chapter Twenty-One
My heart dropped into my stomach like a stone. Arys was battered but otherwise fine. The demon pulled him through the room and forced him down on his knees in front of Lilah’s chair, facing me. The demon held Arys’s head in a vicelike grip, ready to remove it at Lilah’s command.
Arys’s blue eyes glittered with menace. He would not be broken no matter what they did to him, I knew that. Lilah knew better than anyone what the twin flame bond meant. So, she would break him by making him watch me suffer. It didn’t take a psychologist to put this one together.
“Falon, I believe you owe Alexa some retribution for trapping you in a circle.” Lilah nodded toward me.
“Are you kidding me?” I stared at her in shock. “You’re getting Falon to beat on me for you? Why not do it yourself? I’m sure you want to.”
Lilah crossed her arms and regarded me knowingly. “Why Alexa, I’d think you of all people would certainly understand how easy it is to gain power over a man simply by f*cking him. Why get my hands dirty when I have someone to do it for me?”
Falon’s wings ruffled ever so slightly. His carefully neutral expression didn’t change. Without waiting for another command, he walked a slow circle around Jez and me. He shoved her away, effectively separating us.
My heart raced. Panic caused my words to rush forth. “F*ck the circle. That bastard purposely-,”
I saw stars before I finished my sentence. Falon’s hit rocked me back on my heels. I struggled to stay upright. I looked fearfully to Shya as if he could save me. His face was a mask of cool composure, but fire burned in his red eyes.
“Is this worth it?” Lilah asked. It took me a moment to realize she addressed Arys. “Knowing you can’t help her. That you can only watch as she suffers. Is it worth everything you share?”
Arys glared at Lilah with the power of a thousand burning suns. “You’re afraid of her,” he accused. “So afraid you don’t even want to touch her. You see the light in her, and it terrifies you. I see right through you, demon bitch. Because I am you.”
The two of them stared at each other, Arys with accusation and Lilah with uncertainty. Each of them part of the darkness, they shared something then that I would never understand. It momentarily crippled Lilah. She turned away from Arys, scoffing angrily.
“Get me the blade,” she shouted at nobody in particular. “Let’s bleed this wolf.”
Falon pressed dangerously close. With wings flared wide, he trapped me, ensuring I didn’t try anything. I had to do something, but my options were limited, almost nonexistent.
“Take your clothes off,” he demanded. “You have to be wolf for this.”
“F*ck you.” I stood my ground. “This entire thing has been orchestrated for Lilah to throw her weight around, but she doesn’t have any. You and I both know that.”
“All I know is that you better start stripping. I’m sure a few of these guys would be happy to help you.” Falon indicated the small throng of vampires watching the entertainment Lilah had promised them.
I gritted my teeth and fumed. Together Arys and I were powerful enough to wipe out every vampire present and maybe even beat back the demons, too. It wouldn’t happen though. Stripped of my power, I felt weak. I needed time to bounce back from that. Even then, I wouldn’t have access to my power in wolf form.
Lilah held up a shiny dagger with a sharp blade and a black stone pressed into the handle. She twirled it in her hands, eyeing me with a vindictive sneer.
“Tick tock,” she said. Lilah moved between her hostages, lingering near each one of them. Stopping beside Arys, she held the dagger up for me to see. “Have you ever wanted to escape your twin, Alexa? Has anyone ever given you the opportunity to sever the tie?”
My entire body went cold. I shook my head, a vehement protest rising in my throat. “No. Don’t. I’m undressing, ok? I’ll shift, and you’ll get your friggin’ Hound blood. If you hurt anyone, that changes. I’ll go down fighting, and I promise to take you with me.”
The weight of so many eyes upon me was crushing. I kept my eyes on Arys, finding courage in his gaze. He could have fought back, could have escaped the demon’s grasp on him. Yet, he didn’t because my sister was still in danger. He was willing to hold tight and let me call the shots. If we got out of this alright, I’d make sure to show him my appreciation.
It was difficult to keep my hands moving. She wasn’t just stripping me so I could shift; she was exposing me in a way that would sap my remaining strength. She wanted me vulnerable. I couldn’t let that happen. I pulled my top off over my head and let it fall at my feet. My hands shook when I slid my pants down. They were vibrating when I reached to unhook my bra. Maybe I couldn’t do this.
“Come on, wolf,” Falon sneered. “I’d have thought you’d be used to public nudity, being a beast with two bodies. Don’t tell me we’re making you shy.”
I was used to the nudity that came with running in a pack. It was natural, part of what we were. Being forced to strip down for the entertainment of others was not within my comfort zone.
“Actually, you are making me a little uncomfortable.” I slid my gaze to Falon, searching him for some kind of truth. I couldn’t figure the bastard out. “I’m not sure I want you this close, seeing as you’ve already had your erection between my legs.”
