by Sara Snow
Elinor climbed onto my back quickly, and we took to the sky with Theanos leading the way. The wound in my side had already healed itself, and I was ready to face any other supernatural waiting for us. Because I knew getting Skye back wouldn’t be easy. I doubted the elf was the only surprise Skye’s captors had in store for us.
“Keep an eye out,” I yelled to Theanos up ahead. “That elf might not be the only threat.”
Depending on what kind of reanimated supernatural we ran into, we'd likely be slowed down yet again. A lightning bolt struck inches away from Theanos, throwing him to the side. Elinor’s arm tightened around my neck as I dove towards the forest below us, and Theanos followed suit.
If we ran through the forest on foot, it would slow us down considerably, but flying above the forest left us with no cover. I sensed the same power as I had felt from the reanimated elf vibrating through the air as we landed.
“I feel it now,” Theanos said under his breath as I lowered Elinor to the ground. I scanned the surrounding forest.
Three figures stepped out of the shadows and my jaws clenched. I watched, wary and ready, as a witch moved toward us, small bolts of lightning dancing on her fingertips.
On one side of her was a werewolf, and on the other, a male elf. All of them sported the same symbol I’d seen on the last elf on various parts of their naked bodies.
This was going to be a problem. One supercharged supernatural had been enough, and now we faced three. I glanced to my right and saw Theanos shift into his demon form, his tail flicking wildly behind him. Elinor was now in her second wolf form on my left, her pure white fur standing out against the dark forest in the background.
The werewolf in front of us howled to the sky, his fists clenched at his sides. Elinor growled and bared her fangs.
“Fight to kill,” I said gruffly as the bones and tendons in my body broke and stretched, forcing my body to grow larger. “We don’t have time to waste.”
Beside me, Elinor hunched forward, her large paw-like hands opening and closing as her razor-sharp claws elongated. I sensed the staggering power radiating from her body, and I smiled inwardly, thankful she was on my side.
“Elinor, I’m talking to you. Don’t hold back.”
A soft growl rumbled in her chest in acknowledgment as she glanced at me and then back at her opponent.
I’d often noticed that there were two sides to Elinor—the pack leader’s daughter, and the Alpha she was born to become. As the pack leader’s daughter, she held herself back—almost involuntarily—after a lifetime of being told that a female couldn’t lead, couldn’t have power.
But Elinor had always been more than just a female firstborn. The Werewolf Guard examination offered her the chance to finally break free from those chains. But after the death of her friend during the trials, she acted more distrustful of her own power than ever.
And not being able to save Skye had only increased that doubt. She had so much going on in her life . . . like her father arranging to marry her off to a wolf who wasn’t her mate just as she finally realized she had feelings for a vampire. She was stressed beyond belief . . . and I hated it.
I’d glimpsed the confident and stubborn wolf I’d always known back at Saleem’s bar when she had jumped from the roof of the building to save a woman from two vampires. And I’d seen her again just a few minutes ago, when she had devised the plan with Theanos to kill the elf.
If she was serious about becoming a bounty hunter, she'd have to stop doubting herself. She had incredible power. She just needed to trust herself enough to use it.
Theanos made the first move, charging at the elf before he had time to build a root barrier like the previous one had. I let the discomfort of shifting roll over me and focused on the witch before me. My power was pulsating within my veins, desperate for release, and everyone who stood in the way of me finding Skye and Ms. Clementine would feel my wrath.
Elinor
Lightning bolts directed at Cyrus along with the balls of fire he was using to retaliate lit up the forest around us. But I couldn’t focus on them—I had a supercharged werewolf to deal with.
He was massive, standing at least a foot taller than me, but I growled low, reminding myself who I was. I chanted it in my head like a spell . . . I am Elinor Blackwood, firstborn to Alpha Grayson Blackwood, and I have power. This wolf is no match for me.
