Infernal Hunt Complete Set

by Holly Evans

  Raif pulled me into a tight hug. He practically dragged the entire group over to the healers, where he helped them prepare salves and the like. Lysander squeezed his shoulder and smiled at him.

  “We’re ok, cub,” he said.

  Raif nodded and looked around the group. “This isn’t the end. We have plans. Thanks to you two.”

  I laughed, a mirthless noise to shake off the excess emotion.

  “Everyone has done their part here. No one or two people are to thank,” I said.

  He looked at me for a long moment, an odd expression between bemusement and relief.

  “I’m proud to be a part of your pack,” he said finally.

  I stretched up to muss up his hair before I stripped down to be healed. Again. It was second nature, by then; I was surrounded by a collection of beings, half of us down to our underwear. There was no shame as we were patched up by the healers. Once I’d been patched up, I pulled on my clothes and did what I could.

  We all pulled our weight. We had to. Lysander was helping Kadrix prepare some powders and salves. Bryn, Elise, and Iona were all patching up various injured parties. Raif was helping a priest make some fresh sigils and such. I sat with Leif. The Sidhe was trying very hard to keep up a mask of hard-ass-ness. He was failing. I could see the cracks forming around his eyes and along his jawline. The slash down his cheek was quite deep, but Bronwyn had assured me that the paste she’d given me would heal it quickly and stop any scarring. The little witch was holding up well, given everything.

  I dipped the fresh cloth in warm cleansing water and placed one hand on the young Sidhe’s left cheek before I gently wiped away the blood from the gash. He ground his teeth, but stared into the distance, refusing to make a sound.

  “This is the first time you’ve ever really fought, isn’t it?” I asked softly as I cleaned the cloth.

  Most of us had been trained for this in one way or another. We’d all seen death and taken lives. Yet Leif was barely more than a boy; Kadrix had said he was being trained as a noble rather than a warrior. The Sidhe squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, they glistened with unshed tears; he was crumbling. I placed the cloth down and opened my arms while offering him a gentle smile. He scooted forward and relaxed against me resting his head on my shoulder while I stroked his hair and gave him a moment. Once he’d composed himself again, he pulled back and we returned to the task at hand. His mask was firmly back in place, and more complete than he had been. Sometimes a little reassurance, a reminder that we’re not in this alone, is all we need.

  He swallowed hard as I gently spread the lilac-coloured paste over the gash.

  “I hadn’t seen death before this. I’d heard tales, but I was in high court where they gave me lessons in etiquette and dancing. When the news of the war reached us, I insisted on being here. I was not going to hide while the world was turned upside down. I needed to know that I had at least tried,” he said.

  A tear slid down his cheek. I wiped it away and cleaned the cloth. No good came from acknowledging it.

  “Thank you, Evelyn,” he said before he stood and went to join some other fae.

  Lysander took his place on the seat; he gave me a bowl of cold pasta. We couldn’t afford to be fussy.

  “You’ll make a good mother, Evelyn,” he said with a smile.

  I ignored him. Our world wasn’t one to raise children in.

  “I won’t lose any more of our people,” I said after a long moment of silence.

  Lysander took my hand in his and squeezed.

  “I know,” he said. We ate in silence for a little longer before he said, “Their deaths were not your fault, Evelyn.”

  I took a long deep breath. “I know.”

  And I did. They went into the fight knowing our odds, knowing what we were up against and what we were fighting for. They would be remembered as warriors who gave their lives for a just cause.

  We couldn’t hold full funerals for them; we couldn’t risk it. That didn’t stop us from paying our respects. The lycans, Raif, and Lysander all gathered in the small courtyard area out back. They howled a long sad call to the moon, a mourning cry to the dearly departed. Once they had finished howling, they insisted I join them; I was honoured to be included. Sam stood at the head of the group, watching over the tokens that had been given in remembrance. We had no bodies to bury.

