Bruja

by Aileen Erin

  “I’m not sure. They’re frozen now by some sort of spell, but I don’t know what—if anything—would release them.” His aura flared bright as he paused. “Maybe we don’t meet the criteria. Maybe you have to do something the mages wouldn’t like to set them off. Or practice evil magic? Or maybe if one of us steps on the wrong tile, they’ll swarm. It could be anything.”

  Perfect. Nothing was ever easy. Not for me, at least. “You don’t have to come in with me.”

  “Like hell I don’t.” His voice was a little more gravelly than normal. His wolf must not like being in here. “Where you go, I go.”

  I turned slowly, not wanting to set off the vampires, and faced him. “This could be really dumb. I don’t want to be responsible for your death. You’re a pack Alpha. You have more than just some witch on a quest to worry about.”

  “You’re not just some witch.” The gravelly tone was getting thicker.

  He stared me down until I looked away. If he wanted to go in, there wasn’t any way I could stop him. And part of me was relieved. I didn’t want to go in there alone. But the rest of me wanted him safe. I didn’t want my mess to cause anyone else any more harm. “Fine.” I held my breath as I took one step, and then another.

  A fine coating of dust covered the ground. It kicked up in the air as I walked, tickling my nose. The walls might’ve had something on them, but I couldn’t see past the vampires. I was doing my best not to look at them. I passed by one, and glanced at it quickly. Its straw-like hair and half-rotted body, gave me the creeps. It wore all black with a long, frayed duster that touched the ground.

  I stood close enough that it could have reached out and grabbed me. I held my breath as I stepped past, focusing on the floor, but nothing happened. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad? “Let’s head to the next room.”

  Lucas motioned me forward. “You lead the way.”

  I wiped my hands on my pants. “Okay.” I took even, measured steps, half expecting the vampires to charge as I walked around the altar.

  As I made it closer to the door on the other side of the room, I started to breathe a little easier. If there was a booby trap, we hadn’t set it off yet. We had a ways to go before getting out of here, but maybe Lucas and I didn’t meet the mages’ criteria for enemies.

  Lucas had to help me push the carved wooden doors open. They weighed a ton, and once they got moving, there was no stopping them. I winced as they slammed into the walls, and then glanced back at the room, but as far as I could tell, none of the vampires had moved.

  I sent Lucas a wide-eyed look, but he just shrugged. “Seems okay,” he said.

  It did seem okay. So far, so good. I focused on moving forward, even when all instincts told me to turn and run. I didn’t like vampires—not one bit—and the smell was only getting worse.

  I glanced over at Lucas and he gave me a small nod as we started walking down the hallway.

  “Any clue what you’re looking for?” Lucas whispered to me.

  “Not really,” I whispered back. “As least I’m not sure. I figure whatever I need will glow a lot. Or something.”

  The hallway was lined with rows of vampires two and three deep. All frozen.

  “How did the white mages capture so many of them? There’s got to be hundreds,” I said. Under other circumstances, I might’ve been able to analyze the magic, but even if I wasn’t totally exhausted, I had no intention of casting a thing in here unless the worst happened.

  “I don’t know. The magic that’s holding them must be strong. I wonder if we could replicate that.” He paused. “Although, why keep them around when we can kill them and be rid of them for good?”

  No kidding. “Right? They’re not exactly the type I’d want guarding my house. They’d just as soon eat me as protect me.”

  “Plus, the smell is horrible.”

  “It’s bad for me. Must be even worse for you.”

  He grunted. “Nearly unbearable.”

  Poor guy. We kept moving forward, at a steady even pace. I held my hands out, ready to cast a protection ward just in case we triggered some vampire release lever.

  The hallway ended in a set of downward stairs. Crystals—the same kind from the mines—lit along the stairwell as it twisted down. I was slightly dizzy by the time we reached the bottom. There was another long hallway leading back the other direction. At the end was another set of huge doors. Whatever was behind those doors was directly underneath the altar upstairs.