He slapped me across the face, an open-handed smack that echoed in the large, open room. I tasted blood. My cheek stung, yet I couldn’t help but grin. The fallen angel was ashamed of what had occurred between us despite the fact that it had been solely power driven.
That shame fueled his anger. Falon grabbed me and viciously tore off my underwear. My attempts to struggle were useless in comparison to his strength. When he had me naked and quaking, he grabbed my hair tight and forced me to the floor on my knees.
“Whenever you’re ready,” he said to Lilah.
I caught Juliet’s eye and mouthed the words, ‘I’m sorry.’ I didn’t know what else to do.
For the first time since I arrived, Lilah acknowledged Shya. She sidled up to him with a confident swagger. She tugged on the silver restraints holding him until she’d forced a sound of distress from him.
“Now it’s your turn to play along, Shya.” She bent down so she could stare straight into his face. “You need both the wolf and the kid. However, you can only have one. I’ll let you leave here unharmed when this is all over. I don’t need to kill Alexa to swipe a little blood. She can be all yours. Or, you can opt for the kid instead. Your call. You choose who lives and who dies.”
“If you succeed in breaking your curse, there will be nothing to stop you from banishing me to the pits. Why should I believe you’d spare me? I know better.” Shya showed no emotion. He was calm, possibly too calm.
“Come now. You know I’ve had a fondness for you. At least, I did until you tried to take advantage of my curse and claim my throne for yourself.” Lilah tapped the dagger blade against the palm of her hand. She pointed it at Gabriel who glared hatefully at her. “I’m willing to spare you. After all, you have provided me with many comforts and protection over the years.”
“Break your curse. Then I’ll choose.” Shya was so relaxed, he might as well have been in a recliner rather than a hard chair with chains. Did he truly fear nothing?
“You think I can’t do it,” she hissed accusingly.
“I know you won’t do it.” Shya’s calculated grin revealed even white teeth. He was f*cking with her, having his Cheshire Cat moment and loving it.
Lilah backed away with the dagger clutched in her grip. She spun around to face Gabriel, and I was certain in that moment he was dead. Then, she regained her composure and pinned me with her cold stare instead.
“Shift.”
I was almost happy to if it meant escaping the leering gaze of the vampire muscle. I slapped at Falon until he stepped well out of my personal space. The shift was fast and fluid. All I had to do was embrace the wolf, to let her spill forth and take over. There was a brief moment of exquisite pain and then freedom. I was wolf.
The strength of the beast filled me. I bared my fangs in a snarl, daring Lilah to come at me with the blade. She regarded me with wariness but not enough caution.
“Try anything, and Falon kills your sister.”
Like a good little minion, Falon moved to stand over Juliet, his pale eyes gleaming with anticipation. A growl rumbled in my throat. I glanced around, desperately seeking a way out of this. Jez stood stiffly nearby, watching with growing horror.
I touched Arys’s mind, needing something from him. ‘If I don’t make it out of here I need you to make sure Juliet does.’
‘You are making it out of here.’
‘I need to know you’ll keep her safe. Promise me.’
‘I promise.’
Lilah held the dagger ready in case I lunged. It took all of my willpower to resist.
“Over there. By the couch.” She circled around one side of the couch, waiting while I did the same opposite her.
As I drew closer, I realized that there was a circle. An energy circle, much like the one I had used to trap Falon, encompassed a giant pentagram on the floor. The people within the circle were confined, prisoners. They carried on with each other, completely oblivious. It dawned on me that they were the sacrifice.
An ugly sensation warmed my belly. This didn’t feel right. Lilah would use my blood and their combined death to set herself free. Then what? We’d all have cookies and tea?
The tall demon shadowing Lilah stood at the edge of the circle, holding it in place. He produced a gold chalice and handed it to her. He stood between the two upper points of the inverted star. If Lilah broke the curse, we would all suffer. I was a wreck trying to see a way out.
Every other person in the room seemed to shrink back from the circle. I wished to be among them. The demon began to chant, low and Latin. My hackles rose as my fear grew.
Lilah advanced on me with a renewed ferocity. Eager, she rushed toward me, each step bringing her faster. I braced myself, unable to predict what she had in mind.
“Hold still and this will be over in minutes. A shallow cut, that’s all I need,” she said, the gleam in her twisted gaze growing brighter.
She came only as close as she had to. Resting the dagger blade against my neck, she shuddered with excitement. I stared at Arys and Juliet. I loved them both so much, though I still hadn’t had a chance to reconnect with Juliet. If we got out of here, that would change.
The blade stung as it cut through my fur and flesh. The blood was warm as it seeped from the wound. Lilah was quick to capture it in the chalice. I tensed. This was it, the moment of truth.