He came charging towards me first, his enormous feet stomping on the ground. Widening my stance, I readied myself and opened my arms wide. My legs were rooted to the ground, so when the werewolf smacked into me, he barely pushed me back at all. I felt his claws sink into my back, but I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed. He might be bigger than I was, but that didn’t mean he was stronger.
The sound of snapping bones echoed through the night along with the wolf's whimpers, but I was forced to release him when his fangs missed my throat by an inch. The second I released him, he charged at me again, and this time when we collided, he seemed stronger. And either his broken bones had already healed, or he felt no pain from them anymore.
What the hell is he?
We fell to the ground in a tangled mess of fangs, claws, and snapping jaws. The more we fought, the stronger he became, almost as if he was feeding off my strength. We rolled over, and I got the upper hand, quickly grabbing his open mouth with both hands. I needed to end this fight—pronto.
I winced as his arms clawed at me. Still, I forced my weight down onto him, trapping him beneath me, then pulled his mouth open until his jawbone snapped and his skull shattered.
He fell lifeless, and I hurriedly got off him as his body swiftly deteriorated, starting from the symbol on his left shoulder.
My wolf raged inside me. But I wasn't angry at the werewolf. None of this was his fault. Someone killed him, then reanimated him. No, I was incensed at whoever had done this to him. I stepped back as he was reduced to bones, my blood boiling.
“Elinor!”
I spun towards Cyrus just in time to see a bolt of lightning coming towards me. I stepped to the side, narrowly missing being hit in the chest, but the bolt struck my arm. Pain rolled up to my shoulder as I flew backward, colliding with a tree.
A roar filled the air, and a burst of black energy engulfed us all. I blinked rapidly to clear my vision, but I knew who that energy belonged to. Though I was still dazed by the attack, I realized Cyrus was losing control. My close call with the lightning bolt probably pushed him over the edge.
An intense gust of wind from out of nowhere caused the trees to blow wildly. I held my burned hand to my chest, waiting for my quick werewolf healing to kick in. But the damage was too severe, and the pain was paralyzing. I involuntarily shifted back into my human form, just thankful my spelled clothing didn’t cover my wounded arm.
I knew keeping this Werewolf Guards uniform was a good idea.
When my vision finally cleared, I realized Cyrus had taken to the sky, and the strong wind I felt was being created by his flapping wings. But when the wind turned into scorching heat, my heart stopped beating for a second as I watched his entire body morph into blue flames.
At first, I thought maybe the witch had cast a spell, but Cyrus stretched out his arms and sent a shaft of blue flames hurtling towards the witch. Her scream filled the forest as the fire consumed her. In mere moments, it reduced her to ashes.
I couldn’t look away as Cyrus hovered above the ground, his wings and entire body in flames. He dipped, falling to the ground, but caught himself. As he landed, he covered his face with his hands. Theanos appeared behind the elf, who’d been briefly transfixed by Cyrus’s blue flames, and wrapped his large tail around him so he couldn’t move. Then he reached around the elf to take hold of his throat, his clawed fingers digging into the elf’s flesh.
The elf bared his teeth, and the roots surrounding them both flew about wildly.
“Stop!” Theanos told him.
Elves were usually calm beings, so seeing one so agitated and violent was really
strange. This one was acting just like the female elf we had fought in the basement. Thankfully, this elf seemed to listen to Theanos, and the roots that had been wildly flying around them stopped.
“Cyrus!” Theanos called. “Cyrus!”
"Cyrus!" I said, and his hand finally fell from his face. He looked my way, and amid the blue flames, red eyes peered down at me. "It's over. Remember her, Cyrus. Focus on Skye."
The flames around him slowly shrank in size. I got up, wincing at the pain in my arm, and forced myself to walk over to him. His shoulders were rising and falling rapidly.
Did he just discover a new power?
He straightened the moment I got to his side. He looked my way, his eyes still red, but he nodded at me reassuringly, letting me know he was fine, that he’d found his control again.
“Who are you?” We both turned to see Theanos tightening his tail around the elf. “Who did this to you? Can you speak?”
