What the Fox

by Emma Dean

  He’d retained his strength and speed which must be imbued in his form. He threw her friends and family and mates around like they were toys he no longer cared about.

  Then Edith and Selene started chanting together as Kenzie tried to get up, their hands moving in quick, elegant motions. Magic built around Kuna but he just waved his hand through it like it was nothing – the spell instantly dissolving.

  Getting up was a struggle – her ears ringing. Sweat was dripping everywhere. The power her body held was everything and nothing. It was all she could focus on as she tried to stretch to accommodate it.

  But it wasn’t witch magic. And it wasn’t anything like demon magic either. It was raw and chaotic and pure.

  Her sister’s scream cut through some of the haze. Kenzie looked up to see Kuna pressing her sister and Finnick into the wall, hands around their throats like he’d done to her.

  It was instinct to reach out – to send that blast of magic right at him.

  Kuna arched his back in pain and dropped Finnick and Selene. He turned around with a snarl, gaze fixated on her. “You dare strike me with my own power?”

  Edith was panting on the stairs, holding her side with Jace in front of her – shielding her with his own body. Kenzie had no idea what had happened to her or if she would be okay. This thing was hurting everyone she loved.

  Then her sister started murmuring, fingers moving. But she wasn’t building a spell. She was staring straight at Kenzie – imploring her to understand with nothing but her eyes.

  Kenzie didn’t know much magic, but her sister did. And Kenzie was currently the only one with enough power to maybe do something against this dragon.

  Copying every movement her sister made, Kenzie whispered every word as the creature approached.

  Everyone was hurting thanks to him.

  Ash was unconscious and Hunter was bleeding, trying to get up.

  Ben was shielding Aiden with his own body.

  Even with greater numbers they weren’t able to overpower Kuna.

  Kenzie’s fingers twisted in the same patterns her sister’s were. The words were nothing to repeat as Selene mouthed them. Power grew inside her, answered to the spell, and then moved to do as she bid.

  The dragon laughed. “And now you think you can perform magic, little void? With what you stole from me?”

  Kenzie didn’t stop moving her fingers in the precise pattern, painting runes in the air as she moved. The words helped give power to the spell and it wasn’t until she was nearly finished that Kenzie realized what her sister was feeding her.

  “No!” Edith shouted as she saw it too.

  “Shield them!” Selene yelled.

  Kenzie watched as Selene gave her a nod – as they performed the spell in perfect unison together. Selene would have a split second to shield when Kenzie fired.

  Time slowed.

  In the corner of her eyes she could see Ash waking up; shaking off whatever had knocked him unconscious. Hunter was on his feet, bleeding from a deep cut on his head – running slowly toward her. Finnick was snarling at Kuna, teeth out and ready to shred the dragon to pieces even if it cost him his life.

  Kenzie didn’t stop moving her fingers or whispering the words as Kuna leapt for her. He was suspended in air, moving slowly.

  The raccoons and her grandmother watched – knowing there was nothing they could do and still the raccoons didn’t abandon her or her chaos. Kenzie would never forget that.

  Only her sister moved at the same speed she did. Selene’s blue eyes glowed brightly in the dark basement as she sketched the patterns with Kenzie, her lips mouthing the same exact words.

  The spell known as the ‘God-killer.’

  Kenzie remembered her sister practicing it – but telling her that she’d never have the power to perform it. No, but Kenzie did. Even if it was just for a few minutes.

  And somehow the power she’d stolen hadn’t burned her alive yet. Might as well put it to good use.

  Time sped up and the pentagram she’d created in front of her shrank to a glowing ball that shot out so fast it looked like a strike of lightning.

  Kuna’s eyes widened as it streaked right toward him. When it hit his chest and his immortal body…Kenzie could see it crack like porcelain before the light exploded and ripped through the room.

  One whispered word, a twist of her fingers, and Kenzie closed her eyes.

  The heat from the blast made the very earth shake and shudder.

  Then everything went black.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Kenzie

  When everything stopped shaking Kenzie opened her eyes. She couldn’t see anything with all the dust in the air. Fear hit her hard enough her knees nearly buckled. Had she killed them all?

  Then she felt the bonds between her and her mates.

  They were still alive.

  But what about her sister and grandmother – the raccoons?

  “You will pay for that Mackenzie,” Kuna growled. His hand came out of nowhere and wrapped around her throat again. He slammed her into the wall so hard the air was knocked from her lungs.

  But he wasn’t as strong as before. They were on even footing now. Kenzie slapped his arm aside and punched him in the face as hard as she could. Kuna flew back – finally her bear strength was working.

  The dust started to settle and Kenzie could see everyone was mostly alive, but her grandmother was either unconscious or dead. Selene ran to Edith, checking her breathing, fussing, trying to get her to wake up.

  Kenzie stalked to the dragon and lifted him up, snarling in his face. “If she is dead I’ll end you.”

  Kuna laughed. “And how will you explain all of this to the Council?”

  Her grip tightened and he choked, face turning an odd shade of purple.

  “I don’t plan to tell them,” she whispered.

  It took nothing to snap his neck. Kenzie watched the life leave his eyes and the light that seemed to constantly surround him slowly faded until his body was nothing more than a husk.

