by Candi Fox
Emma shook her head. “I think I had a vision when I slept. It was of the beast. It didn’t look demonic to me. It’s wounded. I healed it.”
“Where did you see the creature? What did it look like?”
“In the woods. It looked like a fox; the biggest one I’ve ever seen. The size of a small pony with pure white fur and icy blue eyes. It had a large wound in its side.”
Wolf shook his head. “I am not familiar with such a beast.”
“I believe it may be a Negua. A winter spirit. My mother told me stories of them when I was a child.”
“Can you take us to the place in your dreams, little dove?”
“Yes, I believe I can.”
“First we eat. Mama and cubs need their dinner.”
**
Two hours later, Emma led them through the woods, following her memory. Snow continued to fall around them. In the distance she heard the roar, it sounded like the wind, yet she knew it was the creature’s cry of pain.
Wolf was by her side as she followed the sound. The area opened just like her dream. The creature lay there, red pooling at its side.
“I have to heal it.
“No little dove, it’s not safe. I will see what I can do for the creature.”
She shook her head. “It has to be me. Please.”
The look on each of her mate’s faces told her just how much they hated the idea of letting her go near the creature.
Slowly she approached, talking to the creature just like in her dreams. Everything happened just as it had in the dream. She conjured the white light from her hands and used it to heal the creature.
This time, when the creature recovered it stood up and bowed before disappearing before their eyes. The snow stopped falling.
The rest of the trip was quiet. Too quiet in Emma’s opinion. Something didn’t seem right. With any luck this would all be over with soon. She could be home in her cabin in a warm soft bed with all three of her mates.
Chapter 55
Samhain arrived. The sun peeked through the early morning clouds. Mist blanketed the ground. Morning dew on the grass reflected the sunlight making the area sparkle in soft hues.
They began to prepare the site for the spell. Her mates, using chalk, began to create runes and symbols on the plateau. Emma, unsure what her part in the prophecy would be, gathered herbs, and various kinds of wood in the surrounding area.
“Well, well, look what we have here.”
That voice made Emma’s blood go cold. She looked up to find the devil. Gideon Doolin stood several feet away, but the gun pointed at her could still reach her, or worse yet hit one of the babies.
“How fortunate for me to have found you. Boss is gonna be happy.”
Keep calm. You can get away. Just like last time. Her mates weren’t far away. She only hoped they would spot the rest of the outlaws before the outlaws found them.
Gideon walked closer to her; she suppressed a shutter of revulsion. He motioned the direction he wanted her to go with the gun. He didn’t need to say it. She knew he would shoot her after some of the things she heard about Gideon. Shooting might be the least painful thing he did to a person.
He led her down a trail that opened into a small well-hidden area, where a makeshift camp stood. Jacque Beaufort stood in the middle of it near a fire, a tin cup in his hand.
His creepy smile sent a shiver down her spine.
“Ahh the fates have granted us a boon this day. Here I was worried you and the Sheriff would get in my way.
“Yes, a particularly good boon indeed. Say, I don’t suppose you brought that lovely necklace with you.”
Emma shook her head.
“I thought as much. You can fetch it for me later.”
She cast her eyes down to hide the fear in them.
“Take her to the tent, tie her up good and tight. Gideon, don’t touch her.”
Emma followed Gideon into the tent, anything so he wouldn’t touch her. There he bound her feet together and her hands behind her back.
She sat still, waiting for him to leave the tent. Instead he stopped at the opening of the tent and took a seat on the floor, staring directly at her.
Emma didn’t need to look in his eyes to see his evil intent. Instead of focusing on him she turned her energy inwards. There she found each little energy buzzing about in her womb. Somehow, she knew they’d be safe.
Hours passed, finally Gideon became bored and left the tent. They were all waiting for full dark. She needed to get free by then.
Closing her eyes, she pictured the balls of white light in her hands. Her hands began to warm as the energy started to flow to her.
The tent flap opened, and Wyatt Doolin entered. “It’s time to go.”
He didn’t say anything else or give anything away. Neither did he look pissed that she escaped. He undid the bindings on her legs, leaving her arms tied, and he led her out of the tent.
The walk up to the plateau found Emma searching her mind frantically for a way out. Guns in hand, they arrived to find the plateau empty. Emma was both relieved and confused.
She knew the marks were in place, she could feel the energy, though the symbols were now unseen. At least she knew they finished that part of the ritual.
Jacque approached her once they all reached the top of the plateau.
“Where is your husband and his friends?”
“I don’t know.”
He grabbed her by the arm, squeezing it until she knew there would be bruises.
“Tell me where they are.”
“I don’t know.”
“You better not be lying to me. I’m not above turning you over to Gideon.”
“I don’t know; that’s the truth.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway, cherè. I can take care of them later. Begin the preparations.”
“Yes boss.”
The outlaws went about making their own symbols on the ground, just not as many or as strong as the ones that lay under them.
A full moon hung pregnant in the sky. Emma knew her mates were nearby; she heard the howl of a wolf and the cry of a lion.
“It’s time. Disrobe.”
Emma expected them to take off their clothes, instead most of them took off their skin, taking on the most hideous forms she ever saw. Jacque turned into some wolfman creature with dark mangy fur, red eyes, and vicious teeth.
The wolf man pointed at Gideon. “Begin.”
The demon began speaking in an unknown tongue Emma felt dark energy oozing from the center of the circle. Gideon began chanting faster. Sounds began coming from a crack that opened in the ground.
Cord
Cord stood at the base of the plateau. He never felt so helpless in his life. Once they finished the runes, he went looking for Emma. Spotting another pair of tracks, it didn’t take long before he picked up the scent of a demon.