The elf's eyes were unnaturally pale like the other reanimated supernaturals we had encountered, and I sighed. We wouldn’t get any answers from him. I doubted the elf even understood what Theanos was saying. The mark on his left pec burned brighter, and suddenly, a root exploded out from the ground and pierced the elf’s chest.
Luckily, Theanos had released the elf the moment the root appeared. When the elf's body fell to the ground and deteriorated, we looked at each other in confusion. I exhaled heavily as the tingling sensation in my arm continued. ‘
“I didn’t imagine that just now, right? He killed himself?” I asked. “I've had enough of this. We need to find Skye and get the hell out of here.” Cyrus turned away, and I narrowed my eyes at him as he reached up and pressed a finger to his temple. “What just happened to you?”
"I lost control, that's all," he mumbled in response. Theanos and I shared a look of concern. “I’m fine. Really.”
“Uhh . . . you don’t look fine, Cyrus. Was that the first time that’s happened to you? You had blue flames.”
“No, it wasn’t the first time. My father has blue flames,” he growled. “That was just the first time in ages that I’ve had to use them. I forcefully broke the block I’d placed on my powers, so I have a raging headache. But it’ll be okay.”
“Is there anything else I don’t know about my best friend? Are you going to . . . I don't know, grow a second head? Why haven't I heard about these blue flames before?”
He turned to face me, scowling. “Because they're destructive. It’s a power I haven't been able to get complete control of.”
Theanos cleared his throat. “We need to go.”
I frowned at the look of panic on his face. "What's wrong?"
His wings unfolded from his back. "We need to go now. I can still feel Skye, but my hold on her is fading."
Cyrus’s wings unfolded as well, his red eyes burning brighter. “What does that mean?”
Theanos’s next words made me forget all about the pain in my arm. “It means she’s dying.”
3
Elinor
Theanos suggested we run instead of fly. If any other supernaturals hidden within the forest spotted us in the air, it could delay us again, and we might not find Skye in time.
The longer we traveled without finding her, the more panicked I felt. Dawn was drawing closer, and if her energy was fading—if she was dying—every second counted. I quickly sent a prayer to the Goddess to keep her alive until we found her.
Suddenly, Theanos halted and began walking in a circle. He hissed, then a frantic expression appeared on his face. I clenched my jaw, hoping against hope that he’d found something, until he started running again.
Cyrus and I followed after him, and a few minutes later, Theanos pointed at something—at someone—lying on the forest floor in the distance.
“Skye?” Cyrus yelled, flying over to her while Theanos and I followed on foot.
I fell to my knees beside her, and her eyes cracked open just a little.
“Stop!” Her frail voice met my ears. “It’s a trap.”
“We’re surrounded,” Theanos hissed.
“By how many?” I asked.
"I count seven," he answered.
I looked back down at Skye. Even though we were facing another fight, I smiled, thanking the Goddess for keeping my friend safe. But I was heartbroken at finding her in this state. She was covered in dirt and blood, and a section of her scalp, which was undoubtedly what we’d found earlier, hadn’t healed yet. One of her eyes looked slightly swollen, and she looked worn out, which would make the healing process even slower.
I wiped away a streak of dirt from her cheek. "Where is your mother?"
Her face twisted as if she was in pain, and Cyrus scanned her body frantically. “Skye? What’s wrong?”
“T-they—” She stuttered as the sound of rattling in the bushes grew closer. “They made . . . me . . . watch them . . .” Tears ran down her cheeks. “. . . kill her.”
No! Goddess no!
I hung my head and growled low, the pain of losing yet another member of my pack rapidly eating away at my insides. I shook my head, unable to believe Ms. Clementine was dead. Skye's soft whimper broke my heart, and on the other side of her, Cyrus clenched and unclenched his fists, his blood dripping to the forest floor as his nails pierced his palms.
The darkness of the night faded away as morning took its place, but this day was starting off as horrible as the last.