  She dropped him in disgust and just…stared.

  This thing had tried to kill everything she loved. All that was left of him was his power still inside her – and even that made her feel sick to her stomach.

  And it burned.

  She could feel it oozing into every vein, every bone, and every strand of hair. Kenzie felt the power inside of her like it was a living thing – trying to take over her body.

  “Is she alive?” Kenzie managed – still feeling disconnected from it all as the power consumed her.

  “Yeah, she was just knocked out from the God-killer buckling her shield,” Selene murmured, brushing Edith’s hair out of her face. “Her ribs seem to be bruised, but not broken. I don’t understand – that spell should have done more damage even with my shield up as well.”

  Kenzie turned and stared at her grandmother, noting how relieved Jace was that she was still alive. That raccoon had really taken to Edith in the most interestingly platonic way. “I added my own at the last minute.”

  It was probably the only reason she was still standing here.

  She’d survived only to burn up from the inside out. A bit ironic.

  “Kenzie?” Ash asked, helping Hunter walk toward her.

  She looked up at her mates and smiled. “You all need to leave as soon as possible.”

  The fear in their eyes was something she would never forget.

  “We’re not leaving you,” Hunter snapped.

  She shrugged one shoulder. “Then you will die.”

  Finnick was suddenly naked and standing in front of her. “Then I’ll die with you. I can’t go back to the way it was before.”

  Her heart broke as she studied him. Kenzie knew exactly what he meant. There was no life without them anymore. She offered her hand and he took it without hesitation – even though she could see clear as day her skin was glowing gold.

  Kissing him was bittersweet. It was everything she needed and wanted and more. But
knowing it would end soon made it feel unfair. She was furious with the universe for giving her this ability – furious she hadn’t had the time to properly learn it. And even if she had…

  Taking the power of a god was stupid whether she was brand new or trained. She knew that.

  But she’d do it again.

  If it meant having a chance at saving those she loved.

  “Kenzie, what are you talking about?” Selene asked.

  Ignoring her sister, Kenzie looked to the raccoons. “Please, get them out of here. And thank you, for coming for me.”

  Jace nodded. Ben just stared at her for a moment. The raccoon alpha picked up Edith like she weighed nothing and then carried her up the stairs. Aiden was hot on their heels. Ben reached out for Selene but her sister yanked away.

  “Kenz?”

  She hated how scared and tremulous her sister’s voice was. Kenzie wished she could go over there and give her sister a hug, but she didn’t trust herself. “I love you, baby sis.”

  “No! Don’t touch me Ben! Kenz, what are you talking about?” Never had she heard her sister’s voice waver quite like that before and it almost broke her.

  “I can’t hold it, and I can’t figure out how to release it,” Kenzie murmured, looking to Ash and Hunter. “It’s going to burn me up and once it does it’ll release – violently.”

  Nothing would survive that blast. It would be like a nuclear bomb.

  “I need you and Gram-Gram to get as far away from here as you can.”

  Her heart ached when she jerked her chin at Ben and he wrapped those cuffs around her sister – hauling her out of the basement. Without magic Selene was helpless. And Ben was a lot stronger than her. Ben stopped just once to glance back at Hunter.

  “I’m not leaving her,” Hunter said.

  And that was that.

  Ben nodded and disappeared up the stairs.

  Her foxes were going to stand here with her until the very end.

  “I just wanted to save you,” she said, breath shuddering as she tried to keep from crying. “I couldn’t let you kill yourself.”

  Hunter limped over and wrapped her up in his arms. “I would have without hesitation if it meant you got to live.”

  Kenzie couldn’t stop herself from crying anymore. “I know.” She kissed him, breathing in his now familiar scent. She wished she had more time with them, but…

  This was better than nothing.

  Reaching for Ash she kissed him next, memorizing his taste and smell, and his never-ending patience and gentleness. He held her with tears streaming down his own face.

  All three of them surrounded her.

  There were no more words that needed to be spoken. Kenzie knew everything she needed to know through the mate bonds. She just wished she could save them even if they didn’t want to be saved…

  The power burned and she gritted her teeth as she felt her control slipping, as it tried to take over her entire body. It wanted to remake her – turn her into a proper host. It would make her immortal or kill her. She could feel its intention like it had a mind of its own.

  Kenzie didn’t want to be immortal. But she also didn’t want to die.

  Pop.

  “And you call me the drama queen.”

  Kenzie gasped and looked up to see Eisheth standing there with his hands in his pockets. For the first time the demon frowned – nearly glaring at her.

  “What did I tell you, my little forest fire?”

  The demon looked pissed.

  “Voids die quicker than your other charges,” Kenzie muttered.

  “Yes, and for exactly this reason.” Eisheth actually harrumphed.

  Kenzie smiled at him and shrugged one shoulder, tightening her grip on her foxes. “I would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant saving them.”

  He sighed then and looked down at Kuna, and then Brad. “I know. You did well, but we’ve barely passed the basics in your training. This is why I used to bring voids to hell until they were ready.”

  Eisheth nudged Kuna’s body with the toe of his very expensive leather shoe and they just watched him – Kenzie gritted her teeth as the power made her glow brighter.

