Mortal Kiss

by Alice Moss

  Jimmy looked from one of them to the other. “What does it mean? For us? For Finn and Faye?”

  Shocked, Joe rubbed a hand over his eyes. “That Finn was right. The ritual—the whole thing—it must be a trap.”

  “But—”

  Lucas’s question was cut off by the long, haunting call of a hunting horn floating out of the forest.

  Chapter 52: Trapped

  The sound of the horn went on and on. It echoed around the camp, eerie and chilling. Jimmy froze, remembering the last time he’d heard it so close. He remembered the fear of being in the woods alone, the sight of the wolf’s horrible yellow eyes as it came at him from the darkness. He shuddered. The bikers, though, sprang into action, standing up and watching the edges of the camp carefully.

  And there they were—dark, slinking shapes, sticking to the gloom of the undergrowth. They slid along the edges of the light cast by the fire, a flash of yellow eyes here, a glimpse of harsh white teeth there. Jimmy turned, slowly, and saw that they were surrounded. He felt Joe place a hand on his shoulder and jumped.

  “Be calm,” Joe cautioned. “They won’t attack—yet. Mercy wants something.”

  The hunting horn sounded again, and a pale horse slid out of the forest. It was clad in ancient battle armor, engraved black metal encasing its nose and flanks. On its back sat a rider, also armored. The horse stepped forward proudly, heading straight for Joe Crowley. The bikers, suspicious, moved to circle their leader and his visitor, obviously ready to defend him if they needed to.

  The rider of the pale horse pushed back the visor of his helmet, and Jimmy was shocked to see the face of Sergeant Wilson beneath. Wilson took something from one of the horse’s ornate saddlebags and thrust it toward Joe without speaking.

  It was a silver mirror. Joe held it up, and Jimmy was close enough to see the icy patterns coalescing on its surface. And then, suddenly, Mercy Morrow’s beautiful face shimmered into view. She smiled.

  “Joe Crowley,” she whispered. “It’s been a long, long time.”

  “And yet,” Joe answered, “it’s still not been long enough.”

  Mercy pouted as if this were a game she was losing. “Oh, come on, Joe. You’d miss me if I weren’t here. In fact, I know you miss me even now.”

  “You’re wrong. You always were, Mercy, about so many, many things.”

  A flicker of anger passed through Mercy’s eyes, and the ice on the mirror grew thicker. “Well, let’s see if I’m right about this. You know now that you and our precious son have been caught in a trap of my making. I knew, as soon as I saw that girl’s face, that Finn would be just as enchanted as he was with the last one. You should have been smarter, Joe. You should have found a way to keep them apart. The end is nigh, Joe Crowley, and you’ve brought it on yourself. But I offer you a choice. Come back to me. Come back to me, be my servant again, and I’ll let you and the son you took from me live.”

  Joe was silent, and for one terrifying moment Jimmy thought he was considering Mercy’s offer. But Joe shook his head. “Never, Mercy. I would rather suffer in Annwn for all eternity than be your slave again.”

  For a split second, Jimmy saw something like grief in Mercy’s cold eyes. Then it was replaced by a fury that burned so hot the ice on the mirror’s surface began to steam.

  “Then, Joe Crowley, you have sealed your fate. Yours, and the fate of all those with you.”

  The light in the mirror died, and Mercy’s face vanished. The air was suddenly full of snarls, echoing from the forest as Mercy’s hounds sensed a battle.

  Joe barked an order, and as one, the bikers began to transform. Jimmy watched as they fell to their knees, faces twisted in agony. Their skin began to change, fur sprouting. Their faces became masks, bursting opening to reveal the wolves beneath. Joe did not change, and Jimmy saw him take up a position behind the wolves, as if to command their movements. Within seconds, only Joe, Lucas and Jimmy remained human, surrounded by the ravenous noises of two wolf packs.

  The hunting horn sounded once more.

  #

  Finn felt something ripple through him—a shiver across his skin as he sensed his pack changing. Forcing himself to concentrate, he watched as Faye tried to speak to her friend Candi. It was no good. Finn had seen the look in the girl’s eyes before. She was too far within Mercy’s influence to really know who Faye was anymore.

