by Kyra Quinn
“Are we in need of a chalkboard?”
Aster’s face darkened. She stopped her hike and leaned against the side of a faded brick building to study him. She bit her bottom lip between her teeth and sighed. “You won’t like this.”
“Aster—”
“We need the blood of a virgin. And as wonderful as the Sight is, it doesn’t grant me the ability to tell a person’s chastity. Our safest bet is to take the blood from an innocent.”
Viktor’s jaw dropped. His blood ran cold. “A child? You intend to murder a helpless kid?”
“What is the alternative?” Aster snapped. “We are taking one life to save thousands.”
“But a child?” Viktor threw his arms in the air. “No. I may have blood on my hands, but I’ll be damned if you rope me into this.”
Aster folded her arms over her chest. “Should we let all the children die in a flood of holy fire instead? Take your heart out of the equation and think with your brain. Remiel would agree with me.”
“And Remiel is the least human thing among us. Why should we expect him to value their lives?”
A sound of frustration escaped Aster’s clenched teeth. “You act as if your paws aren’t already soaked in blood. What is one more life if it saves countless others?”
“There has to be another way.”
Aster snorted. “There isn’t. Kill a child, kill a Minister or a Sister of Salvation, it doesn’t matter. Innocent blood must spill either way.”
Viktor’s heart pounded against his chest. Remiel’s warnings about blood magic danced through the back of his mind. “Fine. We will grab one of the Faith’s devout followers. But under no circumstances will I allow you to harm an innocent child.”
Aster rolled her eyes. “Didn’t expect a shifter to be so sensitive. Have it your way, though. We’ll head to the Temple instead.”
Viktor clenched his jaw but nodded, afraid she might change her mind if he protested any further. He followed Aster back down the street in the opposite direction with his hands in his pockets and a ball of dread wedged in his throat. He said a handful of silent prayers as he walked. He prayed to Cimera for forgiveness and Anja for strength. He ended with a plea to Rhys to round things out.
The longer he and Aster marched in silence, the more opportunity his thoughts had to pull him under. Even as the streets around them filled people, Viktor pictured Celia’s cold eyes on every face. She came to Carramar because he asked her to. He never had the chance to explain what he had dragged her in the middle of. Now she was dead, and Viktor had no one to blame but himself and the beast who took her from him.
Sweat pooled near his hairline despite the brisk morning breeze. His hands balled to fists by his sides as a primal rage swelled through his chest. He’d show the demons no more mercy. The next time he encountered a creature of darkness, he would rip its still-beating heart from its chest.
* * *
Viktor couldn’t recall the last time he’d been to a Temple. Mulgrave had no official place of worship. Most of their neighbors had turned their backs to the gods after the war. And as for Viktor, meeting Remiel had depleted most of his desire to praise the immortal assholes in charge of things.
A lump formed in his throat as he stood outside of the Temple in Carramar. For the so-called city of sin, Viktor had never seen a more majestic structure. Rounded towers of varying heights and widths protruded from the massive stone building. Sunlight poured through stained glass windows. Two heavy gold doors stood below a pointed archway. Viktor stepped forward to open them, but Aster grabbed his arm.
“We can’t stroll in there and kill someone.”
Viktor’s eyebrows furrowed. “Isn’t that the entire reason we’re here?”
Aster huffed. “Get over here you dumb goof. We need to hide.”
Viktor’s cheeks burned, but he said nothing as Aster drug him away from the Temple. She crouched down behind the brush a few feet from the Temple and beckoned for Viktor to follow suit.
“No way.”
Aster reached up and yanked his arm so hard he thought his shoulder might disconnect from the socket. He dropped to the ground next to her and narrowed his eyes as he rubbed his shoulder. Aster shot him an icy glare and pressed a finger to her lips.
“This is your grand plan?” Viktor asked.
Aster slid her skirt up her leg in response. Heat rushed to Viktor’s face. His eyes flickered between Aster’s bare skin and the Temple. Before he could ask how stripping in front of a place of worship would help them, Aster unsheathed a knife from a scabbard strapped to her upper thigh and shoved it into his hands.
