by Holly Evans
He took my legs from under me. His leg had moved quicker than my eye could track. I scrambled to get back up but he sat on my legs and grinned down at me. I tested him, shifting my weight to see if I could throw him off me. He leaned over me, planting his hands on either side of my head.
"I think it's time we had a talk,” he said in my ear, his hot breath making my skin tingle.
I sank my teeth into his shoulder, the shock relaxing his thighs, allowing me to bend my legs and knee him in the ribs. He rolled sideways off me, and I stood victorious.
Fifty
I'd clearly been more fully absorbed in the sparring match than I thought. Kadrix and Quin stood at the edge of the kitchen, Kadrix with a notebook in hand.
"Mating habits of hellhounds... yes. Fascinating! Tell me Lysander, are all hellhound mating rituals this violent?"
I felt my cheeks burn; Quin covered his mouth with his hand to stifle the laughter. Lysander gave Kadrix a toothy grin. I glared at him and focused on forcing him to shift into his hound form. His face fell as his body twisted, his bones broke and reformed, and he changed into the large hound. He lay down and put his head on his paws looking despondent.
Kadrix said, "Evelyn, I had no idea that your interests went such ways."
Quin looked as though his eyes might pop out of his head, tears streamed down his cheeks while he convulsed, fighting against the laughter. Lysander rolled around on the floor making a chuffing growling sound that I took as his laughter. Kadrix, however, was scribbling notes in his notebook. I covered the small space between us and went to grab him by the neck. He batted my hand aside and simply said,
"Oh, really, Evelyn, we have far more important things to be doing. Now, release the hound, I need another sample."
I smiled sweetly and said, "Elf. You are in my home. You might be fucking my brother, but you will not push me around and make demands, on my property, in my home."
I mentally removed the black chains from around the image of Lysander in the back of my mind. I heard the cracking of his bones as he shifted back, but kept my eyes firmly on Kadrix. His mouth twitched and his ears turned a violent shade of red. Quin had stopped shuddering and laughing; he was also an interesting shade of red.
Finally, Kadrix smiled and said, "It's good to see that you do have a backbone, Evelyn. Now that your mating ritual seems to have concluded for the moment, I would be grateful if I could gather another sample from Lysander."
He held my eye contact unwaveringly.
"And what do you need said sample for, exactly?" I said calmly.
The corner of his mouth twitched. "Should things not go to plan, it will be very useful."
The elf wasn't going to give up the details. I glanced at Quin who gave me a small nod, between wiping the tears from his face.
I stepped aside and said, "Very well. Do it quickly, and gently."
The elf smiled. "Odd, I thought you preferred things rough and violent."
I refused to let him get a rise out of me, and gave him a small smile.
The smile had left Lysander's face. He'd crossed his arms across his bare chest, his eyes watching every small movement the elf made as he approached him. I tensed when Kadrix reached out to touch Lysander. I didn't like other people touching my property. I shook my head, wondering where that feeling had come from; I'd never been one to share, but I hadn't experienced such territorial possessiveness before. I scowled at Lysander; it must have come from him and the bond with him. Kadrix plucked two hairs from Lysander's head. The hound narrowed his eyes but remained rooted to the spot. Kadrix, on the other hand, grinned and put the hairs in a little envelope.
"That will be all. You'll have to tell me about your rituals when you come by the workshop tomorrow."
I ground my teeth, but said nothing. They were not mating rituals and he damn well knew it, but the doubt had been seeded. I glanced at Lysander, wondering if that had been his intention when he had pushed me. I pushed the foolish considerations aside; of course it wasn't. We were sparring, banter was a normal part of sparring. Surprisingly, Quin remained in the flat when Kadrix left; I'd assumed he'd remain attached to the elf.
Once Kadrix's footsteps had gone from earshot, Quin looked at me with a serious expression and said, "We haven't slept together, yet. I'm... nervous."
