Awakening the Fire (Guardian Witch #1)

CHAPTER Thirty-Three

She opened one eye. Tan walls. Ari lay on a sofa in a room she had never seen before. Her arm was bandaged—again—and a damp cloth covered her forehead. She opened the other eye. Andreas sat on the arm of the sofa talking to someone she couldn’t see without sitting up. She wasn’t sure she was ready to do that.

Events and images flooded back. The deafening gunfire, the blood, the bodies. What had the vampires thought of the carnage throughout the compound? Jeez, Ari, she chided herself. They’re vampires. Tame stuff to them.

She stretched her arm to see how bad it was. Andreas immediately crouched at her side.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“Ready for another round,” she said in a feeble stab at humor.

“Well, isn’t she the bloodthirsty one,” Carmella said from somewhere above her. “And they think we’re bad.”

There it was again, that vampire issue with humor. Before Ari thought of a suitable response, she heard Carmella walk away.

Andreas looked at Ari, his face unreadable. “Your magic woke me,” he said. It almost sounded like an accusation. “An overwhelming sense of danger jolted me awake. Your magic filled the room, and I saw the wolves outside the chamber door. Outside,” he repeated, as if she might have missed it the first time. “What kind of a witch are you?”

Ari stared at his face, saw the tension, even the alarm in his eyes. But no one could wake a vampire. Could they? Or do the things he was suggesting. “What are you talking about?”

He raised an incredulous brow. “You woke me from the sleep cycle, Arianna. And now you say you don’t know how?”

Ari frowned. “I don’t, uh, I mean, I didn’t…do anything. Whatever happened, whatever got you up, it wasn’t me.”

“And the image of the wolves? How do you explain that?”

Wide-eyed, she just shook her head. “I can’t. How do you explain it? This is your deal, not mine.”

He started to say something but seemed to change his mind when voices reached them from the hallway. “This is not a good time, but we shall discuss this later.”

Yeah. Like never. She had a hard enough time coping with the tangible things, like killer wolves with Uzis.

She struggled to sit up and winced when she bumped the arm. Painful, but not too bad. With her constitution she should be fine by the end of the week.

Andreas soon dashed that hope. “The bone was splintered. It may need special treatment to heal properly. Should we find something for the pain?”

“No, I’m good for now,” she said. “Tell me about my team. I want to see them.”

“Everyone survived, and their injuries will heal. Lilith and Russell are down the hall licking their wounds. Mike morphed into his human persona and—”

“Is he a black wolf?” Ari interrupted, remembering the wolf who helped her in the tunnels.

“Yes, and very large. He left to look for Benny.” At her frown he added, “We think Benny is still trailing Sheila.”

“She got away?”

“Mike saw her and a gray wolf leave by the front door, right after you entered the tunnel. Benny went after them.”

Ari snorted. “She left before the fight was over? Some leader. And the rest of her pack?”

“Seven dead, one captured. We believe ten or twelve were inside the compound. The chopper pilot took off when Lilith and Russell climbed onto the roof.”

“So Sheila and two or three others are still out there.”

“At least,” he said. “We do not have a good count. Sheila may have new recruits who were waiting outside. I hope Benny will return with a more accurate count—and a current location.”

“They’ll be long gone. Probably in that chopper,” Ari said in disgust. “And trying to get out of the country with Victor dead.”

“But they cannot know that yet,” Andreas argued. “It is too early. We should have another hour or two before he is late enough they become alarmed.”

Ari couldn’t stand the thought of Yana’s killer escaping. But in Sheila’s place, Ari would head for the hills, or in this case, home to Canada. Hell, the she-wolf had already run out on her pack. Why would she hang around? Unless she needed time to heal.

Ari heard voices at the door. Andreas straightened his tall frame and left to see what was causing the commotion. She felt strangely disoriented, touched the large lump on her forehead, and wondered if her brains had been scrambled. What had Andreas been talking about? What really happened those last moments deep in the tunnels? She didn’t have long to think about it, as Andreas returned, reporting Mike had checked in, without Benny. He’d been unable to find the missing werelion.

Now Ari had something worth worrying about. Benny had sense enough not to take on the werewolves alone, but what if they discovered he was tracking them? He could have been ambushed, outnumbered three to one.

