by Quinn Loftis
“Criña, it’s your Gustavo. You must let me in. Let me hold you. Let me be there for you. Let me love you. I can take this pain away.”
Her mouth opened as if she was struggling to breathe and his heart tore. Lucian’s commanding strength poured over the pack bond and into him, an alpha power Gustavo hadn’t felt since he was a pup. Safety and assurance whispered to the wolf. He was not alone in bringing his mate back. His pack was there to help him.
Gustavo used the power to press against the walls of Anna’s mind as hard as he could. This time, he heard a growled response. “You’ll just leave me, too, just like my father. I never knew him. And I don’t know you.”
“Criña, no! I would never leave you.” In his mind, Gustavo pictured himself grabbing the chain-link fence and yanking as hard as he could, ripping and tearing with all his might. It gave a little, then held fast.
“Yes, you will. Especially now that you know what Volcan has done to me. He’s marked me, Gustavo. I’m his now.”
His response in her mind was a roar of defiance filled with pain, but also with a determination to break through to her.
Outside of their bond, Gustavo approached his mate. She was held motionless by Peri’s spell. Vaguely, he noticed that Jewel had moved a few more inches toward the fae, and Dalton, still in his wolf form, lay still on his side. Gustavo wondered what the other wolf was thinking. Gustavo could feel anger and pain pouring through the bond from his Anna. Dalton wouldn’t be feeling the same thing since he and Jewel’s bond was broken. Dalton could only see what was happening in front of him, and he probably had no clue what was going on.
Adrenaline mixed with fear and despair as Gustavo looked into Anna’s eyes. They were shining red, almost glowing. Behind them, he saw no hint of his Criña. He reached out and placed a hand on Anna’s arm. Though nothing physically happened because of Peri’s spell, Gustavo felt Anna recoil through their bond. His heart quailed at her reaction.
“Criña, please don’t shut me out. I’d do anything to be with you.” Gustavo poured everything he had through the bond. Every emotion, every ounce of love he felt for her, every instinct of protectiveness, his unrelenting dedication, showing her that he would never leave her, not while he could draw breath.
For a brief second, Gustavo saw his Criña. The beautiful hazel eyes returned before they slipped back to blood red.
“Yes, yes, Anna, it’s true. Everything I’ve said is true. Let me in!” In his mind, Gustavo pictured himself straining against the fence. Combining the power Lucian was feeding him into his own power, he ripped and tore with all his might.
A hiss escaped Anna’s lips, and Gustavo redoubled his efforts. Finally, the metal gave way, forming a small hole. He let his wolf claws come out just enough to tear at the hole, widening it. It ripped some more, leaving jagged bits of chain-link metal surrounding the opening. Gustavo didn’t care. He forced himself through it. The metal ripped at his flesh, tearing at his mind, leaving bloody gashes in his imagined flesh.
He ran straight to Anna, wrapping her in his arms, saying her name over and over.
“Let her go, Perizada! You can let her go!” Gustavo yelled with his arms out to catch his mate. Back in the alley, Peri released the spell, and the physical Anna fell into Gustavo’s arms.
He sat gently on the ground and cradled her in his arms, looking down in her soft hazel eyes.
“Do you promise?” she asked, her voice a whisper.
His wolf settled with the feel of his mate in his arms. “I promise, Criña, with everything I am. I’ll never leave you.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“But right now, we have to help Jewel. I don’t think Peri can hold her off much longer.”
“Yes, yes, kill her,” the voice in Jewel’s mind implored. She no longer resisted it, now.
“Yes,” Jewel agreed. “I’ll kill Peri. Then no one will be able to stop us, Volcan. I know the secret now. I can create the witches.”
“Very good,” Volcan purred. “Break through her defenses. You can do it. With my help, you are stronger than Peri!” Her hands glowed with a pink tinge, and the scars on her stomach burned with sweetness against her skin. Licking her lips, she could almost taste the power of Peri’s blood on her tongue.
“Yes,” Jewel confirmed, as Volcan’s bloody essence sent tingles through every scar on her skin. “I am stronger!” She pushed with all her might and felt Peri’s spell give way just a little. Jewel moved forward another step. Even though her eyes were gritty and her throat was parched, her body had never felt more alive.