He glanced at Lysander who had relaxed a little. I didn't know what I was supposed to say to that; it wasn't something I had any experience with, and he was my twin. Normal twins didn't discuss the intricate details of their sex lives, or lack thereof in my case. Perhaps another visit to Elise's club wouldn't have been such a bad thing after all.
Quin brought me back to the topic at hand. "I have strong feelings for him, but I've never been with a guy before..."
I opened my mouth hoping that useful words would form, they didn't.
Lysander instead said, "You trust him?"
Quin nodded.
"And you feel you're ready to make that step?"
Again Quin nodded.
"Then it'll happen when it happens. Kadrix will guide you through it."
He spoke so matter of factly, as though he were telling him how to walk. Quin frowned and wandered into the kitchen. I headed to the bathroom for a shower. A cold shower. The elf's quips had reminded me that my levels of frustration were becoming too high and I was likely to do something foolish if I didn't deal with them before long. As though reading my mind, Lysander came up behind me as I stepped into the bathroom, his body close to mine.
"Mind if I join you?"
"Yes."
With that, I shut the door between us and made the water icy cold to drive away the temptation to change my mind. I couldn't afford to slip up, not with everything that was happening around us. I needed to be in top form. His tight muscles formed in my mind, how I wanted to drag my fingernails over them, to feel his hot breath on my neck. The water wouldn't go any colder.
After a long an agonisingly cold shower I was calm and relaxed again, enough to be able to deal with the hound without thoughts of jumping him.
Once I was dressed, I said to Quin, "What did Kadrix want Lysander's hairs for?"
"Hm? Oh, he's making some weapons."
I raised an eyebrow, "I should hope that we'll be getting those weapons. I can't say I like the idea of him making weapons for himself with hairs from my hellhound."
Lysander's hand ran down my ribs. "You do like to remind people that I'm yours, mistress."
I ignored him. "Quin?"
He pulled his attention away from the horizon and looked away from the window towards me.
"Yes, we'll be receiving the weapons when he's done. He knew you'd never allow it otherwise."
I walked over to him and ran my hand up his arm. "You can talk to me you know."
His eyebrows knitted. "I'm just a little, confused. Kadrix is an elf, and a guy. He makes me feel alive, butterflies form in my stomach, and my mood lifts when he smiles."
I smiled. "Sounds like you have it pretty figured out to me."
He hugged me. "Thanks, Evie. It's been a difficult time, and I know we've pushed you out."
I hugged him back. "I understand, truly I do. Don't fret over the weirdness of Kadrix, just do what makes you happy. You have my complete blessing, but I will rip him into teeny, tiny, little pieces if he hurts you."
He laughed. "I knew I could count on you."
"Always," I said.
Fifty-One
"How did the mating rituals go?" Quin asked with a mischievous grin on his face.
I punched him in the arm. "There are no mating rituals. Lysander is a hellhound. I did not choose him, the bond has produced some... feelings of protectiveness over him. Nothing more."
A cool feeling flickered in my chest, a sense of sadness descended over me. It was gone in seconds. I sighed and focused on the job at hand, the ritual was that evening. It was our last chance; we couldn't afford for anything to go wrong. Breakfast was quiet. Lysander refused to look at me, which suited me ju
st fine. A feeling of excitement formed as we headed back to Kadrix's workshop. We were going to end this. The city would be ours again. Quin practically bounced into the workshop; he greeted Kadrix with a light kiss on the cheek. The elf bent him over and kissed him deeply. I looked away and admired the latest stack of books that had been precariously stacked in the corner.
When I heard them talking, I turned to face them and said, "How fascinating, I haven't seen elf mating rituals in person before."
Kadrix grinned at me; Quin blushed fiercely. I approached them, almost tripping over a brass bowl that had been left on the floor.
"What have you done to your hound, Evelyn? He looks as though you stole his favourite kitten."
I shrugged and said, "Tell me of this ritual and the weapons you're making."
Elise came through the back entrance and appeared behind Kadrix. Her hair was scraped back, a tan leather jacket hugging her delicate form and barely hiding the blades she had on her person.
