“He doesn’t,” Luz says softly. “But between letting the vrykolakas prey on humans, or rogue Reapers, he picked the lesser of two evils. If the urge takes them, the Reapers are free game. Otherwise, they’ve been ordered to stay put.”
“With all the humans gone from the area,” Finn says, “it’s not like the Reapers have any more victims to turn. Soon enough, they’ll be extinct either through in-pack fighting or because they’ve run out of ways to survive.”
I can’t figure out what to say to his sentiment. From what I’ve seen of those particular wolves, I don’t feel sad that they’ll soon be dead. But, who am I to judge?
“They’ve agreed,” Luz whispers, a hint of relief in her voice.
“How can you tell?”
For a moment, I think she won’t answer me. But then she says, “Each mate bond has its own quirk, because of the nature of each wolf. It’s always a deep connection, with an added bonus. With me and Dom, it’s both being tied to his pack, and able to link up mentally.”
“For Elle and I, it’s more sensing where the other is.”
“And Tristan and Dani?”
Luz laughs. “They can tap into each other’s thoughts.”
“That’s...scary.”
Luz turns in her seat to look at me. “It is. But it’s also really, really worth it.” After a beat, she resumes her position and stares back out the window. I think she’ll let me off the hook, but nope. “Speaking of... Have you noticed anything weird lately, especially now that Lucas is gone?”
“Weird how?” I don’t think I want to know the answer to that question.
“Oh, you know... Weird thoughts, dreams, yearnings you can’t explain?”
“I...”
When I’m unable to finish, Luz chuckles and grins at Finn in the rearview mirror. He’s smirking into his palm. “Sooner or later, you may as well stop denying it, love.”
I force my eyes to stay glued to the window, and Dominic’s returning form. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Dominic re-enters the car among boisterous laughing from my two companions. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” I mutter.
Luz whispers something too low for me to hear, and all he does is smile. Then he leans forward and kisses her forehead, before addressing all of us. “We’re good. Half of them will stick around here to cover our backs, and the other half will follow us. They’ll be able to keep up, so should arrive on Alessandro’s grounds at the same time as us.”
Relief spreads through me at the information, even as he puts the car back into gear. It doesn’t take us long to get to the edge of town.
Only, as we get closer, something in my gut starts churning. At first it’s just an odd pain, almost a prickling sensation. Then the wave gets stronger, starting a bout of nausea and a throbbing in my head. The closer we get to the edge of town, the worse it gets. Before I can warn anyone, I’m doubling over and panting, moaning in pain.
And then Finn, next to me, yells, “Stop!”
We come to a screeching halt, and I almost bang my head against Luz’s seat. Another screech of tires at the back confirms Tristan, Dani and Elle have also come to a standpoint.
Dominic meets my gaze in the rearview mirror, then turns to Finn. He’s as green as I am, his fists clenched on the bench next to me.
“Care to explain?” Dominic asks.
“The air tastes weird,” he pants. “Filled with...something.”
“Magic,” I whisper.
Dominic frowns my way. “How do you know that?”
“The same way I do,” Finn says. “She feels it.”
Already, I’m opening the car door and stepping out. The fresh air helps a tiny bit, but my knees still wobble. When I try to move closer, the nausea hits me again and I double over.
Everyone else has gathered around, and Finn’s filling them in on our theory. Meanwhile, I grab hold of the pentagram around my neck and try to center myself. My hand digs into my jacket pocket, and the lavender pouch I have there for such occasions. One breath, two, and I straighten.
The necklace feels warm in my palm, and I can only hope whatever this is, it’s something we can surmount. I shake my head, smacking my forehead with my palm. “I should’ve known Alessandro’s men would have a backup plan. Stupid, stupid me.”
On a hunch, I bend over and pick a rock, tossing it towards the sign that proclaims Thank you for visiting Rockland Creek. There’s a sizzle in the air, and the rock turns to dust on the other side. Silence drops behind me, all conversation coming to an abrupt end.
