“You fear me.” Her gaze landed on mine, and her irises were like tides washing over a clear sea. “That makes me satisfied. I have been planning this for longer than humans have inhabited these lands. Look around you.” The bokor’s body awkwardly swept a bony arm outward, her robe riding up to expose no more than a skeleton covered in skin. The loa’s voice sounded hollow in her host’s throat the more she spoke. “This is my world. It’s a place where the Earth collides with the spirit realm at a perfect apex. In the beginning, I filled it with water and beasts to keep the humans out, but they have wound their way back in. So now I must cloak myself within these trees so none discover me. But I have been patient all these years, biding my time, knowing that soon I will be free again. Free to roam the Earth as I did once long ago.”
I pretended to be devastated by the news that she wanted to rise again, which likely had something to do with me. My eyes were downcast as I drew slowly closer to Naomi, the spells still in each of my hands. This loa was clearly out of touch with reality. She must’ve lived in this swamp for hundreds of years, not doing much of anything. In order to keep her thinking I was interested while I figured out how to take apart the altar, I asked, “If you’ve been waiting all these years for me to set you free, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. I’m not here to grant your wish. In fact, just the opposite.” At the same time, I lobbed the spells down in front of me, shouting the Latin words in unison.
They exploded in a cloud of black and green smoke as I dove for Naomi.
I skidded across the altar, scooping her body along with me as I went. The iron shackles snapped on impact, and they came sailing along with us as I landed on the ground, cradling an unconscious Naomi in my arms.
That’s when I saw him.
I knew it wasn’t Danny, but my heart rose in my throat anyway. The body was prone in the soil in front of the altar, right where the bokor had stood. His hair was the same dark shade as Danny’s and he had a similar build. I knew he was one of my father’s wolves, and when his scent hit me full force I swallowed, biting back my human emotions.
I had to stay focused. There was nothing I could do for him now.
The rabid wolves strained at their leashes, snapping and gnashing their teeth. They must be tethered there because the bokor couldn’t control them when she was ridden. But it was only a guess.
I tucked Naomi against the side of the altar, as far away as I could get from any of the wolves, and stuck my head up. Marcy had cast a spell right after I’d thrown mine. She said we’d get three minutes if we were lucky. I now had a protection spell five feet around me and if both spells had worked, the bokor was stunned. It didn’t bode well that she wasn’t standing where she’d been, but I had to trust she was down for at least a moment. The air was dense with smoke and I had to act now.
Marcy wanted carnage, and I was going to give it to her.
I leapt over the altar in my Lycan form, destroying and upturning everything I could get my hands on. My claws raked away huge hunks of mud and twigs, while my legs exploded the bowl and sent the knife and anything that touched me sailing. I swiped at candles lining the circle, slicing them in half, destroying more bowls that had been placed on a small table with my fists. As the smoke from the spell began to clear, a laugh swept by my ear. You think I’m a child who can be felled so easily by a simple spell? Think again. The loa crashed into my stomach, sending me hurtling backward in the air.
I gasped as I hit the ground. “You were forced out of your host. I take that as a win.” I’d landed within a hairsbreadth of a wolf, and without hesitation I drew my knife and plunged it into its brain.
A scream pierced the air.
My head shot up and I spotted Marcy standing over the bokor on the other side of the circle. I leapt up and ran toward them. “What happened?” I asked. “Why is she down?”
“She’s weak. The loa took all her strength. But she’s trying to access her wolves. She must have connected to one of them right as you killed it.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Then we need to keep our advantage going. Your spells worked like champs. They forced the loa out and weakened the bokor. That’s more than I’d hoped for.” I turned, glancing at the remaining wolves. There were some who were still rabid and uncontrolled, straining their leashes like they were trying to get out of their skin to get to us. But others had calmed and seemed to be assessing me with intent.
The bokor was grappling for control but was too weak to take over all their minds. I bolted toward the wolves I knew she was puppeteering, striking them down quickly.
She shouted and writhed on the ground in obvious pain.
Marcy called, “I’ll take the wolves on this side—”
“No!” I yelled as Marcy flew backward, arms flailing. Her eyes were wide as her mouth gasped for air.
Something had her by the throat.
It had to be the loa. I dug my hand into the pouch as I ran, withdrawing another spell. I couldn’t remember what color did what, but I knew the word to use. This one was orange and I shouted, “Irrata!” as I threw it down on the ground.
It exploded in a burst around us.
The power of the spell shot me backward and I crashed into a totem pole, luckily not one with a wolf attached. I was back at Marcy’s side in an instant, thick orange smoke lingering in the air. She was rubbing her neck and coughing, still trying to catch her breath.