by Linsey Hall
We had to get away from them, but how?
Up ahead! Muffins meowed.
I squinted through the howling snow, my eyes almost numb from the cold. I’d always thought eyes couldn’t go numb, but in Hell, apparently anything was possible. It looked like there was a river up ahead, a brilliant blue rush of liquid that couldn't be water. It reeked of death and moved so quickly that it would wash us away if we stepped into it.
"Can you jump it?" I gripped Lachlan's mane tighter.
He roared, and I took it to be a confirmation.
“Cats, get on!” They could run as fast as Lachlan, but could they jump that far?
Princess Snowflake III and Bojangles leapt onto Lachlan's back, and I grabbed them both, holding them tight to my chest. Lachlan picked up the pace as he neared the river, seeming to give it every ounce of energy he had. He’d never gone so fast. We were almost there when he jumped, his powerful legs carrying us into the air.
I crouched low over his back, clutching the cats tightly.
You're going to make it! Muffin flew alongside us.
I prayed he was right. The water below was rushing by at a hundred miles an hour at least. We’d never survive if we fell in.
Lachlan landed on the other side of the river and kept running. I turned around, watching as the ice monsters raced into the water. It swept them away, carrying them off into the darkness.
"They're gone." My Druid sense still tugged at my chest. We were close. "Slow down. Stop.”
Lachlan slowed to a halt, and I climbed off, the cats jumping out of my arms. Princess Snowflake III shook herself as if I’d been dirty, and I grinned.
Magic surged on the air as Lachlan shifted back into his human form. He raked a hand through his dark hair. "That was close."
I gave a breathless laugh, nerves and shock making me giddy. "No kidding. We're almost there. Let's go."
I led us through the howling wind and snow. In the distance, a massive mountain rose out of the ground. It was oddly shaped, lumpy and bigger on one side than the other.
Muffin slowed and looked at me. That's the Devil.
Confusion raced through me, and I squinted at the mountain. It was closer than I realized, more of a giant hill than a mountain.
It really was the Devil. He was frozen, half in the ice and half out of it. His upper body crouched over itself, his black wings folded over his back.
A sense of evil flowed out from him, so great that it made my insides feel like they were coated in black oil. If I stayed near him long enough, it would taint me, too. I would become as evil as he was.
I'd never felt magic as black as that. There was nothing in Darklane or The Vaults that could compare to this. Even the Fates weren’t that evil.
Lachlan reached for my hand and squeezed. I drew from his strength, grateful for the warmth.
“Let's be quick." His voice was so low that I could barely hear it.
I nodded, and we started forward. Even Bojangles crept along, the cat who never censored himself or went quiet was now as silent as the grave.
My Druid sense tugged us toward the Devil’s front side. Up close, it was clear that he was sleeping. My heart thundered in my ears, so loud that I was surprised he didn’t wake. He was at least one hundred feet tall, and that was only his upper half. The rest of him was buried deep below the ice.
Why?
I didn’t have time to dwell. My Druid sense led me to the space right in front of the Devil. His head was bowed over us, a face of pure cruelty and evil, even in repose.
I pointed toward a spot in the ice, not daring to speak. We approached it, and every step made my Druid sense tug harder. It rarely worked, and I was grateful that it was leading us toward our target now. It had to be here. It had to.
I hated the idea of the castle under attack, and we needed to get there before the wall fell. I didn't know how much Seawort my sisters had been able to find, or how much potion they had been able to make, but I'd bet that there were unprotected members of the Protectorate who would become the Fates’ slaves as soon as the castle wall fell.
I knelt on the ice, peering into it. There was a faint blue light encapsulated entirely in the solid frozen water. It was a few feet down, from the looks of it, totally trapped.
It’s here.
We’d beaten them.
We had to melt the ice.
As if he knew what needed to be done, Lachlan stood guard over me, his gaze riveted to the Devil, watching for any movement. I turned my attention to the ice, and hovered my hand directly over it. I called upon my magic, letting it rise inside of me. I directed the flame toward the ice. It glowed bright, beginning to melt the frozen water.
