by Celia Kyle
I thrust my dagger, but Keller was too fast. He swung one hulking arm and knocked me back. I flew ten feet and landed on my back. I slid across the dirt and grass, losing my grip on the dagger while the air whooshed out of my lungs. Keller stalked forward, flexing his mighty claws. I called on my own wolf, urging it to come forward so I could shift and fight him, but I couldn’t focus.
Keller leapt, maw wide and claws extended, and the air between us shimmered. A tall, muscular figure stepped out of nowhere, swinging a glowing blade at the werewolf.
I knew that body. I knew that sword.
“Sam,” I gasped, and an immense wave of relief crashed over me.
Sam’s blade dug into Keller’s flesh and the werewolf fell back, bleeding from the deep wound. He growled and snarled at Sam as he backed away—threatening. As if a mere wolf could scare a gel.
Sam stood before me, his divine blade raised and ready to draw more blood. There was no fear, only righteous fury in every line of my mate’s body.
Keller glared at me and growled. Then he pushed words through his perverted mouth. “We aren’t finished, Caith. Soon, the magic in your blood will turn you into my slave.”
I’d cut my own throat first.
He dove for the fountain, sailing through the portal hidden beneath the waters. Sam rushed after him, but there was a flash of light and a plume of smoke as the portal closed and the heat from the spell dried up the fountain’s water. It left nothing behind but a scorched pentagram burnt into the white marble.
Sam returned to me and knelt by my side, his hands gently touching my wound. Pale, golden light streamed from his palms as he suffused me with his healing energy. Most of the pain faded, although the wound still ached and pulsed with blue energy. Even an angel’s power couldn’t cure me. At least it gave me enough strength to stand.
I leaned against Sam and clung to his arm. “I thought you were out of town on your mission.”
Sam smirked. “I couldn’t stay any longer. I convinced Rush to switch shifts with me.”
“Is that allowed?” I arched an eyebrow. I was glad Sam was with me, but I knew On High was big on da rulez.
“Don’t worry about it.”
I narrowed my eyes and frowned at my mate’s half-answer. He looked away, unable to meet my eyes. Sam couldn’t lie—literally, as a gel, he was incapable—but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t spout half-truths. I worried about what he wasn’t saying, but for now, I had to let it go.
Sam used his healing touch on Reggie and it rejuvenated the pup just enough so he could walk again. I lowered myself to the fountain’s edge and stared at the symbols now etched into the bottom. I had no idea where the portal led and had no way to follow. Not that I was in any condition to hunt my ex—physically or, fuck me sideways, mentally.
I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that Keller had gone off the deep end like this. We hadn’t parted on the best of terms but we’d at least been civil the last time I’d seen him.
And I thought I held a grudge. I had nothing on him. Though I guess I could see it as a spark of affection? I mean, he wanted to make me his “queen.”
Other than all the killing and enslavement parts, I wouldn’t mind a crown.
“Are you all right?” Sam squatted in front of me.
I nodded. “As good as I can be, I guess. I’ve been poisoned by dark magic, and now I’m lost, confused, and feeling betrayed by someone I thought I knew.”
Sam cupped my cheek, his warm palm a sharp contrast to the coldness that’d settled into my flesh. “Caith…”
I shook my head. “Don’t. I don’t want to talk about it.”
I placed my hand over his and held him in place. The touch of his skin was like a balm after such a long time apart. Especially with everything that had been happening lately.
I told Sam what he’d missed during my conversation with Keller and he listened, a frown gradually taking up residence on his face. “We should get you back to Sorsha’s.”
“No.” I pulled his hand away and pushed to my feet.
“Caith.”
“Can it, Sam.” I shook my head. “Shit just got real. Well, more real. Jezze has Keller’s journal. We thought it might lead to a cure, but now that I know he’s behind this, it’s an even more important piece of the puzzle. It might tell us how he’s controlling the ghouls. Or even the spell he’s using to drain people’s life forces. Either way, instead of a cure, it might be the key to stopping him.”
“Jezze can keep working to—“
“No.” I put a hand on his chest. “I’m sick. I know that. But lying around in bed isn’t going to help me get better. It just delays the inevitable. I need to work.”
He clenched his jaw. I knew he didn’t like what I was saying, but he also knew me well enough to recognize that arguing was pointless. “What if you collapse because you’re pushing too hard?”
I smirked. “Then it’s a good thing I have you to keep an eye on me, right?”
He sighed and let his head hang low.
I patted him on the chest. “Good. Let’s get to work.”
“Where do we start?” He grumbled, voice filled with resignation.
“We need information.” I turned and headed out of the park, Sam at my side and Reggie on our heels. “I think it’s time to check in with my cousin.”
Chapter Fifteen
I strode into the magic shop with Sam at my side, bypassing the tourist trap memorabilia that crowded the area. It was filled with cheesy souvenirs, books on card tricks, and kid’s magic sets. The crap sold well to humans and tweens who came to visit Orlando’s famous mouse. Especially since half the inventory was stamped with the mouse’s face and big round ears. Ellie called it “unofficial merchandise.”
