. I give my …” The hairs on the back of my neck tingle like it’s nobody’s business, making me pause. I open my eyes.
“What’s wrong, Bry?” asks Knox.
I frown. “Whatever happened to Quetzali?” I ask. “We knocked her down, but she didn’t go poof like the—”
At that moment, a great explosion of red witch power rumbles across the desert, sending out a massive shockwave. The force makes me tumble backward, landing flat on my back. I glance over. That same shockwave knocked everyone over. I’m the only one who seems to be awake, though. Even worse, the Colonel isn’t moving at all.
Another wave of red power rolls over me, slamming my head against the desert floor. Pain radiates around my skull. I squeeze my eyes shut against the hurt. High-pitched ringing echoes in my ears. With the force of will, I somehow open my eyes again.
She’s standing over me.
Gray robes.
Many wrinkled old ladies overlapping into
one person.
Evil grin.
Quetzali.
And in this moment, I have never loathed anyone more, not even Jules.
My inner animal howls with rage. “Let’s get her!” she cries.
And I agree.
Within seconds, I transform into a massive, enraged wolf with white fur and murderous intent. Leaping into the air, I land right on Quetzali, slamming her back first onto the desert floor. My long claws sink deeply into her ribcage.
“Leave me and my loved ones alone,” I say in a low growl.
“Never,” says Quetzali in her many voices. She’s panting, though, and looks pale. All the fighting with me and my wardens must’ve tired her out. Only one thing to do now.
“I’ll give you a quick death,” I growl. “Which is more than you would’ve offered me.”
So I press my claws deeper into her chest, piercing her heart. Quetzali shivers for a moment, then exhales. Like the blue fae and bear shifter before her, her Shadowvin form rises up, exiting her body with a screech. Quetzali’s ghostly self takes longer than the others to disappear. But at last, it vanishes as well. Quetzali is finally dead. Bile crawls up my throat. It’s terrible to take any life, even someone as evil as Quetzali’s. Even so, it had to be done.
In my mind, my wolf speaks to me. “We had no choice,” she whispers. “We had to protect those we love.”
“I know. It’s just not something I enjoy,” I reply.
Focusing my magic, I shift forms once more. Bones pop and fur recedes as I retake my human shape. Knox, Alec, and Elle all stand nearby.
“You okay, yeah?” asks Knox.
“I am.” I scan the desert. “Where’s the Colonel?”
“He’s still knocked out from that blast by Quetzali,” says Elle. “But he’s fine.”
My gaze locks on Colonel Mallory. He’s on his side, breathing but unconscious. A realization appears. The Colonel’s been with me through everything, especially this ceremony. He truly is my Poppa. I only hope I get the chance to tell him that, face to face.
I lift my chin. “We’ll be okay.” I look to Alec. “You still have your gemstones, right? You can heal the Colonel.”
“Funny you should say that.” Alec frowns. “Actually, I’m out of gemstones. I can’t cast anything right now.”
My stomach lurches. I was really hoping we’d have the Colonel’s help through this last part. Or at least, Alec’s gemstones.
Looks like we’re on our own, though.
Knox gently touches my elbow. “Do you still want to do this?”
My mate’s question echoes through every corner of my being. Without question, I know my answer.
“Where are those discs?” I ask. “Let’s finish this ceremony. Now.”
I came here to do a job, and I’m not giving up. No matter what.
Chapter 35
With Quetzali and her friends out of the way, I can hand out all three discs again. The ruby one goes to Alec, the silver to Elle, and finally, the golden to Knox.
Once my mate grips the last disc, a funny feeling settles into my chest. It’s as if an invisible rope’s tied around my waist. Around me, my wardens transform into figures of ruby, silver, and gold. That rope feeling grows stronger as I’m dragged across the desert, landing smack dab in the middle of the space separating the three obelisks. In the same way, my wardens get magically dragged back to their places before those tall structures.
My heartbeat goes into overdrive. This is it.
After everyone’s in their spot, the discs transform into glowing orbs as they slowly rise up the obelisks, stopping only when the bright spheres reach the pyramids’ peaks. Fresh clouds of white mist appear by my feet and slowly whirl clockwise. Some of the tension loosens in my neck and shoulders.
The Void is back. That’s good.
I scan the scene. Even better, this looks like what happened the first time we tried this ceremony, except for the poor Colonel, who’s still passed out nearby. The big difference? Now there are no Shadowvin to block things.
Ending the ceremony will be good.
But it also means losing all my power.
And that might be bad.
My inner wolf lets out a sad yip. “Will we live through this?” she asks.
“I’m not sure,” I reply in my mind. “But we’ll trust our instincts and our mate. That should keep us alive.”
Hopefully.
Taking in a deep breath, I take a closer look at my wardens. They all appear as fidgety and worried as I feel.
“Hey, everyone,” I say. “I thought I’d break the silence and give a little pep talk.”