  “Today, we lost a great alpha.” Murmurs of agreement passed around the group. “We are not prone to pretty words, and Felix wouldn’t have wanted any. I am not him. I will lead you as I see fit. We will be true to ourselves and avenge our fallen. Every witch, fae, and other traitor that even considered laying a hand on those we love will be slaughtered,” he said calmly.

  A roar of agreement flooded the space. I couldn’t help but be swept up in it. Yes, we had lost the battle, but we would not lose the war. Once the roar had died down, each lycan approached Sam. In turn, they knelt and twisted to expose their throat fully to him. He gave a low growl of ascent, and they stood and walked away. Lysander and Raif remained close to me; they were mine. I lowered my chin and eyes a little as a sign of respect, of his new station. He returned the gesture and we moved on. There were too many things to be done to lose ourselves to ceremony for too long.

  The pixie that had been killed was Chaos. Mayhem was a broken creature without her. She paced around a small space, spinning her blades while looking at the floor. Tears streamed down her cheeks while she muttered to herself. Iona approached her cautiously, her hands held palm out by her hips so Mayhem could see she wasn’t a threat. Mayhem stopped and looked at her balefully.

  “She was my other half,” she said quietly.

  Iona nodded in understanding.

  “What would she have you do in this situation?” Iona asked.

  The pixie put her shoulders back and squared her jaw.

  “She’d tell me to kill every last one of the bastards,” she said.

  Iona smiled and inclined her head a little.

  Mayhem nodded to herself. “What can I do?”

  “There may be some use for your magic,” Iona said as she gestured over to a collection of Sidhe who were bent over pages of sigils.

  The pixie smiled, a tight fraction of a smile. We had to keep pushing forward; if we stopped, then we’d crumble. Quin hugged me tight and did the same to Lysander, much to my hound’s bemusement. Kadrix came and made it a group hug. It was a little awkward, truth be told, but the contact was pleasant for a brief moment.

  “We’ve made some progress. There are new weapons for us to try,” Quin said.

  “We will need a few days to pull everything together,” Kadrix said.

  I took a deep breath.

  “What do you want us to do?” I asked.

  “We need you here,” Kadrix said.

  Lysander growled.

  “There are no fights for you out there. We need you and your skills here; we’re close to cracking the magical walls,” Kadrix said sharply.

  Lysander huffed, but said nothing.

  “Give us details,” I said as I stroked Lysander’s palm, trying to soothe him.

  “We need some of Lysander’s fire, and your ability to see magic,” Kadrix said.

  “Lead the way,” I replied.

  The elf smiled.

  “Thank you, Evelyn, Lysander,” he said.

  I gave a shrug. Everyone had to pull their weight. I’d have rather been out there slitting throats, but as had been demonstrated, that wasn’t always the best option.

  Lysander kissed my temple before he followed Kadrix into the alchemy area. I realised that I was numb. Everything was washing over me, while I went through the motions of doing what I needed to do. Elise came over with Logan at her side; Bryn flashed him a dark look.

  “I’m so sorry, Evie. We’re close. I know it’s hard, but we’re making good progress on their magical defences,” she said.

  I gave her a half smile. The tiredness was slipping into my bones.

  “So I�
��ve heard. I’m supposed to be looking at more magic.”

  “Ah yes. Bryn will help you with that.” She gestured to her lover.

  “I’ll be over in a moment,” Quin said.

  I joined Bryn near one of the smaller tables up against the wall, butted up against a table covered in colourful maps.

  “What do you need me to do?” I asked him.

  “Do you know the deal with Logan?” he asked with a frown.

  I gave a shrug.

  “I met him here. He creeps me out a little bit,” I said.

  The table before me was covered in what I thought were sigils. Pages and pages of pale papers covered in matrix-type diagrams. When I looked at them closely, I saw layers of magic popping up from them like the molecular diagrams I’d seen in school.

  “He’s been at Elise’s side every waking hour,” Bryn grumbled.

  I patted him on the upper arm.

