by T J Nichols
Jude turned to face him. “I don’t want to have this conversation. We need to do as much as we can in daylight.”
“I wasn’t going to start a conversation. I was stating a fact.” He took Jude’s hands in his. Mack’s skin was warm and rough. “If we survive, we can talk about what happens next.”
For a moment Jude was sure that Mack wanted there to be something after this. There could be, couldn’t there? As long as they survived, there was a chance. There was a peace to being out here, away from the constant buzz of the city and all of its grids and circuits. The quiet no longer scared him. He didn’t need to be connected to, or surrounded by, electricity to use it. He had more control out here. Or did he have control because of Mack and the bond?
Jude gave Mack’s hands a squeeze. Would he be able to wake up next to Mack if he was no longer a witch, or would being human be a constant reminder of the magic he’d lost? There’d be no bond, so he wouldn’t be able to feel Mack’s emotions, his desire or his concern.
His fear that this might all be for nothing.
If he wasn’t a witch, he wouldn’t be able to look Mack in the eye without feeling like he’d failed everyone and everything. But he didn’t say that. He smiled instead. “Let’s start ringing this mine in salt.”
That was backup plan number one.
Mack took the salt and made his way around the mine at a jog, leaving a trail of salt behind him. It wouldn’t be a perfect circle, but that didn’t matter. It was the intent. While he could make a binding circle that would last until morning, they needed something more to hold it come dawn, when daylight had a way of disrupting magic, so he could claim success.
He also didn’t trust the websites that said aufhockers only hunted at night. They were in its territory, and the usual rules wouldn’t apply. He also wanted the chance to go into the mine and examine the original spell. For that they needed the aufhocker out here and trapped.
While Mack walked, Jude got out the pepper. The salt made a more solid protection circle, trapping them all inside, but a pepper circle had binding properties, so he should be able to trap just the aufhocker in it. He had practiced, but in daylight it had fallen as fast as he could build it.
He made a large pepper circle that started at the mine entrance and almost reached the truck. Standing in the middle, he pushed a little magic into the circle. A little of himself. The circle formed but could still be crossed. However, it wouldn’t take much to raise when the time came. But he didn’t know if it would work.
The final plan, plan three, involved the nails and a lot more effort and magic. He laid out six pentagrams made of nails and with a little spark of electricity joined the point of each star. He couldn’t do a sleeping spell, but he could lay these out and make them into a net to capture the creature. The net would survive dawn, because he would power it. With the metal still warm in his hands, he placed them in a circle near the entrance. It couldn’t be too small or the odds of the aufhocker stepping into it would be too slim. Too big and it would drain him too fast.
He glanced up as he placed the last one. Glowing yellow eyes watched him from the entrance. The sun had almost set. Cold raked down his back. He shifted electrons so his fingers crackled with sparks. The creature didn’t move.
It was waiting.
So was he.
He sent lightning through each pentagram, binding it to the ground so it couldn’t be kicked out of place, therefore ruining the net.
Mack returned with an almost empty bag. His gaze turned to the mine entrance. “We have an audience.”
“Yeah. If she doesn’t come out, she’ll still be trapped here.” He’d need to activate the salt circle, and he wasn’t ready to trap Mack and him in it with the aufhocker—yet.
“Unless there’s another exit.”
Which there probably was. He didn’t know if she’d be able to escape underground. There was undoubtedly a dig yourself out clause to a salt circle. There was always an out clause with magic. Nothing was ever total. “That’s why you’ve got the tranquilizer.”
“We don’t even know if that works on aufhockers. They aren’t your average cow. She might shake off the drug like a bee sting.”
“Better than nothing.” One of their plans had to work. If not, they were back to fighting like last night.
Mack bent to look at the pentagram at his feet. “You made that. You welded the points?”
“I guess. Metal melts in the heat of the lightning.”
“Can you control the heat?”