She pushed off the couch. So far so good. She waved off Andreas’s offer to help. Enough coddling. She brushed past him and was headed out the door when he reached out a hand to stop her. He drew back at the last moment, as if he was reluctant to touch her.

“Arianna, I meant to thank you. Would have earlier, except I was…ah, distracted. You saved the prince. We owe you.”

Ari turned around, shaking her head. “I was just doing my job. But we’re not done yet. First, we find Benny, then the remaining wolves. You want to thank me? Just keep your promise. It’s not over until the last wolf is dead or in custody.” She turned on her heel and left the room.

After checking on the lions, she walked into the security offices. Mike was in the kitchen frying bacon and eggs. Someone had done a good job of cleaning the mess; the table and three chairs were back in place, the broken furniture was gone, and the floor had been scrubbed. Of course the walls were still riddled with bullet holes. Her derringer, knife, and bag of potions lay on the kitchen table. Once Ari reloaded her pistol and pocketed the rest, she felt better with her arsenal back in place. She poked her head in the surveillance room. It was going to take a lot more work in there. The monitors and screens were gone, presumably shattered.

Ari checked the time on her cell phone. She’d give the missing lion another half hour. Then she intended to lead a search party.

Benny hobbled in twenty minutes later, his arms and legs covered with bites, claw marks, and blood. Mike and Andreas tended to his wounds while Ari and Lilith huddled over him, firing questions.

“This all happened before I left here,” he muttered. “I’m all right. But if Ari and Lilith want to check me out, go for it. You dudes, get your hands off. They have first dibs.”

That’s when Ari knew he’d be fine. If Benny could flirt, he wasn’t hurt too badly.

Basking in the attention, he spun out every detail of his lengthy absence. It boiled down to the wolves splitting up, doubling back and taking every precaution to shake off pursuers before vanishing into their latest hidey-hole.

“So where are they?” Ari demanded.

“Under the city. They’re in the caverns.”

The caverns. The officially unexplored labyrinth of tunnels and caves under Riverdale were extensive. Carved by Mother Nature and enhanced by native Indians and possibly smugglers, the cave system eventually become the sole territory of the Otherworlders. Under the most recent treaties, it belonged to the vampires. The choice of hideout must have been Victor’s. A good idea under most circumstances. No one knew their way through the secret passages. Well, no one except the vampires. When vampires were hunting you, it wasn’t a smart place to be.

* * *

Within minutes of Benny providing the directions, Ari and seven companions—Mike, Andreas, Carmella and four other vampires—were on their way. Lucien and the werecats had stayed to guard the prince. At the last minute Andreas tried to convince Ari to stay behind, citing her wounded arm. He dropped the attempt when she grabbed her leather jacket and headed for the door. Injured or not, Ari was determined to go, with or without him. This was her fight too.

The trip to the cavern opening was mostly in silence. The only discussion was about the enemy numbers. Benny had followed three. Adding the pilot, there were at least four, and an unknown number of reinforcements. Ari wasn’t worried about handling the wolves, no matter how many they found. She wanted to be sure no one slipped away this time.

The caverns on the Mississippi River cliffs were high above the river. No stairs on this side. No paths. One by one the hunting party slipped over the edge and inched down the rocks. Ari’s fingers and feet searched for holds on the slick, cold surface. The splashing of the water on jagged banks below was a reminder how bad a slip would be.

The vamps led the way, dropping from one crumbly ledge to the next. With her weakened arm, Ari’s drops were often clumsy, blindly hoping she’d find a solid landing below her feet and not a long plunge into an icy grave. To the vamps this cliff climbing was old stuff, and Mike’s special ops skills were almost their equal. Ari found the trip more challenging. Once Andreas, and a second time Mike, gave her a hand. Ari hated it, but she’d do whatever it took to be there.

They stopped on a ledge barely a foot wide. The surface was slimy. When her feet slipped, Ari clung to a crack in the surface. The edge dropped straight down. The river was louder now, angrily smacking against the rocks.

Andreas whispered in her ear. “Are you able to continue?”

“Yes, fine. How soon?”

“Not much farther. I’ll take the lead. Stay close.”

