Caleb scrambled into an upright position despite the pain. He put his back against the steering wheel, and kicked the back window out. It was in worse shape than the windshield, so it popped right out. He crawled through the opening, but was forced to place a steadying hand on the pickup once on his feet.
Two men approached him. One pale with red hair, the other dark as ebony, sporting thin dreadlocks. They came to a stop about ten feet away.
“I’m Dominic,” the black guy said, “and this is Troy.” He jabbed a thumb at the redhead. “Your friend, Brody, told us you were bringing some trouble our way.”
“Cassie,” was all Caleb managed say.
“She’s okay,” Troy answered. “A little banged up, but okay.”
Caleb nodded in thanks.
“She said the demon was not alone,” Dominic said.
Caleb shook his head, and cleared his throat. “No, it’s not. There are four others. Humans...or at least I think they’re human.”
“We saw the U-Haul, but no people,” the redhead said.
“They’ve been after Cassie for the past week,” Caleb replied. “Ever since Kansas. I don’t know how, but they keep finding us.”
The two exchanged looks. Some kind of unspoken understanding passed between them, but they didn’t share. Dominic stepped forward, offering a hand. “We need to head to the manor.”
Caleb hesitated, “Where’s Cassie?”
“Headed in the same direction,” Troy chimed in, as he kept watch on the surroundings. “She’s with my girlfriend.”
“If those men are after Cassie,” Dominic said. “Then they’ll be after the others as well.”
“What others?” Caleb asked.
“The other witches, man.”
Caleb blinked in shock, though it made sense in a twisted sort of way. Cassie had wanted to come here, as if the place had been calling to her. He’s already seen the impossible, so why not go a bit farther and believe that this place was home to a bunch of witches. Cassie couldn’t be the only one in the world that had special powers, right?
“Look, I know this is a lot to take in, but—”
“No, I get it.” Caleb took Dominic’s offered hand. “Let’s go.”
Cassie limped along after Alix. The pain from the demon’s assault had dwindled to a slight ache, but her muscles still weren’t cooperating. Nothing she wasn’t used to. She’d always recovered quickly after a beating, though it wasn’t an instantaneous process.
They followed the sounds of battle through a maze of trees and underbrush. Their trail was easy enough to follow. Broken branches and trampled shrubs provided evidence of the pair’s passing. There was blood smeared over every piece of broken foliage left in their wake, but no way to tell whose it was. She and Alix continued their pursuit, until Cassie began to think they may never catch up to them. “I’ve never seen a fight move around so much. I hope your pet isn’t wounded.”
“Rhea isn’t a pet,” the purple-haired girl replied over her shoulder. “She’s a friend, and a witch.”
That stopped Cassie in her tracks. “She’s a... are you one too?”
Alix didn’t stop, but glanced over her shoulder as she walked. The smile on her face was beyond any affirmation she might have spoken.
Hope filled Cassie, as she quick-stepped to catch up with Alix. “What can you do? I mean, what’s your power?”
“It’s a bit hard to explain, but you’ll see.”
“Holy shit, I can’t believe it!” Cassie was so excited to have actually found someone with the same affliction as her. She almost grabbed hold of Alix, and squeezed her. “Are there more of you?”
“Of us you mean?” Alix said, still smiling. “Yes.”
“How many? What can they do? Do you all live together?”
Alix chuckled. “You’ll see. I promise. But first we have a demon to handle.”
Cassie’s mood soured. “I don’t see how. I’ve thrown everything I’ve got at that monster, and haven’t been able to even slow it down.”
“Where you’ve failed on your own, we will succeed together.” Alix paused, and then rolled her eyes. “God, I’m starting to sound like Miranda.” She took hold of Cassie’s hand, and quickened her pace.
The name.
“Who is Miranda?” Cassie asked.
“The matriarch of Coven’s Grove. A teacher and protector.” Alix stopped smiling, and glanced at Cassie. “A beacon of hope for people like us.”
Hope returned to Cassie once again. “What can I do?”