  “You killed a creature with god-like powers with his own magic. If you survive this, no one is going to fuck with you now.” Eisheth looked up with a grim smile on his face. “What seems to be the problem, forest fire?”

  For the first time since taking Kuna’s power Kenzie actually felt hope. She glanced at Ash and then turned back to her godfather. “I can’t let it go. It won’t budge. It’s…burrowed into every cell.”

  Finnick’s look of horror would haunt her dreams if she managed to get through this.

  “So it’s trying to remake you,” Eisheth muttered. “Interesting. Do you want to be immortal?”

  Kenzie tightened her grip on Hunter and Finnick. “No.”

  She didn’t want to outlive her mates or her sister. Kenzie didn’t want to stay the same as they moved on – never able to age with them. And who knew what else it would do to her? She looked at Finnick and held his gaze.

  Giving her feral bastard those little witch foxes was something she secretly wanted more than anything.

  Her demon godfather smiled slightly. “Smart choice, forest fire. I don’t recommend it.”

  Kenzie turned back to Eisheth and realized how many times he must have gone through this. How many charges he’d grown close to and then lost either to time or to deadly situations. How he could do this over and over…

  It made her respect him even more. An immortal who wasn’t afraid to get close to those he looked after. How many gods could say the same?

  “Is there a way out of this?” Kenzie asked, tasting the ocean on her tongue and the siren call of the magic filling every pore. The change would happen soon – she could feel it.

  Eisheth looked at her foxes and then nodded. He offered her his hand and Kenzie knew…

  She took it without hesitation.

  And then Eisheth popped her out of existence.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Kenzie

  “They’re never going to forgive you,” Eisheth murmured. “If you live though…then all will be forgotten.”

  Kenzie looked out at the hellscape and was shocked at how beautiful it was. It wasn’t a tropical paradise, but it was beautiful in the way that harsh desert landscapes could be. How volcanoes could be breathtaking, yet deadly.

  And it was hot, but not unbearable.

  “It’s easier to control the power here,” she noted.

  “Yes, magic doesn’t weigh as heavily in certain planes,” Eisheth said. “And if this doesn’t go well, at least here you can’t kill anyone else.”

  She flexed her fingers and considered them. The power was a lot more contained – more amenable to her will.

  “It’s the wards that contain hell,” Eisheth explained. “There’s a lot of powerful stuff we need to keep in. Now that we have more time before you explode, let’s do this right.”

  Kenzie nodded. Now that she knew she couldn’t hurt anyone with her fuck ups…she felt at peace. No one would die because of her. It took a huge weight off her shoulders and she felt like she could actually concentrate.

  “Since you don’t want the power to make you immortal, you need to drain it out of your body slowly like you would poison,” Eisheth explained. “Although now that we’re alone, you’re sure you don’t want the chance of living forever?”

  Kenzie watched creatures scurry off in the distance and shuddered at the way they moved. “If my body doesn’t accept the power I will die.”

  “Yes.”

  “And I don’t want to live that long anyway.” Kenzie shrugged. “I wasn’t lying.”

  Eisheth grinned and adjusted his cuff. “That’s my forest fire. Now ignore the goblins and focus.”

  Kenzie nodded and turned to face Eisheth. “I’m ready.”

  She was ready to try this – to try for the small bit of hope she could feel growing, that she
would survive this and go back to her mates. But she was also ready to die. Kenzie had done what was necessary to protect those she loved.

  And she didn’t regret it.

  “Now, imagine the power as something liquid,” Eisheth instructed. “Focus on something you can see – like the ground. It’ll be a focal point for the universe that is a part of everything. Imagine every drop of power trickling through your fingertips – slowly – to the ground.”

  The power flared as she focused, somehow sensing what she was about to do. Kenzie gritted her teeth and steeled her will. She was stronger than some mindless force. It wasn’t going to take her if she had anything to say about it.

  Pointing her fingers at the ground Kenzie focused and pushed.

  It felt just like it did when she took magic from someone. It took the same mental exercise, but for some reason getting rid of it was harder. Giving it back to the original owner of the power was a lot easier, because that person’s body was made for it. It was a part of them, so they sucked it up as she released it to some degree.

  This though…this required tapping into something she’d never had access to. The universe wasn’t something she’d ever felt – not like her sister. Witches took power from the universe and used it. Demons and the like were power.

  Kuna had been pure power.

  So pushing it out was like squeezing toothpaste out of a very tiny tube. The universe had to adjust and take it.

  “There has to be an easier way,” she gritted out, feeling the power rebel – how it tried to dig in and burned even hotter.

  “If it was a witches’ power it would be as easy as breathing,” Eisheth said, watching her closely. “But this is a god’s power. The universe gave it away a long time ago. Taking it back won’t be easy. But you’re strong Kenzie, and I believe in you.”

  She was strong.

  As she focused and pushed that power out, Kenzie knew she could beat this. After all, she hadn’t survived everything she had up to this point just to fail now.

  Sweat dripped down her face and Kenzie’s bare feet were roasting on the hellscape floor, but the sand also felt strangely wonderful on her skin.