Elle’s brows lift. “Are you sure?”
There’s no question what my best friend means here. When it comes to pep talks, mine are always epic. And by that, I mean either extremely awful or super awesome. The odds are always fifty-fifty.
“Definitely,” I say. “Mostly.”
“Go on, Bry,” says Knox. His face is so open and trusting, I can’t help but continue.
I straighten my spine and prepare myself for the best speech ever. “Right here. This little patch of desert now holds everyone I truly love in the world.” My voice breaks with both sadness and joy. “No matter what happens next, I want you all to know something … I’d never trade a second of my time with any of you.” I focus on Elle and Alec. “You’re my family.” My gaze locks with Knox’s ice-blue eyes. “You’re my heart.” I look to the Colonel. The old fae now lies on his side, eyes closed. “And you’re my Poppa.” I blink back tears. “I just wanted you all to know that.”
There are no words, but I feel a sense of peace wash over and around us. No one gives any instructions, but at this point, we all know what position we should take. Little by little, we all raise our arms into a V shape. Soon my wardens all stand in their rightful poses, a trio of sentinels whose bodies are colored in silver, red, and gold.
We’re ready.
Alec’s advice replays in my mind. Magic is about intent. To reverse Quetzali’s spell, I must want that to happen. So I picture all the magic Quetzali stole from me—that great mainline of power channeling past three hovering discs. That energy wasn’t hers. It isn’t even mine. It belongs to everyone.
With that thought in my heart, I speak the Void’s words. “Dark to light. Day to night. Magic to Void. I give up my bounty.”
Closing my eyes, I picture the final threads of magic residing within my soul. Red, silver, and gold cords dance inside the deepest parts of me. What happens next feels as natural as breathing. As I open my eyes, those threads wind out of my skin. The colored, glowing threads weave through the air until they reach my wardens.
Red for Alec.
Silver for Elle.
Golden for Knox.
Lines of power now connect me to my wardens. Like before, these many threads of magic hold us all in place. No one can move. Even so, the power stays stuck between me and my wardens. No energy connects my wardens and their obelisks.
Yet.
The desert turns oddly silent. Black storm clouds glower overhead. Stifling heat presses all around. We all stand in place, waiting.
After taking in a deep breath, I speak the words to restart the ceremony. “Dark to light. Day to night. Magic to Void. I give up my bounty.”
All of a sudden, the cords of red power shift from my soul. With a burst of red light, fresh lines of crimson magic pour out of my skin. The connection between me and Alec flares brighter than ever before. Alec’s entire body seems to shine as more red magic pours into him. Moments tick by.
Magic is moving into Alec, but that’s not enough.
This ceremony won’t end unless the energy goes into the obelisk as well. That’s the only way the power will be stored for future ceremonies and generations.
With another flash of light, crimson power zooms off Alec’s fingertips and into the obelisk behind him. I exhale. Once more, the obelisk flares with light as bolts of crimson magic wind around the tall structure.
Below me, smoke winds up from the swirling clouds around my feet. It’s the Void. Three glyphs appear in quick succession.
“Ten, nine, eight …”
My eyes widen with shock. The first time this ceremony happened, it seemed to take forever for the countdown to reach nine. This time, things are moving at lightning speed. A small voice in the back of my head warns that it’s hard to understand your instincts when events go so quickly, let alone trust them. That said, there’s nothing I can do about it now.
Another glyph appears from the Void.
“Seven.”
The power between me and Alec slows to a trickle. My heart beats at double speed. No question what this means. All my witch-warlock power is almost drained.
That’s good because it’s why I’m here.
It’s also not so good because getting fully drained killed Calibur.
I really want to live.
My inner wolf whimpers in fear. “What will happen to me?” she asks. “First witch-warlock power, then fairy. Once you lose all your shifter power, do I die as well?”
“Not if I can help it,” I reply in my mind.
Alec wobbles from foot to foot. When he speaks, his words are slurred. “I can move now,” he says slowly.
“Can’t move.” Knox strains against the magic holding him in place. “I’m still stuck like I was last time.”
Between me and Alec, the stream of magic thins to a whisper. Then it dies out entirely. A moment later, the line between Alec and his obelisk vanishes as well. I search my soul, looking for the familiar lines of red magic within me. They’re all gone. My warlock and witch powers have vanished. What happens when my shifter magic is gone? Is that the end?
“I can—” Alec’s eyes roll back into his head “—move.” He crumples to his knees and then falls over.
“Alec!” cries Elle. “Talk to me!”
No response.
“It’s all right,” says Knox. “He’s breathing. Just knocked out.”
With a burst of light, silver threads now twist off my skin, arc across the desert, and land straight onto Elle’s hand. There’s no waiting this time. Right away, the magic zooms off Elle’s fingertips and into the monument behind her. Within seconds, Elle’s obelisk is surrounded by shifting cords of silver light.
Shifters And Glyphs Page 30