by Dakota Brown
"Go fuck yourself," I replied.
"Now there's an idea." Alex snarled and proceeded to describe what he was going to do to me when our shield finally fell.
My eyes widened and I hunched in on myself. Doc crawled over, though he clearly felt like shit, and wrapped his arms around me.
"Don't listen," he whispered in my ear. "Just keep the shield up. We'll take care of him as soon as Ash is free."
I wanted to point out that he didn't feel like he could lift a kitten the way he held me, but his eyes glowed with Ash's amber magic and I thought he might have a few reserves once he got over how awful demon blood made him feel.
He helped me tune out Alex, kissing my neck gently while I poured my attention into keeping the opaque shield up while they assaulted it with magic on the other side.
Someone else joined in, and I groaned under the strain. Doc leaned against me and pressed his fangs into my neck. Moments later energy poured into me. It was Doc's energy laced with the demon magic and even some of the magic Nikolai and I had given him.
"Don't wear yourself out," I said.
He couldn't reply but he tightened his hands briefly on my arms.
The boost helped, and though two more mages joined the onslaught against our shield, I held it.
Sweat streamed down my back and matted my hair to my head and my muscles shook. At some point Doc removed his fangs from my neck, but the connection remained.
"Got it," Nikolai groaned, collapsing to the ground next to us.
"Are you okay?" Doc asked the mage.
Nikolai nodded. "But now we need to fight our way out, and we're all exhausted. Releasing Ash was much more difficult. Magic was quite ingrained."
"Is he okay?"
"Will be," Nikolai answered. "Unconscious still." Nikolai took a deep breath and heaved himself off the ground, kneeling next to me. "I've got it." He poured his energy into the spell protecting us, and I gratefully took a rest.
Doc eased the connection between us and I collapsed to the ground, my limbs dragging me down like lead. The cool concrete floor pulled some of the heat from my body and the sweat chilled until I shivered so I forced myself up until I was sitting instead.
Doc had his fangs buried in Nikolai's neck, and I could see them sharing energy, so I crawled over to Ash.
His chest rose and fell. I brushed some of his long hair off his face. His skin was so warm my hands felt icy when I touched him. I took his arm in my hand and looked at the deep scars on his wrists. They looked raw and painful so I spared a bit of my energy and pushed a bit of healing strength into them.
He gasped, eyes fluttering as he woke. He zeroed in on me, and gathered his powers, anguish twisting his handsome features and darkening his husky blue eyes.
"Ash, you're free." I didn't want him to blast me on accident.
His eyes narrowed and he held up his arms and stared at the ugly scars on his wrists. He darted his gaze back to me, disbelief warring with suspicion on his features. He glanced around and saw Doc supporting Nikolai as the mage held up my shield, though both looked at least as tired as I felt.
"Before you pull on your magic any more than you already are," I said as something I had noticed but not really acknowledged, clicked into place. "Feel the magic around us. I think they were prepared in case we did manage to free you. The wards will trigger to your magic."
His jaw clenched and he nodded, expression darkening. Ash rolled to his feet, coiled tension in all of his muscles. He still hadn't said anything, but he hadn't attempted to kill me on sight either, so I took that as a good sign.
Ash stalked over to Nikolai and Doc and knelt behind them. Nikolai glanced at Ash when he put his hand on both of their backs. Magic flowed from him into them and I could feel their flagging energy strengthen. Filtered through Nikolai, the magic shouldn't trigger as demon magic.
Fortunately, Alex had given up on his descriptive tirade, focusing instead on taking down our shield.
Unfortunately, even with Ash, we were all tired, though I suspected I had more energy than Nikolai at the moment now that I'd had a chance to catch my breath.
I tapped him on the back and he let me take over the shield.
"So, what now?" I asked.
"Cavalry is on the way," Nikolai said quietly.
"Did you call in the wolves?" I did not like that idea at all.
"No," Doc said. "But they did tell us that Adriana and some others had just arrived."
