by Aileen Erin
She stood next to the pit, hands held high above her head in summoning. Her skin had taken on a green tinge, far beyond any olive undertones. Her long, wavy hair was around her face instead of her usual braided halo and her flowing skirt was shredded along the bottom. I couldn’t make out her words, but the magic started to build. It brushed against me like sickening oil on my skin, and my stomach turned.
I started forward, jumping from one pew to the next. They were broken and on their sides, but I managed to balance.
I quickly activated a few vials, feeling them heat with magic as I held them. “Luciana.”
She lowered her arms and tilted her head toward me. The pit stopped rumbling, so that was a start, but the sight of her made me wobble on my perch.
Her eyes were solid red orbs. Her two front teeth had lengthened into fangs.
My arms lowered as I gasped in shock. What the hell had she become?
She laughed, and it was the deep, rasping laugh of a demon.
It was true. She might have started out as a witch who wanted power, but she was fully demon now.
I threw the vials just as Luciana started moving her fingers.
Her spell hit me, knocking me to the floor. Three rat-sized demons scuttled toward me, and I couldn’t stop myself from screeching. I kicked them away before they could bite.
I kipped up, and she was there. Standing in front of me. Spit dripped from her fangs. “You’re mine now, Teressssa.”
That voice. It wasn’t her. My eyes widened as my breathing sped. I had to move.
She weaved her fingers in a fast spell, and I flew across the floor. My head crunched against a pew, and blood dribbled down my forehead.
I sat up, and the world wobbled. I tried to shake off the dizziness, but I didn’t have time. Luciana was already running for me.
I had one more vial. I quickly muttered the words and threw.
Her shoulder jerked, but she was still coming for me. The vial hadn’t doing anything to her. It didn’t even burn her skin.
I reached in the bag again, and my fingers brushed the canvas.
I had no more spells. No weapons.
Dastien howled and I felt his fear for me, but there was nothing he could do. Nothing any of them could do. They were busy fighting for their lives, too.
Fear made my blood run cold as Luciana cackled and lunged at my leg. I tried to roll away, but her nails dug through my tender muscle.
I screamed.
“Your magic will be mine.”
“No!” I was stronger than this. I kicked at her face, but she only jerked back an inch.
Holy shit. The demon in her was too strong.
I sat up in one quick motion, and jerked her nails out of my leg. My whole calf went numb, but I threw her off. She hit a pew a few feet from me, and lay still for a second.
She craned her neck at an impossible angle. I looked into her eyes and in the blood red orbs, I saw myself burning in a pool of flames. I blinked and her eyes were plain red again.
My mouth went dry. The demon was trying to scare me, and was doing a damned good job of it.
I got up, hobbling as I dragged my injured leg. What the hell was I going to do? I was out of potions—but they were useless anyway. I’d kicked her hard enough to break her neck, and she just fucking shook it off like it was nothing.
I heard her laugh, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
The pew behind me slammed into my legs, and Luciana cackled again.
I glanced back. She was maybe ten feet, staying just far enough behind me to taunt me.
I moved faster. I needed cover. I had to figure something out before she got tired of chasing me and ended this.
“You’re a wolf!” Cosette’s voice cried out. “Be a wolf and end it before we all get killed.”
She was right.
But I was also a witch. I needed to be both if I was going to win this.
I leaped over a pew to gain some room from her. My leg protested, foot slamming into the wood as I fell to the ground.
Luciana climbed on top of it. “Nowhere to run now.”
I made a quick knot in the air, moving my fingers fast. Willing it to work. When the knot completed, the magic slammed into place. She hit the knot, and bounced back a few steps.
Thank God my magic held long enough for me to let the wolf out. But only in my hands.
My fingers lengthened, and I picked myself up off the ground just as she swung at me
I twisted and her fist went right past my face. She kicked and I blocked. Luciana might not have known how to fight, but the demon sure as hell did.
I let instinct take hold. All Dastien’s years of knowledge poured through me, and I used them as I waited for her to give me a window.
Her shoulder dropped, and I swiped. “Die!” I poured all my will into the word. My nails ripped across her neck, parting her skin as if it were butter. As her blood—black and red—slid cover my hands, coating my skin, I was glad Clauda’s magic was still holding.
I waited for Luciana to fall to the ground—to turn to ash—but she was still moving. Slower now.
“Die!” I yelled again, throwing more power behind the word. This time she staggered as I swiped my claws across her stomach.
I didn’t waste time. “Die!” I let the power fly as I hit her again. She froze and started to fall.
I caught her before she hit the ground and gagged at the feel of her demonic energy in my arms. Her heartbeat was slowing as blood pooled out of her, and I dragged her to the pit.
I stared down it, and hoped this was enough to put a stop to the chaos around me.
Dastien was still fighting demons. He was hurt, but not down.
The sounds of demons screeching and hissing, as we whittled down their numbers told me the tide was turning, but it wasn’t over.
I had to close the portal.
The little demons had stopped pouring out, but inside the pit a giant demon was clawing its way to the top. It looked like it was made of molten lava, scarring the rock with fire as it climbed. It spotted me and roared, moving faster.
