Bruja

by Aileen Erin

  I crab-crawled back until I hit the legs of one of the mages. I didn’t dare look at the thing. Its energy alone made my skin crawl and the thick scent of sulfur made bile rise in my throat.

  Something bright and glowing caught my eye. The crystal. I’d dropped it when I fell, but it was here, inside the circle, with me. It lay on the ground inches away from where the demon was crawling out of the underworld.

  I didn’t want to get any closer to it, but I had to. I needed that crystal. It was the only weapon I had here.

  Shaking, I got up on my knees and took a breath. My heart pounded in my ears as I flung myself toward the crystal.

  As soon as I had it, I gripped it tight and stabbed it into the demon’s hand. “Back to hell where you belong.”

  An explosion broke the night as soon as the crystal touched flesh.

  I flew back, knocking into the brujos, finally breaking their circle. A cry rang out, raising all the hair on my arms. The portal slammed shut, cutting the demon’s arm off at the joint. Blackish green goo oozed from it, and even though I was trying not to look, I could still see it twitching and moving on its own.

  Everything was quiet for a second before spells started flying. The wolves tore into the brujos. Snarls and cries of pain bombarded me.

  I crawled away from the demon’s arm and then stood up slowly, taking in the surroundings. As I turned, I came face to face with Matt.

  How did he get away from that wolf?

  He raised his fist and I jumped back. I moved my fingers quickly through the air. The spell ignited and Matt stumbled back a few steps.

  A wave of pain came through the bond as a spell hit Lucas. He wasn’t paying attention to the brujo in front of him as he tried to get to me.

  Be careful! I shouted at him through the bond. I can take care of myself.

  Lucas fought two more brujos, still trying to get to me, but Matt was coming at me again.

  Where’s the athame? I’d dropped it over to the right. I searched the ground, trying to spot the metal.

  A spell rolled by overhead, lighting the night, and I saw it.

  Matt’s fingers flicked, and a burst of flame flew at me. I threw myself to the ground. Just a few feet away.

  Matt closed the distance between us. “The brujos have taught me a lot.”

  If I did a spell now, he’d just counter it. I needed a weapon. He wouldn’t expect me to use anything other than magic to fight him.

  I scooted back a few inches as he stepped toward me. “I don’t need their help to drain you. Not anymore,” he said.

  If I had more time, I’d ask what was going on with his coven that was making him resort to this, but it didn’t matter. Not anymore. It needed to end. Now.

  I scooted back a little more, reaching my hand back as I watched Matt’s mouth move. He wasn’t saying the words aloud, but he didn’t need to. He just had to believe that they’d work and back it with enough magic.

  I kept scooting back until my fingers brushed something metal.

  Finally.

  I had one shot at this. Any second he could end the spell, and I might not be fast enough to dodge it.

  A wolf howled, and I felt Lucas’ anger. He’d spotted us. I could feel him through our bond but he wasn’t going to get here in time. The brujos had separated us, focusing on Lucas, for just this reason. They wanted my power. Like everyone else.

  In one move I grasped the athame’s handle, sat up, and slashed its tip across Matt’s leg.

  He kicked my ribs and I heard a crunch before the sickening wave of pain registered. I couldn’t breathe, but if I didn’t move, I’d be as good as dead.

  I kicked his leg, and he fell on top of me. I tried to roll him off, but he weighed too much.

  His eyes were red, like the other brujos were. Almost like he was in a trance, his lips kept moving. He was going to finish the spell.

  I had the knife in my hand. All I had to do was stab him, and it would be over. I raised it up, and closed my eyes.

  God, forgive me.

  Before I moved the knife down, the weight on me was gone. Matt screamed.

  I opened my eyes to see Lucas snarling at Matt. He had Matt pinned, claws out and digging into Matt’s chest.

  I sat up, feeling the ache in my chest. If I wanted to say anything to Matt, now was the time. But there wasn’t anything to really say.

  For a second, I almost asked Lucas not to kill him. To give him another chance. But Matt’s eyes flashed red again as his lips moved. In my heart, I knew he wouldn’t give up. Not ever. He’d follow me every day of my life, sinking deeper and deeper into evil. Putting my friends and family in danger. I’d let evil hold sway over me for too long already. “Do it.”