“The moment one of the Sisters or Ministers come out, I’ll distract them while you bury the blade into their chest.”
Viktor’s face scrunched. “Why do I have to do the stabbing?”
Aster rolled her eyes. “Because delicate women make better bait than a burly wolf. Now shhh. Don’t blow our cover.”
Viktor bit his tongue and swallowed back the urge to tell Aster to find someone else to do her dirty work. The blade weighed his arm down to his side, the metal cold in his hands. If he uncurled his fingers, the blade would clatter to the ground below. Aster couldn’t force him to take an innocent life. If he released the dagger and walked away, no amount of protest on her part could stop him.
A loud creak split through the air as one of the doors slid open. Viktor’s grip around the knife tightened. A figure covered in thick dark robes slid out from the crack. She pressed her back against the door and forced it closed behind her.
Viktor’s heart pounded so hard against his ribs he worried it might break a bone. He opened his mouth to tell Aster he refused to do it. But it was too late. Aster skipped towards the woman with a pearly smile.
“Excuse me, Sister?” she called, her voice whimsical. “I was on my way to meet with the Minister, but I found this poor little owl injured in the brush. Is there any chance you can help me bring him inside?”
The woman spared no time for questions. At the mention of one of their sacred birds being injured, the Sister of Salvation sprang into action. She scurried behind Aster towards where Viktor crouched in wait, her eyes round with worry.
Viktor’s throat tightened. The blade trembled in his hands. He held his breath and waited for Aster to lead the woman close enough for him to strike. Heaviness settled into the center of his chest.
“He’s over there.” Aster pointed towards where Viktor crouched. “Should I pick him up?”
“Move.” The woman pushed past Aster.
Time to think had run out. Viktor sprang from his hiding place as a growl escaped his lips. He closed his eyes and plunged the dagger deep into the woman’s chest. Warm, sticky liquid splattered across his face and arms. The gurgle of blood in her throat muffled her cries. Viktor’s blood went cold. A soft thud echoed through the air as her lifeless family tumbled to the ground.
“Well done, wolf.” Viktor opened his eyes to find Aster nudging the woman’s body with the tip of her shoes. “One down, one to go.”
Viktor blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
Aster snatched the knife from his hands. She bent and wiped the blood from the edge of her blade with the brush before it disappeared back up her skirt. “Grab the body and let’s take off before someone sees us.”
Viktor’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing. He reached down and scooped the dead woman from the ground, her body still warm. Wide, terrified open eyes stared back at him. Eyes like Celia’s.
“Follow me. We’ll take her to the forest and drain the blood. The real fun starts afterward.”
* * *
Viktor carried the woman’s body against his chest like a newborn baby. He marched a few steps behind Aster through the thick clusters of juniper trees. He’d taken countless lives before. He’d torn a man’s throat out with his teeth. Yet something about the act of extinguishing an innocent life weighed on his conscious until his steps were heavy with regret.
Aster didn’t stop until
the sounds of Carramar disappeared behind them. She stopped in the center of a small clearing and pointed towards a pile of sticks and leaves.
“Set here down there. I’ll drain her blood so we can travel unencumbered.”
Viktor set the body down in the leaves and dusted his shirt. A deep crimson stain trailed from his shoulder down his chest. “Why here? This place is creepy.”
“I’m hoping the other thing we need will be nearby.”
“Can’t we call it a day?” Viktor huffed. “I’m famished.”
Aster ignored his complaints. She reached up her skirt once more and withdrew the dagger. Her other hand disappeared into the top of her blouse and retrieved a diamond-shaped glass vial the size of a bottle of ambrosia.
“You walk around with all that shit crammed into your outfit?” Viktor arched a brow, equal parts awed and repulsed.
“If you’re squeamish about blood, now would be a good time to look away.” Aster grabbed the woman’s hair and pressed the tip of her blade to the corpse’s throat. She yanked the top of the bottle out with her teeth and pressed it to the base of the woman’s neck. She sliced the woman open with one fluid motion. Blood poured from the gash over Aster’s hand. When the liquid filled the container, Aster tossed the woman back onto the soil and capped the bottle off.