  Things of extreme importance were typically placed under altars—for protection but also because whatever magic was performed on the altar would drift down and imbue the object with residual magic. The longer the object rested under the altar, the stronger it got.

  That told me that what I wanted had to be behind those doors.

  The smell of dirt and dust was stronger here, but there were no vampires stationed along the hall. Instead there were bones—thousands of them—piled to the ceiling. All of them gave off a slight glow.

  They were separated by bone type. The little ones by the base of the stairwell had to be toes. At the end, surrounding the doorway, were skulls.

  I rolled my shoulders to ease the tension in them. It was probably weird, but I felt a little more relaxed around the bones. They wouldn’t suddenly start moving and trying eat me. At least, I didn’t think they would.

  I glanced back at Lucas. “This is a crypt.”

  “Yes. It used to be pretty typical for the temples and churches in the area.”

  This could actually be perfect. “One of my cousin’s books said that the bones of the ancients could be used in defense against demons. This could be exactly what we’re looking for.”

  “So, we can just grab some of these and get out of here? Great. Let’s do it.” He moved to grab the closest fibula, but I managed to stop him before he touched it.

  “Wait. It can’t be just any ancient. It has to be someone really holy. A saint.” I licked my lips as I took in the bones. “They should be glowing more.”

  “I thought all of these mages were saints.”

  “I guess not. To be sainted, the body would have to preserved. There would still be flesh on the bones. Dried flesh, but still.” I looked at the bones assembled into neat, categorized piles. “These all are dried bones. No flesh. They wouldn’t have taken them apart if they were saints.”

  Lucas made a face. “Sometimes you witches are disturbing.”

  I sighed. “It’s gross if you think about it, but I try not to. Especially when it’s magic that I really, really need—like something to save my brother.” I punched Lucas in the shoulder. “And you eat furry, bloody, still-warm animals.”

  “So do all carnivores. But taking bones from a preserved mage…” He waved his hand around. “Let’s find the right bones and get out before the vampires wake up.”

  “I wonder if they can wake up? Maybe they’re just for show.”

  He started walking. “I don’t intend to stay down here long enough to find out.”

  I caught up to him. “If the altar was upstairs, it stands to reason they’d rest the holiest of their sect below. In that room there,” I pointed to the end of the hallway. “And hopefully, the aura will tell me what’s best to take with me.”

  “Makes sense.”

  We closed the distance to another set of wooden doors. This time, we were careful to open them slowly.

  As soon as we saw inside, Lucas let of a string of curses. “You can’t be serious.”

  The altar matched the one above except for its occupant. A body dressed in white robes. The figure held a bouquet of dried flowers and an athame. A ring of fire surrounded the stone, burning two feet high. The glow of the mage overpowered even the light of the fire. But that wasn’t what really caught my eye.

  The walls were stacked deep with vampires. Not just two or three. But in some areas, five and six.

  The fire helped burn off some of the smell, but even then, it was a lot. My gut urged me to leave. Run. But I cou
ldn’t. I needed to get to that alter.

  Lucas growled, and grabbed my arm, pulling me behind him. “I don’t want either of us to go in that room. Not one bit.”

  Neither did I, but I didn’t have a ton of options. I patted his hand and he let go. “You can stay here.” I started to step past him. “But I need to go in.”

  He pushed the long sleeves of his T-shirt up to his elbows. “Like hell you’re going in there alone.” He stepped through the doorway. “Let’s do this fast.”

  We paused as we reached the fire. Sweat rolled down my hairline and I brushed it away. “Can you lift me over?”

  “Can’t you put it out with magic?”

  Something in my gut told me that was a really bad idea. This time, I wasn’t going to ignore that instinct.

  I glanced around the room again, and then at the fire. “I think that’s the booby trap part. Any magic done in this space could make the vampires wake.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but I have a feeling.”

