| |
––––––––
JAKE’S BULLET HIT THE blade of the jade dagger and the stone shattered. I called the pieces to me with the telekinesis spell, then sent the shards spinning off in multiple directions into the trees. Spencer’s head snapped towards us, eyes glowing green in rage. “You think you can stop me from opening the portal?” he asked, voice hollow and eerie. “Nothing can stop me now! I am too powerful!”
A crossbow bolt thudded into the back of his head and he fell forward onto his hands. Groping behind his head, he pulled the bolt out and snapped it in half. It faded away to nothing even before he dropped it to the ground. Twisting around, he bared his teeth at Xavier, who was already firing another bolt at him. “Harrow!” the demon shouted.
Harrow scurried out of the shadows and flung a shield up to protect his master. The bolt thudded into it and was slowed enough for the demon to easily dodge it. From the twisted look on the Grand Druid’s face, he longed to watch Spencer be riddled with holy bullets and bolts. As his thrall, he had no choice but to obey him.
Shifters spilled into the clearing and engaged with the druids. To my dismay, vampires were also mixed into the fight. Dread Wraiths drifted forward, seeking victims who weren’t protected. Undead felines and hellhounds attacked our soldiers with claws and fangs and received blessed bullets in the head in return. Gargoyles continued to be a flying menace that were impervious to normal bullets.
Climbing to his feet, Von Hades held out his hand and his scythe appeared. “I will kill you myself, witch,” he said with a malicious grin.
Jake fired at him, hitting him in the forehead. Harrow’s shield couldn’t stop the holy bullets, but it lessened their impact and effect. The butler tossed spells at us, but I threw up a shield to protect us, splitting it so it would keep the rest of my friends safe as well.
Quin and Xavier fired their rifle and crossbow while my foster father kept up a steady barrage of bullets. Spencer jerked every time he was hit, but he didn’t slow down. His gaze was locked on me with grim determination.
Rudy appeared from out of nowhere and tossed a sticky puddle of glue at the demon’s feet. Spencer became mired and bellowed in frustration. He tore his feet free and swung his scythe at the leprechaun. Dancing backwards, Rudy shook his finger at him admonishingly. “You’ll have to be faster than that, boyo,” he said gleefully. He conjured up a lasso made of steel rope and tossed it around Spencer. With another toss, it became looped around a tree.
Thrashing to free himself, Von Hades used his scythe to cut the rope, then jerked back a step when all three holy weapons simultaneously hit him in the head. Connor and Mirra raced forward, holy sword and daggers held ready. My mate sliced at the demon’s neck, but he raised his scythe in time to catch it. Mirra ducked behind him and rapidly stabbed him in the back several times.
Letting out a roar of pain and rage, the demon flung out his free hand. Hellfire swept towards my mate and the siren, but Winston and Brandi appeared and shifted them to safety.
“This is slowing him down, but it isn’t going to be enough,” Jake said. Squinting at Von Hades, his eyes widened. “I can see the mask sitting just beneath his skin,” he told me. “Can you use magic to tear it free?”
“I think so,” I replied, trying to gather my courage to try it. Once I started down this path, there would be no turning back. Taking the locket out of my pocket, I slipped it into Jake’s jacket. “Watch over him,” I told Jonah. His expression was betrayed, but I was already striding towards my nemesis. This fight was always meant to be mine and I wasn’t going to drag anyone else into it.
Defying his master the only way he could, Harrow turned his magical attacks on our soldiers, leaving me free to approach the demon. Von Hades circled and I moved with him, each of us searching for a weakness. He swung his scythe at me and Greg came forward to block the blow. His brother had been absorbed into the demon’s body rather than standing at his back. Spencer had become Death in the reaper’s place.
Metal clanged on metal as the pair fought. Greg sliced Von Hades’ chest open, but the wound healed almost before it could bleed. The demon tittered, then blasted me with hellfire. My shield caught it, but I was momentarily blinded. When my vision cleared, I saw his fist speeding towards me. “Don’t!” I said to Greg when he moved to block it. Spencer’s hand shattered my shield and punched into my chest, just missing my heart. He pulled his fist out, triumphant as it dripped with my dark blood.
Greg eased me to my knees as my mate and friends screamed and howled in grief. Harrow threw up an impenetrable barrier, locking me in with the demon and our reapers. I was cradled in Death’s arms as Von Hades hunkered next to me. “Did you really think you could beat me?” he asked scornfully.
“I know I can,” I said weakly, feeling the wound slowly beginning to heal. “Because I have something you’ll never have.”
“And what is that?” he mocked. “The love of a good shifter?”
“No. I have dragon blood.” Reaching inside my wound, I touched the ball of essence that lay inside me. When I withdrew my hand, it was coated in gold magic. Using my vampire speed, I reached for the demon’s face. My hand tore through his flesh and grasped hold of the wooden mask that was sitting just beneath his skin.
Shouting in anger and pain, Spencer tried to scramble away, but Greg caught him by the shoulders and held him still. Chanting the spell to sever the Grim Reaper from him, I drew the essence out of myself and shoved it into him while tearing his mask free. From deep within him, the reaper stirred and began to worm his way out of his host’s body.
Von Hades shrieked in agony and the green glow from his eyes faded when the mask slid out from beneath his skin. I didn’t have enough essence to both extract the reaper and the mask and my power was fading. Dropping the wooden object, I gave up on casting the spell to sever his reaper. Death wailed in torment and sank back into Spencer. He’d been the key to activating the mask, but he’d become a part of Von Hades now. The demon rushed to pick up the mask, but Greg swept it away with his scythe. Desperate to get it back, my nemesis scurried after it.
My one and only bid to defeat him had failed. I didn’t have enough dragon essence left to try again. On the verge of giving up, I felt a strange throbbing deep inside my healing chest and instinctively reached out to it. With the last traces of dragon blood that were left inside me, I felt a compulsion to cast the spell to open a rift. A gold symbol appeared, then a gigantic tear opened in the air.
Von Hades picked up the mask and prepared to put it back on. Sensing danger, he looked up to see a creature that had become extinct eons ago soaring through the rift. His mouth dropped open in shock as a monstrous golden dragon flew directly at him. Back legs extended and wings folded for maximum speed, it crashed into him. Rending and tearing with its teeth and claws, the mask flipped away and landed on the ground. Von Hades raised his scythe just in time to avoid having his head bitten off. Teeth clanged on metal jarringly when they clashed.
“Holy crap!” I exclaimed as Greg helped me to my feet. “I didn’t see that coming.” Skirting around the pair, I picked up the mask. Filled with souls and imbued with the power of a long dead demigod, it insidiously called to me, trying to tempt me to put it on.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Greg asked, knowing what I intended to do.
“It’s the only way,” I replied sorrowfully. From the corner of my eye, I saw Spencer stab the dragon in the side with his scythe. The reptile bellowed in pain and blood gushed from its wound.
“Then I will lend you my magic,” he offered. “Together, we will end this.” His scythe disappeared and both hands came down on my shoulders. I opened myself up and death magic flooded inside me. We both knew that not even he could save me from what was about to happen. Once I released the souls that were locked inside the mask, my body would be torn apart, leaving nothing for him to remain attached to. He would finally be free of me, but I would surely die once the process was complete.