“We draw strength from each other.” Alix held Cassie’s hand up. “The details of how it works I’m not sure of myself, but I’ve seen what can be accomplished when witches share their power.” She rose a brow at Cassie. “Are you up to that?”
The question hung in the air, as the young woman’s pale green eyes studied Cassie. If it meant she would be rid of the demon, she’d try anything. “I’m in.”
Alix nodded with a grin, and began to run.
They charged ahead. Cassie’s limp faded, along with her fears. Finally, after five years of being on the run, she felt like she had a direction—a purpose—to her life than might lead to something more than just drifting from place to place.
The pair burst into a large clearing. Cassie was torn between gaping at the sprawling mansion that was nestled close to a hill on the far side of the glade, or the battling giants near the forest’s edge. Both were amazing to behold, but the monster, could not be ignored for mere sightseeing.
Grizzly and demon traded blows, claw for claw. The intricate tattoos that once covered the bear’s fur had mostly disappeared, or were stained with blood. The demon looked no worse for wear, but it was hard to say for certain since its natural appearance was akin to a freshly mutilated corpse.
The grizzly continued to drive the demon back, mindless of the damage it took in return.
“She doesn’t have much time,” Alix said.
“What do you mean?” Cassie asked.
“The protection I put on Rhea is almost used up,” she answered.
“How can you tell?”
Alix pointed at the bear. “The markings on the fur. They’re almost gone.”
“Your power,” Cassie replied. “You can protect people with those markings?” Thinking about the two heavily tattooed men that had accompanied Alix, Cassie thought she understood.
“It’s more than just that, but there’s no time to talk about it now.” Alix lifted Cassie’s hand. “Don’t freak out, this will help you.” She focused on their joined hands for a moment.
A prickling sensation danced along Cassie’s arms and shoulders. “What was that?”
Alix pulled back Cassie’s sleeve to reveal a tattoo of twisting lengths of chain and tiny blue flowers. She laughed. “Huh, not what I expected.”
“Whoa. You just did that?!”
“Yep. It won’t last forever, but it will prevent a lot of damage while it’s there,” Alix said. “We need to get to the circle, like now.” She started running again.
“What circle?” Cassie breathed, as she ran.
Alix veered off from the fight, and headed for a grouping of massive oaks. “It’s a witch’s circle of power. It will help us get rid of that nasty sack of skin that’s been chasing you.”
“Sounds good to me!”
They continued to sprint until they reached the oaks. Alix came to a halt, panting like mad. “God, I’m out of shape!”
Cassie never really suffered from fatigue, not for long at least. She’d always attributed that particular benefit to her power. But who knows, maybe she was just in really good shape, even though she never worked out.
They continued going into the little grove until Cassie spotted two women in the distance. They were busy at work, tending to something on the ground. The circle of power that Alix had mentioned, she assumed.
“C’mon!” Alix weaved through the trees toward the women.
Cassie glanced over her shoulder, as she followed. T
he demon and bear were close. It wouldn’t be long before they reached the trees. Then suddenly, something went wrong. The previous roars of rage from the grizzly turned to bellows of pain.
Alix spun around. “Oh, no!”
She held up a restraining hand as Alix made to go back. “Go. I’ve got this!”
The purple-haired girl hesitated for only a second, worry and fear in her eyes. “Bring it to the circle.”
Cassie gave a curt nod, then ran back toward the fight. She wasn’t exactly sure how she’d help, but she owed it to these women to do something. They didn’t know her from Eve, and yet they were helping her. Seeing one of them being brutalized because of that help was more than worrisome, it downright pissed her off. The building anger boiled Cassie’s veins, as she charged forward, her power energizing every nerve, muscle fiber, and bone in her body.
The bear was on the defensive now, retreating, as it howled and bit at the swinging claws of the demon. Chunks of fur and skin were ripped away with every strike. The grizzly suddenly went down under a savage blow to the head. The demon continued to wail on the fallen beast, intent on its death.
