Werewolves Be Damned

Chapter Twenty-Three


Nexi would’ve bet money she smelled smoke lingering in the air, and she’d bet even more money that it was the leftovers of her insides that had been scorched beyond repair. The pain, which had rendered her incapacitated, slowly eased, the fire blessedly extinguishing.

She noticed pressure around her temples that she figured was death coming to get her. Then her logical self realized it couldn’t be death since she held coherent thoughts. After a moment, the pressure eased, and she recognized that someone held onto her head.

Peeking open an eye, and with a little effort, she focused her vision.

Zia was kneeling beside her with her hands on Nexi’s head. Not only was that sight odd, but Zia was also drenched in sweat, convulsing terribly. Nexi might’ve been more inclined to help her if she hadn’t remembered what had happened. Panic enveloped her, forcing a scream out of her throat, “Kyden.”

“I’m here, Álainn.”

Nexi attempted to raise her head to find him, since he’d called from a distance, but she couldn’t move. Her body seemed to be glued to the grass, or weighed down by some power that she couldn’t see but could definitely feel.

She gave up trying to look for him when fingers squeezed hers. Forcing herself, she opened the other eye, discovering Haven on the other side of her, holding onto her hands. Even if Nexi couldn’t presently feel Haven’s tight emotions through their bond—which was odd considering she always sensed Haven—she spotted the worry hidden behind Haven’s smile.

“What happened?” Nexi asked, her voice dry and scratchy.

Before Haven could answer, Zia yanked her hands away, exhaling roughly. Leaning back on her legs, she wiped the sweat from her brow, then attempted to fix her normally perfect hair which now looked like something from the eighties. “Good heavens.” She winked, her baby blue eyes sparkling. “That was much harder than I anticipated.”

Nexi frowned, ready to get some questions answered, when suddenly a loud howl startled her. She lifted her head, realizing whatever Zia had been doing was the culprit, since she also sensed Haven’s concern through the bond now. Looking at the scene in around her, Nexi was convinced she wasn’t seeing things right.

Kyden stalked toward a wolf, which had a mini-tornado whipping around his body. With a determination that was more than duty—revenge oozed from him—he raised his sword, stabbing down, and with a twist the wolf dropped dead.

Gritting her teeth, Nexi pushed up onto her elbow and scanned her backyard, noticing that all the wolves had the same wind encasing them, and that Kyden wasn’t the only one offing them. Talon and Finn were also working their way around the yard, killing the wolves, one by one.

She got a good few seconds to look before her arm gave out and she lay back on the grass, staring up at the starry sky. Turning her head, she asked Zia, “What happened to them?”

“That’s your Air magic. Your wind is trapping them.” Zia smiled, continuing to fix her hair, as if this was everyday business. “Anger can trigger magic, and by the looks of things, you were very angry.”

“Bad time for a joke,” she muttered.

Nexi found nothing about this amusing. She’d be better off dead. More than exhausted, she was utterly spent. But the pungent scent of death filling the air around her added to her relief, knowing protection had come.

Starring up at the stars, she welcomed the reprieve. She had no idea how much time passed as she watched the clouds sweep over the moon when a face filled her vision, making things even better.

Kyden knelt down next to her and took her head in his hands, brushing his thumbs over her cheeks. His expression filled with tenderness as he leaned in, then he sealed his mouth over hers. She barely had the strength to kiss him back. But nothing else mattered except that they were reunited, safe, and belonged only to each other.

Through his kiss and the firm set of his lips, she read the heady emotions raging inside of him but eventually, he backed away. His expression screamed victory as he handed her her sword. “Finish it.”

Confused by what he meant, she lifted her head, and his intent became perfectly clear. There wasn’t a single wolf left in the yard, only one supernatural remained who didn’t belong—Lazarus.

Mine to kill…

She struggled to her feet, Kyden assisting her, and snorted. “Man, this is worse than a hangover.”

“Your magic has drained you,” Zia explained, gathering Nexi’s hand. “You’ll feel better once it’s restored and the levels have settled. I’ll help you so you can deal with Lazarus, but a warning: you’ll need to be quick. My assistance won’t last long.”