“That depends on your definition of control. Not to within a degree, but I can make the strikes hotter or colder. It’s about how much energy is in the charge.” He’d never thought of it as welding before.
Mack stood. “Did you want me to stop her from running back into the mine? Test out the tranquilizer, or do we keep that as a last resort?”
He wanted to say use it now, but if it failed…
Seconds ticked past. “I don’t know.”
If it worked, they could drag her into the net. Problem solved. Except he had to put magic into these spells to keep them active. The longer he did that, the more it would take from him. He didn’t want to activate them too early.
“I don’t know how to do this. I’m not even sure that I can hold it all night.” That the creature had watched him set up was unnerving, but how could it know what he was doing? Even if she was just assessing her prey, it was no less concerning.
“You can. You’re a witch with a familiar.”
Jude pressed his lips together in a tight smile. For tonight he was.
Mack turned his head. “Shit. There are cars coming up the road.”
“What?”
“It’s Saturday night. Kids will be coming up here to drink. I need to scare them off.” Mack pulled off his shirt.
Jude didn’t need to ask what Mack had in mind. He knew. Mack’s clothing fell to the ground, and before Jude heard the cars or saw their headlights there was a bear standing next to him. Better the teens saw the bear and run instead of getting eaten by the aufhocker.
He glanced back at the rubble-filled mine entrance. She’d moved. She was now in front of the rubble. Black against the deepening shadows. Behind her were two more sets of glowing eyes.
The cubs.
He’d watched enough wildlife documentaries to know that when baby big cats were old enough, their mothers taught them to hunt. Mom had decided tonight was the night. Had they gotten a taste for human last night? He suspected that all those missing cattle hearts had been brought back for the cubs to eat.
He tapped Mack on the shoulder. The bear tilted his head and flinched. Jude was sure if Mack were human that he’d have sworn. Jude moved away from the mine entrance and closer to the car, without taking his eyes off the aufhockers. He considered getting into the car, just to be safe. But he needed to be out of the car to activate the magic.
Mack walked down the road to get rid of the teens.
If they came here every Saturday night, then Mommy aufhocker would’ve been expecting dinner to arrive for her cubs. As the cars turned on to the main road through North, Mack stood. The headlights hit him and limned him in their glow. Then he growled loud enough to make the marrow in Jude’s bones melt. The lead car stopped.
Mack moseyed closer as though curious.
Jude kept glancing between Mack and the aufhocker. She had gotten no closer, but the two cubs were scrambling over the rocks. They were still small, literal ankle-biters. Did they already have the power to change size or did that come later?
He looked back at Mack. There were now three cars…would they try to run the bear over? Did anyone have guns? His stomach knotted as Mack moved closer to the cars.
Air brushed past him, then the aufhocker was on him, knocking him to the ground. He couldn’t breathe with its weight on him. He scrunched his shoulders up to protect his neck, but the creature’s jaws didn’t close around his throat. It got off him. He tried to scramble away, but her teeth sunk
into his calf. He cried out as she dragged him toward the cubs. Every movement he made tore at his flesh.
He stopped, not to play dead—that would never work—but to make a charge. If Mack had been zapped from contact with him, then so would the aufhocker. It was hard to concentrate through the fear and pain. His heartbeat was erratic. And he was getting far too close to the hungry little cubs. Who no longer looked so little.
Electricity flickered over his skin, but it wasn’t enough. He needed more.
He was in his own net now. The cubs edged forward. Did Mom plan on holding him still so the cubs could practice neck biting? Hell no!
He kicked, catching her in the face, and yanked his leg back, ignoring the tearing through his ankle and the wet heat of his blood on his skin. She lunged, and he threw a protection circle around himself. Jude collapsed onto the ground.
Fuck. Hell. Damn. Mack.
He twisted around to see where Mack was. The bear was chasing the cars as they reversed down the road. At least no one else would get bitten tonight. Blood poured out of his leg. He should’ve asked Mack to buy a first-aid kit. Why hadn’t he thought of that?