Cassie bellowed, as she slammed into the demon’s back at full speed. The pair tumbled over the bear to roll across the ground, in a flurry of tangle limbs. She landed on top of the monster, as they came to a halt. Her screams continued, as she hammered the demon’s body with her fists. The demon’s bones broke under the blows, but she didn’t stop. She unleashed all of the fear and rage that had been plaguing her ever since the restaurant back in Kansas. “Die!”
The demon’s clawed hand slammed into Cassie’s shoulder, knocking her off.
She tumbled along the ground, coming to her feet a dozen feet away. “Here’s what you’re looking for!” she yelled, egging the demon on. “Come and get it, you piece of shit!”
The demon sprang to its feet and charged.
Cassie leaped away, but the demon’s sudden attack was too quick. The blow glanced her side, sending her spinning through the air. She landed on her stomach, hard, but rolled with the impact, and came to her feet once again. The pain wasn’t nearly what it should have been. She looked down at her arm, amazed. The jacket was tattered beyond repair, exposing the tattoo that even now faded away. The tattoos are working, she thought in shock.
She was knocked back again, but not by the demon. A bullet struck her in the chest, before the sound of gunfire made it to her ears. She clutched the wound, as she began to backpedal toward the trees. There was no blood, but it hurt like hell.
Not far off, from behind the demon, a group of men came out of the tree line. They were easily recognizable, even from this distance. J’onn still limped from his injuries at the barn, and his flunkies were right there with him, helping like the loyal dogs that they were. One of them had a rifle and was taking aim again, but J’onn waved his hand at him to stop. The man lowered the gun, and began running toward her instead. That was all of the attention Cassie could spare, as the demon was upon her. She danced away from several attacks, unleashing only a few of her own.
“You have wizened, little one,” the demon patronized. “It will not help you.”
She flipped him the bird. “Haven’t caught me yet, Pus-bag!”
Carreau launched a vicious salvo of slashing attacks at her.
Cassie narrowly escaped the onslaught. She decided it was better to focus on getting to the woods without getting killed, instead of taunting the monster. She didn’t dare turn and run, the thing was too fast. Slow and steady, Cassie, slow and steady.
They continued their game of cat and mouse; she shuffling ever backward, the demon trying to corral her. Unfortunately, she ran out of time. The cultists caught up, and put an end to her dodging. She was going to have to choose a path to make a break for it now.
As J’onn’s men made to surround her, she charged the flunky to her right. It was silly of him to think he had a chance against her. He’d seen what she was capable of, but hey, if he felt the need to underestimate her, Cassie wasn’t going to complain. Once she was upon him, he fell to the ground without warning, tangling himself in her legs.
The scene must have looked like one of those “when animals attack” videos. The one with the elephant trampling the poor fools who were unlucky enough to be in the raging beast’s way. Cassie didn’t exactly kick the guy across the glade, but she heard bones break when she powered through him. Unfortunately, she now understood the man’s intent, as she stumbled to keep her feet.
He’d slowed her down.
The demon’s blow was sudden and powerful. The hit to her back was full on, with no magical buffer this time, and the impact sent her lip skidding across the grass.
She cried out in pain, but it was muffled by the pound of turf she’d scooped up in her mouth. Stars distorted her vision, as she lay there in agony. She was having trouble hearing over the ringing in her ears, though faint cries of battle seeped in. Who the hell is fighting? At this point, she wasn’t even fighting.
Hands jerked Cassie over onto her back. J’onn’s leering face filled her vision. A genuine look of concern crossed his features. But once he saw that she wasn’t dead, he laughed in triumph, and raised the same black dagger he’d had at the barn. “Finally, you’re mine!” The dark blade sped toward her chest.
Cassie swung her arms up wildly in a desperate attempt to block the attack.
The dagger struck her breast instead of plunging into her heart.
She screamed in agony. She’d been stabbed before, and it hadn’t been a pleasant feeling by any means, but this was pain on a whole new level. J’onn might as well have poured acid in the wound it burned so bad. That wasn’t the worse part though. Something tore inside, on a spiritual level. Perhaps it was the rending of her soul, or the stripping of her power that the cult leader had boasted about. Whatever it was, it hurt like hell a thousand times over.
