by Aileen Erin
I glanced at the clock. Ramirez should be here any minute, but it wasn’t going to be soon enough. Not anymore.
It was starting, and the humans were so not equipped to handle anything like this. The Weres in the room were tense, barely hanging on to their human forms, and the twins had turned a shade of green.
I started pacing the room. It was another fifteen minutes before I heard faint gunshots in the distance.
“Do you hear that?” Meredith asked.
I nodded.
“What do you think Luciana’s doing?”
“I don’t know, but magic’s crackling along my skin.” I cracked my knuckles. “We might have to break out of here.”
“Midnight seems too early for this much black magic,” Raphael said. “It would be much stronger after three. Why would she jump the gun?”
“Maybe timing doesn’t matter as much if you have two covens worth of magic.” Now she had enough power to open her portal and then some. My anxiety level went through the roof. My skin itched to change, but I kept pacing. Hoping that the movement would help maintain my form.
This was it. Luciana’s endgame was starting. Everything I feared could come true…
We were trying to be good little werewolves, but if Ramirez didn’t show soon, we were going to have to make a run for it.
If a hell portal opened and no one stopped it, none of us would have to worry about the long-term anyway.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Footsteps thundered down the hallway, stopping at our door. Special Agents Ramirez and Morgan stepped into the room.
Morgan scanned the room before fixing her gaze on me. “What’s going on out there?”
Dastien rose from his chair, but I grabbed him before he could move. Stay calm. “I can’t say that I know what you’re talking about.”
“Officers were called to a church. The neighbors reported weird chanting and something that smelled like a broken sewer line.” Ramirez looked pale.
“Demons.”
Special Agent Morgan nodded. “These little raccoon-sized monsters are spewing out of the church, and the police are doing everything they can to stop them—but apparently bullets only slow them down a little. Shotgun shells work okay, but they’re having some serious trouble containing the problem.”
“Raccoon-sized?” That was new kind of demon to me. Even the minor ones were much bigger than that. But the fact that shotguns were working on them was seriously good news.
“You have to let us help you,” Donovan said. “Luciana Alvarez is very dangerous. She’s not going to stop with these little demons. The minor and major demons that we’ve seen… Even if you slow them, they can’t be killed by human weapons. They have to be decapitated or burned to ash with potions or magic.”
“Jesus,” Officer Yeats said. “It’s not like we go around carrying swords these days.”
“I have a sword,” Cosette said. She conjured it for a second to make her point clear.
“And we have potions,” I added. “And wolves with fangs and claws who are much stronger and faster than humans. Please. Let us out, and we’ll take care of these monsters.” The fact that there were so many had my hands shaking, but I shoved them in my pockets.
A call came through Officer Yeats’ radio. I couldn’t understand anything that was being said—it was all static and yelling and some sort of code.
“Wilson’s out there,” Officer Yeats said. “He’s the one in charge. I don’t have the authority to let you go. I don’t—”
“You can release them into my custody,” Ramirez said with a smile. He touched Officer Yeats’ shoulder. “I’ll take care of the rest. You’ll get the paperwork you need, and I promise, you won’t get in any trouble.”
I held my breath as she considered. After a long second, Officer Yeats gave a sharp nod. “I’ll get your things.”
She came back with my messenger bag, as well as Shane, Raphael, and Claudia’s stuff—including Raphael’s bat. I slung my bag over my shoulder and started toward the exit.
Agent Morgan jangled some car keys. “I grabbed these from Yeats. She said it’s the second on the right.” She turned to us. “I didn’t realize there were going to be so many of you.”
We piled into a van with an SFPD emblem on the side.
“Do you know where you’re going?” I asked.
“I think I can get us there.” She flicked the sirens and peeled out of the parking lot.
I slammed into Dastien as he took a corner. “Jeeze,” I yelled over the siren. “Do all agents drive like this or is it just you?”
“All agents,” Ramirez said. “It’s practically a job requirement.”
Gunfire rang out through still the night, and we quieted down. The streets were clear. Not a soul in sight. And I hoped there wouldn’t be.
As Morgan turned a corner, the church came into view. The light from the helicopter overhead made it as good as daytime wherever it shone. The cops were firing, some in riot gear. Others just in Kevlar vests. Some hid behind their cars, but the rest were moving toward the demons, shooting their shotguns and reloading as quickly as possible. With each blast, little bits of demons went flying.
But the demons weren’t like the ones we’d seen before. They were the size of large raccoons. Their fangs dripped black goo that scorched the ground it touched. They swarmed out of the church like giant ants. I could see maybe a hundred of them, but more were coming out of the doorway every second.
The maybe thirty cops surrounding the church were barely keeping the swarm at bay. Their shotguns were pretty effective at killing the demon-raccoon things, but I wasn’t sure if that’d last long if minor demons—let alone major ones—started coming out.
We had to hurry. If Luciana hadn’t summoned any bigger demons yet, then maybe there was still time to stop her. In my vision, there’d been minor and major demons in the church. So, the portal wasn’t open yet. At least not all the way.
We skidded to a stop just outside of the ring of cop cars.