Lilah lifted the chalice, sniffing its contents. I saw her consider tasting it. She resisted. Moving to stand at the bottom of the circle, near the point, she held the chalice ready, waiting. The demon continued to chant in a loud voice. Things were happening. I felt the earth tremble as dark powers in deep places began to stir.
A flash of silver drew my eye to Falon. He spread his wings wide and ruffled them, a potentially natural angel gesture. Something about it struck me as forced. He was trying to draw my attention to him. My eyes darted from Lilah to him and back. I couldn’t chance taking my eyes off her at the wrong time.
The Latin stopped, and the silence that followed was deafening. Lilah tipped the chalice and began to drip blood onto each person within the circle. That’s when Falon freed Juliet and all hell broke loose.
“Stop her,” he shouted at me, already moving to release Shya from his bonds.
I froze, as did most of those present. After a heartbeat of confusion, everyone exploded into action. Shya was impossible to follow with the mortal eye. He went from his chair to the demon holding Arys, disabling him with ease. Arys was on his feet instantly, tossing vampires aside in his attempt to get to me.
The vampires were quick to spread out around the circle, doing their best to protect the outcast queen they had adopted. Several of them swamped Arys, trying to take him down. Pulling the blade from her golden hair, Jez leapt in to the fray, plunging the weapon into the heart of any vampire stupid enough to get in her way.
There was no time to think or plan. I lunged at Lilah, launching my full weight at her. She went down beneath me with a thump and a startled cry. The chalice fell from her hand and rolled across the floor, spilling the remainder of the blood as it went.
She still held the dagger so I sunk my fangs into her forearm, crushing bone between my jaws until she let go. Lilah fought back with the panicked desperation of one who knew her time was fast running out. With her free hand, she pounded her fist into the side of my head.
A heavy weight slammed into me. The Latin-chanting demon’s power hit me like a runaway train. I was airborne, crashing hard into the vampire fight. The throng swallowed me. Disoriented and injured, I struggled to get my bearings and get out of the flail of limbs and smacks of power.
“Lexi!”
A familiar scent reached me as Juliet pulled me free of the chaos. Jez and Arys were back-to-back, taking on Lilah’s vampires with skill and the love of the fight. Shya and Falon targeted the demons. Gabriel sat stiffly in his chair, free now, an amulet in his hands and his lips moving as he worked a spell. That left Lilah who was hastily trying to gather the spilled blood.
She cupped her hands, scooping it and throwing it into the circle. If dousing each human sacrifice in blood was the key to completing the ritual, I had to stop her from pulling it off in her crazed desperation.
A vampire with a football player’s frame lumbered toward us with fangs bared. I left him to Juliet, confident in her ability as a wolf and a trained government agent. I wanted Lilah.
I dodged the vampire and bounded for the demoness. I leaped onto her back and bit her shoulder. With a shriek, she spun around trying to dislodge me. It worked. I hung back, judging my next attack.
“You could have left here alive,” Lilah said, her voice low and uneven. “I won’t let you take this from me. I will not be sent back to him.”
She had reclaimed the fallen dagger. Wielding it with her one good hand, she advanced on me. I braced myself, ready to attack. My lips peeled back in a vicious snarl.
I avoided the first swing. The dagger blade sliced through the air inches from my face. I circled, forcing her to keep turning to face me. I lunged in close, snapping at her before moving back out of reach.
The wolf felt good. I had come to rely so heavily on my metaphysical power that the reminder of who and what I was, was refreshing. My power was not what defined me; I was so much more than that.
Lunging again, I knocked Lilah off her feet. She slid through the blood spill and gave an anguished cry. Before I could attack further, the air rippled and Willow appeared.
He pulled the Dragon Claw from his jacket, holding it uncertainly. I was in no position to take it from him. The only other person who could wield it was Juliet.
“Alexa, are you-,” Willow’s words died as Lilah plunged her dagger into his back. She pulled it free, and smoke rose from the wound. Silver.
Willow staggered back, trying to put space between them. The Dragon Claw fell from his grasp, hitting the floor. Lilah promptly kicked it away so it skittered across the hard surface. Then, she went after him again.
“Oh no you don’t. You are not standing between me and my Hound.” Blood ran from Lilah’s shattered forearm where the bone lay exposed. Vampires healed fast. If I didn’t do more damage, she would heal and make me pay for my mistake.
Willow beat her back with a slap of power, but the silver had weakened him. He slumped against the wall, wings spread for balance.
I touched Arys’s thoughts, finding him enjoying the fight. He took on multiple vampires at once, using power and fists to take them out. Every one that burst into dust and ash fueled his fire.
‘The Dragon Claw is here. Juliet has to get to it. She has to use it on Lilah. You’ve got to help her.’
There were no words, no thought to tell me he’d heard, but he had. I could feel it. I trusted Arys to make this happen. It was the only way.