Cassie cried as she struggled to push the man off, but her strength was failing while J’onn’s appeared to be growing. Her attempts to free herself were in vain.
The cult leader grinned wickedly, driving the dagger deeper. He was still trying to reach her heart. “Don’t fight it,” he whispered. “The pain will go away if you don’t fight.”
The opposite of his claim couldn’t have been more true. The pain only worsened the harder he pushed on the blade. There was no way to describe the agony, other than it felt as if she were being devoured from the inside by a swarm of voracious insects. Her grip on his wrist weakened. Her grasp on life itself was waning. Cassie knew, somehow she just knew, that if she died right now, this horrible artifact would consume her soul, leaving only a void of nothingness for all eternity.
“That’s it,” J’onn purred, as he became stronger still. “Just a little farther.”
Cassie could feel the blade sliding deeper despite her efforts. “No,” she cried. “Please, no.”
“Everything’s going to be—” J’onn began. He was cut off by a boot to the head. The cult leader rolled off of her, tearing the dagger free, as he fell. Caleb jumped over her, landing on top of J’onn, and wailed on the cultist, as he bellowed in rage.
Cassie gasped in relief. She clamped a hand over the wound. Surprisingly, there wasn’t much blood, considering she felt like she’d been skewered by a polearm. She glanced around, dazed.
J’onn’s flunkies were scattered around her in various states of unconsciousness or death. The two men who had come with the purple-haired girl battled with the demon. The three combatants danced around each other, as if in some dark play.
“Get off me, fool!” J’onn yelled. He batted Caleb aside with a thunderous slap.
He has my strength, Cassie thought with dread. She sat up, and closed her hand into a fist. Or a part of it at least. Power still coursed through her veins, though not as pronounced as it had been.
Caleb rolled across the ground and hopped to his feet, quick as if he’d not just been given the mother of all bitch slaps. He charged J’onn, and tack
led him to the ground once more.
She gawked at the display. Caleb should have been down for the count after J’onn’s blow. Maybe he hadn’t been hit as hard as she thought, or J’onn didn’t steal as much of her power as she’d assumed. She shook her head to clear the haziness in her mind. That stuff didn’t matter right now. What mattered was that she helped Caleb.
Her hand brushed over something metal when she went to get up.
The dagger.
She touched it again, and instantly felt sick to her stomach. The wicked black blade called to her, hungering for something to devour. She jerked her hand away. The urge to feed the artifact lessened, but the residue of its tainted will remained. The whispers of promises she so desperately wanted fulfilled, continued to echo in her thoughts.
Caleb yelled, as he was knocked back again, but this time J’onn followed. The cult leader punched Caleb in the head, and then wrapped his hands around his throat. Caleb clawed at J’onn’s arms, but the grip was too strong. His struggling lessened with each passing second.
Cassie gritted her teeth, and grabbed the dagger.
Kill, kill, kill, it demanded, driving her into a rage.
She didn’t care. It’s what she wanted to do anyway. Invigorated by the dark blade, she got to her feet, and charged J’onn. There was no battle cry, or monologue. She simply ran up behind him, and slammed the dagger into the center of his back, as hard as she could. The blade sank deep into the cult leader, finally stopping at the hilt.
J’onn released Caleb, and arched his back. His mouth opened in a silent scream.
Cassie hung on to the blade, and wrapped an arm around the cult leader’s neck, leveraging her hold on the dagger. Sweet power flowed through the dagger. Her eyes rolled back in ecstasy as it filled her. The blade devoured most of the cult leader’s soul before it got to her, but part of J’onn’s twisted being seeped in with her returning power.
The seconds seemed like hours while the blissful transfer occurred, until finally, Cassie felt the last of her power return. The dagger begged for her to remain, to finish off J’onn. It was as if it needed her to complete the task.
Cassie (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #3) Page 12
