“You can heal him using magic?” Jack motioned to Aareth’s sleeping form. The big man was still on the kitchen table, his wounds cleaned and covered. “Why didn’t you just do that instead of wrapping him in gauze?”
“You understand how magic works; it drains you physically, but more so mentally. If I can get your friend to heal naturally, I will. Better yet, if I can do part of the mending process without magic, I can save my ability to help him the rest of the way.”
“I think I get it.” Jack nodded along with Amber’s words. “The more you can do with traditional medicine, the less of the lifting you have to do with your magic.”
“Yep, that’s right.” Amber reached for a white towel and began cleaning her bloody hands. “He’s infection free and clean now. This will only take a moment.”
Jack watched, wide-eyed, as Amber placed her clean hands gently on Aareth’s wounds. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in through her nose and letting it out through her mouth.
Slowly at first, but then beginning to grow in intensity, a dark purple light came from the bottom of her hands. Her mouth moved, chanting words that made no sense to Jack.
Aareth was still. Except for the rise and fall of his chest, he could have been dead all over again.
“Wait a minute. When you were pumping his chest before, when he had died, you were using your magic then, weren’t you?” Jack asked with a sudden realization.
“Shhh…” Amber didn’t open her eyes. “I’m working.”
Jack watched, enraptured, at the work the sorceress was able to call forward. The level of practice and energy it took to heal a body was far beyond Jack. He was still impressed with his ability to levitate and run in speed boots. He was years, maybe decades, away from manipulating life itself.
A moment later, the royal purple light coming from the bottom of Amber’s hands died. She opened her eyes, stretched her arms and neck.
“Did it work?” Jack asked, leaning forward on his tiptoes to get a better vantage point of Aareth. “Is he healed?”
“Look for yourself.” Amber stepped to the side. “Be quiet, though. He still needs his rest.”
Jack maneuvered around to the side of the table Amber had just left and looked down at his friend. Eyes closed, chest moving ever so slightly, Aareth looked like he was in a coma.
He was bare-chested, minus the large gauze pad Amber had placed over the wound that took up a large section of his torso. Jack touched the edges of the pad with his fingertips and lifted the gauze off Aareth’s chest to get a better look.
He couldn’t help a sharp inhale as he witnessed soft, new skin underneath. What before had been an open wound seeping blood and providing a view of tissue and bone was now completely gone.
Jack found himself in awe of Amber’s work. He would give his left hand to be able to perform such strong magic.
“How…?” Jack looked over at Amber, forgetting to lower his voice for his sleeping friend. “You’re amazing! How did you do that?”
“No, Brenda, come back,” Aareth murmured in his sleep. “Don’t leave me again.”
“Shhh…” Amber chided Jack. She motioned for him to follow her outside.
Jack obeyed, still amazed by the level of skill and the use of magic Amber had used in healing Aareth.
When the two walked outside they were greeted by various members of Marcus’ pack. Marcus himself wasn’t there yet, but the brown werewolf who had saved Jack on his run to Amber’s house sat waiting.
When she saw Jack and Amber exit the house, the werewolf female changed her stance from all fours to two feet. Hair fell in clumps around her as she made the move from beast to woman.
In a few seconds, she stood completely naked in front of Jack and Amber.
“Do they all get naked like that when they change?” Amber asked with raised eyebrows. “I’ll go inside and get her something to cover herself with.”
“Thank you.” The woman who had just transitioned from monster to human nodded toward Amber. “It’s kind of breezy out here.”
Amber disappeared into the house, leaving a red-faced Jack trying to look anywhere besides at the naked woman. Jack directed his eyes down, finding the dirt ground under his feet suddenly very interesting.
“Uh, thanks … thanks for saving me back there,” Jack said, still looking down at the ground. “You saved all of us, really.”
“I was just returning the favor.” The woman laughed as though she were aware of Jack’s awkwardness and was actually enjoying the conversation. “You saved me from your father. I don’t know what I was thinking challenging him anyway.”