Mack smelled the blood before he’d even turned. It wasn’t aufhocker blood that tasted sour and smelled like sulfur—he’d gotten more than a mouthful of that last night. It was human blood.
Jude’s blood.
He raced back to where Jude should’ve been. Instead, Jude was much closer to the mine, and the two cubs circled the prone witch while Mom watched. Mack snarled, and they backed away.
Mom got bigger. He really didn’t want to fight tonight. He stood and growled and tried to be as threatening as possible. The cubs ran behind Mom. Mom didn’t move.
“I’ll drop my circle if you can get me to the truck.”
That wouldn’t do any good. They had to stop the aufhocker from leaving, but he couldn’t tell Jude that, as a bear and as a naked human he didn’t think the aufhocker would be very afraid of him. He shook his head and tried to think.
Jude had various circles and backup plans. All untried on aufhockers, and some of them would fade in sunlight. If they were still alive, they could worry about that in the gray predawn light.
How bad was Jude hurt? Did he need a hospital? Screw the aufhockers and the Coven, there was no glory in dying trying to hang on to magic. As a bear, he walked over to the car and opened the door. The paint near the handle had a few claw scratches, and he added a couple more. With the door shielding him, he shifted and grabbed the gun. He loaded it then pulled himself onto the step, so the cabin and door could offer some protection.
He figured he’d get one shot before the creature was on him.
Mom saw him. Her ears flicked forward, and her posture shifted. Mack swallowed and tried to ignore the rapid beating of his heart. He’d never been prey until meeting aufhockers and he didn’t like the feeling at all. He had no defenses. Even as a bear he had to fight for his life.
He exhaled and focused. He knew how to shoot, but he chose not to hunt like this. As Mom started to circle around, wanting to attack from behind, Mack kept his gaze on her flank. He wanted a nice rump shot.
Come on Fates, give me something.
Mom checked on her cubs—who were inching closer to Jude—then switched her attention back to Mack. He fired. The sound cut the night, but the shot was true—he hoped it worked. But he didn’t wait to find out. He slid into the cab of his truck and slammed the door. She launched herself at the truck, first into the bed rocking the vehicle, then above his head. Metal buckled; claws scraped then broke through the roof.
Mack melted down in the seat. He was still safer here than out there. How long would the tranquilizer take to work? She jumped onto the hood and pressed her forehead to the windscreen to glare at him. Her eyes were luminous, almost pretty if she hadn’t been trying to kill him. Her claws squealed over the metal, ruining the paintwork and scarring the hood.
His heart was going to burst.
When they found his naked body, the cops would wonder what the hell had happened out here. Even though clothes wouldn’t protect him, it would be nice to die wearing underwear.
The aufhocker blinked, and the light in her eyes dimmed. Then she slumped onto the hood of his truck and grew smaller, back to dog size. Her magic only worked while she was conscious. Mack uncurled his fingers from the gun. He sat for a few moments, enjoying being able to breathe, but not the scent of fear-sweat that now filled the cab of his truck.
His skin was slick, and it wasn’t over yet. Mom could wake up at any time. And there were still the two cubs to contend with and Jude’s injury.
Mack loaded the second cartridge and got out of the truck. He picked his jeans up off the ground and pulled them on as he walked over to Jude. “How is it?”
The cubs drew closer, sniffing as though they weren’t sure what he was. He growled and hoped they’d back away, or at least not take a bite.
“I don’t think it’s that bad,” Jude said through clenched teeth, his face pale and pained.
This was too much for a witch and a shifter. Aufhockers needed a team of witches. Witches with different magics and a proper plan, not an afternoon of reading spells on dodgy websites.
The cubs circled around behind him and pounced, landing near his bare feet. They already knew to attack from the back. He glanced at them. They had doubled in size, testing out their magic and their hunting skills.
“Drop the circle and let me look.”
“What about Darkness and Evil?”
“You’ve named them?”
“I needed to do something while you tried not to die.”