  Death wasn’t a pretty thing.

  I wanted to say that I stood there with Lucas, and I did, but I looked away. I hadn’t been in a fight until recently, and I hoped that after all of this was over—after Luciana was defeated or dead—I wouldn’t have another one ever again.

  I took in the surrounding carnage. Three wolves were on the ground. I wasn’t sure if they were dead, but they weren’t moving. There were two brujos down, too. The rest had fled. The sounds of the fight grew further away as the wolves gave chase.

  Then I heard it. A familiar noise that was so out of place it took a second for it to register.

  Raphael’s ring tone.

  I had reception? How did I have reception out here?

  Stop questioning it and move, Claudia. If Adrian was calling, it wasn’t good.

  I raced to where I’d dropped my things. The ringing stopped just as I reached the phone.

  No!

  It started ringing again. I flipped the phone open. “Adrian.”

  “Thank God. I’ve been calling you for hours. Haven’t been able to get through.”

  “Sorry. I’m in the mountains. Cell coverage is bad. How is he?” I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that the worst hadn’t happened. Not yet. I needed just a little more time.

  “It’s bad. You need to get here. Like now. We had to tie him to the bed, because he kept trying to attack us. The drugs aren’t working on him at all. And…he…he smells like he’s rotting. He’s got hours at best.”

  I swallowed. “I’ll be there.” I closed the phone. This didn’t feel real. None of this felt real. I was dreaming. Some awful nightmare. It couldn’t be—

  Two arms wrapped around me and I leaned into the warmth. “What am I going to do?”

  “I have an idea.” Lucas’ voice rumbled against my back.

  So did I. Oh my God. So did I.

  I shoved the athame in my purse, and cradled it to my chest. One glance at Lucas told me he was back in his running pants, minus the shirt and shoes. Good enough.

  “Gobble!” I stood up and turned in a circle as I yelled. “Gobble! Come here now. I’m ready to make a deal.”

  He flashed in front of me in his tiny form. “Yes, tasty. You ready now?”

  I nodded as I linked my fingers with Lucas’. “I need to go to San Jose. Hotel Jesus de la Luz.”

  Gobble whistled. “That’s a far trip. It will cost you.”

  “What are your terms?”

  “I will need a favor from you one day soon.” His pale blue eyes glinted. “That’s when you will have to pay.”

  I wanted to say yes right then, but had Cosette warned me. That was too vague. I had to be more specific. “I won’t do anything bad or evil. I won’t kill or hurt anyone. You can’t hurt or kill me. Or anyone that I love. You cannot steal my magic or bind me to anyone.”

  Lucas cleared his throat.

  “And where I go, Lucas goes. Whatever you ask me to do can’t go against the pact you have with the wolves.” Not that I knew what the pact entailed, but I was pretty sure it would cover the worst Gobble could think of. I took a breath. Anything else? I asked Lucas through our bond.

  No. That’s about all we have time for.

  “Do we have a deal?” I asked Gobble. I held my breath.

>   Gobble disappeared and I nearly cried out. But then I heard his voice behind my ear. “You’ve got a deal.” It was his deeper voice. He was full-sized again. “Close your eyes, tasty and her wolf.”

  I did what I was told. A loud pop sounded in my ears, and then the quiet forest was replaced by the sounds and smells of the city.

  I blinked open my eyes, and looked up at the sign on the building.

  In big red letters. Hotel Jesus de la Luz.

  We were here. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thanked Gobble. I would’ve offered him anything he wanted. Because I was here.

  I just hoped I was in time.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Let’s go.” I raced inside the hotel. Adrian’s text said they were in room 304. I wasn’t paying attention to the gaudy gold, hot pink, and black decor. I didn’t answer the lady at the front desk as she called out to me. All I wanted was my brother.

  I saw a sign that pointed to the stairs and started running. Lucas kept pace beside me as I took the steps two at a time.

  When we hit the third landing, I raced into the hallway.

  Lucas grabbed my arm. “This way.”

  We sprinted down the hall in the other direction.

  I pounded on the door with a gold plate that read 304.