By the time he trailed them to the camp, he found it empty. With darkness falling he headed back to his brothers. Quickly filling them in, they decided the best way to save Emma would be to wait until Beaufort triggered the trap.
“The time draws close, my brother. Let us begin.” Wolf prompted them.
Each man began their ascent up the plateau from a different point. Taking care not to misplace a stone or make a noise, Cord carefully crept up the side.
Emma
Red light and black billowing smoke poured forth from the hole. Heat began to hit her in waves, each wave a little hotter than the one before.
Jacque stepped next to the crack, a gruesome smile on his face. He shifted back to man form and began reciting a spell. She didn’t know the words, yet she recognized magickal energy.
The crack grew, forming a fissure, and the ground beneath her shook. Clawed hands reached up from the ground. A beast with shark like teeth as big as a bear, it’s claws nearly a foot in length, made its way out of the crack.
She knew what she had to do. Emma called forth balls of light. They felt solid in her hands. Pushing them
together, she imagined the ball growing bigger and bigger.
Wolf
Each moment his mate was in danger felt like a dagger stabbing him in the heart. After he and his brothers finished the counter spell, he went to check on his people.
He found Chief White Crow, his entire village, and thousands of his people in the place the prophecy spoke of. Which tribe they came from did not matter. Surviving mattered.
After he spoke with the Chief, he headed back to the plateau. The moment his brother returned; he knew their mate was in danger.
Dark energy swirled from the top of the plateau, reaching down with tendrils that wrapped around his arms as he climbed the last few feet.
The energy pulled at him, trying to pry him off. He held steady, making it the last few feet.
Emma
Three things happened at once. Emma mentally threw the ball of light energy into the crack, the same time a man she didn’t know showed, up guns blazing, and she pushed up to her feet.
Demons charged the man who expertly took them down. What kind of bullets was he using? Jacque’s spell neared the end. The building power was nearly at its apex.
The same moment the ball of light hit the center of the crack, the stranger aimed for Jacque’s head, pulling the trigger.
She heard the explosion before she felt the wave of energy. The force knocked her back and she went over the edge of the plateau.
As she fell, she could see the runes her mates put in place begin to activate. Rapidly lighting with a soft blue glow. Tears rolled down her face as the ground raced up to meet her.
Chapter 56
Chandler
He made his way to the appointed meeting spot as soon as they finished the counter spell. Gareth waited for him in a copse of trees hidden from sight.
“I have the spell ready.”
The other man handed Chandler a pouch.
“You’ll need to throw this in the fissure after the counter spell is activated. It will correct any historical errors we may have caused from being back here.”
Chandler took the pouch, putting it in his pocket.
“I’ll take care of it, thank you. Where will you be during the ritual?”
“Don’t worry about me. I can get back on my own if need be; however, I’ll stick as close as is safe for all concerned.”
With that, he vanished into the trees, before
Chandler had the chance to tell him about the prophecy and ask him how to proceed.
He headed back toward the plateau to meet with the others. Cord went to fetch Emma giving him time to meet Gareth and get back.
Chandler sensed his brother’s despair before he saw him. His heart breaking as Cord explained what he discovered.
Tears rolled down his face as he learned his Emma was captured by the demon. Not from fear, but from anger. He never felt so much anger in his life. Anger with himself, anger that she was in danger again and carrying their unborn children.
Billowing swirls of black energy greeted him as he reached the top of the plateau. It took his eyes a few minutes to understand the scene. Several demons stood around the rip that was created between the two worlds.
If Cord or Wolf reached the top, they were obscured by the thick black smoke. He reached out with his senses, feeling them in position, he let out a small sigh of relief before taking in the scene again.
More than a dozen demons gathered around the expanding rip. More of them trying to claw their way out when another man appeared out of nowhere, guns blazing.
As the demons rushed him the man felled them with bullets. Too bad they weren’t sticking around in this timeline; he’d ask the man what kind of bullets would fell a demon.
His sight homed in on Emma. She staggered to her feet, throwing a ball of energy toward the rip, as the same moment the stranger’s bullet struck Jacque between the eyes.
When the light energy hit the rip, the trap spell sprung. Both energies expanded before colliding. The collision resulted in an enormous explosion blowing him into the air.
“No! Emma!”
His first thought was of his wife. He called to his ancestors, pleading for them to help him save her. A soothing blue energy washed over him.
Arms turned into wings as his body changed into a massive eagle. With a few flaps of his mighty wings he soared above the plateau, diligently searching for her. Finally, he spotted her: she was blown off the other side. With great care he grabbed her by the arms, pumping his wings to carry them away from the unending explosions continuing to occur around them.
Sharp pieces of flaming stone cut through his feathers, burning him as he carried them both to safety. Red and black smoke obscured even his keen vision.
The sky was split by bolts of green arching lightning that lit up the dark sky. The moon turned a brilliant shade of red, the air hummed around them.
Chandler fought the wind as a storm the likes of which he never witnessed began to brew from the apex of the plateau.
Chapter 57
Modern Day
“Cord, son, you’re finally awake.”
Rae Masterson embraced her son in a fierce hug.
“Mom? What happened. Where am I?”
“You’re in St. Agnes. Some unknown creature attacked you. Emma went after you, then Chandler went after both of you.”
“Are they all right? What do you mean went after me?”
“It’s a long story son. Let me get the doctor in here to check you out and then we’ll tell you everything.”
Rae pushed the call button, then sent a quick test to her husband. By the time she finished, Chandler ran through the door.
“Emma.”
Rae turned her attention to the bed where Emma lay. The woman’s eyes fluttered open as the door opened again, this time revealing the doctor.
“Wolf?” Chandler turned his attention to the doctor.
Emma’s eyes flew open. “My babies.”
The End…for now.
