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AT AN UNSEEN SIGNAL, one of the druids that was guarding Harrow began making his way closer to Morgwen. Spencer moved to intercept an ancient vampire and sliced his head off with his sword. The butler and his lackeys hurried after the lead druid, ready to offer him backup when the demon flicked a glower at them for holding back.
“This is it,” Quin said softly. “Von Hades is making his play.”
Stopping about twenty yards away from the witch, the lead druid reached into a pocket of his robe and pulled out a bowl. He’d already pre-mixed the enchantment and only had to add the final ingredient.
Morgwen focused on the sorcerer as he began mumbling the spell. Raising her hands, she sent a wave of electricity towards him. It passed through some wraiths harmlessly, but made her vampires and zombies jitter for a few moments before they recovered.
“He’s protected by strong barriers,” Jake said, eyeing the spells the rest of us couldn’t see.
The wave of electricity fizzled out when it hit the shield, but she was already throwing another spell at him. I was amazed at her sheer strength as Morgwen shot fire, ice, wind, earth and acid at the druid. His shields gave way beneath the barrage, but Harrow directed his minions to erect more.
Von Hades kept the undead at bay, flaming sword dripping with black blood. He watched his ancient nemesis with a predatory eye, confident that he would defeat her and come out the victor of this war.
Turning towards the portal, Morgwen sent a pulse of power at it. A dull black doorway formed, then the surface rippled as something came through it. Instead of a Dread Wraith in a black robe with a deep cowl, it was a skeletal looking animal. It was some sort of feline, with long fangs like a sabretooth tiger and a ridge of stiff fur running from its head down to its stubby tail. Clearly some kind of undead monster, bones showed through its mangy black fur. With a snarl, it leaped at the druids. Easily the size of a pony, it bounced off the shields they’d raised to protect themselves.
“What the hell are those things?” Brandi asked in disgusted horror as more and more of the undead animals came through the portal.
“I don’t know,” Jonah replied. “The Dread Wraith’s pets, maybe?”
We watched in fascination as the creatures swarmed towards the druids. Rattled around in their bubbles of protective shields, they fell to their knees, but grimly continued to protect the lead druid. Harrow was screaming orders, somehow managing to stay on his feet. His beady eyes were locked on the bowl that was clasped tightly in his lackey’s hand.
Hands shaking, the lead druid poured the dragon blood into the bowl and chanted. Gold light flared and he winced away from its brightness. More power pulsed inside the bowl and the sorcerer was already weak and drained. I knew he didn’t have the juice to finish it. So did Morgwen. She grinned in triumph and directed the undead cats to continue their assault.
Sensing that his minion was going to fail, Von Hades looked around in desperation. Spotting us, he looked directly at me. “This is our only chance to defeat her!” he shouted above the noise of battle. “If the spell fails, she will be victorious.” He swept his hand at the horde of Dread Wraiths, undead felines, vampires and zombies. “The entire world will be overrun with her minions. Do you really want that to happen?”
Falling to his knees, the lead druid chanted the final line of the spell. It drained his energy, stealing his lifeforce and sucking him dry so his body became a withered husk. It still wasn’t enough. Spencer roared in fury as the bowl hit the ground next to the wasted body of the sorcerer. The golden glow began to fade as the spell lost power.
Jake caught my eye and his expression was haunted. “Do it,” he said, knowing what I intended to do. “It’s the only way to defeat her,” he added.
Before Connor could try to stop me, I used my vampire speed to race over to the bowl. Harrow’s druids cast a protective shield around me as I snatched the vessel up. I poured my power into it and the gold light flared so brightly that it hurt my eyes.
Von Hades strode over to me, triumph blazing in his eyes. “You need to get close enough to Morgwen to toss the potion on her,” he told me. “I’ll keep her minions occupied.” At his nod, Harrow and his druids shuffled after us, desperately keeping us all shielded from the wraiths and their feline companions.
Feeling the witch’s stare on me, I locked eyes with her. She sent spell after spell at us, but couldn’t break through the barriers. Vampires and Zombies flocked to her along with Dread Wraiths and the cats. They were an impenetrable wall that we couldn’t pierce.
“You will never take my reaper from me,” Morgwen said with a crazed laugh. “I am the mistress of Death. I will make you my undead minions and use your bodies as my puppets!”
I cast a desperate look at my friends, seeking help as I continued to pour my strength into the spell. It was taking all of my concentration to keep it active and it was draining me far more rapidly than I’d expected.
“Move in!” Quin ordered, signaling our troops to attack. Ignoring the druids, hellhounds and gargoyles, the shifters streamed towards the undead army. Changing into their animal forms, the true shapeshifters tore into the vampires with centuries of rage and a desire for vengeance. Were-creatures couldn’t change without the full moon, but they fired their weapons and used knives to maim and destroy the vampires and zombies.
Dread Wraiths and their animal sidekicks attempted to use their deadly touch to cut our soldiers down. The belts I’d crafted for them protected them from instant death. While they couldn’t kill the dead that had invaded our world from another dimension, they kept them occupied just as they’d been ordered.
Morgwen’s triumphant grin was replaced with alarm, then panic when Spencer cut his way through to her. I followed him, trusting the demon to keep me alive simply because I was his only chance of defeating her. Rising up to loom over his mistress, the Grim Reaper glowered at us from beneath his hood.
Greg came forward, mirroring him. “Brother,” he intoned. “It is time for your bondage to the witch to come to an end.”
“No!” Morgwen said to me when I edged closer. “You are my creature. Where is your loyalty? You are allowing the demon to rule you. What do you think he intends to do with this world if he wins?”
“The same thing you intend to do with it,” I replied in a strained voice. “Invade, conquer and kill anyone who opposes him.”
Spencer grinned fiercely, not bothering to deny it. “Use the spell,” he commanded. “Once she has become separated from her reaper, I will ensure that her miserable life finally comes to an end.”
I was no longer his thrall and he didn’t have the power to compel me, but I didn’t have a choice. “Sometimes, it’s better the devil you know than the devil you don’t,” I said to Morgwen, then tossed the potion on her. Gold liquid splattered on her face and dripped down to stain her dress.
Sucking in a breath, the witch stared at me through wide blue eyes. Then she began to scream.
