“Yes,” Jorja said, wincing, as the ropes tightened around her wrists. She gasped, as they fell free, rubbing her wrist and turning to stare at the dark-haired man with piercing green eyes. “Wait. Are you… Samuel?”
“Samuel?” the man laughed. “What are you? On drugs, lady? Samuel’s dead!”
“What? But Micah…”
“Micah doesn’t know what happened after the Rogues interrupted his sister’s wedding and killed her,” the man told her.
“Then why are you helping us?” Jade asked as he cut the rope free from her wrists. “Thank you.”
“Because, like you, I don’t want the werewolves and vampires to merge together,” the man said. “A union between the two would be the end of the magical community, not to mention the world. They would destroy everything!” He moved behind Josslyn. “I’m Caleb, by the way,” he whispered in her ear, cutting the rope free from her wrists. “And you are?”
“Josslyn,” Josslyn said, turning to smile at him, as he stared down at her. “Josslyn Morgan.”
“Ahh. You’re the Chosen ones,” he said, staring at the three women. “And you.” He pointed at Josslyn. “You are a very popular girl, aren’t you?”
“I suppose I am,” Josslyn whispered. “It seems the vampires and werewolves are desperate to get a hold of me. Something about being a key to the curse?”
“Which is why we need to get you home,” Caleb said, as he cut the ropes from the guys, stepping back. “They can’t get to you, Josslyn. If they get both you and Jax on their side, everything I’ve done will be for nothing.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s my back up plan,” Ashwin said, smiling. “A close friend of mine, who’s been undercover within the Rogues for a while now. It’s good to see you again, Caleb.”
“And you as well, Ashwin,” Caleb said, nodding to him. “Now, will you please get them home? Talia’s about to start the ritual.”
“She can’t without…” Ashwin trailed off, his gaze going to his hand. “The ring. It’s gone!”
“And on it’s way to Talia, as we speak,” Caleb said. “Which is why you need to go! The wolves, they’re preparing to send Josslyn…” he trailed off, as footsteps sounded nearby. “They’re coming! You have to go. Jax is going to be coming for you and you have to be prepared when she does!”
Ashwin nodded. “He’s right. We need to get home and get ready. Jax is highly trained, and once she’s healed, she’ll be almost unstoppable.” He thrust his hand forward, a portal opening up before them.
“Wait. What about you?” Josslyn asked, staring up at Caleb. “They’re going to know it was you who set us free. They’ll kill you!”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Caleb said, wrapping a hand around her wrist and pulling her forward. “For you.” He dipped his head, brushing his lips across hers.
Josslyn gasped, her lips parting, heat coursing through her at the sudden contact. She moaned, gripping his shoulders, returning the kiss. A moment later she pulled back, frowning. “What was that for?”
Caleb shrugged. “I know what I want.”
“Bold,” Josslyn said, chuckling. “I like it.”
“I’ll be seeing you, Josslyn,” Caleb said, grinning. “Now go!”
“Wow, look at you,” Jade said, laughing, as she looped an arm through Josslyn’s. “Just when was the last time you were kissed like that?”
“Tyler,” Josslyn said, holding a hand to her lips, and glancing over her shoulder at Caleb. “I haven’t felt anything like that since Tyler.”
“You really must have a thing for the wolves.”
“Oh, would you shut up?” Josslyn asked, rolling her eyes, as they raced toward the portal. Behind them, the wolves raced around the corner.
“The intruders!”
“They’re escaping!”
“Go!” Caleb shouted. “I’ll hold them off.”
“Caleb! No!”
“Josslyn, go!” Caleb shouted as he dropped to the ground, his human form turning into a fierce, black wolf. He jerked his large head toward her, letting out a fierce growl, his piercing, green eyes staring back at her, and Josslyn swallowed. She nodded, turning to the portal, stopping to glance over her shoulder once more.
How can I just leave him here? she wondered. He sacrificed everything to save me… but why? He didn’t even know me! Why…
“Joss, you need to listen to him,” Jade whispered, breaking into her thoughts. “Because he’s right. We can’t let Talia get her hands on you.”