"That was quick," I muttered.
"Suspect they were in area," Nikolai agreed.
For whatever reason they happened to be close, at the moment I was grateful. The slight worry that they weren't on our side tried to tickle at my brain, but I pushed that away. We were screwed if that was the case. Or, someone would be anyway. I suspected that if Ash, Nikolai, and I really wanted to, we could level this place, even as wiped out as we felt. We held back now, but if it came down to it, we would fight.
"See if you can wake that demon up," we heard a female voice order over the crackle of magic against our shield.
I shivered. The voice was familiar, but I wasn't sure who it belonged to. Maybe Alex's grandmother? The woman who looked like she could be his older sister. However she had managed to extend her life and youthful appearances, I doubted it was ethical.
"Ash, wake up." The words were simple enough, but the note of command in the tone and the push of magic caused Ash's head to go up and his eyes to narrow. His coiled muscles tensed more and I hoped he wasn't about to lose control. I wouldn't blame him, but I didn't think it would help at the moment. Hell, if it had been me, they'd have to hold me back. I couldn't do anything but watch as I concentrated on the shield.
Doc put his hand on Ash's shoulder. "There will be a time," he said quietly.
The demon's expression eased slightly, and he nodded, platinum blond hair falling into his face.
The magical assault on my shield grew and I dropped to my knees on the hard concrete. Sheer determination kept me from giving under the onslaught. We'd either be saved in a moment or have to unleash everything we had.
Ash's hot hands touched my back and supported me as he poured some of his energy through me into the shield. I groaned as it washed through me, not entirely certain if his magic brought pleasure or pain, but grateful for the assist.
If nothing else, we were keeping them distracted, and wearing them out while the others infiltrated. One of the mages moved from a steady attack on the shield, to lobbing magic at it randomly. The spell was an 'unraveling,' and it was starting to have an effect.
Nikolai joined me, reinforcing our protection.
"Doc, be ready to defend us, should this shield fall," Nikolai ordered.
I wasn't sure exactly how long I held the spell with Ash supporting me directly, and Nikolai helping before we heard shouting over the crackle of the magical assault.
"Just a little bit longer," Ash whispered into my ear as I wilted. At some point I'd fallen into his arms. He was the only thing keeping me from becoming a puddle on the ground.
Doc supported Nikolai, though the mage looked to be in better shape than me. I burned up inside and it took everything I had to keep mine and Ash's energy pouring into our shield under the onslaught.
"Sofia, let go," Nikolai ordered, voice urgent.
"But…"
"Now."
I released the energy and collapsed into Ash's arms. Now that I wasn't channeling so much power, I could feel what had concerned Nikolai. I was at the end of my abilities and everything felt frayed. Anymore and I might have permanently hurt myself. As it was, I wasn't going to feel good for a while.
Moments later the assault on the shield ended. Nikolai dropped it, hands up ready to cast an offensive spell.
Alex and his grandmother were gone and the two remaining mages only had a moment to comprehend that the situation had changed before Nikolai blasted one backward into the stone wall behind him. If the blast hadn't killed him, by the sickening crack as he hit the
wall, the force was more than a human skull could deal with and he slumped to the ground, leaving a red streak behind him.
Doc snapped the other mage's neck, his eyes shining in the low light.
I tried to get up from Ash's grip, but my limbs wouldn't cooperate.
"Carry her?" Nikolai asked Ash.
The demon nodded and fell in behind Nikolai and Doc as they headed for the staircase.
Hating feeling so helpless, but unable to lift the lead weights my hands had become, I let the demon carry me as we carefully made our way up the stairs. I rested my head against his warm chest and trusted him not to drop me.
Doc and Nikolai crouched by the door and after a quiet discussion, Doc darted out onto the main floor while we waited.