“What did they do with her body?” Cyrus asked. Skye didn't respond, and I could sense her heartbeat slowing. Cyrus moved forward to gently pick her up. Skye’s thin arm dangled lifelessly. “Theanos, take her and go. You fly faster than I do.”
Theanos turned around to look at Cyrus with puzzlement. "Okay, but you're coming, right? We can fly out of here together."
“No,” Cyrus answered, the word leaving his lips as a growl. I saw the thirst for blood in his eyes, and I shared it. “They’ll only follow us. I’ll stay behind and delay them while you get the girls out of here.”
“The girls? Is there another girl here besides Skye and me? Because I’m not leaving.”
“This isn’t up for debate, Elinor.”
"No, it's not. Because I'm not leaving! We all lost her, damn it!" My voice cracked as my eyes turned black. “Ms. Clementine was . . . a mother to us all. Not to mention, what kind of friend would I be if I left you here to face the rest of these reanimated supernaturals alone? Give it up, Cyrus. I’m not going anywhere!”
In his arms, Skye whimpered yet again and more tears leaked from her eyes. Despite being too weak to talk anymore, her tears spoke volumes. Seeing her pain ripped my heart apart all over again.
I’m so sorry.
My mother's face flashed in my mind, and I clenched my fists. I couldn’t imagine the pain I’d feel if I lost her. Regretfully, Skye now knew that pain all too well.
Ms. Clementine didn't deserve what they did to her, and neither any of the supernaturals currently headed our way. But all we could do for them was release them from this never-ending torture.
Theanos took Skye from Cyrus. “I’ll take her to the bar and come back.”
Cyrus nodded as a mighty howl echoed through the forest. A werewolf burst from the bushes . . . and was immediately engulfed in flames, the first to taste Cyrus's wrath before he took to the sky. I released the pain burning in my veins and howled to the sky, loud and mournfully. My bones snapped and readjusted, but I ignored them as I shifted into my first form.
I shook my body just as an elf appeared from the darkness. But I was ready for him.
Cyrus and I fought viciously against the supernaturals that kept pouring out of the forest. The reality of our situation hit me when I was quickly forced to shift into my final form, only to then become caught up in vines covered in spikes. Although my final form allowed me more freedom and a better ability to fight in hand-to-hand combat, it couldn’t help me now. It felt like needles were piercing my entire body.
Cyrus created a circle of fire ar
ound us, quickly freeing me, and I shifted into my human form. “We can’t fight them alone! We're fighting too many different powers at once!”
The flames around us suddenly parted, and a witch with red hair stepped into our circle. The flames Cyrus had created to protect us flickered, then seemed to fall under her control. Waving her arm, she sent them rushing towards us. Cyrus stepped in front of me, his arms outstretched. The veins in his arms bulged as he fought to regain control of the flames before they consumed us both. Opening his arms wide, he separated the flames, engulfing an elf on his left and another witch on his right.
But we were far from winning this fight.
When more supernaturals appeared, I yelled, “Use your blue flames!”
"I can't. If I lose control, this entire forest will burn down!"
Thunder rumbled above us, and despite the bright orange sky, a sudden downpour of rain soaked us through. But it didn’t stop our battle. Cyrus and I continued to fight, though it soon became obvious that we were outmatched.
"Run!" Cyrus yelled, but as I turned to do just that, lightning struck the ground in front of me, missing me by an inch.
“I think you should stay,” a voice said. And suddenly, all the supernaturals went still.
Cyrus and I paused, but that brief distraction allowed roots to spring up from the ground and quickly trap us both. I winced as multiple thorns embedded themselves in my flesh. If I moved so much as a finger, the thorns went deeper.
"I would advise against burning those vines and freeing yourself, Cyrus." A cloaked figure appeared before us. "Look around you. You're outnumbered, ten to two."
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"Oh, we got a lot of information from . . . what was her name again? Clementine, right? I think her name was Clementine. Yes, yes, it was."
How dare you say her name!
I growled, my wolf needing to see this creature—whatever it was—beheaded. “Who are you? Where is she?” I yelled.