She smirked when she caught Viktor watching. She bent down and rubbed the excess liquid from the side of the vial onto the leaves before shoving it back into her blouse. She did the same with the blade, humming under her breath as she worked.
“There’s something wrong with you,” Viktor muttered, his body cold.
Aster shrugged. “In my experience, there’s something wrong with everyone. Why does this woman’s death trouble you so? Can you even remember all the men you’ve slaughtered under the spell of a full moon?”
Viktor clenched his jaw. “And how often do you murder innocents for your dark magic?”
“When a spell forces my blade.”
The leaves behind them rustled. Viktor and Aster froze in unison. Her eyes bulged from her skull as she pulled her arms into her chest, the confidence from moments before vanished. Aster took a step backward, the fearless mage replaced by a dainty girl.
“No magic wand?” Viktor asked.
“Didn’t think we’d need it yet. Human children don’t require magic to kill.”
Viktor’s fists clenched as the rustling appeared once more. Petite and delicate, Aster would be useless in a fight without her powers. He planted his feet into the soil and cracked his neck. His body tensed as he braced himself for an attack.
“Show yourself, you gutless red-eyed bastard!” Heat rose to his face as he tightened his jaw. His heart pounded against his ribcage like the drums of war.
Thump. Thump. Thump. The ground beneath his feet rumbled. Viktor snarled as he drew the sword from his back. A creature the size of an elephant stepped out from the trees. His swollen belly jiggled with each step. Fur the color of ashes covered his body from head to toe. He hissed a forked tongue at Viktor and growled.
“Shadowfey,” Aster whispered behind him. Equal parts excitement and terror laced her voice.
The beast lunged at Viktor with claws aimed at his chest. Viktor dove for the ground and rolled out of the way. The monster crashed against the ground with a heavy thud. The soil vibrated beneath Viktor’s boots.
For a creature twice his size, the Shadowfey rose back to his feet as swiftly as Viktor. He pawed the ground with a snort as he locked his glowing crimson eyes on Viktor.
“Viktor, shift!” Aster shouted from somewhere behind him. Her voice echoed through the trees, but Viktor’s concentration didn’t break.
The beast wiped its mouth and growled. Viktor’s grip around his sword tightened. His lips tightened as he tried to channel his years of combat experience into the blade. “I don’t need to become a monster to take one down.”
Aster’s lips moved, but Viktor never heard her response. The Shadowfey dove for him without warning. Viktor dropped to his knees to dodge. Too slow. The Shadowfey’s claws wrapped around his neck and yanked him from the ground. The sword fell from his hands and clattered onto the ground. The beast hurled Viktor through the air as if he weighed no more than a pebble. A sickening crunch split through the air as his shoulder slammed into the soil several yards away. He groaned as a white-hot pain spread from his shoulder down his back.
“Need a hand?”
Viktor jerked to find Jett hiking towards him. A pair of sharpened iron claws covered each of his fists. He cocked his head and smirked.
“Where did you come from?” Viktor panted as he pulled himself to his feet.
Jett shrugged. “Hunting. These woods are notorious for Shadowfey activity.”
Viktor sucked in a breath. Who else knew about the demons? He rubbed his shoulder and muttered, “I can handle this one.”
Jett only grinned. “Yeah? Show me what you’ve got.”
Jett sprang forward towards the Shadowfey without waiting for a response. Viktor’s muscles tightened. Shit. He said a silent prayer to Anja for strength as he clenched his fists.
Viktor ground his teeth. His skin tingled as the beast within him awakened. A pained cry escaped through his lips as his limbs contorted. His head flew back until his eyes locked onto the sun. Heat rushed through every inch of him as he fell to the ground.
Jett and the monster danced through the trees as Jett swung for its face. With his human body gone, questions of morality no longer plagued Viktor. Pure survival instinct kicked in as he dove for the monster’s face. He sank his claws into the creature’s massive chest and snapped at his wide nose. The Shadowfey howled in agony as Jett swiped his iron claws across the beast’s eyes.
