His snide smile drops, and he stares at our mother, as though she has struck a chord in him. He paces forward, still riding Red’s back, turning his attention to me. “Alas, Cory. You seem to forget our biological mother brought you and Cole up, raised you differently. She treated you as one of her own while leaving me in the barn to rot with the animals.”
“I didn’t do that, Casey,” Blair says. “It was all Moyer’s doing. I begged her every day to bring you out from the bitter cold.”
“Lies!” His snarl grows angrier.
I look at Moyer, seething.
“She destroyed us!” Chad intervenes.
Casey ignores my uncle. “Last chance, Cory. Come home, where you belong.”
“Never.” I growl. “We all have suffered long enough under the thumb of your queen.” It takes every amount of my strength not to jump up on Redmae and slice his throat. I used to feel sorry for him. I used to have a sense of loyalty. Not anymore. I can see now that he’s lost to the side of evil.
Casey appears agitated.
He’s but a pawn. I can see that now. We all are. My other brother, Cole, stands next to Moyer in silence, as though awaiting her commands.
I purse my lips in anger. “No, we will pass on your…offer.”
I glare at the evil witch who seems to be enjoying our little banter. Her time is numbered, and I’m ready to pounce her and stab the evil witch in the heart. I look up to see the moon begin to crest over the hill. We’re minutes away from Redmae turning to a person.
“Remember, we stall as much as possible until Red turns, then we port out of here, with or without a bloodbath. Getting her to Ladorielle is first priority, got it?” Rory reminds, we save this battle for the Super Blue Blood Moon.
I don’t have to see my team acknowledge Rory’s remarks; I can sense they know what to do.
“What a shame,” Casey says. “I was so looking forward to having you back.” He takes a few steps backwards, and the wolves fall in line. The rain subsides, and the clouds part a bit.
Is Sarmira doing this, or is it the weather?
“Enough!” Moyer snaps. “I have warned this family so many times, yet you all still defy me. You would think people would learn.” She raises her hand. It all happens so fast I don’t have time to think. I watch as Cole takes a blade, stabbing Derek in the heart through the back. Derek drops. Rage consumes me, and I focus on my first target: Moyer.
Chapter 39
Rory Fernshadow
Present Day:
Storm River Manor Grounds
I put my hand out to hold Cory back. “No, don’t. It’s what she wants.”
“She killed Derek,” Cory seethes
“No, she didn’t,” Chad breaks in. “I turned him. When he realized the only way we would make it out of here alive was to become a nytemire, he caved. Besides, he still thinks Drena will come back.”
I look at Chad. “That is so sad.”
“No time to talk about the past,” he says. “Let’s do this.”
I grab the quiver set upon my back and take aim.
“Not yet,” Blair whispers. “Hold your fire.” Arryn stands next to me patiently, waiting for someone to make the first move.
Damn it. We’re sunk. How are we to defeat them all?
I’m startled by the presence of a voice in my head. “Have faith. We have strong, good magic on our side tonight.” It’s Isalora.
“They’re so many…”
“You have Silver Dire blood, remember? Tonight, of all nights, you’re at the height of your power and abilities. Reach deep into your mind and pull out the wolf in you.”
“How do I do that?”
“Concentrate.”
I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do, but I reach deep into my mind, like Isalora suggests, searching for the wolf that remains hidden from my view.
My mind floats, as though I’m having an out of body experience. Everything around me becomes still, as though frozen in time, and for that split second, I’m someplace else. I no longer feel the breeze flowing in my hair or the scent of pine trees around me. Fog appears, and I see silver eyes pierce through the haze. It becomes clear the figure before me is a wolf. The animal’s coat is grey and white. It comes closer, revealing teeth at first, then as though it recognizes me, it sits and extends its leg, as though I’ve given it a command to shake. I take the paw in my hand and connect with the animal, then unexpectedly, I’m thrust back to the present, as though time never stopped.
“You found her, now the real fun begins,” Isalora says.
I notice I’ve become visible, and I’m on all fours.