“But he’ll die!”
“And that is a risk he’s willing to take. For the greater good.”
“But why would he risk everything for me? He doesn’t even know me!”
“Because that’s the kind of guy Caleb is,” Ashwin told her.
“And the kiss? Does he go around kissing every girl he sees?”
Ashwin grimaced. “Well… he’s a bit of a…”
“Player?” Josslyn asked.
“You could say that,” Ashwin said, as the wolves lunged. “Come on! We have to go!” he shouted, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her through the portal. “Now!”
Chapter 28
“I am forever in your debt,” Talia said, nodding to the werewolf, as he handed her the rings. “I trust they’re all here.”
“Yes. All twenty-four of them,” the werewolf told her, his gaze going to Jax. “Is she ready for the procedure?”
“Just about. Alana’s finalizing the last of the potion. This was the last ingredient we needed to finalize the potion. Soon, it’ll cure Jax, and she’ll be able to help me get rid of the witches once and for all.”
“And the children?”
“They’re all set. Every last one of them.”
“That’s fantastic news,” the wolf said, narrowing his eyes on Talia. “Talia, we have been waiting a long time for this. Twenty-four centuries to be exact. Please don’t let us down.”
“I would never!” Talia cried. “I’ve been working on this for centuries. The children we’ve kidnapped throughout the years, have been put on ice, keeping young until we were ready for them. Now that we are.” She snapped her fingers. “They can finally thaw and be of use to us. Don’t worry, wofie, everything is going just as planned.” She frowned at him. “But aren’t you tempting the curse just by being here, Rogue?”
The Rogue wolf laughed, shaking his head. “Oh, Talia, did you think the Rogues were going to send just anyone here? They sent the one, with the most protection. One of the three, who has this medallion,” he said, pointing to the green medallion slung around is neck. “I killed a witch for this, centuries ago. It keeps me safe from curses, and other forces of the supernatural.”
“And did your friends manage to capture the witches?”
“Of course,” the wolf said. “It was part of our agreement, was it not? The alpha will take care of them, and Josslyn, she will be yours.”
“Music to my ears,” Talia whispered, turning and walking out the door. “So, are you staying for the ritual?”
The wolf shook his head. “No. I have too many things I need to help the other Rogues with, before the ritual begins, but don’t worry, Talia. We will be in touch.” He turned, disappearing out the door.
“Suit yourself,” Talia said, as she raced down the hallway. “Alana!” she shouted, turning and disappearing into the room to her left. “We got them! We got the rings!”
“Impeccable timing,” Alana said, taking the bag from Talia and dropping the rings into the cauldron. “Well, would you look at that. Nothing like seeing something of Zeus’s melted to almost nothing.” She chuckled, stirring. “Now all we need is a dash of cayenne, a dash of vampire blood. A dash of blood from the werewolf…” She dropped the ingredients as she spoke. “A little bit of pigskin, a little luck, and finally, the fins of a mermaid.”
She dropped the last ingredient into the cauldron and stepped back as the potion bubbled. A loud boom echoed, shaking the ground, and she
smiled as she glanced over at Talia. “It’s read. Let’s go get Jax.”
She quickly extracted the potion into a bottle, turning, and hurrying out of the room with Talia right on her heels.
“She’s not doing very good,” the sorcerer said, looking up as they neared. “She’s…”
“About to make a marvelous recovery,” Alana told her, as she slid to a stop in front of Jax. “Jax. Jax, can you hear me?”
“Hmm.”
“I need you to open your eyes, Jax.”
Jax groaned, her eyes creaking open. “Alana?”
“Hi, Jax. I’ve got some medicine for you. It’s going to help make you better, I just need you to drink this, okay? Drink all of it.”
Jax stared at her a moment, but finally nodded, opening her mouth. Alana stepped forward, lifting the potion to Jax’s lips, watching as the potion disappeared from the bottle.