He eased past her. They began to move again, stopping only minutes later in front of a large, dark opening. The entrance to the caverns.

They crowded inside. Carmella and the four vamps disappeared. When they returned, she nodded to Andreas.

“We can go in now,” he said in a low voice. “The first two sentries have been eliminated.”

They filed in, two or three at a time. Carmella and Andreas led the way, followed by Ari, Benny, and Mike, with the four vamps guarding the rear.

At first progress was painfully slow, as each side passage was checked. Once the wolves’ path was certain, the hunting party moved quickly. The deeper they went, the cooler it became. Ari shivered, even in her leather jacket. No one else noticed the temperature change.

As the passage became narrow, they used their hands to feel the way. Ari’s fingers grew icy, and she rubbed them for warmth. She peered ahead, hoping to see or hear something soon. The sound of dripping water was the only accompaniment to the quiet passage of their feet. The darkness was impenetrable. Even with Ari’s night vision and the rare flicker of a penlight in tricky places, the absence of light was challenging. And creepy.

A dim glow appeared ahead, and they came to a halt. Ari saw two distant figures moving beyond the light. The only approach was through a series of two passages lit by flaming torches on both sides, a defense against vampire attacks. The passages were narrow. Even sliding sideways, the chances of being burned or singed were high. While the flames were uncomfortable for Mike and Ari, they were a major problem for the vampires. There was no such thing as a minor burn for a vamp.

Ari felt the unease ripple through the vampires. One mistake and the hapless vamp would be cinders. Even Carmella and Andreas were not immune, although they showed no outward discomfort. They were better at hiding it.

Ari nudged Mike, pointed ahead, and they crept toward the passage.

Andreas came up on her right. “Do you have a plan?”

“Yes,” she breathed. “Let us take care of this.”

Andreas pulled back, and Ari unsheathed her dagger. Catching on, Mike produced his military issue. “You know how to throw that thing?” she asked.

Mike grinned.

Their backs flat against the cave wall, they inched forward and through the first passage without serious burns or being noticed by the sentries ahead. Ari thought they were now close enough for reasonable accuracy. She checked for the wolves’ current locations but saw only one. The male wolf looked bored, standing with one foot on a rock, so he could lean on his knee. Finally she located the second wolf, squatting near a small fire, a coffee cup in one hand, a cigar in the other. Easy marks for gunfire, but that would alert the others who must be somewhere nearby.

“We’ll only have one chance.”

Mike lifted his blade. It winked in the torchlight. “I’ll take the cigar.”

“OK,” Ari whispered. “Now.”

Two slivers of metal flashed through the second passage and across the intervening space. Each found its mark. Mike sped forward, knocking down torches as he went. Ari doused all but one torch in the passage behind her. By the time Mike had checked the sentries to make certain they were dead, the vampires had come safely through the passes. Mike returned Ari’s dagger with a conspiratorial grin.

Four down. And still they hadn’t seen Sheila. Wolf energy permeated the air. Excited by the blood, the younger vampires were edgy, pupils dilated. When a voice called from the farther caves, the hunting party froze. Knowing they were about to be discovered, they took the offensive and rushed forward. They rounded a sharp corner and abruptly entered a large, open chamber.

A male werewolf walked toward them, barely fifteen feet away. Sheila and another male crouched beside a second campfire. A third was stirring what smelled like beef stew in a cooking pot. Three figures wrapped in blankets appeared to be asleep. Seven, Ari thought. More than expected.

The male in their path gave a startled cry, rousing his companions, and unleashing an uproar. The vampires poured into the room. One of the werewolves grabbed an Uzi and fired at them. He was still firing when they swarmed over him. Some of the wolves tried to escape into side tunnels. The vamps gave chase, and the wolves didn’t get far.

Sheila and two companions fled deeper into the cavern. Blood singing with magical rage, Ari hurled witch fire toward the retreating figures. Red and gold tentacles of flame arced across the room, just missing the she-wolf as she dodged around a corner. The wolf next to her wasn’t as lucky. He burst into flames. His screams bounced around the walls until Mike shot him. The second wolf retreated from the fire, running straight into Carmella. She sent him flying across the room with one flick of her hand.