She looked at Peri and saw fear in the fae’s eyes. Jewel could tell Peri knew Jewel’s strength was greater than her own. It was only a matter of time now. With Perizada’s death, she would prove to Volcan and the world she was worthy to be his queen. She would be the epitome of his power and might and she hoped it came with a crown.
Jewel was vaguely aware of Anna’s mate running to her. Fool. Anna was her sister, part of her family now, part of Volcan’s family. A family of witches, a sisterhood destined to take over the world. No one would stand in their way. Anna would cast the cur aside just as Jewel would do with Dalton.
“Very good, my queen.” Jewel burned hot with his words slithering into her mind. “You’ve almost broken Peri. One more push. Force all of your power into it. All of my power.”
Jewel sucked in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and ground her teeth together. Preparing for one final push. Preparing for her destiny to be fulfilled.
“Jewel, stop. What are you doing?” Another voice entered Jewel’s mind. It wasn’t the dark oily hiss to which she’d become so accustomed. Nor was it the strong voice of her mate that she missed so much. This was her friend, her sister, Anna.
“I’m going to kill Peri. What do you think I’m doing? Why aren’t you helping me?” The distraction of Anna not standing with her caused Jewel to blink once.
“Jewel, this is madness. We can’t kill Peri. She’s our friend. She’s the only one who can stop Volcan.” The warm glow of Anna’s voice chased the pink glow from her hands.
Then Jewel heard a sinister laugh in her mind, and the oily voice returned. The warm light dimmed with Volcan’s laugh and Jewel knew Anna heard the voice as well. “Stop me. Poor, poor, Anna. No one can stop me.”
“Yes, she can.” The strength in Anna’s glowing presence took the authority out of Volcan’s statement. “We all can. Jewel, we just have to work together. We need each other’s strength. But right now, it’s up to you. You have to resist him. I’ll help you. Gustavo and I will lend you our power. But you must fight his influence.”
“Shut up, you foolish child,” came Volcan’s voice, and it sounded like a hiss. A punch of Volcan’s power took over her body, blotting out the light. The sweet burn of every knife cut slid against her skin ending in the deep ‘V’ of Volcan’s mark on her stomach.
For several moments, no one said anything. They just strained against one another—Anna, Gustavo, Peri, Jewel, and Volcan all pushing their own respective powers in different directions. Jewel felt as if she were caught in a web with a spider at each corner. Every time she tried to take a step toward one of them, another pulled her backward.
She knew Volcan was right. After all, he’d made her. She wouldn’t even be a witch if it weren’t for him. She could feel his magic pulsing through her veins, willing her on. It would be so easy to simply accept her fate and bow to his will. To be his queen, to share their power and flex it onto the world, what could be worth more than that?
But wasn’t Anna her new sister? A bond Jewel herself had created. More importantly, wasn’t Anna her friend? Why would she be resisting Volcan, the figurehead of their family?
“Peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite,” said Jewel.
“What?” Volcan spat. “What are you talking about?”
“Yes!” said Anna. “Peanuts! What about dynamite? When was dynamite invented?”
&
nbsp; “Dynamite was invented in 1867 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel. And if that name sounds familiar, yes, it is the same Alfred Nobel who established the five original Nobel prizes.”
“Of course, it is,” said Anna. “And for what are the five Nobel prizes given?”
“Physics, Chemistry, Peace, Physiology or Medicine, and Literature. Though the prizes have been expanded since to include Economic Sciences.”
Volcan roared in their minds. “What is this nonsense? Stop it, now, Jewel! Kill the fae!”
“I know you’re scared, Jewel,” said Anna, ignoring Volcan’s outburst. “I know you think Dalton won’t want you, but it’s not true.”
“Shut up, girl,” screamed Volcan.
“He will. You’re his true mate. He cannot reject you.” In her mind, Jewel saw Dalton’s dark hair. She heard his steady voice. She felt the hold of his arms.
“He doesn’t love you,” yelled Volcan. His voice was weaker this time.