“Now what?” Talia asked, as she stepped back, wringing her hands with worry.
“We wait.”
“What? But—”
“Grr!”
A loud growl suddenly sounded, and they both turned, watching as Jax’s eyes snapped open. She ripped her arms free from the ropes holding her in place, falling to the ground on her hands and knees.
“Jax!”
“Grr!”
Jax swung around, barring her teeth, and Alana pulled Talia back. “Give her a moment.”
Jax let out another growl, her body shaking. She flopped to the ground, rolling onto her back. Her body writhed left and right. Up and down, and then finally, her eyes snapped open, her gaze going to Talia. “Mother?”
“Jax?” Talia rushed forward, dropping to her knees next to Jax. “Jax? Is it really you?”
“I think so,” Jax said, wincing, as she rubbed the back of her neck. “What happened?”
“The blood inside of you was fighting with one another. You’ve been rapidly declining for months. I’ve been feeding you blood, but it just wasn’t enough, but Alana here saved you. She made a potion that made you better. Now, you can finish what you started.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Kill the witches.”
Chapter 29
“Sky?”
Jasmine groaned, creaking an eye open, blinking into the darkness of the room. Where is everyone? she thought, wincing as she held a hand to her stomach, as she sat up on the couch. Man. I feel like shit!
Crash!
The loud crash sounded throughout the house, and she jumped. What the hell?
She gingerly pushed herself to her feet, making her way across the living room. She swayed, her vision blurring, and she gripped the banister as she struggled to make her way up the steps. Attic. I need to get to the attic.
“Jasmine?” Julie poked her head out of her bedroom. “Did you hear that? It sounded like…”
“A loud crash, I know!” Jasmine cried, wincing, as she leaned against the wall, dragging in deep breaths. “I think it came from…”
The front door suddenly slammed open below them, and they both peered over the railing, staring at the short, red-haired woman dressed in black leather, as she strode into the house.
“Hello, Ladies,” the woman said, an evil smile spreading across her lips as she stared at them. She lifted her hand, metal spinning in a circle just above her hand. “Did you miss me?” She flung her hand forward.
“Julie! Run!” Jasmine shouted, grabbing Julie by the hand and dragging her down the hallway. They both ducked, the sharp points of the metal zinging over their heads, and hitting the wall just behind them.
“Is that Jax?” Julie asked as they hurried down the hallway.
Jasmine nod. “Yes, and she can control metal!”
“Do you girls really think you can run from me?” Jax asked as she started up the steps, letting out another dark laugh. “I owe you so much more for what you’ve done to me.” Metal flung through the air, sailing over their heads, and hitting the light just above them. “You abandoned me!”
“Jasmine!”
Julie and Jasmine lunged forward, the light above them shattering, shards of the lightbulb littering the floor just behind them.
“Jax, we didn’t abandon you,” Jasmine said, turning to stare at her sister, as she drew closer. “We thought you were dead. We all thought you were.”
“Lies!” Jax shouted, flinging her hands forward.
Jasmine struck her hands up, her eyes widening when nothing happened. She ducked, the metal spikes hitting the picture of the five of them. “Jax, what I’m telling you is the truth,” she whispered. “Please, you have to listen to me! Mom would have never abandoned you if she knew you were alive. She thought she miscarried. That she lost you!”
“Jasmine, you can’t get through to her,” Julie whispered. “Her soul… it’s gone. She has no concept of emotion. Of what’s real and what’s not.”
“But I have to try!”
“You’re going to get yourself killed! Your powers, won’t work. You’re too drugged up from the surgery and those pain meds. Our only chance is to get to the attic.”
Jasmine stared at Julie for a moment, then over at Jax, as she molded her hands together. She spread them apart, lifting them in the air, and flung her hands forward. A large, metal web slinging toward them.
“Now!”
They pivoted, racing down the hallway.
“Just a little further!” Jasmine cried as she gripped Julie’s hand. “The attic…”
“Jasmine! Julie!”
The attic door suddenly flung open, their nieces running out. “What’s going on?”