  He took Faye’s hand. She was trembling. “Hey,” he whispered, ducking his head to brush his lips against her ear. “Let’s dance.”

  Faye shook her head. “It’s not the right time.”

  “We won’t ever have another,” Finn reminded her with a sad smile. “And anyway, we have to keep up appearances, right?”

  He pulled her to the dance floor, glad that the music had slowed. They stood close together, and Faye looked up at him with such an expression of desolation that Finn couldn’t help but pull her tight against him, tucking her head under his chin. They swayed gently to the music as Finn tried to imprint the memory of her on his mind.

  “Tell me something about you that I don’t know,” Faye whispered, pulling back slightly to look at his face. “Not werewolf stuff … something about you.”

  Finn looked down at her. It had been a long time since he’d tried to think of himself as separate from the wolf. He shrugged. “I like writing letters,” he said eventually.

  Faye looked surprised. “Letters?”

  “Yeah.… You know—before things like email happened. Letters, sent by mail. I like writing them.”

  Faye smiled. “I would have loved you to write me a letter.”

  He pulled her closer again. “I will. I promise. Somehow, I’ll write you a letter.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen!” Barbie Finch’s voice boomed across the room, making them both jump. She was standing on the school stage, holding a microphone. Reluctantly, Finn let Faye go as she moved out of his arms to see more clearly. “As you know, tonight we have been voting for the king and queen of the Winter Mill High Halloween Ball. And I’m delighted to say that the votes have now been counted!”

  Finn reached for Faye’s hand.

  #

  Liz listened to Ms. Finch’s announcement with a frown. Surely they couldn’t have counted the votes so quickly? She’d been watching for Ms. Finch’s return after the wild-goose chase Liz had sent her on, and the teacher had arrived back in the gym barely five minutes ago. It was only then that she’d removed the boxes for counting.

  “I have to say,” Ms. Finch continued from the stage, “I am very, very pleased with the result, as I am sure you all will be.”

  Liz looked around the hall. The dancing had stopped, as had the music. But not all the students were looking at the teacher onstage. In fact, most of them were looking at Faye and Finn, who were standing in the middle of the dance floor, holding hands.

  “The honor of being king and queen of this Halloween Ball will go this year to one of our most diligent, popular students,” Ms. Finch went on.

  Liz wondered if she was imagining things, but no—Faye and Finn seemed oblivious to it, but everyone was looking straight at them. Almost as if they already knew who was going to be crowned …

  “And also to one of our newest students,” Ms. Finch went on. “Which I think is a truly wonderful way to welcome him to our school. So, it is with great pleasure that I announce the winners to be …”

  Liz shivered as a cold wind passed over her skin. In fact, the temperature in the gym had dropped so suddenly that she could see the gathered students’ breath pooling in the air.

  “… Faye McCarron and Finn Crowley!”

  The applause was deafening. It echoed around the freezing room as people pushed forward to congratulate the lucky pair. Liz tried to catch Faye’s eye, to warn her that something wasn’t right, but it was impossible. Finn and Faye were surrounded.

  Alone on the outskirts, Liz backed toward one of the smaller doors of the gym. She had to find out what was going on, right now. The vote had happened too q
uickly—it was as if Faye and Finn had already been chosen as king and queen. And if that was the case …

  Liz slipped out of the door as Barbie Finch announced that the coronation would take place in ten minutes. It was even colder outside the gym. Liz turned left, toward the school’s main entrance, but felt the temperature rising as she got closer. Turning, she retraced her steps, feeling the ice in the air increase as she stepped farther and farther along the echoing hallway. Back here, behind the school hall, were the offices that students never went into—Liz was sure that whatever was going on, it would be happening back here, where none of her friends would dream of going.

  The lights were out, and the hallway was dark, illuminated only by the lamps at the other end. Liz kept walking, wrapping her arms around herself as she shivered in the cold. There was a door at the end of the corridor—it was shut, but there was no lock. Reaching out, Liz grasped the metal handle and turned it, hissing in pain as the extreme cold bit into her skin. The door swung open, and Liz let go, looking down at her hand and seeing that some of her skin had been ripped away, stuck to the frozen handle. She clenched her fist against the pain, looking into the darkness beyond the door. She saw another passage, with a second door at the end of it. This door was shut too, but around the edges, light filtered through. It was colder still here, so cold that icicles had begun to form on the ceiling.