A few minutes later Nikolai gestured, and we followed. Whatever had held my vampire back from killing before, he'd gotten over it. At least temporarily. Two bodies littered the ground, heads twisted at unnatural angles, and we caught up to Doc in the main hallway, another person dead at his feet, blood leaking from the wound in his back.
Now that I wasn't focused on slinging magic, I could feel my wolves. They were out in the forest, fighting. Fortunately, they were in their element, and doing well with a little mage backup.
The people Adriana had brought were mages, but the Andersons had apparently added a contingent of werewolves since we had last fought them, and the mages had their hands full.
I caught a hint of powerful magic before the house shuddered around us. Dust and plaster rained down from the ceiling, and Ash dove into a doorway as chunks fell around us.
I managed to get my arms to corporate long enough to wrap them around Ash's neck and take some of my weight off his arms.
He glanced down at me and I smiled at him.
The corner of his lips twitched as if he had almost smiled.
Doc and Nikolai joined us as the house shook again.
"Hope we wore them out enough for Adriana to handle," I said.
"She's reasonably powerful," Doc answered. "And experienced in this kind of fight. She'll be okay."
"Should we help?" Nikolai asked.
Doc shook his head. "Give them a minute. We will if we need to."
One last blast of powerful energy pulsed through the air and more of the house crashed down around us.
Nikolai cast a shield over us, and we huddled under it. The doorframe mostly protected us, but his spell kept the debris and dust away.
As things fell silent, Doc gestured and we hesitantly followed him toward the main entry to the manor house. Nikolai and Doc glanced around the corner and gestured for us to follow.
"I think I might be able to walk now," I said quietly.
Ash didn't put me down and I didn't ask again, distracted by the sight in the main hall. Someone had blown half of the front house out and pieces of it littered the ground outside. Cold winter air competed with Ash's warmth, making me grateful he still held me as my sweat chilled me.
Alex was out cold on the floor. At least, I didn't think he was dead.
Ash growled, rumbling in his chest and through me, as he saw the asshat on the ground. Alex's grandmother was nowhere to be seen.
A few other mages I didn't know were also unconscious at Adriana's feet.
"You thought I'd be destructive?" Nikolai laughed as he surveyed the damage.
A couple more mages and Donna joined Adriana. They all looked warily at me after quick glances at Nikolai and Doc.
No, they weren't looking at me, they were looking at Ash. Suddenly, I was glad he still held me. Hopefully, it made him seem less dangerous.
"Well, it seems you have accomplished the impossible," Adriana said after an awkward silence.
"Is not impossible." Nikolai shrugged. "Simply difficult."
"Your name is Ash?" Adriana asked.
Ash nodded.
"You will come with us." It wasn't a question, and Ash stiffened.
"No, he won't." I glared at her.
"Where will you go then?" She apparently realized she couldn't force him, because she backed down.
Ash might not be able to do much inside the manor house without the wards locking down on him, but once he stepped outside, or off the property, he was one of the most powerful magic users in the area, if not the world.
"He can come with us," Doc said. "Until he figures out what he wants to do. I very much doubt he wants anyone telling him what to do right now."
Adriana shifted her attention from Doc back to Ash. The demon nodded, still not speaking to anyone but me.
"Very well. We'll be in touch." She gave Doc another hard look before she gestured to the fallen mages. A few of the others cast simple spells, raising the unconscious mages, including Alex, in the air and leaving the house with them. Adriana followed.
I knew we weren't out of the woods as far as dealing with Adriana and her group, but hopefully we could move on from dealing with the Andersons.
"What do you want to do, Ash?"
"I don't know," he admitted.
"You don't have to come with us," Doc said, "but it might be wise to at least pretend you're doing that until Adriana and her mages are gone."
"If you'll have me, I'll go with you." He sounded nervous.
I tightened my arms around his neck. "We're happy to have you with us, Ash."
He twisted his lips, probably not believing me, though he did follow when Nikolai and Doc left the house.
We'd been here longer than I thought. The sky had brightened considerably in the east.
Doc flinched as he glanced toward the growing light.