"I've been doing some reading on the ritual, as it happens."
I didn't like where that was going.
"It mentioned a sacrifice, but there was something odd about the phrasing."
Kadrix scowled and dug out a large leather-bound tome from under the table behind him.
He threw it open and ran his finger down the page before he paused and muttered to himself, "A sacrifice of fire. So the person will be burned rather than cut."
Elise pursed her lips, but said nothing more until she looked at Lysander.
"Is there something wrong, Lys?"
She looked back at me with a raised eyebrow. I rolled my eyes; I hadn't done anything wrong. Lysander didn't answer her.
I got things back on track. "And where is this ritual being held?"
"Old Town Square, there's a convergence of lines and no fewer than two nodes there."
I curled my lip. "How are we supposed to hide that from the tourists?"
Quin said, "Matyas and the others are working on that, I believe they said something about saying a movie's being filmed there."
"Whatever works," I said.
Kadrix said, "As I have you all here, you can make yourselves useful. There are a few hours before we can leave."
I gave him a dark look. "You're the one who arranged to have us arrive this early."
"Yes, to help me put together the tools that will help you save this city."
I saw no reason in arguing; besides, I wanted to get a better grasp on how magic worked. I didn't like it, but there was something fascinating about it.
The hunters had done a good job. The usually busy square was empty, even the pigeons had vanished somewhere. It was a little eerie. We split up and positioned ourselves around the large square; Elise was quite certain that the ritual would occur somewhere in front of Kinský Palace, the elegant soft-pink-coloured building with stucco decorations and a red roof. Opposite it stood the tower, opposite in aesthetic with dark grey-brown stone, well-worn and beloved by thousands for its complicated astronomical clock. I wasn't surprised to find ourselves back there; it was the heart of the city, and it made sense that there was far more to it than some elegant architecture.
I casually leaned back against the tower wall; something about its old stone gave me a feeling of comfort. I idly ran my fingers over the silver bracelet without even realising I was doing it. Had I been too harsh on Lysander? It didn't matter. The sun was setting, a spectacular explosion of peaches, umbers, and violet bursting across the horizon. The temperature plummeted along with the sun, causing me to tuck my hands in my pockets, my patience waning. We were so close. I kept my eye on the rooftops, watching for shadows and witches. A good number were killed by the demon, but they were unlikely to be the end of it. None came. Instead, the hound strolled in the square alone. His pale blond hair stood out in the darkness; even in the dim light the confidence of his swagger was clear. I felt Lysander's hackles rise and ensured that there was nothing to hold him back within my mind.
The second hound, the other, casually made his way to the area in front of the palace. He looked around the square as though surveying his kingdom.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are. I know you're here, marrok."
There was still no movement along the rooftops. I moved in closer. Lysander emerged from the shadows and approached the other hound with his shoulders back and his chest pushed out. We each closed in around the hound, always looking for others. He was alone? Where was the sacrifice?
The other hound opened his arms wide and grinned, "Marrok Lysander, you will finally make our master proud, as the final sacrifice. A fitting ending for a pathetic runt such as you."
Lysander snarled, but held firm a good dozen feet away from him. Quin looked at me from my left near the small road that passed around the edge of the square. I held my hand up. This was Lysander's fight, we wouldn't interfere if we didn't need to. Still, I pulled my blades and edged closer; there was too much at stake to watch entirely unprepared. Elise came up on my right; Kadrix wasn't far behind her. The three hunters came from Celetná, the narrow street filled with tourist shops and boutiques. We slowly edged forwards, enclosing the hounds and forming a circle. Lysander held the other hound's eye; this was his fight, but we would end it if we needed to. A glance around told me that everyone had drawn their weapon of choice. It was down to my hound now.
An unspoken cue passed between the two hounds. The other launched himself at Lysander, his arms outstretched and teeth bared. It was a terrifying sight filled with pure malice and murderous intent. I gripped my blades tighter and hoped Lysander was worth my faith.