When the witch fire hit the wall, the explosion took out a large section of rock. Chunks crashed to the floor, shattering into small projectiles. The damp walls sizzled with steam. Ari stood in the middle of the cavern, staring at the fire, which hadn’t died on impact. Glowing fingers spread over the rocky surfaces as if it had a will of its own.

The vampires hung back, staying clear of the deadly reaching flames. Ari shrugged off her fascination and sprinted after Sheila. The flames followed, slithering across the walls and the top of the cavern.

“What the hell is that?” Mike said.

Ari’s sentiments exactly. But she’d worry about it later. Her priority was Sheila and making sure she didn’t escape.

But Sheila wasn’t going anywhere. She’d boxed herself in. The side chamber, though large, went nowhere. Ari stepped into the entrance, blocking the way. Sheila fired a handgun from her sheltered position behind a large rocky protrusion, and Ari dropped to the floor, returning fire with her derringer.

The fire swept into the room, raced across the ceiling, fingers dipping down the wall and forming a circle on the floor, surrounding Sheila. Tails of flame flickered around the encircled wolf like dozens of tiny, malevolent lizards. A hundred eyes within the flames turned to watch Ari. Waiting. For what she wasn’t sure. Orders? Recognition?

Suddenly, she did recognize them. Mythical creatures come to life. The ancient salamanders. She felt a surge of pure power. The fire spirits were awaiting her order to devour the wolf. It was exhilarating and terrifying. Her heart pounded like a thousand drums. The magic filled Ari, threatening to burst through her skin.

When Sheila moved, drawing her attention, Ari laughed, a strangely hollow sound. She was nearly drunk on power. And just because she could do it, she summoned a lesser magic, a child’s magic, and took Sheila’s gun away.

Thought to deed, heart’s desire; with this thought, I shall acquire.

Bewilderment spread across the she-wolf’s face as she looked at her empty hand and watched the weapon reappear in Ari’s hand.

Sheila stood helpless before her. Ari smelled the sweaty stench of the she-wolf’s dawning fear—and liked it. “You should have left my friend alone.” Ari’s voice was soft, almost conversational.

“It is our way,” Sheila said. “An eye for an eye. It’s the code.”

“Yana was an innocent.”

“She was a casualty of war.”

Ari laughed. “What war? Sebastian’s? You were only a pawn in a vampire game.”

Small, furry tufts appeared on the backs of Sheila’s hands.

“You really think I’m going to let you shift?” Ari nodded toward the wolf’s hands and tossed the gun aside. She stared into the eyes of the fire, focused her magic, and ordered the spirits to leave.

There was an instant puff of steam and smoke. The cave darkened as the flames went out, leaving a fallen penlight as the only illumination. Sheila tried to run. Ari leaped forward, the dagger in her hand and tackled the wolf. Sheila fell with a hard thud on the rock floor, Ari on her back. Sheila reached back, snagged Ari’s hair, tearing at it until they rolled. But Ari came up on top, straddling the wolf’s chest. Breathing hard, she stared into the face of Yana’s killer, relishing the moment of triumphant, and raised the dagger.

And then she hesitated.

The world slowed, flipping frame by frame, as Ari struggled with her inner demons. She wanted this. A voice said no. The she-wolf smiled.

Then Ari was roughly yanked away. Andreas reached down and snapped the she-wolf’s neck with a powerful twist.

Reality bent. And snapped. Ari’s blood boiled with primitive rage. He’d stolen her kill. She sprang toward him. He turned, his lips drawn back, exposing white fangs.

Ari jolted to a halt and backed away, nearly falling over her own feet. Anguish clawed at her chest as the impact of the situation hit her. Her throat tightened, a scream stuck there. She and the vampire were ready to kill each other over the rights to take an enemy life. An unarmed woman. Ari raised a hand as if to ward off the truth and noticed the dagger still clutched in her fist. Shocked, she opened her fingers, and the blade clattered to the cave floor.

She looked at him. His dark eyes were hooded, a black curl had fallen across his forehead. The fangs were gone.

“Arianna.”

“Stay away from me,” she hissed. She whirled and ran as if all the demons of hell were at her heels. And maybe they were.