It was almost noon by the time they parked on a logging road twenty miles away and further up into the mountains. Something wasn’t right. The hairs at the back of Brody’s neck stood on end.
Fallon and Robert led everyone through the forest. They both held their palms up in front of them. Little balls of light formed in their hands. Fallon’s were white, while Robert’s were tinged red. They flung them out in different directions.
Preston paused for the third time, closing his eyes as he took in a deep breath. “This way.” He nodded slightly to the right.
Clint frowned. “What the hell are you doing?”
Preston rolled his eyes to Clint. “Tracking magical energy. They’re smart enough to cover their scent but it’s nearly impossible to hide this many Other’s residual energy.”
“Wait,” Fallon called out.
Brody looked up to find several balls of light caught in thin air a dozen feet away.
Everyone stopped to stare.
Fallon smirked over at Preston. “Thought you said they were shielding hard?” She cupped her hands together and blew into them. Her hands spread out as colorful energy filled the space, forming a writhing ball of electricity.
“Wait, Robert,” she ordered, before pushing her hands outward, sending the spell at the shields. Just before the spell hit, she squeezed her eyes shut and threw her arm over her face.
Brody squinted as the dome lit up in crimson light. Cracks fissured out from the impact, spreading until the dome came down in shards that disintegrated as they fell.
“Show off,” Preston muttered. Fallon shot him a dirty look
“It may not be the only one.” Robert said. “We need to tread carefully. We don’t know who or what they have waiting for us.”
“Yeah,” Hayden said. “I know Others have been disappearing all over Washington the last few months. Things could get ugly.”
Fallon pushed forward, sending out the same balls of light.
A roar vibrated through Brody’s skull, something big and definitely feline. Then a series of roars echoed the first.
Slater tossed Fallon his keys. “Shift, now,” the alpha called. Brody hurried out of his clothes and shifted with the rest of the wolves, all of them took their half-man forms, completing the change in seconds.
Brody could hear the buzz of raw electricity and glanced over to see Fallon weaving a net of lightning between her hands. The mages had orbs of fire growing in their palms. The whole scene was surreal.
He watched the row of werecats prowl through the forest, all different species and in full beast form. There was a lion, several panthers, leopards, a couple cougars and even a few lynx. He was disappointed when he didn’t see the weretiger.
A large lion broke rank and charged Fallon. She shook her head, and flung her hands out, sending the electrical netting at the beast. The spell wrapped around him with enough force to send him rolling head over ass. The blue arcs of energy tightened over the lion’s body, making him writhe and his fur sizzle.
“Don’t get up, Damon. Save yourself the trouble,” she snarled and crouched down low as she pulled a glowing sword from her back.
Preston pulled his blade out and frowned at Fallon. “Why is yours bigger?” He held his up and raised a brow at her.
She winked back. “That’s what he said.”
Robert whipped up two fireballs. “Really, children. Focus.”
Hayden smirked as he pulled his glowing battle-axe from thin air.
Tom rolled his eyes and pulled out the two tomahawks that were hooked to his belt. “That big thing is just going to slow you down, Sheriff.”
“And you have no reach with those bitty things.” Hayden laughed.
“Whatever, boys.” Dacia pulled her own dagger out.
“That one cursed like the last?” Fallon asked quietly.
“Enchanted, cursed, whatever, but yes.” Dacia kept her eyes on the cat that prowled her way.
Brody counted twelve cats, including the one Fallon put down. He was free now and moving toward her. Stupid cat was making an awful racket like he was dying but his pain didn’t stop him from charging. Before Fallon could throw another spell, Brody sprang in front of her and took the beast down with a growl. Brody had his clawed hand clamped over the lion’s throat. “How does this end, Fallon?”
“Dumbass didn’t stay down. He’s enthralled. Just kill him.” There was no emotion in her voice.
Brody pushed his claws into Damon’s throat and tore him open. He didn’t think this cat was strong enough to heal the damage before he bled out.
The sounds of roars and howls echoed around him. The clang of blades against bone. Then he caught the scent of the tiger who tried to abduct Fallon. He turned and saw the half-man shape, with his black fur and gray stripes. There was a jagged scar across his abdomen. The bastard lunged toward Fallon, but she was busy with another cat. Brody launched himself at Isaac.
“Watch out!” Fallon yelled. He felt the prick in his chest and then his legs gave out as he went down. He saw Fallon charge past him, her sword swinging as the world faded away.