Fifty-Two
Lysander side-stepped the clumsy pounce with ease, but the other hound was prepared for his swift punch. Lysander's fist hit thin air, and the other hound landed on his feet just behind Lysander. I gripped my blades tighter, willing it to be over quickly. The other hound smashed his fist into Lysander's shoulder, forcing him to step forwards and lose his balance. He recovered quickly, turning on his heel and slamming his fist into the other hound's jaw. They moved incredibly quickly, their motions almost a blur to my eye. The other hound was relentless and aggressive, constantly pushing forwards and swinging his fists at Lysander. Lysander, however, blocked the blows with apparent ease and bided his time, carefully timing punches and kicks to the other hound's weak spots, causing him to snarl and snap at Lysander's face.
The other hound jumped back and shifted into his hound, a heavily muscled form with bright red eyes. Lysander followed suit. He snarled when the other hound sank his teeth into his haunch mid-shift. They were on each other in barely the blink of an eye. Teeth snapping on thin air, claws raking through coarse fur. They growled and snarled, rolling around on the ground. The other hound yowled when Lysander wrapped his jaw around his lower foreleg and snapped the bone, the crunch audible from where I stood. Blood trickled over Lysander's lips and coated his chin. The other hound kicked out, trying to get Lysander off him and put some space between them. Lysander yelped when the other hound tore a chunk out of his shoulder; it was enough for the other hound to give himself the room he needed.
He shifted back into his human form, his hand a limp mess that hung at the end of a ragged bloody arm. Lysander circled around him, still in his hound form. The other hound caught fire. I was momentarily blinded by the intense light. Lysander snapped at his thighs, but the other hound was too quick and kicked Lysander in the head, sending him flying a few feet. He landed with a heavy thud. I wanted to run to him, but he scrambled to his feet and shifted into his human form. Flame rippled over his body. Rage flooded my mind; bloodlust tinged my own thoughts.
The other hound was growing desperate. As Lysander circled around him, he tore off his useless hand, leaving a bloody stump. Matyas jumped back when the hand landed near his feet, a charred mess. The other hound pushed hard, lashing out at Lysander with everything he had. A forward kick, quickly followed by a right hook, none of which connected. Lysander danced around him, taunti
ng him. The other hound's anger and desperation made his movements clumsy. He charged at Lysander, who stepped away at the last second. He grabbed the other hound's head and drove his face down onto his knee. The hound barely had a chance to growl before Lysander slammed his fist into the back of his neck. He swept his legs from under him and stamped down on his lower back, driving him into the floor where he stamped on the back of his head, twice. All that was left was a red mess.
The relief of victory didn't come. Instead, Elise screamed and dropped to her knees. Kadrix was close behind her. The air became heavy, the ground vibrated; something was wrong. So very wrong.
"The ritual was completed," Elise screamed.
I didn't understand. It dawned on me as I ran to Elise. The sacrifice would be of fire. The final needed to be a hellhound, it didn't matter which one. How had we missed it? There had been no marks on the ground. I pulled Elise tight to me and stroked her hair trying to soothe her.
She wept onto my shoulder. "The hellmouth will open at sunrise. Oh, Evie. What have we done?"
"We didn't know. We'll fix this."
She took a long deep breath and composed herself. "Go to Lysander. I will speak to my contacts."
I ran my hand over her hair once more before I released her. "We'll fix this, Elise."
She gave me a small smile. "We will. My lady wouldn't have it any other way."
Lysander was knelt near the body of the other hound, tears tumbled down his cheeks. I approached him slowly and knelt next to him, taking his hand in mine. I slipped my hand around his cheek, hooking my fingers under his jaw and pulled his face to look at me.
"You didn't know," I said quietly but firmly.
His eyes glistened with more unshed tears. "I failed you, mistress."
I took a deep breath and pulled him to me. "You didn't, but you are going to help us fix this."
"Whatever it takes, mistress. I promise. I can't lose this. I can't lose you."