Mack glanced back at Mom. She was still out. “We need to do something about her, too.”
“Can you put her in the pepper circle?”
Mack glanced at the aufhocker again. Sure, he could pick her up, the weight wouldn’t be a problem, but he didn’t want to. What if she woke up in his arms?
“Let’s sort you out first.”
Jude sat up. “No. It’s not that bad, and she’s the bigger problem.”
“Drop the circle and let me at least confirm your diagnosis. Remember, if you die, I also get to die.”
“Pine away,” Jude corrected.
“Die slowly.” Mack flinched as a small wet nose touched his foot. But no teeth nipped at his skin. The pup was just curious because he didn’t smell human.
“Darkness is the braver of the two.” Jude dropped the circle, and the cubs were straight to his wounded leg to sniff and taste the blood.
Mack brushed them aside, repeatedly. Jude’s damn boots seemed to have saved him from too much damage, but his jeans were dark with blood. The top of the boot had puncture marks, as did Jude’s calf. But it could’ve been so much worse. The leg of his jeans was shredded as though he’d dragged his foot free. “We can go. Get you to emergency. The cubs won’t hunt without her, and you can bind them with the salt.”
“I’m not leaving. And I have to be in the salt circle for it to work.”
“Magic is shit.” He pushed his finger through his hair with one hand and brushed Evil and Darkness away with the other. One of them snapped at his fingers. They were getting too brave. “You’re bleeding, and we’re out of our depth.”
“You’re the one who told me to fight instead of letting the Coven take over. I’m fighting.”
“You can’t fight if you’re passed out.” It wasn’t just Jude’s fear racing through his blood, it was his own. He’d turned his back and gone after the kids, and in that time, Jude could’ve been killed. So much for only hunting at dark. It had barely been dusk when Mom had attacked Jude.
“I’m not going to pass out.”
Fear scented Jude’s skin. Mack pulled him close. If the aufhocker hadn’t been getting dinner for her cubs to play with, Jude would be dead. The bond between them had never been so fragile. “I shouldn’t have chased the cars away.”
It was his fault the aufhocker had attacked Jude.
“It w
ould’ve been worse with the kids here. Deal with Mom. I can fend off the cubs.”
Mack handed Jude the gun. “It’s loaded.” Then he took a moment to locate the pepper circle. Jude was inside it. “I’m getting you out of the pepper before I move her.”
He helped Jude up, and they made their way to the edge of the pepper. “What’s so different about this?”
“In theory, pepper has binding properties. I was playing with yours, which is why you’re out at home. So I should be able to contain her in the circle without being in the circle.”
Should. “And if you can’t?”
“Put her in the center of my metal stars as well. I should be able to contain her in that.”
Should, again.
“And the kerosene?”
“That was just in case we had to set fire to things. Animals don’t like fire.”
Mack pressed his lips together. He wasn’t going to say anything. He had to have faith in Jude’s abilities or he had to kill another aufhocker, and the babies. He couldn’t do it. They might be demon dogs, but they were still animals.
He stalked over to the car and hesitated for a moment before he lifted Mom off his hood. She was heavier than she should be for her size and she smelled far worse than any dog he’d ever met. Her body was limp in his arms, but her head was far too close to his neck and face, so he moved as fast as possible and placed her within the metal stars, then backed away.
“Call the cubs over, maybe we can trap them all,” Jude said, his voice carrying in the quiet night.
“What? Come here, Evil and Darkness. Who’s a cute little aufhocker?” Mack clicked his fingers.
Jude laughed. The cubs ignored Mack and tugged on the bloodied led of Jude’s jeans. They were not leaving a wounded dinner to play with the man who smelled like bear. Jude stumbled but steadied himself before Mack got there.
“Why don’t you do the star thing now?”
“Because it will use too much energy. Even the pepper will use energy, but less. External magic has a bigger cost than simple protection.”
“So you need to be awake to make it work.”
“Yeah.”