Princess Snowflake III approached and sat next to me. She blew her own fire on the ice, helping me melt the protective casing that surrounded the Doomsday Stone.
Together, we melted the stone’s cage. Meltwater formed a pool. By the time we melted the ice all the way to the stone, weakness dragged at me. I stopped as soon as I could, and stared into the water. The Doomsday Stone was about two and a half feet inside. I reached my hand into the cold water, wincing as it closed around my limb. Icicles of pain stabbed me, but I resisted, thrusting my arm deeper.
My palm closed around the stone, and magic shot up my arm. I yanked it out of the water and stared at it.
Dread opened a hole in my chest.
The stone was broken in half.
Maybe it had always looked like this, but I seriously doubted it. The stone had obviously been split in two and was missing the other side. I looked up and met Lachlan's gaze. Concern creased his brow, and he clearly thought the same thing.
Someone had gotten here before us. I didn't know when, but they'd taken half the stone.
The Fates.
"Well, well. I am surprised that you made it this far."
I leapt to my feet, shock racing through me. I spun, looking for the owner of the voice.
A man strolled toward us, someone that I had never seen before. He had a long narrow face with a hooked nose and small mouth. His red robes looked ancient. A circle of leaves sat upon his head, each dripping with icicles.
"Dante Alighieri?" Lachlan asked.
The man nodded. "Yes, how did you know?"
"I read your book, and I’ve seen paintings of you. You have a distinct face."
Dante’s grin spread wide. "Yes, I am immortal."
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"This is my realm." He swept his arms wide, indicating the frozen wasteland that surrounded us. "Are you not impressed?"
Yeah, Arach had been right. Dante really wasn’t right in the head. But I couldn’t worry about that now.
I held up the stone. "Why is there only half of the stone? Did the Fates get here before us?”
“Long ago, when I was still alive and able to walk the earth, I took it to the Protectorate castle.” He grinned, clearly delighted to tell us a story. “A seer had told me that it would be hunted. It was encapsulated in the ice, and I could only break off half of it.” Envy glinted in his eyes. "If I had your gift of fire, perhaps I could've melted the ice and taken the entire stone. You must be very strong if you can melt this ice. It is stronger than any rock on earth."
I looked at Princess Snowflake III, and she grinned, her fangs glinting.
“But it was fine. I only needed half the stone,” he continued.
"You were trying to protect the stone?" Suspicion sounded in Lachlan's voice.
“But of course." Dante gave a strange smile, and a shiver raced down my spine.
"But that doesn't protect it." I frowned at him. "The Elders of the Indomidae said that the stone is so powerful that you can use it even if you only have a piece."
Dante grinned even wider. “Precisely.”
Horror filled me. "You weren't helping the Protectorate. You were helping the Fates. You were splitting the stone so that it would be harder for us to destroy it. But they could still use one piece of it.”
&nb
sp; Arach had said there were rumors he wasn’t right in the head. This proved it.
"Yes. I didn't know where else to hide it, so I took it to the castle, the safest place in the world. I knew the Fates would need it one day because they came to me and told me in a dream. This plan has been in place for hundreds of years. And now it is finally coming to fruition.” He laughed. “The stone can’t be destroyed unless two parts are together. You’re too late!”
That's why they were attacking the castle now. Not just to break the walls, but also to get the stone. They never even needed to come to hell. That’s why we hadn’t seen them on our journey here.
They had what they needed inside the castle walls. The stone would make their curse permanent. They’d enslave our friends. Forever.
“But why would you help the Fates?” I just couldn’t wrap my mind around it.
Dante swept his hands out to indicate hell. “Because they allowed me to spend eternity here, of course, and made me a King of Hell. They modified my fate, and in return, I helped them.”
He really was obsessed with hell.
“And you must admit, the Doomsday Spell is quite tantalizing.” His eyes gleamed with the light of insanity.