I didn’t hesitate or wait for the right moment. I attacked Lilah in a craze of snapping jaws. Driving her away from Willow, I threw myself at her, angling to take her down. She fell near the edge of the circle and tumbled inside.
The power holding it broke. So did the spell holding its occupants captive. I jumped in after Lilah, pinning her to the floor in the middle of the sofa circle. Everyone around us rushed to escape, screaming hysterically.
A burst of wind gusted over us as the carefully constructed circle lost all energy. It was useless now.
Lilah had lost.
The sheer insanity glowing in her flaming eyes was disturbing. I snarled down into her face, fighting for a shot at her throat. She fought hard to reach the blade she’d dropped just inches away. In a cheap but determined move, Lilah slashed my face with her sharp fingernails.
My left eye burned, and my vision blurred. The bitch tried to blind me. Infuriated and wild, I got my fangs around her throat, and I bit deep.
Her blood filled my mouth. It tasted like burnt sulfur. I held tight despite the horrid taste and smell. I gave her a rough shake and felt the tissue begin to tear. It didn’t happen fast enough. Lilah got her fingers around the blade and, in a swift motion, buried it deep in my side.
I yelped, instinctively releasing my hold on Lilah. She withdrew the blade and swung hard for another blow. I scrambled out of reach, bounding across the sofa and out of the sunken circle. I didn’t make it far; the pain was too much.
I collapsed near Willow where I involuntarily shifted back to human. Naked and bleeding, I lay there shaking. Willow moved to block me with his wings, sheltering me from further attack.
“Juliet,” I gasped, my voice barely a croak. “Dragon Claw.”
Willow nodded, searching frantically for my sister in the thinning crowd of flailing limbs. I saw Arys grab Juliet, his lips moving fast as he shoved her toward the fallen Dragon Claw. Then, he came for me, drawn by my suffering.
Arys fell to the floor beside me, his eyes wild with panic. He reached to touch me but hesitated as he took in the extent of my injuries. Blood seeped from my side. Every labored breath forced more from the wound.
Darkness threatened to pull me under into unconsciousness. I strained against it. This was one little stab wound. I’d taken a stake between the ribs; I could take this.
“This is bad, love.” Arys pulled me gently into his arms, wincing at the pained sound I made. He clasped my hand in his, and the power sparked between us. “I think I can heal it. If there’s not too much damage.”
At his touch, my strength grew. I reached to touch his face, finding such sorrow there. “You know you can’t lose me.”
“I know you’re not ready to be what I am,” he said, wiping a scarlet smear from near my eye. “And, I don’t think I’m ready for that either.”
A scream rang out followed by Juliet’s angry shout. I dragged my gaze to her, finding her grappling with Lilah. The demoness still had some fight left, though the tears in her throat clearly afflicted her. She grabbed Juliet’s head and slammed it into the edge of the sunken circle.
Juliet’s growl was audible over the din. She gave Lilah a head-butt that would have stunned the toughest opponent. She followed up fast with the Dragon Claw, plunging the massive blade into the vampire’s chest.
The whole room fell silent, waiting. Lilah’s eyes were wide as saucers. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Her body convulsed and exploded, raining down atop Juliet in a shower of ash.
Relief filled me. My baby sister saved the day. I couldn’t have been more proud, even if I was bleeding out on the floor.
The remaining few vampires second-guessed their loyalty. They disengaged from combat with Jez and headed for the double doors. The sound of snarls and the snap of fangs came from outside the room, beyond my line of sight.
Just one demon remained. He knelt before Shya with head bowed. Tension eased from me, and I lay in Arys’s arms, ready for whatever came next. Arys, however, did not share that acceptance.
He pushed healing energy into me, targeting the deadly hole in my side. I was dizzy. The room spun, and I struggled to focus. I tried to speak Arys’s name, but nothing coherent came out. Maybe it was too late. Healing through energy manipulation has its limits. Perhaps I was beyond them.
A deep sadness hollowed out my insides. I didn’t want the next time I faced Shaz to be as a vampire. He would cease to be the mate that made my wolf ache; he would only be food.
The light seemed to dim, and my vision swam. I was vaguely aware of the small group that gathered around me. Jez spoke soothing words in low tones to Juliet. They were both ok, and I couldn’t have been happier.
“She’s not going to make it,” Willow spoke in a low, hushed tone. “It’s a mortal wound.”
“What about you? Can you do anything?” Arys’s plea dripped with emotion.
“I’m sorry. I wish I could.” Willow made a small sound of distress and eased away, trying to give Arys a respectful amount of space while I died in his arms.
My eyes closed, and the promise of escape drew near. The sound of my sister’s sobs was especially loud. I slipped further into the approaching black, finding release from the pain there. The voices grew distant.
The last thing I heard distinctly was Shya’s calm, disaffected tone. “There’s something I can do. You might not like it.”