I sense my group staring. My mind has become clear, and I begin to see the truth. I can also understand the wolves, as well as the sabretail prowlers. It’s as though I have tapped into the enemy’s communications. I can hear Redmae’s thoughts, as well as her packmates.
Moyer’s eyes bleed to a bright blue with rage. She sees me, and I can feel her aura stiffen with fury. I can tell she didn’t anticipate my change.
Cory turns and smiles. “Oh, I’m sorry, have you not met my friend, Rory?” Cory’s sarcastic tone adds fuel to Moyer’s wrath. “Yes, I can see you might not have expected that.” Cory smiles. “Perhaps we’ve evened the score a bit more?”
Moyer screams in frustration, and she commands her first round of attacks. In an instant, we’re all in battle. Months of training on Ladorielle kick in.
I see Redmae flex her tail, and her pack stands at the ready. “So many wolves,” I say. They line all the way back to the forest behind us, across the river. I’m no longer hopeful we can give her the antidote in time. Casey rides her back like a horse ready for battle and it sickens me.
The rage within me begins to take over, and I work on controlling it. The other Dires have riders as well. “How are we going to pull this off?” An arrow wizzes by me and hits one of the Shadow Walkers. I know it’s Arryn. Her cat takes off through the trees and tackles more enemies, as though they’re ragdolls.
“We will not lose to evil this night, as long as I still breathe,” I hear Blair yell. She takes off down a small hill and plows into some wolves.
Cory looks angry, and I see his veins bulge black. His eyes change to a bright blue, and I know firsthand this means he, too, has reached his limit.
Moyer’s wicked cackling pierces my eardrums.
“Let’s get this party started then.” Cory rushes forward, and the rest of us charge into battle.
He holds the Blade of Hope in his hands. The same dagger Arryn gave him back at Storm Castle.
Much of Moyer’s army stands back, watching as the Storms fight. They are quick. I’ll give them that. The dwarves tag team the enemies, rather quickly.
I watch patiently, looking for Red and Casey. He’s my first victim, and I’m not showing any mercy.
As Shadow Walkers dart towards me, I defeat each one with a deadly blow, not wavering in my quest to find where Red and that coward, Casey, stands.
Cory tries hard to reach Moyer, but as he draws closer each time, she sends more Shadow Walkers to shield her. What’s she afraid of?
Isalora zips by in her wisp form, and shoots a bolt of electricity, wiping out the first line of Shadow Walkers standing in front of Moyer. She backs away, as though surprised. I watch the rage in her eyes as they begin to glow crimson instead of blue.
“Now that we know you’re alive and well, we can finish this!” Isalora says. “Remember, find your sister and give her the antidote.”
“Capture that wisp!” Moyer commands. A pack of wolves take off down one side of the hill, dashing through the pine trees. More Shadow Walkers shield Moyer, making it difficult for anyone to reach her.
“Your bite is lethal,” Isalora adds, and another lightning bolt chars the enemies circling Moyer, and they drop like flies in a pile of ash. “Concentrate like you would if you’re about to port, but instead be one with the wolf. It’s how you will gain strength.”
“How do you
know all this?”
“Geneviève is my best friend, remember?” Isalora darts back and forth avoiding attempts to strike her lightning ball of goodness. She zaps each enemy in retaliation. “She changed a time or two back in the day.” Isalora flashes around, as though the battles she faces is child’s play.
The army Moyer has mustered seems endless. They keep coming and coming, but so is Isalora’s power—she keeps zapping and zapping.
Isalora chars her last set of Shadow Walkers protecting Moyer.
A maddening yell grabs my attention. Cory charges Moyer with his dagger held tightly. He has his window of opportunity and takes it, reaching Moyer’s circle.
It all happens so fast I don’t have time to react.
“No, Cory!” Isalora shrieks.
Moyer shatters into a million pieces of glass. Shards go flying, impaling anyone near her, killing almost everyone instantly. Except Cory. He comes away unscathed. Cole is clear across the other side of the field, battling with the dwarves, when his attention is drawn to what happened.