I slid down from the van—unable to tear my gaze from the front of the church as a demon leaped at a cop—gaining at least four feet of air—landing on the cop’s face. He cried out as blood spewed. The cop hit the ground, and another cop charged beside him—firing two shotgun blasts at the demon, point blank. Another three officers covered him while he dragged the injured cop to safety.
“Who’s in charge here?” Morgan called, drawing up to her full height as she approached the densest pack of officers with Ramirez by her side.
I shuddered. We needed to get in the church or we might all be dead soon.
Dastien gripped my hand. You okay?
I pressed my forehead against his sternum, and breathed in his scent. I’m terrified of going in there.
We can do this. We’ve been preparing for it. We’re ready.
Maybe. But if this was my last moment with him, I wanted to savor it.
“Officer Wilson and Chief Lauler have agreed that being supernatural creatures, you might have some insight into this problem of theirs.” Agent Ramirez motioned us forward.
Thank God. “Luciana is going to be behind the altar. I’m going in—straight for her,” I said. “As soon as she dies, her spells should die, too, and all the demons will get sent back.” Hopefully without me having to jump into any portals.
My stomach knotted, and I felt like I was going to throw up.
Breathe, cherie. I’m not going to let that happen.
We might not have a lot of options.
Then we make options.
“If not?” Deputy Wilson asked.
“Then we kill them one by one,” Donovan said.
I turned to the chief. “The only human inside there right now is Luciana, right?”
“None of my guys have gotten through the bottleneck at the door. What’s going on in there is anyone’s guess.”
I cracked my knuckles. “Fine.”
I turned back to my friends. This could be my last moment with t
hem, but I didn’t want to think like that. I couldn’t think like that. Not now. “Y’all ready?”
There were some nods. Some yeahs and yeses.
I would’ve done a huddle with a go team, but that felt cheesy. So instead I said, “Let’s go get this bitch. And then, let’s go home. I’m tired. And would love to not sleep in a fucking motel again.”
“Me, too,” Claudia said. “That place was gross.”
“Y’all are bunch of whiners,” Chris said.
We laughed, and I stepped to Dastien. I wrapped my arms around his waist as I looked up at him. If we get through this, I want to go on a honeymoon.
His dimples deepened. Where to?
I don’t know. A tropical beach with white sand and clear waters.
Sounds perfect. He brushed a kiss on my forehead.
Do you think we’ll get through this? With everything I’d seen, we were still here. I wasn’t sure how much we could change or if it’d be enough.
Absolutely. There’s no other option.
I leaned back from him, stealing some of his confidence through the bond. “Okay.”
“Okay.”
I nodded. “I’m ready.” I said the words even though I wasn’t sure they were true. Not even a little bit. I knew how badly this could go.
I knew that I could die. Dastien could die. Everything I knew could be over.
But that didn’t change anything.
We had to fight.
The only thing I did know was that Luciana wasn’t getting out of this alive. No matter what. I was ending this.
Now. Tonight.
With determination burning through my veins, my gaze darted to each of my friends before settling on Dastien again. “Let’s do this.”
Dastien, Meredith, Donovan, Chris, Lucas, and Adrian were already shifting. Some of the cops cursed, stepping back as they took in the sight.
You shifted, I said to Dastien. You weren’t shifted in my vision.
He stuck his wolfy tongue out and tilted his head. Right. We’re changing that vision. It’s going to be different. Might as well start now.
“You coming, Van?” Cosette gestured and a sword appeared.
“Of course.” He was suddenly at her side, already gripping two swords.
“Show off.” She rolled her eyes and conjured a second sword, not to be shown up.
Claudia drew spell knots, warding each of us against the demon blood.
I grabbed two vials. “Everyone have enough?”
Raphael pulled the last vials from Shane’s backpack and shoved them in his pockets. He gave his bat a little test swing. “Ready.”
“What about you, Claudia? Vials?”
She grinned, and it was about as mischievous of a grin as I’d ever seen from her. “I’m ready.” Lucas bumped her hand. “And I’ve got my wolf.”
“Good.” Love you, I said to Dastien.
But there were no promises in life. No guarantees. I had to live every day like it was my last, and do my best to make my life count. So, that was what I was doing.
And if we survived tonight, that’s what I’d continue to do. “Let’s do this.”
A call went up among the cops. Some yelled out to not shoot the wolves. Others yelled about not shooting the witches.
I grabbed out two vials. “With the power of Jesus Christ, I banish you from this earth.” I threw the vials, and started running before the explosion hit.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Little pieces of demon bodies rained down on me, turning quickly to ash, as I hit the pavement in front of the church. Claudia’s spell held—their acid-like blood rolled off me without even the slightest burn. There might be a lot of these raccoon suckers, but they were much easier to kill than the bigger demons.
Claudia tossed another two vials, and the heat from exploding potions licked along my face. I reached into my bag, and grabbed two more. We’d made a bunch more at the motel, but we didn’t have a limitless supply. We needed to get in there and get this done before Luciana fully opened that portal.
We were maybe ten feet from the front door of the church. Not much more to go.
“In the name of God, the Father, I send you back to hell.” I threw the vial, and more demons turned to ash. Dastien jumped on one, ripping its head off with a well-placed bite.