  He grunted, and then grasped my waist. “I’m going to have to throw you, okay? I don’t want you to get burned.”

  That seemed like the best plan. “Okay.”

  “On three.” He counted down, and then I was air born for a split second.

  I came down on the ground hard.

  “You okay?”

  My ribs ached and my feet throbbed, but nothing was broken. I stood up and brushed myself off. “Fine.”

  The mage on the altar looked to be asleep. The purity of his soul had saved his body, perfectly preserving it. His eyes were closed, with both arms crossed over his chest. Long white hair cascaded over his shoulders, braided in thin sections. The only thing that told me he was dead was the dried out, leathery look of his skin and the fact that he wasn’t breathing.

  I reached out to him with shaking hands. I didn’t want to touch him. Disturbing him felt wrong. Only the thought of saving Raphael kept me moving forward.

  What was I supposed to take?

  I wondered if I could get away with taking a little hair. Hair was used in a lot of spells. It could be enough for Raphael.

  But what if it wasn’t enough?

  I didn’t travel all this way to come up short.

  “Hurry up. All these vampires staring at me…”

  “They’re frozen. They’re not staring at you, Lucas.”

  “No, princess. Their eyes have been following us the whole time.”

  I spun around. “Shut the fuck up.” I slapped a hand over my mouth. I’d never said that word out loud before. Fear was getting the better of me.

  His lips were pressed in a thin line. “I’m not joking. Watch their eyes.”

  He took two steps to the side. Then two more. I watched the vampire behind Lucas. It was slight, but its eyes tracked the motion.

  A shiver rolled down my spine. “This is bad.”

  “I know. Get what you need and get back over here.”

  He didn’t have to tell me twice. “I’m sorry for disturbing you, but you’ll be stopping a very evil witch. Thank you for your gift.” I grabbed a handful of the mage’s long white braids and pulled. They slipped easily out of his dried scalp. I wrapped them in a knot and placed them in my purse next to my cellphone.

  Then I noticed the ring on his hand. It was a thick band of silver with a large ruby in the middle. The aura glowed white around the ring, but the ruby had a different aura. It was a hundred shades of red, separate yet all together at the same time. It took me a second to get the ring over his thick, gnarled knuckles, and put that in my purse, too.

  Now, I just needed a bone. But what? It had to be something small—something I could take in my purse—but something that held a lot of power.

  A hand. That was the implement that we used the most when practicing magic. If I could dislodge his hand…

  My stomach roiled at the thought, but I had to try. I hoped it would be enough. I grasped the mage’s hand like I was going to shake it. The whole thing fell off at the wrist.

  I screeched and jumped back, nearly dropping it.

  “Calm down!” Lucas shouted.

  “Sorry.” My heart was racing. “Sorry. I just…” I turned toward him to show him. “I have a some hair, his ring, and a hand. I think I’m done here. That’s all I need to—”

  When I turned all the way around, my stomach dropped.

  Father Valentine stood in the hallway.

  Lucas had been right. Someone had been here before. Someone really bad.

  Father Valentine waved his hand in a spell-like motion.

  “No!” I finally found my voice. I pointed behind Lucas. “Stop him! Now!”

  Lucas lunged, but he was too late. The fire was out in an instant and the doors swung shut with a deafening thud.

  We were alone. In the dark.

  With at least a few hundred vampires.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Fire burning bright. Show me your light.” My magic sped out, but I could feel how weak it was. How weak I was.

  Not now. If my power failed…

  The fire around the altar flared again.

  The vampires were slowly starting to move. Turning their heads slightly. A few tensed their arms just a little.

  The magic holding them in place was fading as Lucas pounded on the door. “It’s stuck. I can’t get it open.”

  “Get back over here!” Vampires didn’t like fire. “Jump onto the altar. The fire will keep them away.”

  Lucas frantically looked around, and then ran toward me. He leapt over the fire, sliding to a stop at my side.