The cloak Cory wears glistens in the moonlight, full of shards. I realize the tiny pieces of lethal glass have embedded into the fabric. It saved Cory from death, again.
With Moyer obliterated, the magic she held so long dissipates. The wolves surrounding us turn to human form and appear stunned. All but Red, she remains a wolf. The rest of what was once her pack, flee to the woods.
“What just happened?” I ask.
I hear an ear-piercing scream across the meadow. It’s Cole. His blade is raised, ready to strike Cory down. “You killed her,” he cries.
The battle of the brothers begin. “Cory, look out!” But he doesn’t hear me. I’m still in my wolf form.
Chapter 40
Cory Storm
Present day:
Storm River Manor Grounds
I see everyone’s thoughts. How am I going to get us out of here alive? My emotions got the best of me, and I killed Moyer. Isalora warned me to keep my feelings in check. My brother comes, raising his weapon, and I block him. He has a dagger like me, but I doubt his is as good as mine. We both turn a one eighty and circle each other, bringing us back to the night he tried to take Wynter away from me in the library.
I can’t communicate with Cole, to get inside his head. Moyer’s stamp has dug deep into his brain. Killing her should have released the bond she had. It has ceased in some of the Shadow Walkers but not all of them. Why is Cole still under her spell? The blade should have broken the curse. “Isalora, where’s Casey?”
“I haven’t seen him since the battle started,” Isalora replies. “We have bigger problems, now. Killing Moyer was a mistake.”
“I know.”
“You dare come back here, brother? You have ruined everything! Now, I will kill you,” Cole hisses. “Let’s settle this like brothers, shall we?” He takes a switchblade from his pocket and flicks it open. He has a weapon in each hand now.
I look at Cole’s hands. “So, we’re going to go to that level, are we bro?” I try to avoid his second swipe, jumping out of the way, and he turns at the last second, slamming his foot to my chest, sending me backwards, and I hit a tree. He leaps forward and lands onto my chest, nearly stabbing me, but I catch his wrist and force him to drop the switchblade. I deliver an uppercut, knocking him backwards. I kick the pocketknife out of the way, but Cole still has his dagger. I get a running start and do the same to him, slamming both my feet into his chest. The force makes him drop his blade.
I grab hold of it and send it sailing through the air in the opposite direction.
Cole scrambles to his feet, a few steps away, attempting to collect himself from the big blow. One Shadow Walker screams in agony and drops dead where he stands, and I see a snake slither away. I smile on the inside. Nora.
“You won’t win. The Storm family will defeat you,” I say, clutching my dagger. “Wynter’s gone. You can’t touch her. She’s under the protection of Dragonscale now. Give it up. You lose. I killed Sarmira.”
“You think so? Have you forgotten what’s written in the history books, Cory?” We circle the ground, not taking our eyes off each other.
“It won’t work, Cole. Are you trying to distract me? You will not get the upper hand this time, bro.”
I hear a screech so loud my ears burn. What is that sound? Cole gives a low, rumbling laugh. “There are still a few tricks up us nytemires sleeves. A necromancer can’t die. You of all people should know this.”
He lunges forward, and I step to the side. Cole falls, giving me prime opportunity to stab him, and this time for good—at least until we know how to align the universe again. I see from the corner of my eye, Arryn ready an arrow, and I know she has her eye on Cole, too.
He rolls right as I leap toward him, and I stab the ground. Pulling my blade free, we regroup, and continue to dance in battle, each taking turns, dodging deadly blows.
“You believe you’re so clever, Cory…standing here with your blade. Do you honestly think you can beat me?” He flashes a wicked smile. “What did you think you would accomplish by coming here? To woo me to the light?” Cole laughs.
If I could think of a way to slip the watch on him, maybe there is hope. I don’t want to use the dagger. If I have to, I’ll stab him in the heart, and at least he’ll freeze in place. Perhaps, that’s the only option.
We circle the ground as I think of different possibilities.