I didn’t want to have to jump, but I had to throw Luciana in. Her magic had to be stopped.
As the demon inside Luciana died, her eyes turned back to her normal brown. Her skin wasn’t quite so green. Confusion crossed her face as she glanced around the church.
“I’m sorry for what I’m about to do.” My voice sounded much stronger than I felt.
Her life was slipping away. It’d been only moments, and I wasn’t sure she could understand me, but Luciana’s face relaxed like she was giving me the okay.
“Lord, save us from what she’s done. Help us stop the death.” I pushed her body into the pit. “Send these monsters back to hell.”
Luciana’s body tumbled as it fell. The demon roared as she passed it.
I waited, watching it fall, hoping that the portal would start to close, but nothing happened.
Oh shit. The portal wasn’t closing. The demon was moving fast.
A howl echoed through the church. Not a demon.
Dastien!
I felt his pain through the bond. Claws scored his back as demons surrounded him.
Closing the portal would kill off the demons that pinned my friends down everywhere I looked.
I had to close it. Now.
In my vision, it was me jumping with Luciana that had stopped everything. Sacrificing myself would work. But as I stood there, gazing into hell…
I didn’t want to die. Not now. Not yet.
I had to try to close it with magic first. If I couldn’t, then I’d jump before Dastien or anyone else had to die.
I raised my hands in the air, mimicking Luciana. “Close.” I focused on the pit and pushed all the magic I had at it.
It stayed open.
Dastien’s whimper of pain hit me as another demon got its claws in him. I didn’t need to see him to know what was going on. The bond was wide open.
But if I coul
d see, then I could draw power, too.
I pulled from our bond, taking as much power as I could get. “Close!” I drew the word out, screaming until my voice broke. My skin tingled from the magic.
I pulled again—more this time. From the pack. I felt all the ties that held us together, and yanked on their magic as I screamed the word.
It still wasn’t enough.
Shit. A tear rolled down my check. I stepped to the edge, and took a breath.
Looking down, I nearly threw up. I couldn’t believe I was doing this. I felt empty. Broken. I didn’t want to die, but the lava demon was almost to the top and I wasn’t sure any of us would be able to stop that one if it got free.
Three other wolves howled. I glanced around the room one last time. Claudia’s shirt was torn, her hair coming free from her braid. Lucas was beside her fighting as Claudia moved her hands in a spell.
Raphael stood with Chris, fighting to keep their own between two minor demons and a major one across the room.
Meredith and Donovan were guarding the door—stopping any demons from escaping.
Cosette and Van were fighting their way to Dastien, but most of the last demons were swarming them.
Dastien was surrounded by five demons. A little rat sized one was on his bloody back, biting into his neck. The fey couldn’t get there in time.
I didn’t have a choice.
This was it.
I’m sorry. I tried. But I have to stop this. I love you. Please be strong for me.
His rage and denial beat against me, but I closed my eyes and took a breath.
I had to be strong. I could do this.
Just before I jumped, a furry head butted against my legs, knocking me away from the pit.
Donovan was next to me, and I gripped his fur. “I have to jump. It’s the only way.”
Before I could take the last step forward, his command rolled over me.
The power of the Seven slammed into me, and only my grip on Donovan’s fur kept me from falling into the pit.
Within a second, I was pulling power from him. From every wolf alive.
Through him, I could feel the Cazadores approaching. They were too late to fight, but they’d be here to help clean up.
I could feel the people who’d left the pack. Imogene. Shannon.
Shannon sent an apology back, and opened up completely, giving me everything she had. Stopping Luciana was bigger than our petty differences.
Power poured through me—from every Were alive—until I thought it was too much. I was burning up, but I held it inside.
And then I felt Lucas. He had a lot of power, but through him—I could feel my cousin. Claudia’s ability seeped into me, amplifying all the magic I held. Multiplying it.
It was too much. I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Close now!” I screamed the words, letting all the built-up power out in one huge blast.
An explosion hit and I was blasted back, slamming into one of the fallen pews.
The light was so bright, I couldn’t see. I squeezed my eyes shut.
The demons cried out as one, and then there was nothing but silence.
No more hissing. No more scuttling of nails. I could hear my own gasping breaths as I waited for something to happen.
Soft wisps brushed my face, and I opened my eyes.
It was raining ashes.
My heart raced as the last of the magic faded from my system, making every part of me—my skin, my teeth, my nails—tingle.
I sat up, and the pit was gone. The floor was there—blackened in a ragged circle—but the portal to hell had disappeared. The demons were gone. Dead. All of them.
A series of wolf howls broke the silence, and I started laughing.
I was so exhausted—my head was pounding, every muscle in my body ached, and that wasn’t the worst of it. My leg was both throbbing and on fire. I wasn’t sure I could put any weight on it. But every pain was worth it. The demons were back where they belonged. Luciana was dead. The portal was closed.
And Dastien and I were alive.
It was okay. I fell back against the ground, crying tears of relief.
Cherie. Dastien’s hand brushed against my forehead.
I grabbed him before he could pull away. You’re okay?