“N-no problem.” Jack lifted his gaze, doing his best to ignore the curves of her body. He found her eyes. “We’re all in this together now. We need everyone on the same page if we’re going to have a chance at defeating the vampire army that’s marching on Azra.”
“I agree,” the werewolf female said, taking a step forward. She winced in pain.
“Come on.” Amber reappeared from her home and draped a robe over the naked woman’s shoulders. “Let’s get you inside and healed.”
As the women walked into the house, more and more of the wolves joined Jack next to Kimberly’s statue. They nodded to him, licking their wounds, lounging in the shade of the midday sun and resting.
“Jack.”
Marcus’ voice reached his ears and it brought a smile to his face. Jack looked up to see his father walking toward him still wearing his brown coat. Marcus looked as strong as ever despite the blood that trickled down his leg and dripped onto the dirt ground.
“Jack, how’s Aareth?” Marcus asked as he stood next to his son.
“Amber’s amazing.” Jack shook his head, trying to put what he had seen into words. Any explanation he came up with didn’t seem to do justice to what he had seen. “She’s able to heal through magic.”
Marcus slowly nodded, understanding his son’s awe.
“There are so many avenues, so many disciplines for wizards to follow, it would be impossible to master them all. Unfortunately, side by side with other disciplines like fighting, healing comes in near the bottom of the list.”
“Are you hurt?” Jack asked his father, trying to gauge if he was fine or, like Kimberly, he was hiding his true health. “You’re covered in blood.”
“I’ll be fine.” Marcus shook his head, looking around at the werewolves who had gathered in front of the home. “I need to see to the health of the pack. I need to teach them to harness their own beasts so they can make the change.”
“You are most definitley not fine.” Amber came out of the house again, strain on her face now. She looked around at the group of gathered werewolves, shaking her head. “I’m not going to be able to completely heal all of you. The best I can do is patch you up. Jack, I can use your help, if you’re willing.”
“Are you kidding me?” Jack said, practically jumping at the opportunity. “Let’s do it!”
“Don’t be so eager,” Amber warned him. For a moment a very serious, almost haunting, look shadowed her eyes. “Like every magic, there is a cost associated with the act, and the cost for healing is high.”
Chapter 29
Abigail
“I’m not leaving, Mom.” Abigail walked alongside her newly showered sister as they heard the first rings of the alarm bells echo through Azra. “I don’t think you want to, either.”
“Oh, really?” Elizabeth said, looking at her with a mischievous grin. “And how do you know what I want and I don’t want? I’m the one who can read minds, remember?”
Abigail laughed out loud for the first time in a very long time. She could see the subtle changes in her sister—the way she smiled, the dark lines under her eyes that were slowly fading, even the way she smiled and looked. After her shower she had been willing to wear a white dress with a gold cloak. Despite their being the colors of Azra, Elizabeth had put them on without a second thought.
“You’re not supposed to read my mind, though.�
�� Abigail stifled another laugh. Somehow it didn’t seem right to laugh while the alarm bells were going off around them. Men and women were running to get to their battle stations, preparing to put their lives on the line. “You remember the rules.”
“Yeah, yeah, I remember.” Elizabeth waved away the warning. “So Jack, huh?”
“You said you wouldn’t!” Abigail smiled in mock shock.
“I don’t have to read your mind to tell there’s something different about you.” Elizabeth strolled along the training area at the rear of the capitol building. They had the place to themselves; every able warrior was manning the gates.
“Yeah, me and Jack.” Abigail nodded along with her own words. She said a silent prayer for him now. She hoped he was safe somewhere far away from the bloody conflict at their doorstep. With any luck, he was days away and had found his father. “Wait a minute, were you lying about Marcus being alive?”