  Adrian gaped. “How in the hell did you get here so fast?”

  I pushed past him, not answering. There were four doors. It was a suite. “Which way? Where is he?”

  “Here.” Adrian led the way, hurrying through the room.

  I froze in the doorway.

  What was on the bed wasn’t my brother.

  His rattling breath had gotten much louder. And the smell. I covered my nose. “Raphael?”

  He cackled. “Hey little sis. Come on over here. Give your big brother a kiss.”

  My stomach rolled. His voice… What he said… That wasn’t him. That wasn’t my brother.

  A tear rolled down my cheek, and I swept it away. I couldn’t let myself think that I was too late, but the closer I got, the worse the smell was.

  “We’ve tried everything,” Shane said. I turned to see him standing in the corner across the room. He crossed his tattooed arms as he looked away from Raphael. “The healing chant helped for a little bit, but…”

  “I knew it wouldn’t last forever.” I walked to the bed. Adrian hadn’t been lying. Raphael’s skin was gray, and a few patches looked gangrenous. What caught me off guard were his eyes. They were solid black. Not even a speck of white was visible.

  But he was still breathing. Which meant I wasn’t too late. I had to hang on to that, because looking at my twin right now made me want to sob.

  I reached into my purse, for what felt like the millionth time in the last few hours, and placed everything on the bedside table.

  “What do you have?” Beth said, as she came up behind me.

  I blew out a breath. “I have the hair and hand of a sainted mage. I also have his ring and an athame. And a small, white-magic infused crystal—but it’s burnt out.” There wasn’t even a tiny glow from it anymore. It looked gray instead of white. “What to do with it all… I don’t have the time—not to mention the supplies—to do any real potions with the hair. But…” I untangled the tiny braids, and pulled one free. “I guess I’m going to wing it.”

  I turned to Raphael. His arms and legs were tied down, so he couldn’t do anything to me, but he started hissing and cussing as I came at him with the braid. I wrapped it around his wrist four times before I tied it off. As I wound it, I said the Lord’s prayer. The white aura cut through the muddy color of my brother’s aura, revealing a little sliver of his normal bright blue and purple.

  Raphael started screaming. “You stupid fucking bitch. How dare you try to bind me.”

  I ignored him. This wasn’t my brother. Not really.

  The mage had been wearing the ring, which probably meant that it had some protection abilities. I was glad I was wearing it. I was going to have to touch my brother, and I didn’t want the demon to jump into me.

  “What are you going to do now?” Lucas asked.

  I stared down at what was left. The hand. The athame. The crystal. “I don’t…” I swallowed down the fear that was choking me. My hands shook as I reached toward the nightstand again.

  I grabbed the pinky and broke off the tip of it. The bone was brittle and white. I turned to Beth. “Do you have a mortar and pestle?”

  She nodded.

  “Sage. Cloves. And cinnamon. And holy oil or water, if you have it.”

  “I have everything but the oil or water.”

  It would have to work. “Shane, will you—”

  “Boil water. On it.”

  I turned to Lucas, hands shaking.

  “No matter what happens, I’ll be here for you.”

  A tear rolled down my cheek, and I brushed it away. I could do this.

  Shane and Beth returned, and I ground the bone down to dust. I wished there was time for me to steep the tea, but I couldn’t. I poured the mixture into a little glass cup.

  This would work. It had to.

  I started to climb on the bed, and Raphael started thrashing. He was tied down, but if he didn’t stop, I was going to spill the brew. “Hold him.”

  Adrian, Lucas, Beth, and Shane each grabbed a limb.

  I reached over my brother. “I love you, Raphael. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

  “I hate you, you fucking cunt whore. You’re sleeping with the fucking dogs now. You’re nothing but—”

  I covered his nose, and his mouth opened. I poured the brew down his throat. He sputtered, choking. His mouth started foaming. At first the foam was white, and then it turned into black sludge.

  I slid off the bed, stepping back until I hit the wall, hardly breathing.

  Raphael started convulsing and I couldn’t hold back the tears. I sobbed and crumpled to the ground. Lucas’ arms came around me, but I couldn’t look away from my brother. He wasn’t breathing anymore.