A sudden jolt of energy exploded inside of Nexi, rejuvenating her. Now able, she released Zia’s hand and moved out of Kyden’s hold. Drawing in a deep breath, elated to be free of the retched exhaustion, she approached Lazarus, who stood by one of the big oak trees.

With each step she took, she noticed how weak he looked, pitiful even, as he stood frozen, unable to run away. A coward had to cage his victims to defeat them. She was no coward. “I won’t end his life this way.” Glancing over her shoulder, she asked Zia, “Is there a way to unfreeze him?”

“Of course.” Zia approached in slow measured steps. “But that power rests in you alone. Your emotions are so tightly wrapped around him that you need to free yourself—calm down—before the spell will break.”

Nexi rolled her eyes. “Supernatural talk is so damn confusing. Do you care to explain how I’m supposed to do what you suggested?”

Kyden yanked her into his strong arms, and his eyebrow arched. “I’ve got the perfect cure for such a problem.” Then his mouth crushed against hers in a kiss to stop time, as he tangled his fingers into her hair.

Heat flared between them, tongues twirled, and passion weakened Nexi’s knees. Drawing closer to him, she allowed his body to cradle her, and moaned against his lips. How he kissed her now was different, not gentle and careful. He stole the kisses right out of her mouth. Now he handled her like a man intent to devour.

Talon cleared his throat. “Kyden, she’s relaxed enough.”

Soft laughter filled the air around her, but Nexi paid it no attention, staying focused on Kyden as he leaned away. He brushed his nose against hers, his eyes blazing. “Go and end this. Let’s go home.”

She nodded, then turned to Lazarus, discovering he hadn’t moved an inch, her mini-tornado still encaging him. “What am I missing?” To Zia, she asked, “I thought you said if I relaxed it would release him?”

“No, I said you needed to relax first, then you could release him.” Zia folded her arms, regarding Nexi. “You had the power within you to freeze him. Therefore, you have the power within you to undo it. Trust yourself. You’ll know what to do.”

Was Zia nuts? “Might I remind you, I haven’t learned how to do this, yet.”

“You did it already.” Zia lifted a lazy shoulder with an air of indifference. “Just…do it again, but remember he has the ability to vanish. Don’t let him.”

Where was a magical instruction manual when needed?

Having no idea what to do, Nexi shut her eyes and focused on what she wanted, seeing that Zia didn’t plan to help her anymore than she had. Perhaps it was as simple as Zia suggested. She’d done it before. She could do it again.

Concentrating on what she wanted, she pictured in her mind unfreezing Lazarus enough so he could move, but that her magic erased his powers. Almost like a big bubble around him, keeping him bound to the backyard.

After a few breaths, she noted her body pulsed with energy like it had before she was burned alive, only this time it seemed easier to manage. The warmth flowing through her wasn’t overwhelming, but balmier. Her skin tingled slightly as her magic started to build and rise deep within her soul.

The heat grew steadily within her—not wicked hot like before—and it tickled, as it spread over her body. When the sensation centered in her chest, she had the real sense she wasn’t using the full force of her magic, but she was grateful Zia had put some sort of control on her.

She definitely didn’t trust herself.

Lazarus sucked in a harsh breath and Nexi smiled, knowing whatever she’d done had worked. But what had she done? Pictured it in her mind and that’s how it all worked? Was this a visual thing for her magic to ignite? She really didn’t know, and she honestly didn’t care at the moment.

The why and how weren’t important. The only thing that mattered: ending this with Lazarus tonight.

Opening her eyes, she caught sight of Lazarus rocking on his heels as if he tried to vanish, but her magic held strong. She approached and, once settled in front of him, she stared up into his face.

His malicious eyes didn’t hold half the strength and arrogance she’d seen before. “You know, there’s nothing special about you. You’re just a vampire who has done some seriously cruel things. Things you can never be forgiven for.”

Surprisingly, she found her emotions were in a far different place than they had been when she arrived tonight. “I thought when I had you here I’d want you to suffer for all the pain you’ve caused me. Now, I’m not doing this for me. I’m doing this for all the lives you’ve stolen.”

With her magic awakened and flaring inside, she drew on the warmth coursing through her blood. “My only hope is that wherever you go from here, those you’ve wronged will be there waiting for you.”