I headed for the counter, my pixie cousin was standing on the other side of the Formica-covered surface. She rang up a transaction for a kid buying tacky magician’s props. She flashed me a practiced smile she probably gave to every customer, but her eyes widened with surprise when she recognized me.
She shoved the kid’s change and receipt at him. “Thank you. Come again!”
The kid took his stuff and his waiting parents led him out the door, leaving us alone in the shop.
The moment they were gone, Ellie turned to me. A shimmer surrounded her as her glamour faded to reveal her true appearance. She used magic to conceal her wings—unless she decided to do some Tinkerbell cosplay—but now they appeared on her back. Pink and translucent, the dragonfly-like wings came into focus as the shimmer retreated.
“Caith!” She stepped from behind the counter, arms wide so she could wrap me in a warm hug. “I’m so glad you’re here! We hardly see you anymore.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty busy.” I returned the hug without much enthusiasm. I’m not a big hugger. It’s an easy way to get stabbed in the back. I should know. I’ve assassinated more than one being with that trick. “I need to see your books on magic.”
“Oh.” She pulled away and pouted as only a pixie could. “Does this have something to do with the trouble in the city? That attack at the school play was so horrifying.” Ellie shuddered, sparkling glitter falling from her wings.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “It’s that. We have a lead, but need more information.”
“Sure thing.” She led us behind the counter and into the back room where they kept the real magic—ancient tomes on mystical arts, encyclopedias of demonology, and books on healing and alchemy. Everything a girl needed to save the world.
We searched through the shelves for anything that would help. Jezze had limited luck with Keller’s journal, but now I had another clue to aid the search—Keller’s mention of the sigil. I had no idea what that was or why he needed it, but it was a start.
A few hours later, we found multiple references to sigils of various sorts. Some were magical keys use to unlock great power. Others were protective wards. A few represented the true names of powerful demons of the underworld. I tucked those in my mental “to be s
ummoned as needed” drawer. I never knew when I’d need to have a badass demon on speed dial.
At first, it seemed impossible to narrow my search, but finally I found a tome that referenced a sigil and contained references to some of the mystical symbols in Keller’s journal. I’d found it. Boom.
I was ready to bust out some of my rusty dance moves to celebrate.
Except I read a little more and a cold sweat settled over me as understanding swept through my mind. The book spoke of ancient power only accessible from beyond the mortal realm.
Spirit magic.
In ages past, before recorded history, this magic was used by creatures who sought to transform themselves into godlike beings of immense power. Some theories listed in the book indicated these creatures had been worshiped by ancient civilizations.
The gods celebrated by Egyptians, Babylonians, and Mesopotamians may not have been gods at all. Instead, they were powerful demons or tweeners. Creatures so powerful they dwarfed the capabilities of any witch, warlock, dem or gel that walked the Earth today.
According to the book, the first step to god-hood was to develop the most powerful magic available to mortals while gaining energy from as many sources as possible. There were several methods, and it seemed Keller’s strategy was only one on the list. He was gaining power through the absorption of massive amounts of energy from humans, but also multiple tween species. The ghouls had attacked brownies, pixies, werewolves, trolls, and who knew what else.
Now I knew why I was so important to him. Not because of some long lost love still burning in his heart. I was a being that held powers of several different species. My mother—Satan’s sister. My five fathers—pixie, werewolf, On High blessed human crusader, unicorn, and Father Earth.
I’d been born with more than any tween could ever hope to achieve. Sure, I didn’t develop some of those aspects as much as others. I couldn’t shift into a unicorn and my pixie magic leaned toward stirring up shit. I’d focused more on my demonic heritage and the raw, feral power from my werewolf blood. If I ever got around to developing and training with my fathers of my combined bloodlines… My potential would be far greater.
I could be Queen Badass all on my lonesome. Fuck Keller.
According to this, he was trying to duplicate what I’d been born with, and a key requirement to accessing all that power was the sigil. It would awaken and expand all the abilities from the various sources.
If I found it myself, I could unlock everything from my bloodlines that I never would have been able to access on my own. I could propel myself to new heights. More than that, it would allow my bloodlines to work in synergy. The whole would be more than the sum of its parts.
I did that a little already. I could call on hellfire in my wolf form. That was fun. If I could somehow unlock the others, the possibilities were limitless.
Okay, I totally got the appeal. I just wasn’t willing to go all raging sociopath on the world to get there.
The problem with the sigil was that it didn’t exist in the mortal world. It was beyond the veil between life and death. Which meant, drumroll please, I’d have to die to get my hands on the thing.
The pieces fell together, each one locking with the next and forming a blood-filled picture that made my gut twist and churn. Keller couldn’t die to gain the power of the sigil. If he passed, his soul would be sucked into Hell and he’d be trapped forever under Uncle Luc’s control. If I died while Keller held the puppet strings, he could control my spirit as I passed through the realms.
I’d be his path to the sigil. I’d be his instrument until I served my purpose and he emptied me as he’d drained his other victims.
I put the book down and released the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Knowing the facts didn’t ease my dread, or the severity of the situation. I still had Keller’s puppet strings tied to my soul. I knew what he wanted, but not how to stop him. I knew how to gain access to the immense power of the sigil, but if I tried to claim it, I’d be playing into Keller’s hand.