Cole lunges at me, but I’m quicker and zip to the side. He stumbles but stays on his feet.
We circle the ground once more. “What do you hope to accomplish, Cory? Sarmira will stop at nothing. You think you can get to her. To challenge her?”
“Sarmira is dead. Or did you not notice I shattered her host into a million pieces a few moments ago?”
Cole gives a belly laugh.
“I will stop you, Cole. You’re mad. Influenced by evil. She’s put a memory stamp on you, and you’ve played right into her hands,” I say.
He laughs again. “I’m supposed to believe your lies?”
“You don’t have to believe me. Look at yourself, Cole. Look at what you have become.”
He glares at me, and for a moment, I think I have reached the part of him that makes him human, or what’s left of it.
I haven’t a clue why I can see the wraith hiding behind his eyes, but I’m not going to question it. I’m convinced a demon possesses his soul. “Don’t you remember when we were boys? Playing down by the river? Fishing with Mom.”
“No. Lies!” He lunges toward me again, and I move out of the way, but not before he nicks my hand.
I can sense the sabretail prowlers. Like bloodhounds, they smell the blood trickling from me. Smelling the blood bath this battle has created brings them closer. I hear them growl and bark.
Cole smiles. “It appears you have awakened Moyer’s pets.”
I look around and through the trees, I can actually see the dogs. How is this possible?
“This ought to be good,” Cole says. He sneers, backing away. “You see, my blade is dipped in Iknes Shaw poison. You’re probably seeing some sort of hallucination about now.” He laughs.
I see five sabretail prowlers circle me. They all are black with brown muzzles and legs. Each of them wears a spiked collar, and their eyes glow a bright, evil red. Their tails look like swords. The first one pounces, and I’m slashing the vicious animal with my blade. It yelps in pain. I see Cole’s confused expression, but he keeps a distance for now.
“If this is an illusion, then why did I injure one?”
Another dog lunges, and this time I grab the animal and toss it towards the trees behind me.
“No, this isn’t possible,” I hear Cole say. He’s getting angrier.
A third dog dives at me, and I stab him in the shoulder. He yelps and then disappears in a puff of smoke. This blade will destroy a sabretail prowler. I smile.
“How are you seeing them!” Cole snarls. He runs at me with his arm up, ready to strike me
down, and I tuck and roll, knocking Cole off his feet.
We regroup. “Cole, it doesn’t have to be this way. Can’t you see the evil trying to consume you? I know you’re in there somewhere. Fight this wickedness plaguing your soul, brother.”
Cole grins. “It is not I, who has been influenced, little bro, but you. You abandoned your family, left them here to rot.”
“Is that what you believe?” I can hear several footsteps running. I’m hoping it’s Rory, and she will succeed in getting Blair, Chad, and the remaining Storms out.
The battle around us continues, and I see a snake. Nora is striking another Shadow Walker. He’s quicker than she, and he slices her in half. Zak strikes at the demon that kills his sister, and it falls to ash. He changes back to his human form and goes to her. “No,” he says, as Nora turns back to human, her torso and legs severed.
I see Chad get stabbed from behind, but he is stronger than he looks, and breaks his attacker’s neck. I can’t tell if we are winning or losing.
I know Cole can hear the sounds, too. He laughs. “You truly have no idea what you’re up against, do you? You can’t win this battle, Cory, no matter how many people come to your side. Evil will win, like it always has.” More beings pour through the sky, evil demons, distracting me. I see the moon crest full above in the sky. Black smoke trails from it; only I know it isn’t smoke, but demonic souls, searching for hosts.
My brother surges forward. He’s so quick that before I have a chance to react, he’s got me in a lock, taking the blade from my hand, and piercing my heart. The last thing I remember is a blood curdling sound from my mother. “No!”
Chapter 41
Rory Fernshadow
Present day:
Storm River Manor Grounds
I hear Isalora scream in my head.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, worried, and still looking for my sister. It’s as though Casey and Red have disappeared.
Wynter Reign Page 30