Perhaps Zia was right—her magic was natural and she only needed to trust in it, because she didn’t doubt herself. The burning sensation from before announced its presence again, even if she felt more in control now.

Focusing on that single sensation, she pulled on Fire. Heat warmed her palms, guiding her how to use the Element. Dropping her sword, she raised her hands and demanded Fire to release, and flames instantly surrounded her hands, as loud gasps sounded behind her.

She remained focused on the fire rushing from her palms, a bit surprised it didn’t hurt. The flames pulsed light blue, heightened by orange swirling lines. But the moment the magic connected with Lazarus, purple flames erupted over his torso and spiraled around him.

Nexi blinked once, then all that remained of the terrible nightmare was a pile of ash at her feet. She blinked again, stunned how fast it all went down. Here, one second. Gone, the next. “It’s done. He’s dead.”

When silence at her back remained, she turned to face the others, greeted by astonished expressions. “What?”

“You killed him?” Haven exclaimed.

Nexi glanced at the ash on the ground—yes, very dead—then she turned to Haven again, feeling the shock rushing through her soul sister. “The problem with this is…?”

Zia’s eyes twinkled. “You killed him without touch.”

She shifted on her feet, feeling like a spotlight was beaming down on her head, and she shrugged. “I figured Tillie would’ve done something like that. It seemed only right to end his life with my magic instead of my sword.” She turned to Kyden, and even his eyes held a slight sparkle, causing her to gape. “For cripe’s sake, why are you all looking at me like that? Have I done something wrong?”

Kyden closed the distance, and pulled her against the hard planes of his body. “Not something wrong. It’s just–”

Zia butted in with a small smile. “Using fire defensively is an unusual gift to obtain from the Elements.” Talon and Finn stepped in next to her, and she added, “Those who do possess Fire train hard to control it and you didn’t seem to have a problem using yours.” Her head tilted, and Nexi didn’t overly enjoy Zia’s scrutiny. “What were you thinking of when you did that?”

“That you were right—it did feel natural.”

A soft cough drew her attention to the right. Her spirits soared even higher as she took in Valor’s smile as he approached with Briggs at this side. Without a single hesitation in her mind and so grateful she could barely breathe, she ran into his arms.

He tensed at first—clearly, the Patriarch didn’t offer many hugs— but then he softened and wrapped his arms around her, overwhelming her with his woodsy scent. “Thank you so much,” she whispered. “Without you, the wolves wouldn’t have told us anything…I’ll never forget it.”

Valor hugged her tight. “I’m glad to see you’re safe.”

Pushing out of his arms, she stared up into his warm eyes. Considering how she was introduced to werewolves, it surprised her where her thoughts took her, and even more what she was about to offer next. “Anytime you need my help, you only need to ask.”

His nod was slow, gracious. “I appreciate that, but I hope this is the end to your troubles.”

She snorted. “Me too…”

The world suddenly spun, cutting her off mid-sentence. Valor reached out for her, but Kyden caught her first, gathering her into his arms. She nuzzled her head against his bare, warm chest, as exhaustion quickly overtook her. Zia’s magic had clearly worn off.

Without a word to anyone else, Kyden headed toward the front yard, apparently to the portal Talon and Zia had traveled through to get into Carson City. Nexi scanned over her family home, suspecting this would be the last time she’d come here.

Eventually people would stop looking for her and a for sale sign would go up on the lawn. A new family would move in and her past would be a faint memory, nothing more. A life so different than the one she lived now, it would seem to have belonged to someone else.

Once they cleared the house and headed toward the front yard, Kyden grumbled something incoherent. His arms tensed around her, and she raised her head to meet a stern expression. “Now that this is over, you will answer my question.” He hesitated, and when she didn’t respond—since she hadn’t a clue what the question was—his eyebrow arched. “Why did you come here to fight Lazarus…alone?”

She sighed. “Oh, that’s a simple answer, really.” Pouring into her expression all the emotions that she had experienced when she had discovered Lazarus had taken him, she said, “I came because love you.”

He froze mid-step, pure warmth seeping into his features. “Álainn.”

That’s when her body decided enough was enough, and that handsome face blurred…