“Your evil aunt is trying to kill us!” Jasmine cried. “Get inside! Now!”
They all raced into the attic, slamming the door shut behind them. Jasmine drew in a deep breath, turning, and staring around the room. She frowned. “Ah, girls, where’s Sky?”
“He crashed through the window.”
“What!” Jasmine turned to stare at her nieces, then at the broken window across the room. “Oh my God! Sky!” She raced across the room, peering out the window.
“Woo! That was a close one!”
Sky appeared behind her in a reign of light, and Jasmine let out a breath of relief, running toward him. “Oh my God! Sky! You’re okay!”
“Of course I’m okay,” Sky said, wrapping his arms around her, and pulling her close. “But I thought you were resting.”
“We were trying to, and then we heard a loud crash. I’m guessing that was you, right? And then Jax came. She’s trying to kill us! Who the hell threw you out the window?”
“Jax’s soul,” Sky said, pointing to the transparent image of Jax, that was floating around. “Look, that’s her soul.”
“It must be lost,” Julie whispered. “And it came home. To the people she knew who could help.” She jumped, as the door thumped loudly behind her. “Sky, can we even save her? She’s a vampire. A werewolf. A Vampwolf!”
“No, she’s not,” Sky said, softly. “She only has the blood of the vampire and werewolf inside of her. She was never fully converted. There’s still time to save her.”
“How?”
“By getting her soul back.”
“Is that even possible?”
“Ah, guys. Whatever you’re going to do, you might want to do it fast!” Jami cried as she backed away from the door. “She’s about to break through the door!”
“Argh!”
The door to the attic burst open, wood splintering everywhere, and they all turned to stare at Jax as she stepped through the attic.
“I’m not finished with you girls yet,” she said, wiggling her fingers, knives dancing just above her hands, and twirling in a circle around her. “I made Talia a promise. A promise that I plan on keeping A promise to kill all of you!” She flung her hands forward.
“No!”
Josi grabbed the sword leaning against the wall, racing forward. She swung the sword, knocking the knives to the ground one by one.
“Josi!”
“You little brat!”
“Here, let me help!” Jessi cried, racing forward. She lifted her head, staring at Jax, focusing all of her thoughts, all of her emotions on the woman. “Stay away from my family.”
“Jessi! She’s fighting through it!” Josi cried as Jax stepped forward. “You’re not going to be able to hold her off!”
“Sky, we need to hurry!” Jasmine cried. “What do we need to do?”
“We need to perform a séance. It’s the only way to get her soul back.”
“Here?”
Sky glanced over at Jax. He shook his head. “No. I don’t think we’d ever be able to…”
“Ahh!”
Jami barreled forward, jumping onto Jax’s back and wrapping her arms around her throat. “Do it!” she shouted. “You have to. She’s part of our family!”
“Well, you heard her,” Jasmine said, grabbing the candles and quickly placing them around the room. “Julie...”
“Nah uh. We don’t have time for that,” Julie said, lighting a match and quickly lighting the candles. “Come on.” She gripped Jasmine’s hand. “Now what?”
“Here.” Sky flipped through the book, hurrying to them.
“Through time and space, let our plea be heard from up above.
Souls that have been taken, lead us to the path that we seek.
Spirits from the other side, let us cross and let us free our sister from the chains that bind her.
Bring back our sister. We need our sister.”
A rush of wind rushed through the air, and Jasmine stumbled back, squinting. “Something’s coming!” she shouted as a portal appeared before them.
“Do you think it’s her soul?”
“Who knows!”
“Julie! Jasmine!”
“Jade?” Julie’s eyes widened. “Holy crap! You’re alive!”
“You thought we were dead?”
“We might be soon!” Ashwin cried as he, Elijah, Jorja, Josslyn, and Matthew stepped out from the portal. He clapped his hands together, the portal disappearing from sight. “They’re coming.”
“Who are coming?”
“We are.”
Bitten (The Wiccan Way Book 7) Page 12