"Doc?" I asked.
"I may need a bit of time to recover from this," he muttered. "Fuck."
The wolves found us then. Both of them were matted with blood. Before I could even ask if they were okay, Nikolai wrinkled his nose and cast his cleaning spell on the two.
Doc caught the mage as he collapsed, unconscious. The wolves looked like they had just come out of a drier, their coats standing on end. I'd have laughed if I wasn't so worried about Nikolai.
Allan sniffed Ed and yelped, jumping backward as he got shocked.
"He probably just overdid it," Doc said, voice tight with worry. "We should go before I find out how badly I screwed up." He glanced east again before hefted Nikolai into his arms.
"You still have a heartbeat," Ash said. "You'll be fine in a day or so."
Ed whined and pushed against Doc.
"It's okay, Ed. Just don't want to get a sunburn." Doc headed toward the woods where we could hike back to his truck.
"We can take my car," Ash offered though he glanced at the wolves and frowned. "You may not fit."
"Ed, Allan, meet us at the truck," Doc said.
The wolves both huffed in agreement and took off into the woods.
Ash led us to a black Camaro.
"I don't remember this one," I said, thinking back to when Alex and he had taken Victoria and I dancing.
"Alex didn't like the color when they bought it for him after someone destroyed his favorite car, so they gave it to me."
I snickered.
Ash finally put me down and opened the door. Doc crawled in the back with Nikolai. He handed me the keys to his truck when I climbed in the passenger seat. Before I could object, he fell asleep in a tangle with Nikolai. It didn't even look comfortable, but neither of them were moving.
"Vampires can fight the compulsion to sleep during the day, but it is unlikely that Doc has ever had to even try. He'll be okay," Ash said again.
"He's not a vampire, though."
"May as well be." Ash hit the start button and the sports car rumbled to life.
I contemplated Ash's statement as he pulled away from the Anderson's mansion. "Do you know where his truck is?"
"Down the road?"
"Trailhead, yeah."
He nodded and we fell into a silence I wasn't sure how to break, or even if we needed to. There was a lot that probably needed to be said, but right now maybe it w
as enough that he was free, and we might be free, as well.
Shortly, he pulled the Camaro into the trailhead parking lot. I gave one more quick glance at Doc and Nikolai passed out in the back seat before looking at Ash, trying not to convey my worry. I trusted him. I really did, but part of me still remembered how he had helped bind the greater demon into me. I didn't blame him, but it was on my mind as I left Doc and Nikolai in Ash's care.
"I'll follow you," he said gruffly.
"Thanks." Though I wasn't a stranger to large trucks, I wasn't terribly comfortable driving Doc's since I knew how much he liked it. I resolved not to screw it up.
"Sofia," Ash said before I could shut the door.
I leaned down and met his eyes.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"I'm sorry."
I tilted my head, tensing, before I realized he meant for everything before. I hated that I immediately expected betrayal, but it had been a rough couple of months.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Ash. You weren't responsible for any of that."
His eyes softened but he didn't agree with me. It would take time, for all of us. I shut the door and nearly jumped out of my skin when Ed and Allan slunk out of the underbrush.
"Sorry," I muttered as I opened the backdoor of the truck so they could jump in.
Ed pushed his muzzle into my hand before he hopped in. Hopefully, that meant he wasn't offended. I didn't sense anything negative through our bond.
"I love you two. I'm glad you're safe." I tried not to think about how badly this all could have gone. We'd done it, with help, sure, but we really had done it.
The wolves whined in acknowledgement.
"Doc is passed out in the back of Ash's car with Nikolai," I said once I climbed in the truck and shut the door. "The mage overdid it, the vampire, well, apparently did too much vampire stuff and the rising sun knocked him out."
One of the wolves huffed in surprise. I didn't see who as I slid the seat forward so I could reach the pedals and fire up the truck.
Ash followed me as we pulled onto the road and headed back to the yurt.