Jewel’s head began to throb. She wanted both of the voices out of her mind. The desire to destroy Peri was beginning to fade. Yet she could still feel Volcan’s power straining against her, spurring her on.
“A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes,” Jewel said.
“Ooh, yes, that’s a good one,” said Anna. “Here’s one I know. Did you know shark embryos attack one another?”
There was a long silence. “I didn’t know that, Anna,” said Jewel. “That’s very interesting. Did you know that sharks kill, on average, less than one person a year, but hippopotami kill more than 500?”
Anna laughed in Jewel’s mind. The sound was a balm for her brain. So different from the dark, oily voice of Volcan. Anna’s voice was filled with light, goodness, and purity. Though even through that laugh, Jewel sensed Volcan’s dark influence on her friend. She could sense it and she hated it. She loathed Volcan for what he’d done to both of them, what he was still doing.
“Of course, I didn’t know that, Jewel,” said Anna. “Only Jewel Stone, resident gypsy healer of the Colorado Pack, genius extraordinaire, would know such a random fact. I didn’t even know the plural of the hippopotamus was hippopotami.”
“Shut up!” Volcan hissed again. “Don’t listen to her.” His voice sounded farther away.
Healer of the Colorado pack? Is that what she was? The thought seemed strange to Jewel. She’d never belonged to a pack before. She’d never belonged anywhere. Volcan had given her somewhere to belong. But so had Dalton, Peri, and Anna.
Jewel remembered the first time she’d seen Anna. She remembered walking through the forest with Anna, lost, while Jewel spouted one random fact after another. She remembered Jewel feeling Anna must think she was a complete nut job. And she remembered Anna didn’t think that at all. Instead, she accepted her unconditionally. In an instant, it was like a dark veil lifted from her eyes. She heard Volcan’s voice inside her begin to scream. “No!” The word went on and on, but its strength faded. Eventually, the sound of Volcan’s voice became background noise. It wasn’t gone completely, but it no longer controlled her.
“Okay, Peri,” Anna’s voice echoed somewhere outside of her body. “Let her go!”
Jewel collapsed to the ground as Peri lifted the spell on her and Dalton. In an instant, the wolf phased back to a man. He lifted Jewel and cradled her in his arms. She shivered and he pulled her closer. Her skin was pale and clammy, and she was more exhausted than before.
Jewel’s head swam. Her arms and legs felt like as if she’d just run a marathon holding a bag of sand. “Dalton,” she whispered, staring up at him.
“I’m here, Little Dove,” he whispered. “I’m here and I’m never leaving you.”
Thankfully, Peri had enough strength left to conjure up some pants for the naked man before she, too, fell to the ground, exhausted.
Chapter 5
“Volcan is smart. But he’s not as smart as me.” ~Peri
Peri watched as Dalton gently lowered himself to the ground. She could tell he was careful not to jostle Jewel, who was lying in a daze.
She could see the two warlocks watching, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, from the hole in the back of Jezebel’s shop. Jezebel had run out into the alley and knelt next to Anna and Gustavo.
“Peri.” Dalton’s voice was guttural. “Would you like to tell me what the hell just happened?” Glowing eyes stared back her.
“I’d kind of like to know that myself,” said Jezebel as she side-stepped once away from the disgruntled alpha.
Peri drew in a deep breath but said nothing. She put a hand to her head, feeling the blood that matted her hair. Her clothes were ripped, and her body was cut and scraped. She could only imagine she looked like … well, she looked like she’d been in a back-alley brawl against two witches.
All of a sudden, the fae began to giggle. Then the giggle rose to a laugh. The rest of the people in the alley stared at her. It was clear they thought the fae had lost it. Peri rose to her feet. The laughter slowly subsided, and she began to brush herself off.
“That … was awesome.” Peri grinned.
“Not exactly the word I’d use, Peri,” said Anna. Her head leaned back against Gustavo, her hair every bit as disheveled as Peri’s.
“Because you’ve never been immortal before,” replied the fae. “It gets boring, after a while, you know? Knowing nothing and no one can ever threaten your safety. Sometimes, believe it or not, I relish the idea of a fight I might actually lose. It has been a long time.” Lucian’s growl in her mind reminded her she was no longer alone in the fight.