Plus, there was the whole “death” thing. I’d already established that I wasn’t keen on dying just yet.
Sam turned his attention to me. “Find something?”
“You could say that.” I snapped the book closed—hiding the specifics from him, including the whole death part—and gave him an abridged version of what I’d read. His expression darkened, reminding me of his darkest times when evil consumed his angelic form. When he’d acted at Uncle Luc’s discretion.
He looked like he’d gladly jump back on the murder train if it meant getting to Keller.
“I’m not an expert, but I imagine it won’t be easy for him to retrieve the sigil. That is a point in our favor.”
“Maybe,” I hedged. “We don’t know exactly where it is other than ‘not on Earth.’” We weren’t talking about the deets I’d discovered. “I’m willing to bet Keller knows where it is and is biding his time until he’s gained enough power to get it.”
“Then we stop him.” Sam smiled, ever the optimist. He’d really gotten soft since he started working his way back into On High’s good graces.
Ellie allowed me to borrow the book after I pinky promised to take care of it. The thing was an ancient and crumbling volume that needed to be handled with great care. I didn’t understand why she didn’t make a digital copy so I could load it on my phone, but… pixies.
Sam and I returned to Sorsha’s and the moment I crossed the threshold, the healer stomped over to me, crossed her arms, and stared me down. If I wasn’t dying, I’d almost be intimidated.
“I hope you have a good reason for running off. We were all worried sick.”
“Don’t get your panties in a twist.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m facing my last couple of days on Earth. I might as well be productive.”
“I’m not the one you should be explaining that to.” She stepped aside. Behind her I saw Esmeralda and Bryony coming down the hall. Bry looked up at me, tears in his little eyes.
Shit. I’d lost track of time and forgotten he was coming after school.
I crouched and then wavered a bit when a dizzy spell hit me. I ended up tipping backward and falling on my ass with a thump and groan, but I tried to make it look intentional. “Hey, kiddo.”
“You weren’t here.” He sniffled and stuck out his lower lip. That thing was dangerous.
“I know. I’m sorry. I had to get an important book.” I held said book in my lap and hoped he’d buy my excuse. I didn’t want to go into the whole ghoul battle thing, but from the look on Esmeralda’s face, I figured she’d seen the news coverage and knew what I’d been up to.
“Oh,” Bry huffed. “Okay.”
Sorsha dragged me back to my room and insisted on checking my wound. Thankfully she made Bryony wait during the exam because when she lifted my shirt to check my injury… The glowing blue veins had spread farther, stretching across my stomach and chest. When she held up a mirror, I saw that the veins had begun to creep up onto my neck.
“Damn,” I whispered.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice was equally soft. “It won’t be long.”
I looked down into my lap and hardly recognized my own voice when I spoke. “How long?”
“Another day. Maybe two.”
I swallowed hard and nodded. “That means I have another day or two to stop this.”
Sorsha said nothing, but one glance at the healer showed that she’d given up all hope. At least she didn’t argue with me. It was one thing for me to accept my approaching death, but I refused to give up. I’d fight to change my fate. If nothing else, I wanted to locate and kill Keller before the end. It wouldn’t save me, but it would stop him from claiming my power. It’ keep him from using me to get to the sigil.
“I’m releasing you,” Sorsha finally said, her voice soft and weak.
“Really? You’re sending me home?”
She brushed a long strand of hair over her ear. “There’s nothing more I can do. You should be with your loved
ones.”
Right. I nodded. “I can’t argue with that.”
Sorsha moved to leave, but I grabbed her wrist.
“One thing.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Take my body when it’s done.”
She frowned in confusion.
“Use me to learn more about how this spreads. Maybe you can find a way to protect anyone else who might be infected.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “It’s just a body. A damn fine body when it’s not covered in blue veins, but once I die, it’s an empty shell. I know where my soul is going. That’s the part of me that matters.”
Sorsha dipped her head. “As you wish.”
Sorsha gave me a supply of potions to help with the pain and other symptoms before we headed out, Reggie on our heels. The two cranky werewolves—they did not like being duped—followed as well. We piled into the SUV, and Sam took the driver’s seat.
He started the engine. “Looking forward to heading home?”
“Not home,” I shook my head. “Take me to Momma R’s.”
“You sure?”
I glanced at Bry in the back seat, and then nodded to Sam. “Yeah. Momma and I have some things to discuss.”
Chapter Sixteen
Momma R already had dinner on the stove when we arrived and it hadn’t surprised me that she had enough for us all—bodyguards included. I never knew how she seemed to just know when guests were arriving, but she always did. Hell, she even had a bone for Reggie.
“Dinner’s almost ready,” she called out, flashing me a warm smile. Momma R—Jezze’s mother—had always been like a mom to me. Coming here was like going home. She even kept my favorite beer in the fridge even though she didn’t have a taste for alcohol.
“Can I go see the gators?” Bry piped up. He loved visiting the pond out back and feeding the pet gators.
“Of course, dearheart.” Momma R focused on Bry, her eyes filled with love. “The little ones hatched a few days ago. I’ve been waiting for you to come visit them.”