  “Get under,” he said, practically shoving me down.

  “One sec.” I hopped back up and grabbed the athame before crawling under the stone slab. Having some weapon—even a small one—made me feel a little better.

  Lucas slid under with me. “The fire won’t keep them for long. They’re blood starved. What do we do now?”

  He was asking me? “I don’t know.” Maybe if I had more magic, I could do something. But I couldn’t. I’d been drained for so long… I was below empty. “I don’t have enough energy to do anything helpful.” It was miraculous enough that I’d gotten the fire burning again.

  “I can’t fight all of them. There are hundreds.”

  I swallowed as the truth hit me. We were going to die. And so was my brother.

  A tear rolled down my cheek. “I’m sorry I got you mixed up in this.”

  Lucas brushed the tear away. “I’m not giving up yet.”

  “There’s no giving up. Just reality. We’re going to die.” Sweat broke out along my skin, and I brushed it away on my shirt. As I moved, I saw my hands shaking.

  Okay. I needed a way out of this. Something. Anything.

  I dug through the contents of my purse. The ring. I put it on my thumb, and felt the hum of its power against mine. “With the power of this ring, I let the mages’ power sing. Destroy the evil in this room, so that the good in here can bloom.” I focused all my will and energy on letting those words ring true, but I didn’t feel anything. Not even a little bit of magic stirred inside me.

  I waited, holding my breath. Hoping for a miracle.

  But none came.

  Beyond the flames, the vampires edged closer, moving faster by the moment. My breath came in tiny gasps as I watched them. We were running out of time, and I didn’t have anything to make a spell with. Just some hair, bones, the ring, and the crystal. But what could I do with them? One vampire would be hard enough to manage, but this many?

  There had to be something. I just needed to think.

  Come on, Claudia. Think.

  “We need to bond.” Lucas’ words cut through my panicked thoughts.

  All the air was forced from me like I was punched in the gut. “What?” Was he totally crazy? We’d known each other for days. Both of us came with a whole heap of baggage.

  “Think about it,” he said as he scooted closer. “You’ll have all the
pack magic at your beck and call. We’ve mixed so much with the brujos, that we’ve got power to spare, but my Alpha powers are useless here. I don’t have the ability to harness any kind of magic that would help, but you do. If we bond, you’ll have access to all of it.”

  Just like that? He couldn’t be thinking this through. I swallowed. “But… But it’s not a full moon. And we can’t do the ceremony here.”

  “That’s all for show.” He scooted closer, reaching for my hands. He looked calm, with a small smile on his face. “It’s trappings, just like a lot of magic. You like to rhyme when you do a spell, but you don’t need it to access your magic.”

  He was right. Holy moly. He was freaking right.

  “You just need to accept the bond.”

  This was insane. I couldn’t do this. Not right now. Not here. “But how do you know you want to be tied to me? You don’t even know me.”

  He squeezed my hands. “I knew you were my other half the second I saw you. The more I got to know you, the stronger that pull was. I know all about your past. About your parents. About your brother and the coven. I know everything you’ve sacrificed. And what I don’t know, I’ll learn.”

  “But… I don’t know you. I don’t even know how old you are.”

  His small smile spread into a full-on grin. “It doesn’t matter right now. What you don’t know, you’ll learn, too. But we don’t have a lot of time.” His grin faded, and he leaned forward. “I know this is scary. It’s not ideal. But I want to live. And I want to spend my life with you, Claudia de Santos.”

  It felt as if a thousand butterflies took off in my stomach, and for a second everything paused.

  He wanted to spend his life with me?

  A vampire reached through the fire. I screeched and jerked away from it. The hand caught fire and turned to ash.

  Lucas’ hand guided my face back to his. How was he so calm right now? “Do you trust me?”

  I did. I knew that much. “Yes.”

  Holy moly. Was I actually going to do this?

  I cleared my throat. “But I don’t know if I want to be a wolf.”