Oh man, I really hadn’t seen this coming.
"Where is the stone in the castle?” Lachlan asked.
My heart thundered in my ears. I could call my sisters and tell them where it was.
Dante shook his head. “Alas, our time together is over. Just as this life is over for you."
He looked at the Devil, and I knew what he would do. Fear iced in my chest.
“Wake!” he shouted, so loudly that my eardrums felt like they were bleeding. “Rise, oh cursed one!”
I looked at Lachlan as my heart began to pound. "Run."
Follow me! Muffin flew away.
Princess Snowflake III and Bojangles sprinted after him, so fast that they were blurs in the snow. Dante’s shouts echoed around us.
I shoved the stone into my pocket. Lachlan and I raced away from the Devil as the earth began to creak and groan. The Devil was breaking free, and he was mad.
14
The ice exploded behind us as the Devil’s bellow rent the silence of the snowy night. I glanced behind us and spotted the Devil climbing out of the ice, rising to his full height. He towered two hundred feet tall, his massive black wings spreading out behind him. He swept them backward, and the wind that he created blasted the snow away from him.
Dante cackled like a maniac. But then, clearly, he was. Anyone who willingly lived in hell was a crazy person.
The Devil’s red gaze met my own, and he opened his mouth on a wide, eerie grin, his fangs glinting. I turned away and ran faster. The Devil’s pounding footsteps sounded behind us, shaking the earth so much that my legs trembled and I nearly lost my footing.
"Where's the exit?" Lachlan shouted.
Up ahead! Muffin flew faster. Not far now.
I translated for Lachlan, gasping for breath as I ran. I'd run from some scary things in my life, but nothing as scary as the Devil himself. The cats sprinted like the hounds of hell were on their tails, and they weren’t far off.
"We’re not fast enough." Lachlan's magic surged on the air as he shifted into his black lion form, never breaking stride.
I leapt upon his back and clung to his mane. I used the opportunity to turn around and look at the Devil.
He was gaining on us, his strides so enormous that he would be on us in two steps. In the distance, Dante Alighieri stood, laughing as his red robes blew around his legs.
I threw a blast of flame at the Devil, but he just absorbed it and laughed.
Okay, new plan.
I tried wind next, but it had no effect on a figure as big as the Devil. I might have blown a golden rock out of the sky, but he was too big.
He reached us, raising his foot to stomp us into the ground.
"Left!” I screamed.
Lachlan darted left, so strong and quick that he managed to avoid the Devil’s attack.
The enormous foot slammed into the ice, cracking it deeply. Lachlan leapt over one of the cracks, darting around another. The Cats of Catastrophe led the way through the snow, their steps swift and sure. We followed them, desperately dodging the Devil's footsteps as he chased us through the snowy wasteland of hell.
Almost there! Muffin darted left, and we followed.
I turned to look up at the Devil, his black magic nearly flattening me into the ground. He was so dark that he had to be the opposite of me. I called upon the light within me, shining it toward him. The golden glow blasted out from me and struck him in the chest. He lurched backward, but quickly regained his strength, surging forward and racing after us.
Get ready to jump!
I hit the Devil with my light again, buying us a few extra seconds.
We’re here! Muffin flew straight into a black hole in the ground, and the other cats wasted no time in following.
Lachlan leapt in after them. I clung to his mane as we fell, looking back in time to see the Devil's angry face as he watched us disappear.
The ether sucked us in and spat us out at the top of Mount Vesuvius. The sun hovered near the horizon, lighting the volcano in a golden glow. My heart thundered as I slid off of Lachlan, my legs so weak that I nearly fell.
Holy tuna, that was close. Muffin turned to look at me, his green eyes sharp. Did you get the rock?
Princess Snowflake III gave me a look that said I had better have gotten the rock. Bojangles seemed to have already forgotten about our disastrous adventure and was chasing moths around the rocks.
"I've got it." I gripped it tight in my palm. "We need to get back to the castle."