  “Elise’s lady gave you to each other. She wouldn’t even consider looking at another man. Now, what do you need me for?” I said.

  Quin joined us just then.

  “Logan’s happily married to a lovely guy called ‘Ryan,’” he whispered to Bryn.

  Bryn flushed bright read and muttered an apology. Quin smiled good-naturedly and started pulling out some of the diagrams. Bryn collected up others from the other end of the table.

  “We need you to help us make sure these fit together as we hope,” Quin said.

  I pulled up a chair; it was going to be a long night.

  I barely remembered the following few days. They were a blur of looking at magic and describing it to various people. No one had explained it to me properly; I just had more diagrams, photos, and spells placed in front of me to describe. We slept for perhaps four hours a night; thin, dreamless sleep that left me feeling just as I had when I’d gone to bed.

  Lysander had spent his days with the alchemists and priests. He didn’t talk about it, and I didn’t ask. I knew from the bond that they hadn’t upset him, and that was all I needed to know. He pulled me close each night; I listened to his heartbeat and took comfort in his presence where I could. Everyone was focused on our next move. The big push that would take us over the edge. I couldn’t feel it. Everything was mechanical. I blinked and looked back at the latest sigil jigsaw piece.

  “The purple lines fade to green, but they don’t slot neatly into the blue chain. You need to add a heart-piece thing there.”

  I pointed at a three-way intersection on the drawing. The priest sighed and pulled out a black pen to adjust it. Another priestess went to ask something, but Quin stepped in.

  “Evie’s finished for the day,” he said firmly. “You have enough here to work with.”

  They muttered, but backed down. I pushed the chair back with a painful screech and stood, stretching out my sore muscles. I needed to run, fight, and enjoy my hound. I wasn’t made to be cooped up staring at drawings all day.

  “Eat some food and go to bed, Evie. Lysander will join you soon,” Quin said.

  I looked at him, bleary eyed.

  “I need to help,” I said.

  “You’re going to start making mistakes unless you get some proper sleep.”

  I didn’t have it in me to argue with him. I curled up in an uncomfortable wooden chair in the eating area and ate my fill of whatever was closest to hand. Everything was bland; it was purely nutrition to keep my body going. Lysander joined me before long, and I was glad of it. I needed him more than I’d realised. I needed to let go and just be with him.

  We headed to our room and found Raif and Iona curled up asleep in each other’s arms. I had to smile; they looked so happy. Lysander pulled me into his arms with a smile. The familiar scent of him surrounded me as I fell into a deep sleep.

  I woke feeling more refreshed than I had in a good while. Guilt squirmed in the pit of my stomach, but I brushed it aside. They had sent me to bed so I could be of more use to them. Quin and Kadrix were sound asleep when we got up; Raif and Iona were somewhere downstairs. We crept out as quietly as we could to allow Quin and Kadrix to sleep. It was a precious commodity in the midst of war. I wasn’t going to steal theirs.

  Elise was kissing Bryn passionately in the food room. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one missing a little privacy and intimacy with my significant other. Lysander nibbled my ear as I filled my plate with food. I smiled and kissed him tenderly. A flicker of warmth came through the bond, and I grinned. We’d eaten almost all of our food by the time Elise and Bryn put each other down, not that I could blame them.

  Bryn blushed lightly when he saw us sitting finishing our breakfast. Elise had no such shame; she grinned at us and stroked her hand over Bryn’s stomach.

  “We’ve made wonderful progress, Evie!” she said.

  I smiled. “That’s good news. What are we doing today?”

  “We have some magic for you to look at with Tabs. Lysander, you’ll be sparring with the lycans and Mayhem,” she said.

  A chill went through me; I wasn’t sure I was ready to do the sort of thing Tabs did. I swallowed down my fear. I wasn’t going to be the reason the city fell.

  Lysander said, “Can I have a word with you, Elise, alone?”

  I kissed his cheek and left him to it. A thread of suspicion formed in the back of my mind, and I chided myself for it. Lysander would never do anything to be concerned about. Bryn followed me out and took me to Tabs and the priestesses.