  Shuddering with the cold, Liz went on, looking around for something to protect her hand as she opened this next door. There was nothing, so instead she hitched up her skirt and grasped the handle with it, pushing open the door and stepping into the room beyond.

  It was flooded with a cold light that burned a fierce blue. In the center of the room, on a tall wooden chair, sat Mercy Morrow. Her eyes were cast in shadow, her hair a pale halo around her head. At her feet lay a huge gray wolf, its tongue lolling between wide jaws full of sharp teeth.

  Liz screamed. She turned to run, but the door slammed shut, trapping her inside.

  “Now, now,” said Mercy in a soft, dangerous voice, leaning down to scratch the wolf behind the ears. “There’s really no point in running. I’ll only have to send Peter here after you if you do.”

  Chapter 53: No Mercy

  There was a as the sound of the horn faded away. Then all hell broke loose. Lucas watched as one of Mercy’s wolves took the first leap. It plunged forward, foam flecking its open mouth. Joe shouted an order, and the biker-wolves attacked. Within seconds, the two wolf packs were tearing at each other. Seated high on his horse, Mitch Wilson watched from the edge of the clearing, horn ready at his lips to spur his pack on.

  Jimmy stood, terrified, not knowing what to do.

  “We need weapons!” Lucas shouted over the roar of snarling wolves, searching for something suitable.

  “How do we know which are which?” Jimmy shouted back. “The wolves all look the same!”

  Lucas watched as Joe stood his ground amid the melee. To his left, two wolves battled each other to the ground. One sank its teeth into the other’s hindquarters. With a howl, the injured wolf wrenched itself away, splattering blood across its enemy’s snout. It turned, ignoring its torn flank, and plunged forward again, grazing its canines along the other’s spine. The other wolf screamed in pain, an animal sound that seemed to split Lucas’s eardrums.

  “Lucas! Look out!” He heard Jimmy’s yell and turned to see a wolf coming right at him, fangs bared. Its yellow eyes were full of hate. Lucas froze for a moment, but then he heard Jimmy shout again. “Here! Catch!”

  From the corner of his eye, Lucas saw something come soaring through the air toward him. It was a tent pole with the ground spike still attached. Lunging sideways, Lucas caught it and turned in one movement, planting the blunt end in the ground behind him and angling the other toward the leaping wolf. It caught the creature right in the chest. The wolf howled in pain, struggling to pull itself from the spike. Lucas, shocked, let go of the pole and backed away.

  All around them, the sounds of snarling and snapping filled the air. Mercy’s pack was desperate, crazed by the smell of blood and the promise of food. Joe, still human, ran to the pale horse, lashing out at Sergeant Wilson with a burning branch he’d taken from the dying fire. The horse reared, terrified of the flames. Mitch Wilson clung on, swinging at Joe with one fist as he battled to stay on his mount. The horse dropped to its knees and then twisted sideways, dislodging Liz’s dad and sending him to the ground with a clang of metal. Joe lunged toward him, turning back to look at Lucas and Jimmy.

  “This is a distraction,” he shouted over the noise. “Get to the bikes. We have to get to Finn and Faye—we have to stop the ritual!”

  #

  Liz froze with her back to the door, shaking violently. Mercy rose, smoothing out the sumptuous layers of her white satin gown. The wolf moved with her, yellow eyes fixed on Liz.

  “What a pity you weren’t there when they began to translate that scroll, hmm?” Mercy purred, making her way toward Liz. “You’re obviously the smart one, aren’t you? Just like your father. You wouldn’t have taken it at face value, would you?”

  “What have you done?” Liz asked fearfully.

  “Oh, nothing much, my dear,” Mercy said, touching an icy finger to Liz’s cheek. “But of course you must realize that this little ritual Joe had you plan out is simply a trap? Do you really think I would let such a valuable text out of my sight?” The woman shook her head, her bright eyes piercing in the weird blue light. “Really, Joe should have known me better.”

  “So it won’t work?” Liz asked. “The ritual won’t do anything?”