“Take him down!” Aster appeared out of nowhere, Remiel’s sword clutched between her hands. Her chest heaved with each breath, her eyes wild.
Viktor sank his teeth into the beast’s pointed ear and jerked it from the side of his head. Jett buried the tips of his claws into the Shadowfey’s broad chest. The monster screamed once more as he sank down to his knees.
Aster charged forward for the Shadowfey. A battle cry left her lips as she swung the flaming sword over her shoulder and straight through the creature’s neck. His head flew from his shoulders and bounced as it rolled deeper into the woods. Thick black blood sputtered from his neck and onto everything around them. His body slumped forward and fell onto the ground with a sickening thud.
Aster gawked at fiery sword. “Damn, this thing is incredible. It was like slicing through silk.”
“I trust you two can take it from here.” Jett straightened his posture, his face stone once more.
“Thank you for your assistance.” Aster cocked her head to the side. “But who are you? Where’d you come from?”
Jett chuckled. “Hunting. Demonic activity in Carramar is on the rise. I’ll let Viktor fill you in. I think I smell another Shadowfey. Until next time.”
When Jett strolled out of view, Aster dropped the sword onto the ground. The corners of her mouth twitched. “Would it cheer you up to hear the head of a Shadowfey was the last item on our list?”
Viktor didn’t respond. Aster reached forward and gave his fur a gentle stroke between the ears. “Nice work back there. Let’s head home and wash up.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Summoning Fate
Aster and Viktor remained gone for the better part of the next day. I’d pleaded to tag along and keep them company, but everyone in the group had rejected my offer to help. I curled up in front of the window with one of Aster’s spell books and watched through the frosted glass for signs of their return. What sort of rare ingredients did Aster need that took so many hours to locate?
“Interesting read?” Remiel appeared behind me.
I slammed the book shut and fixed Remiel with an icy glare. “When are Aster and Viktor going to return?”
“When they have everything they need to continue on with this suicide mission.”
&
nbsp; I rolled my eyes. “I asked if you had a better idea. Risks aside, this is the best chance I have at putting an end to this.”
Remiel scoffed. “Is that what you think? Whether or not Osius grants your wish, he cannot change who and what you are. Your powers will only grow stronger as time goes on. Your days as a normal young woman are over.”
I turned my back on Remiel and leaned against the window. Arguing with a self-righteous angel would get me nowhere.
“Move away from the window. You have missed nothing, child.” Remiel pulled the cork out of a half-empty bottle of ambrosia he’d found in the kitchen. “The universe does not revolve around you.”
My cheeks warmed. “No, but this crisis does. I see no one else stuck in the middle of a catastrophic custody battle.”
Remiel chuckled at my description of the events. He shook his head as he brought the bottle to his lips and took a swig. He wiped his mouth on the arm of his shirt and said, “Point. But the banshee Viktor spoke to told us your presence has little effect on what is coming. This is no longer about you or your screwed-up life story. We have a moral obligation to protect all life on Astryae.”
I shrugged and glanced down at my lap. No response seemed better than a weak one. I didn’t need reminding how harrowing the banshee’s prediction was. I knew the stakes reached far beyond my own self-interest. It only increased the anxiety from the amount of pressure on my shoulders.
I fidgeted with my thumbs, eyes still glued on my lap. “Think they’re okay?”
“Most likely. I sent Viktor with my sword. They might not be the brightest minds in our little posse, but their combat skills are formidable. I would hate to be the monster who tried to get the jump on them.”
The memory of the night we met Aster gave me some comfort. I didn’t understand her powers, but I’d witnessed first-hand how effective they were in a fight. As much as it killed me to miss out on the action, I had no reason not to trust Aster and Viktor to accomplish the job. I only wished they’d handled it faster.
Remiel stepped close enough to rest his hand on my shoulder. “I am certain you are tired of me repeating it, but I will try once more if only to drive home the gravity of the situation. You and Aster cannot follow through with this plan to summon Osius, Lili. I understand things have been difficult for you the last few days but making an enemy of a god is not the answer. Nothing good will come of angering one of the most powerful deities in creation. Should you and Aster fail, the consequences could be far-reaching.”