Magic crackled around my comms charm. As if she'd heard my words, Bree’s voice echoed through. "They've broken through the wall! The demons are spilling into the courtyard.”
My terrified gaze met Lachlan's. "They’re in."
That meant that the castle’s magical defenses had fallen. My friends were now slaves to the Fates. Anyone who had a tattoo but had not taken the protective Seawort potion would be susceptible to the Fates’ control. How much Seawort had Bree and Rowan managed to find? I hoped it was enough. I needed time to destroy the entire Doomsday Stone before the Fates found it. Otherwise, their spell would become permanent.
"Can you make us a portal?" I asked Lachlan.
His magic was already flaring on the air, and the portal was forming. "Go."
I followed his command, stepping through the portal alongside the Cats of Catastrophe. Once again, the ether sucked me in. This time, it spat me out into chaos.
I stood on the castle lawn as a battle raged about one hundred yards away. There was a massive break in the exterior wall, close to the sea. The Fates’ demon forces had broken through and were spilling onto the castle grounds. Dozens of them were already on the courtyard, fighting my friends and allies. I watched with horror as Ali and Haris fought against other members of the Protectorate.
They must not have gotten any of the Seawort potion. They were now slaves to the Fates.
Horror spread through me like tar. Lachlan appeared next to me.
I looked at him, barely able to speak.
“We're too late." My voice was nothing more than a croak.
"Ana!" Bree's voice sounded from the sky, and I looked up.
She flew down to meet us and landed gracefully on the ground, her silver wings flaring behind her. "They broke through three minutes ago. There was a spot in the castle wall that was still weak from the damage done months ago when the fae portal nearly destroyed the castle. We didn’t realize it was there, but they found it. They've almost overrun our forces.”
“How many are on their side? How many of our friends have they turned?”
“We only had enough Seawort potion for half. The rest became the Fates’ slaves as soon as the wall fell and the castle’s protections disappeared.”
Oh no. Half of our forces were against us. Half of them tu
rned. If the Fates got to the Doomsday Stone before me, they could enslave those of us who had taken the Seawort potion as well. The protection of the potion was temporary, but we needed every minute we could get to break the curse.
Or we’d all be their slaves, unable to fight back.
I’d be their slave.
Forever.
I spun in a circle, taking in the fight around me. It was a catastrophe. Demons everywhere. Protectorate members were fighting Protectorate members. Those who had already been enslaved were able to use their magic against their friends who were still protected by the Seawort potion. I spotted several people, dead on the ground.
My friends. My colleagues.
My heart thundered, fear and panic creating a noxious stew in my stomach.
This couldn’t be.
It was too terrible to be real.
I had to fix it.
I could fix it.
I was the Morrigan. I could change fate.
I didn’t know where the two Fates were, but I had to turn back time to get us on an even footing. To save the lives that had already been lost. Only then could I begin my hunt for the other half of the Doomsday Stone. But I needed time to find it, and the only way to get that time was to turn back the clock and evict the demons from the castle.
But how? My gaze was drawn to the break in the castle wall. That was where the damage had been done. I couldn’t change much without risk, but I could change that moment.
I hadn’t practiced this and I didn’t know exactly how I would do it, but I felt it deep in my soul. It was possible.
I needed to get to the wall, but there were dozens of demon forces between me and my goal. Running was too dangerous, but the buggy could get us there.
I looked at Bree. “I need to get to the break in the castle wall. Where's the buggy?"
"Hang on a second." Bree passed her fingers to her comms charm and shot into the air, racing away toward the castle.
Lachlan looked at me. "What are you thinking?"
"I have to become the Morrigan." I still had to figure out how I would do that exactly, but first, I needed to get to the break in the castle wall.
A moment later, the buggy came careening through the crowd of demons, racing toward us. Bree flew above, directing Rowan as she drove the buggy. Caro stood on the front platform, firing arrows at oncoming demons. Fortunately, she was still protected by the Seawort potion.