  Mercy laughed, a jangling sound that grated in Liz’s ears. “Oh, it’ll do something, all right. Just not quite what you all wanted. My dear boy Finn, so willing to sacrifice himself … Well, he’ll get his wish. But it won’t save her. It’ll save my kin instead.”

  “Your kin?”

  “The ones Joe banished to the depths of Annwn, leaving me so, so alone. I devised a way to bring them back, you see. A big enough sacrifice that the spirits of Annwn will return them all to me, every single one.”

  Liz blinked. “Finn and Faye? That’s what will happen when they perform the ritual?”

  “It really was such a lot of trouble for me to get those two together.” Mercy sighed, reaching out lazily to stroke the huge wolf at her feet. “I practically had to chase her into his arms. But it was really just luck that I met her father, carrying that quaint little locket.”

  Liz stared at the wolf, feeling her blood run cold. What did Mercy mean? Oh God, had she killed Mr. McCarron? Had she fed him to the wolf?

  “As soon as I saw her picture,” Mercy purred, “I knew that it was fate. Of course Faye was destined to love my errant son. And that love was just what I needed to bargain with Annwn once again.”

  Liz felt tears in her eyes. “So you’re going to sell them both to the underworld?”

  “Oh, Liz, my dear, do please learn to think bigger,” Mercy drawled. “Their love is important, yes, but I’m not just thinking about them. All those beautiful, juicy teenagers, dancing away in that gym … don’t you think Annwn would love all of them to play with?” Mercy smiled, showing her teeth. “That’s the kind of exchange the underworld demands. That’s what it will take for me to receive my kin again. And lo! The time is upon us. The trap is set and baited. The game is almost won. At last!”

  #

  Faye grasped Finn’s hand again, overwhelmed by the crowd of well-wishers. It seemed that everyone at the ball wanted to shake their hands and congratulate them. Everyone was smiling and laughing, hugging and chatting. Then the music started up again, and another dance began. It was faster this time, a hypnotic beat in keeping with the mood.

  “Are you OK?” Finn asked her. She nodded. “It must have worked—Liz did it,” he added.

  “Can you see her?” Faye asked, looking around.

  “Not at the moment. She must be here somewhere.”

  Faye looked up at Finn’s strong fac
e as he scanned the crowd. She squeezed his hand tighter, and he looked down at her. “I’m not ready,” she said desperately. “I can’t do it.”

  Finn raised his free hand and stroked her cheek. “I know how you feel, but you can do it. We can do it. I promise.”

  “But I don’t want to.”

  He smiled, a world of sadness in his eyes. “Neither do I.”

  She nodded, leaning against his chest.

  #

  Jimmy and Lucas reached the bikes first, with Joe close behind them. Jimmy saw Lucas hesitate.

  “The key will be under the back wheel!” he shouted. “Come on, hurry!”

  “I don’t know how!” Lucas shouted back. “I’ve never ridden a bike before.”

  “Trust me,” Jimmy told him, kicking up the stand of his chosen ride. “If you can handle that Ferrari, you can handle this. Just get on it and follow me!”

  Joe leaped onto his own bike, taking the lead away from the camp and through the woods. Jimmy nodded for Lucas to go between them, looking over his shoulder as they rolled out.

  None of the wolves was following; they were too intent on their savage combat. But Mitch Wilson watched from his pale steed.

  They raced through the woods, ducking branches laden with heavy snow. Twice Jimmy saw Lucas falter, his bike threatening to skid out of control on the icy hillside, but he managed to right himself. They rushed out of the woods and onto the road into town, sliding on the sanded tarmac as the snow-clogged tires tried to deal with the change. Joe didn’t slow down but raced onward, the lights of Winter Mill in the distance.

  Then a new kind of light lit up the road in front of them, blue and red. These lights were climbing the snowy road toward the bikes, traveling fast.

  “Squad cars!” Jimmy yelled, but the wind tore his words away. A few seconds later the sirens could be heard over the hill.

  Up ahead, Joe turned briefly, looking back at Lucas and Jimmy, and lifted a hand to spur them both on as the cars drew closer. Joe was betting on their being able to filter past all four squad cars before the cars could turn and follow.