“I wish I was.” Elizabeth frowned, choosing a stone bench that looked out toward the ocean and the setting sun behind the waters. “Leah brought him back from the dead. She took his mage power and made him into a monster instead.”
“He was one of the first, then.” Abigail thought to Burrow Den when the creature created there had bitten Aareth and killed Marcus. “Tell me you didn’t help her do it.”
“What, help Leah raise Marcus from the dead?” Elizabeth shook her head violently. “No way. Leah manipulated me, but she wasn’t controlling me. I would never be able to do that.”
“Good.” Abigail took a seat next to her sister to look out past the ocean. “So, what are we going to do now?”
“Not much I can do with this bracelet on, but I don’t want to run, either.”
“No, I don’t think running is an option.”
Before Abigail could say more, a figure exited the back of the capitol building. Whoever it was was tall with broad shoulders, and carried a package in the crook of their arm.
As the outline came closer, Abigail recognized Saber’s familiar face with the eye patch. He was wearing battle armor made of dull black steel and chain mail.
Elizabeth tensed at Abigail’s side.
“He’s a friend,” Abigail said, remembering how angry she had been at her mentor for taking her from New Hope against her will. “Well … ‘friend’ is a strong word at the moment.”
“I brought a make up gift.” Saber presented the brown wrapped parcel he carried in his arms. “I fashioned them myself so they can fit in your sheaths.”
Abigail looked sideways at Saber. She was giving him a hard time more than anything else now. She’d already forgiven the shifter in her heart. She just wanted to make him sweat it out a little longer.
“If you take off this bracelet, I can throw him past the Azra walls and into the ocean.” Elizabeth blinked innocent eyes. “I mean, it’s just a thought.”
Saber looked at Elizabeth with alarm. “It’s as though she was on our side now.”
“Who really knows.” Elizabeth shrugged. “I haven’t decided myself.”
“No, it’s fine.” Abigail waved down her sister. “Saber’s heart is in the right place. Plus, had I been faster, I would have been able to block the blow that knocked me out to begin with. Just promise me no more kidnapping.”
“Scout’s honor.” Saber handed Abigail the package. “For you.”
Abigail accepted the present wrapped in simple brown paper with a rough cord instead of a bow.
Feeling the gift was enough for Abigail to already know what was inside. The weight was perfect for two katanas. With eager fingers, Abigail unwrapped the present.
She was correct in her guess—two katanas perfectly mirrored one another. But these weren’t just any katanas, these were mage katanas. Abigail’s mind was already at work as she figured out how Saber had fashioned them. They had started off as mage swords, and Saber had grinded down the blade to form the slightly curved weapons he had trained her with.
The handles had also been refitted. They were narrow, wrapped in white cloth with perfect precision and care. It was clear from the craftsmanship that Saber knew what he was doing.
Abigail let the brown paper packaging drift to the ground. Her thumbs hit the buttons on the hilts of the weapons that brought the dull white glow to the blades. She swung them around, testing their weight.
In the light of the dying sun, the swords left a faint trace of light behind as she arced them through the air.
“They’re perfect.” Abigail turned off the blades and smiled at Saber. “Your apology is accepted. Next time, bring swords and chocolate.”
“Mmm…” Elizabeth smiled mischievously. “I love chocolate.”
The shifter, witch, and warrior shared a chuckle before more shouting from the Azra guards killed their short-lived mirth.
“Are you two going to join the fight?” Saber asked the girls, looking from sister to sister with his one good eye. “I’m sure they can use the help.”
Abigail took a moment to study her sister. “I think we’re still deciding that right now.”
Saber nodded as if he understood the situation.
“As a child, I would judge my parents unfairly, and they ended up dying for me without a second’s hesitation. We’re all capable of making mistakes. If the two of you are lucky enough to have children, you’ll make mistakes with them, as well. But love brings grace, and grace is capable of forgiving broken people for making broken decisions.”
The three sat for a moment in the white noise of shouts and alarm bells still going off in the distance.