  The pixie grinned at me and bounced on the balls of her feet. “We’re so close!”

  I couldn’t help but let myself get wrapped up in her glee. “With your help, we should be able to sever the fae connection to the network, and break down the witches’ defences!”

  My jaw fell open; I had no idea we were truly that close. With that news firmly in the front of my mind, I settled into the comfortable chair and prepared myself for the odd sensation of leaving my body. We were going to win. Our hard work would pay off. The deaths weren’t going to be for nothing.

  I was ripped out of my body and dropped in front of the witches’ headquarters. The fear threatened to overwhelm me. The memories of the last time I was there flashed in my mind. I scanned the area, looking for malicious beasts or plants. It looked normal. A fast road ran before the ramshackle building; scrubby trees sprouted from the holes cut in the pavement. There was nothing threatening there. I hoped.

  Tabs was next to me. “We need you to tell us what you see.”

  Brennan’s voice edged around hers; it never stopped being freaky. I walked slowly up to the building, waiting for something to come out and bite me. It never did. The magic had changed, though. It was duller, much more subdued.

  “There are cracks, and chunks are missing,” I said.

  Tabs made a squeaking noise of joy. I continued.

  “There’s a dark green chain looped around the entire building, it’s about five feet up from the ground. A bright purple, violet probably, net sits over the entire building, but it has huge holes in it. The holes are on the east corner, around-about six feet wide and four feet tall. Another is on the right side of the door, about the same size. Then there’s a thin blue mist, about a foot deep and six inches out from the building. That’s it.”

  She was practically dancing with glee. I raised an eyebrow. Something changed. I turned looking for more beasts and plants. Instead of turning black and blood red like before, it vanished. Every scrap of magic shattered and dissolved. They’d done it.

  I didn’t think I’d ever really get used to the cracking sensation as I was thrown back into my body. Tabs burst up out of her chair and was doing a little dance with Brennan. The other priests and priestesses were grinning like fools. I settled back into the chair and enjoyed the rare moment of comfort. Kadrix came into the room, a large grin plastered on his face.

  “The witches have nowhere to hide, now. We’re not ready to attack, but they’re drastically weakened,” he said.

  I rode the wave of happiness and glee while waiting to be sent
to the next piece of magic to view. I was itching to get out there and fight, or run. I envied Lysander the chance to spar. The dancing died down after five minutes or so, and everyone bustled off to their stations to continue the attack. I allowed myself another couple of minutes in the comfortable chair before I went looking for my next task of the day.

  Leif pulled me to one side.

  “Can you help me with this sigil?” he asked.

  I smiled and took the paper from him. He’d missed the second battery, so it wasn’t as powerful as it needed to be; the magic wasn’t going all the way around it.

  “Do you think I’m a spoilt servant?” he asked out of nowhere.

  I frowned.

  “Why the fuck would I think that?” I asked.

  He ground his teeth before he said, “I’ve heard others whisper about it.”

  I crossed my arms. “Show them to me, and I will tell them you took down that naga. How you helped take down the dragon. How you didn’t even flinch when you were faced with the rabid redcaps,” I said.

  He smiled and relaxed. “Thanks, Evelyn.”

  I gave a shrug. “I didn’t do anything.”

  Elise, Kadrix and Quin came over to us with smiles on their faces.

  “We’re so close, Evie!” Quin said.

  “We’ve made some wonderful new toys,” Kadrix added.

  Logan, the sun priest, stormed into the room with Lysander close behind him.

  The priest turned to me and the others and said, “This hound has been hiding things.”

  Lysander bared his teeth and snarled.

  Logan said, “He has been asking Elise how to hide things from his bond.”

  He looked at Elise pointedly.

  Elise responded by crossing her arms and giving him a very dark look. Lysander squared his shoulders and stood at his full height. His fire rippled over him and lingered over his hair and his eyes.