“One more blast and we’ll be inside,” I yelled.
Claudia stepped up beside me. “One. Two. Three.” We said the words, tossing the vials in unison, and then charged the door.
Inside looked just like my vision. The portal wasn’t open yet, but there were at least twenty minor demons and half as many major standing in the circle Luciana had drawn in front of the altar. Pews were turned on their sides—some ripped apart. Red flares lit the inside, giving everything a hazy, red glow. The helicopter’s spotlight shone in through the broken stained glass window.
My throat tightened. Dastien? I felt him beside me, but I didn’t dare look away from what was in front of me. He sent me strength through our bond, and I could breathe a little easier.
I stepped into the church, focusing on the altar in the back. There was movement back there.
Luciana.
She shouted something in a language I didn’t understand, and the demons started moving toward us.
A major demon caught my attention as its red gaze stared. Its scaly gray skin glistened pink with the flares. It was taller than the rest, with muscles that looked like it could rip me apart. “Teressssssa,” it hissed.
I didn’t hesitate to reach inside my bag. “In the name of Jesus Christ, I send you back to hell.” Three vials hit it at once, but it kept coming.
“You’re mine, Teressssa,” it said as its leathery skin smoked, burning from the spell.
“Not likely,” Cosette said as she swung her sword, severing its head. “Did they send a demonic memo around with your name?” She asked as the demon turned to ash, and was sucked back where it belonged.
“That was creepy as fuck.” I reached in my bag, and my fingers brushed the bottom. Only three more potions, and then I was going to have to rely on my spells—which I sucked at—or go wolf—which wasn’t my best fighting form.
The pews were all over the place. I stepped over one, and a small demon—no bigger than a child—clawed at my foot. “Try that again, fucker!” I shifted my free hand, going half hand, half paw—thick, razor-sharp nails extended. I slashed its arm, and it fell to the ground with a satisfying thud. Black sludge spewed from the dangling limb and the demon leaped at me, baring a full mouth of pointed teeth.
I twisted my body and slashed, and the demon burned as it died, turning to ash.
Not a move I normally would’ve tried, but it worked. Confidence boosted my energy level.
I needed to get to the altar. I jumped on one of the overturned pews and could still see Luciana moving behind the altar. I took a quick glance around the room.
Chris was fighting a demon with Raphael. His bat swung, slamming a minor demon in the head.
Cosette and Van were caught up fighting two major demons. They were holding their own, but those demons were fast. And two more were coming up behind them. “Behind you, Cosette!” I shouted. She heard me and whirled, just in time.
The wolves were fighting, claws slashing wherever they could find a target. I spotted Claudia, and started for her. “Do you have more vials?”
“Take Shane’s,” Raphael yelled from behind me. I spun around as he tossed me the backpack. “I’m doing well with the bat.”
I caught it, and knelt to the ground, dumping the vials into my messenger bag—much easier access.
I lifted my head just in time to see a demon’s nails coming right for my face.
Dastien leaped into it, knocking the demon to the ground just before it made contact. I activated a vial, throwing it at the demon. Dastien slashed its neck as the vial hit, and the demon turned to ash.
Hands shaking, I went back to dealing with the vials.
That had been wa
y too fucking close. Dastien came up beside me.
I’m heading for the altar, I said. Watch your back. Don’t let my vision happen.
He yipped.
I took off running, leaping over demons and dodging around them. I reached into my bag, pulling out two more vials. “In the name of Jesus Christ, I banish you.” The vials activated.
I was almost to the altar, only two feet away. I raced to it, but a flash of light blinded me as Luciana finished her spell.
I flew through the air as her slimy magic hit me and my back slammed against the pew. I lay there, shaking off the hit, and a demonic howl echoed through the night. Followed by another.
I sat up enough to see the portal open—a bottomless pit. The jagged circle yawned deep into the ground. Its edges were tipped in red, making it look like glowing charcoal. I couldn’t see down it from here, but the scent of sulfur was so strong it was almost unbearable. It made my eyes water. There was a rumbling from deep within the pit. The little demons that we’d fought outside were still coming out of it, but something else was working its way up.
I had to close it before whatever that was made it to the top.
Dastien was still in wolf form. I closed my eyes for a second and saw the fight through his eyes. He was dealing with two minor demons. Pain from a long scratch along his back beat against him, but he was ignoring it.
This was it. This was my vision.
Now I had to change it.
Watch your back. One’s going to come at you from behind. Don’t get distracted. I’m going after Luciana.
I hopped onto a pew. The wolves were slashing at the demons, working together with Claudia and Raphael. Claudia fired off a few spells, tossing them different directions to help the wolves. Raphael’s bat glowed as it slammed into a minor demon’s head, turning it to ash.
Cosette and Van were killing it. Literally. Dead demons piled around them. More were climbing over the bodies of the fallen, but as they fought—back-to-back—they looked invincible. Their shining blades slashed violently, but somehow gracefully, through the air.
I hoped everyone would stay safe as I focused on my goal. On my enemy. I trusted them to keep the demons under control and out of my way while I worked my way to Luciana.