“I’d prefer it, Beloved, if you would let me fight your battles for you.”
“What? And let you have all of the fun? No way,” she replied.
“You’re nuts,” said Sly as he shook his head.
“Bonkers,” agreed Z. They stood shoulder to shoulder looking more like brothers than brothers-in-law.
“You want to know what happened, Dalton?” asked Peri. She smirked at him.
“As would I,” came Lucian’s voice in her mind. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, babe. You can check me over thoroughly for injuries when I get back home. Now, listen through the bond.”
Dalton nodded, his eyes wide. “Uh, yeah, Peri. Please, enlighten us.”
“Well, for starters, your mate almost killed me.” The others continued to stare and Jezebel gasped, but Peri ignored them. She waved her hands around her body and muttered. Her skin began to shimmer, and the cuts and scrapes started to disappear. “And she tried to help.” Peri pointed to Anna.
“Sorry,” muttered Anna weakly. “I couldn’t help myself.”
Jewel remained silent in Dalton’s arms.
“I know,” said Peri.
“How is that possible?” asked Sly. “I thought Perizada of the fae was a total badass. I was under the assumption you could mop the floor with anyone.”
“Oh, I am and I can,” she replied. “If I wasn’t, I’d be dead. There’s no doubt. And I think that was Volcan’s plan, but he made a crucial error.”
“Explain,” said Dalton.
“Keep your fur on, wolf,” said Peri. “I’m getting to it. It’s been a few centuries since I’ve crossed swords with Volcan. When I sealed him in the dark forest centuries ago, he was one of the most powerful high fae to ever exist, almost as powerful as me … almost. But in a straight-up fight, I could take him ten times out of ten.
“Now, though, we know he’s added his blood to Jewel’s body. This has given her incredible power. He’s basically mixed the blood of the most powerful dark fae to ever exist with a gypsy/witch—a creature that has never existed before. I wasn’t sure how that would work. He probably wasn’t either, for that matter. But now we know. As much as I hate to admit it, Volcan has created something more powerful than me. Unfortunately, that blood bond works both ways. Just as she has gained power from the exchange, so will he have increased his own strength by taking her blood.”
>
“That … is … terrifying,” said Z.
“True dat,” agreed the fae. “Terrifying indeed. But, as usual, in its lust for power, evil has moved too soon and made a crucial error.”
“What’s that?” asked Gustavo.
“Volcan has tipped his hand. Now, I know his true plan. He wants to use Jewel to eliminate me. When I’m gone, the good guys lose their leader, and there’s nothing standing in his way. With Jewel’s power, not only will he have his army of witches, he’ll personally be unstoppable. That can’t happen.”
“If Jewel is more powerful than you, how were you able to stop her?” asked Jezebel.
“That’s the big question, isn’t it?” said Peri. “And the only advantage we have against Volcan. The answer lies with those two.” Peri pointed to Gustavo and Anna. “And with my mate, and with all the wolves, really.”
“We used our bond,” said Anna.
“Exactly,” said Peri. “I didn’t stop her. Anna did. I assume she convinced Jewel that she was still a good guy. And Anna was only able to do that by using the power given to her by her bond with Gustavo, which comes from being Canis lupus, from being part of a pack. It’s pack magic. A force that Volcan doesn’t understand. He thinks he does, but he doesn’t.”
“Wow,” said Jezebel.
“Wow, indeed,” agreed Peri. “What exactly Anna said or did to bring Jewel back from the brink, I have no idea.”
“I distracted her with facts,” said Anna.
“You did what?” asked Dalton.
“Maybe distract isn’t the right word. Jewel’s a genius, you know. And everyone who knows Jewel, or at least knows her well—her friends—knows she spouts random facts when she is scared, nervous, and can’t make a decision. When I heard her spout a random fact about dynamite, I knew she was trying to fight Volcan’s influence. She just needed to be reminded she does belong somewhere, and it isn’t as the leader of an army of witches, no matter what she has done. Somehow, I knew if I kept asking about random facts the real Jewel, the genius Jewel, the Jewel we all know and love, would eventually come out. Luckily, she did.”