* * * *
Fallon heard the dart whistle past her face, and looked up to see the streak of indigo feathers heading right for Brody, but not fast enough to stop the damned thing. The dart caught Brody in the chest, and he fell. He was between her and Isaac. She swung the sword, beheading the cat who was toying with her, and turned to run at Isaac.
She leapt over Brody and threw her hand out, pushing all the energy she could summon at Isaac. He stumbled to his knees, and she slashed her blade across his chest, leaving a fresh flesh wound.
“You’re mine. You can’t be a dog’s bitch,” Isaac snarled.
“I was never yours.” She swung her blade out, but Isaac ducked low and shot up just after the sword passed over his head. He tackled her to the ground, and tried to throw the blade away, but it disappeared in a flash of light to meld back into her skin.
He wrapped his hand around her jaw and turned her head to growl in her ear, “Malachi wants your talent but he’s promised me your body.”
“You can’t have me,” she shouted, glancing at Brody. There was a lynx running for Brody. Dacia caught the cat around the chest. She threw him to the ground and leapt on top of him to slash open his throat before repeatedly stabbing the cat.
She could hear fighting but couldn’t see anyone else from where she was. She didn’t hear the mages. Shit was about to go downhill and fast. Isaac was powerful in his human form, but he was ridiculously strong as the beast.
“You can’t make me love you,” Fallon told him, and pushed at Isaac’s shoulders. He laughed coldly, running his hand up her side. The bastard could infect her if he scratched her in his beast form, but she wouldn’t allow that to happen. She reached for a blade, and he pinned her hand down.
“No. But I can make you wish you did.” He licked up her throat. She hated the scratch of the cat’s tongue, the brush of his fur against her skin, and those sharp teeth.
“You dislocated my leg last time,” she snarled, and got an arm free to punch him in his kidney. He grunted and pinned her wrist down with a knee. “You pull anything in that form and you’ll break me beyond use.”
“I’ll be careful not to break anything, but I want you in pain. I have to wait though. I promised Malachi he could watch right along with your pathetic mutt.”
“Are you really that fucking stupid?” she screamed, but she could barely move. “Malachi will never let you keep me. He’ll kill you if I don’t do it first. I’ll never be yours.”
“Oh, but you won’t have a choice. I’ll take what I can get at this point.”
“Go to hell.” She closed her eyes and pulled all the energy she could feel into her, focusing the power into lightning that she channeled into him.
Isaac grunted, and moved up enough to get his hands around her throat even his muscles twitched and jerked, but he held on. She clawed at his eyes, but he sat up and moved his face out of her reach while he strangled her into unconsciousness. She felt the dart in her side and the drug sweeping through her body. No, no, no, she screamed in her head as she faded.
* * * *
The cougar charged Dacia as she stepped away from the mutilated Lynx. As bloodthirsty as her father was, he’d be proud of the way she was fighting today. Dacia faded into the wind as the cougar went past her and reappeared on his back, cutting his throat out before he could get his bearings. That was three cats she had already destroyed, and most of the first twelve were down, but there were even more prowling through the woods.
Everything was going to hell. Dacia knew she couldn’t turn the tide in this battle. Brody was down and Fallon went down protecting Brody. Hating Fallon was harder than Dacia wanted to admit. The druid stepped up and taught them all how to fight, not to mention the way she protected Brody.
Slater was the last wolf to fall. Tomahawk kept trying to get back up even though he had a branch through his shoulder. Then there was Hayden who was still fighting, but he had four werecats trying to rip him open.
There was only one possible solution and it was risky. She knew no one trusted her, and after the way she acted the last week, she really couldn’t blame anyone but herself for that. She just hoped she could redeem herself with this act.
Dacia faded into the wind, letting her molecules disperse so she could watch the scene play out where no one would find her. She had no form this way, but she could see and hear everything. Now she just had to wait and watch where they took everyone, and come up with some brilliant solution to get everyone free.
Her attention went to Hayden and she was sorely tempted to help him. He moved with such powerful grace, swinging that huge axe. He cleaved the head clean off of one of the werelions and then took the leg off a leopard. His shirt was shredded and she could see his bronzed skin and rippling muscle covered in blood. He was a sight to behold
Watching him battle stirred something inside her. The man was everything she craved.
Her father ruined her opinion of all fae men. She was convinced they were all the same egotistical, uncaring assholes.
Hayden was suspicious as hell, but he was a good man. He took care of his friends. The more she thought about him, the she realized he would be a good match.