For once, I didn’t care that he was naked in a room of people. “I need to see your back.” He turned so I could see, but he looked mostly okay. There were little red marks on his back, but no bloody gouges. “What… How…”
He grinned, and my heart warmed. “I was hurt badly, but when you killed them, the wounds started healing. It was like the supernatural hurt disappeared, and I could heal like a Were should.”
My wounds hadn’t gone anywhere but I didn’t care. If that was the price I paid to stay out of hell, then I’d pay it. Gladly.
I jumped into his arms, and he laughed as he fell back to the ground. I’m okay. I promise, he said as he ran his hand down my back.
Cosette cleared her throat, and I shoved Dastien away. “Shift! There are people around!”
He chuckled, and then shifted. I knelt down beside him, and ran my hands through his fur.
That was how Agent Morgan found us. “You look okay, but it’s torn to shit in here.”
“We’re okay,” I said, even though I could barely believe it. “I think I might need some stitches and a gallon of holy water for my leg, but we’re okay.”
“That was some fight. Those things—they just disappeared.” Strands of her hair had torn free of her ponytail, and her dress shirt was half untucked. “You all did a great job. I don’t know how you pulled it off, but when we’re cleaned up a bit, you’ll have to share the secret to fighting those things.”
Horror filled me. I wasn’t going to be working with the police, let alone the FBI. With Luciana gone, there wouldn’t be any more demons showing up. I was hoping this would be my last battle for a while. “Have you talked to Donovan Murry? He’s super good at this stuff, and he’s a very powerful alpha. I can introduce you.”
She grinned. “Don’t sell yourself short. I heard what you did this afternoon. The wolves were going to fight the police. You stopped it. Kept a clear head and saw the bigger picture.” She reached an arm around me, helping me limp my way to the exit while wolf-Dastien kept pace beside us. “I have a feeling this is going to be the start of a very healthy relationship.”
She was out of her mind. Once she realized there were other Weres—who were much better at all this stuff—then I’d be off the hook. Hopefully.
As we made our way toward the exit, I spotted Cosette and Van leaning together and talking. Cosette was waving her hands, arguing with him again.
I hoped this didn’t mean she was leaving. I was just starting to get used to having her around.
Raphael and Claudia were talking as they reclined against the back wall of the church. She absently ran a hand through Lucas’ fur. Chris, Meredith, and Donovan were lying on the floor together in wolf form, catching their breath.
I sighed. “Well, I guess we better go face the music outside. Any of you wolves want to shift so I don’t have to talk to the cops alone again?”
None of those jerks changed.
“Fine. I guess it’s on me, then.” But you better stick by my side, even if you stay wolf.
Dastien laughed at me through the bond. You’re the one who told me to shift back.
Well, it’s better than being naked in front of everyone, right?
As we stepped outside, the light of the helicopter shone down on me, and I raised my arm to block it.
For a moment, just the sound of the chopper filled the night, but then the cops started cheering. Whistling. And I took a breath.
This. This was good.
I let the last bit of guilt for what I’d done in that church slip free. I was sure I hadn’t seen the last of it, but for now—I let go.
We’d survived and I was beyond ready to go home.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
&nbs
p; About ten minutes after I exited the church, the Cazadores showed up, with Mr. Dawson and some of the alphas in tow. They took over the scene, helping with cleanup and making sure all the injured officers were properly taken care of. Some of the cops didn’t like the idea of pouring holy water on their injuries, but after what they’d seen—it didn’t take too much work to convince them.
In all the chaos, Cosette disappeared with Van, but I was sure she’d be back before long. I owed her big time, and from the looks of things, she might need my help.
We all split up to take care of ourselves. Dastien checked both of us into a new hotel so he could look after my leg, while the others went to see Shane and Adrian at the hospital. Adrian was doing fine, but Shane…
I’d wanted to go help, but I was fully burnt out. Closing the portal had used up every ounce of energy, and after getting my leg treated, there was no way I could do anything but pass out.
So I did. For a glorious twelve hours.
When I woke up, Dastien ordered room service. I hadn’t looked at our room too closely last night, but Special Agent Morgan had recommended a hotel right off the historic plaza, and in the light of day, it was luxurious. Light-years apart from that disgusting motel. The bright white, fluffy duvet and soft mattress made it feel like I was sleeping on a cloud. I never wanted to get out of bed, but when the food came, Dastien handed me a fluffy robe—which was like being wrapped in heaven.
I tore through the best eggs Benedict with avocado and roasted tomatoes, a mountain of pancakes with a side of bacon, and Nutella-stuffed French toast. My stomach was full in the most amazing way. I stumbled over to the bed, face-planting into the soft, pillowy covers.
“I could do that again.”
The bed dipped as Dastien sat beside me. “Do what again?”
“Another round of breakfast.” I lifted my head up. “What do you say? Again from the top?”
Dastien laughed. “How about you let me check your leg and then we’ll talk?”
After the initial washing with holy water—which hurt like a bitch—he’d wrapped my leg in bandaging. Now it was in full-on itching mode, which told me it was probably healing just fine on its own.
“Do I have to?”