“Well”—Saber nodded toward the katanas in Abigail’s hands—“I have vampires to slaughter. Whether I see you two out there or not I’ll respect your decision. Be well.”
Saber turned and left without another word.
“What are we going to do?” Abigail said, barely loud enough for her sister to hear.
“Yes,” Elizabeth said just as quietly. “What are we going to do?”
Chapter 30
Sloan
“You’re crazy.” Sloan looked at Kade first, then to Croft. “And you’re crazier for listening to him. This was going to be hard enough when we planned on being dropped outside by the gargoyles.”
“It’s a better plan.” Kade motioned to his armor still in the bag by Sloan’s feet. “Once you put it over all these muscles I’m carrying, jump on my back. I can outrun any unicorn over a short distance.”
“What? This is getting out of control. I’m not riding you into battle.” Sloan held her helmet in her left hand, her right hand already unzipping Kade’s bag full of armor.
“Come on! It’ll be so much fun! I promise.” Kade leaned in and gave Sloan a kiss on the cheek before making his shift into the golden sabertoothed tiger.
“As much as I have come to hate agreeing with Kade”—Croft looked over at Sloan—“he’s probably right. He’ll be faster in the short sprint to the enemy.”
“In what world are you two coming up with the plans?” Sloan groaned as she secured brown leather straps connected to dull grey armor pieces on Kade’s arms and back. “I can’t believe we’re about to do this.”
After Kade had joined the women on the wall, his plan had been adopted, then evolved into an all-out frontal assault on the New Hope army. The cavalry, along with the shifters, would attack the New Hope army head on while the gargoyle units swooped in to rescue the slaves furthering the track the mage engine traveled on.
The rest of the militia, armed with bows and rifles, stood ready in the wall and would cover their retreat back into Azra. If all went well—and that was a big “if”—they would be in and out of the gates in twenty minutes.
Croft backed away from Sloan toward her cavalry unit readying their unicorns for war. Each Azra guard lifted a lance in his right hand and a shield in his left. Every Azra shifter who was able to turn into an animal stood side by side with their brothers and sisters. Cheetahs, rhinoceroses, lions, and bears stood hungry and ready.
“Captain Sloan.” Croft looked over to Sloan as she placed a helmet of silver-and-gold on her head. The symbol of a phoenix crested its brow. “If you would say a few words.”
“I’m not a captain anymore,” Sloan responded, pulling the last strap tight over Kade’s back. “That part of me died in New Hope.”
“You’re right.” Croft mounted her white unicorn, accepting a shield and drawing her wand that mirrored a lance with yellow magic as she formed the weapon. “You’re not a captain of New Hope anymore. What do you say to being a major in the Azra army?”
Everyone in the courtyard quieted to hear Sloan’s response.
Sloan took her time in responding. She wasn’t going to be peer pressured into a decision she didn’t fully stand behind; she wouldn’t say yes for the sake of saying yes.
“I say that I stand with you and the people of Azra until our enemy is defeated or the last breath in my lungs is spent killing as many of our enemy as I can.”
RAAA!
A massive cheer broke across the courtyard.
Kade pawed the ground, then nudged Sloan to go on.
Sloan understood she needed to say more. All eyes were on her now. Word had spread of the battle that had taken place the night before, how Sloan had led a small number of warriors against the much larger New Hope army and had prevailed.
“Our first objective is to create a distraction for Cherub and her unit to free the slaves being used to lay the track,” Sloan shouted in the light of the moon and stars against the torches. “But while we do it, I say we take their fighting spirit while we’re at it.”
RAAA!
“I say we break them now!”
RAAA!
“I say we make those who live through the night—if any of them live at all—remember forever the day they marched on Azra.”
RAAA!
“Let history remember for the end of time what happened here. How the last free city in the Outland screamed in one voice: ENOUGH!”
House of Wrath: The Vampire Project Book 5 Page 12