The pixies shot him full of darts and she watched as he fell. Her instinct screamed at her to rush in to his aid. She held herself in place, knowing that she needed to stay invisible, follow, and figure out a way to free them all. She hoped she could.
Maybe then Brody would forgive her, and Hayden would stop being so suspicious. She may be impulsive but she wasn’t evil. Edenton was her home. She wouldn’t let some assholes come in and destroy that.
The weretiger had to be Fallon’s ex. He picked her up and carried her away, whispering all the filthy things he wanted to do to her. What that piece of shit detailed infuriated Dacia. She needed to stop him before he got his claws into Fallon.
For now she stayed near the druid.
The living cats that were in relatively decent shape shifted back to gather up the rest of her people. They headed deeper into the woods as a group. Dacia was starting to wonder what the hell was going on, until they came to what looked like some kind of underground cellar entrance.
One of the injured cats pulled the doors open, and she floated above them as they went deeper into the tunnel. The rock walls gave way to what looked like catacombs. The halls were dug right into the rock with strange lamps holding eerie flames, lining the walls. Every so often, there were sturdy metal doors.
It looked like some kind of dungeon. What the hell were these tunnels doing in Washington?
Tom, Hayden, and four of the enforcers were dragged through an open heavy metal door with a small window. She followed and found cells lining the walls. Clint, Simons, Mark and Brian were dragged into the first cell lined in silver bars, and dumped unceremoniously to the floor. The cats walked out and locked the door.
Hayden and Tomahawk were taken to the cell across from them. They laid Tomahawk on a cot but didn’t bother to bind him in anyway. They probably figured with the branch in his shoulder, he wasn’t going anywhere.
They took more care with Hayden, propping his big body on a cot. One of the cats put ancient looking manacles around his wrists and ankles. As soon as they were locked, they started glowing with eerie red etching. She wasn’t sure, but the symbols looked like some kind of fae writing, but she had never learned to read any of the fae languages.
Now that she knew where half of her group was, she flew passed them to catch up with the rest of her people. They carried Fallon, Brody, Slater and the mages into another room lined with black candles, with a strange table in the middle and piles of chains against the wall. Most of the cats stayed, so she went back to see what she could do for Tomahawk.
Her father taught her enough about fae toxins that she knew most of them would be asleep for at least a few hours. Werewolves have ridiculously high metabolism and the more powerful they were, the faster they would burn off the effects. Some shaman were resistant to toxins, but she wasn’t sure if that went for fae ones. She bet Hayden would be the first one to wake up. Earth fae naturally burned through all toxins quickly.
No one stayed to guard them, so she took her shape inside Tomahawk’s cell. She could feel the wards in the walls, and she knew she didn’t want to trip any alarms, so she had to be careful.
She cut away Tom’s shirt and tore the fabric into strips. Then she managed to pull the branch free. Thankfully, the shaft was straight and narrow, so she was able to pack the wound and tie the rest of the strips into a makeshift bandage. She couldn’t risk using her magic to heal Tom, so she left him and moved on to Hayden. Then she would do what she could for the wolves.
* * * *
The drip, drip, drip of water pounded in his head. Hayden was slumped to the side on a lumpy cot. He opened his eyes and found himself in what looked like a stone cell. The door had iron bars which wasn’t a problem for Hayden but would be for Dacia. He slowly sat up and looked around.
Tomahawk lay on the other cot, pale and sweaty. His t-shirt was torn into strips and wound around his shoulder like a bandage.
Hayden tried to stand and didn’t get very far. Looking down, he saw his hands and feet shackled with enchanted irons. Iron wasn’t the issue, but the enchantments were. Knowing better, he tried to pull the chains apart, but they held.
He felt like he was being watched, but Tom was passed out on the next cot. The wolves were all asleep in the other cell. There was no one there, no one he could see. He tried to at least pull the chains from the wall, but he couldn’t do that either. He did feel the strain of a bandage against a slice in his ribs.
Someone had torn his shirt into strips to bandage him. If the Dales had treated them, they would have used real bandages. So someone was helping them who shouldn’t be there.
“Dacia? Are you here?” he whispered harshly. She was fighting, and then just disappeared during the battle. He thought she had switched sides. Was she helping? That was out of character.
He took another look at the wolves, and they were bandaged as well. What in the abyss was that woman trying to do? Get herself caught? He hoped she had some kind of plan, because he couldn’t see a way out of the mess from his end.