  I’d killed him. He was dying. And it was my fault. I killed him.

  My breaths came so fast that I almost threw up.

  “Calm down, Claudia.” Even Lucas’ soothing voice couldn’t keep me from losing it. “Breathe. Breathe. Slower. Slow it down, princess.”

  I tried to follow his orders, but my heart was shattering into a million tiny pieces and I didn’t think there was enough glue in the whole world to put it to right.

  Raphael let out a scream, and I froze. At first it was raspy and had too much texture too it—like it was more than one voice. And then it changed. It was his voice. And then he started coughing as a white light filled the room.

  I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the light.

  I scrambled up and looked into his eyes. They were clearing. His skin was less gray.

  Shane leaned closer, studying my brother. “He’s back.”

  Adrian, Beth, Lucas, and another wolf who I’d never met before came around the bed. All looking down at him.

  “It’s okay,” Lucas said as he ran his hand up and down my back. “I think he’s going to be okay.”

  I was too scared to look. I kept staring straight ahead. Not glancing down at all. I blinked back the tears. The others started moving around the room. I heard them cutting my brother free, but I still couldn’t look.

  “Cloud?” Raphael grasped my hand. “You can look at me now.”

  I blinked a few more times before looking down. My legs collapsed as I started crying again. I rested my head on the edge of the bed, and Raphael’s arms came around me. “I thought you were going to die. I thought that was it. It was like losing a piece of my soul. We’re twins. You’re me and I’m you. You can’t die.”

  “I’m not going to die. I’m okay.”

  I wiped my face and looked at him. And then hit him. “Don’t ever scare me like that again. I swear. I don’t… You can’t… Just. No.”

  He smiled. “I’ll do my best.”

  I stood up and lea
ned over him, giving him a hug. I held on to him a little too long and Raphael laughed. “Hey, Cloud?”

  “What?” I mumbled against his chest.

  “You smell.”

  I started laughing. Hard. It felt good. I’d been so panicked. Ever since z-Daniel bit him, I hadn’t relaxed.

  When I caught my breath, I sat back down on the ground, exhausted.

  Shane cleared his throat. “You bonded with this wolf?”

  “Lucas…” Oh shit. I’d never learned his last name. I’d just mated to a guy whose last name I didn’t even know. What was wrong with me?

  “Reyes,” he said for me.

  “You paid for my hotel room?”

  He raised a brow. “Yes. I’m the pack Alpha.”

  I shook my head. It made sense. I just never put it together.

  Shane cleared his throat again. “That means you broke your oath with Luciana.”

  Oh God. I’d practically forgotten about that. I wasn’t tied to her anymore. My magic was my own again. “Yeah.” A grin spread across my face. “Yeah, I did.”

  “So Beth, Raphael, and the others can take an oath to you. You’re stronger than her. I know you are.”

  No. Nope. No way. “I don’t want to be a coven leader. I don’t want to be part of a coven at all. I’ve had enough of that for one lifetime.”

  “It could be temporary,” Beth said. “Just until this is over and we join a new coven.”

  “I don’t know…” Even temporarily, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I hadn’t even tasted freedom yet, and now I was tying myself down.

  I’d already tied myself to Lucas, but Mr. July was worth it. But anything more…

  “Do it,” Raphael said. “Then she can’t use us to get back at you anymore.”

  “You’ll still have your freedom,” Lucas said. “I’ll make sure you travel and take all the courses they offer at whatever college you choose. I won’t let you give up your dreams.”

  “Please,” Beth said. “I don’t want to be tied to her anymore.”

  I clenched my fists at my side. Every part of me rebelled against this. “But not a blood oath. Just the normal one.”

  Beth gave me a sharp nod. “Fine.”

  “By Claudia de Santos before whom this sanctuary is holy,” Beth, Raphael, and Shane said the words as one. “I will be true and faithful, and love all which she loves and shun all which she shuns, according to the laws of God, magic, and the order of the world. Nor will I ever with will or action, through word or deed, do anything which is unpleasing to her, on the condition that she will hold to me as I shall deserve it, and that she will perform everything as it was in our agreement when I submitted myself to her and chose her will.”