I turn back to the car, my shoulders slouched. “We’re fucked. And so is Lucas.”
Lucas
“This is... It’s not possible.”
Dimly, I register Ana opens the door to my cell, and Matteo walks in. He’s not a ghost. No shimmering from this one. He’s as real as could be and just as young, given he died years ago.
He stops only a foot away from me, and I shakily lift a hand to his cheek. When it touches, the coolness registers, but I don’t care. It’s my brother, my little brother...
Tears sting my eyes as I pull him into my arms, holding on tight. He hugs me back, shaking in my arms with pent-up emotion. Ana watches on, an unwelcome intrusion into our little get together. Upon seeing my glare, she leaves, but makes sure to lock us both in. Ovviamente, trust runs rampant in this mansion.
I push Matteo back, cupping his cheeks and dropping my forehead to his. “How is this possible? I held your body as you died, I felt your soul...”
He closes his honey eyes and breathes out slowly. Then he opens them and steps back from me, pacing as though he can’t keep still. He rakes a hand through his fiery hair, looking still the same – same age, same hair...
“Matteo, talk to me,” I plead.
He sighs then and stops pacing enough to meet my gaze. “Papà brought me back.”
For a moment, I stop breathing. The words make no sense. I know my father is selfish, but there is no way... He didn’t...
And then Mamma’s words ring in my head. What your father did...
Matteo rakes his hair again. “He missed you, missed me, missed having a family. So, he brought me back.” He shrugs with a small smile.
“That’s not possible,” I finally say, my voice flat. “He isn’t God.”
“No... But he’s a god. Or, some type, anyway. How else do you explain this?” Matteo looks to the ground. “Besides, isn’t this a good thing? I want to be here, vivo. Alive. With you.”
Yet something doesn’t ring quite true. Matteo believes what he’s saying, but there’s an odd hue to the color of his skin. It’s not quite alive, not as it should be. So what exactly did my father do?
My hand shakes again. “How did he bring you back?”
“Ana, his new wife... She’s nice. She also comes from a long line of witches. When she realized how sad Papà has been, she promised to make him happier. And, since she can’t have kids of her own, she brought him back, well, us.”
Claro. Because there’s no way that bitch has any other ambition.
The innocence in his expression kills me. “We can be a family again, no? Now that you’re here.”
I lift my wrists, chained, to show him. “Do you think this is what family does to one another, Matty?”
He shakes his head, and his hopeful expression falls. “I’ll talk to Papà. He’s just... You know how he gets.”
“Sì, I do.” A sigh escapes me. “Did he even tell you how Mamma died?”
Matteo looks down. “Yeah, because of me.”
The rage is swift and cutting. “Lies! She died because of what he did, what he caused. Matteo, can’t you see he’s using you?”
“He’s not!”
He moves backwards against the bars, denial apparent in his body language. “Papà only wants us to be back together, as a family. You have to help him, Lucas. Per favore... Do it for me.”
I drop to the cot in a corner, so weary I can’
t stand anymore. “What does he want from me?”
“You wouldn’t be doing it for him, Lucas. It’s for me. I need... Well, the way they brought me back, it’s not right. I need to get something from the Underworld, and then I’ll be okay. Alive, for good. Returned from the dead.”
The eagerness in his voice drains the last of my strength. “Go upstairs, Matteo. Go upstairs... And bring Papà to me.”
He leaves, and it’s only then I let the tears fall. Nothing has ever broken me than my poor brother begging, pleading for my help... And not realizing he’s playing straight into our monster father’s hands.
The droplets fall on the floor silently, feeling like it’s pieces of my own soul that are ripped apart. I cry unashamedly for Matteo’s innocence, for the peace Alessandro robbed him of... And for what I’ll have to do to correct it.
Monica
We’ve wasted hours trying to find a way out, but whoever did the spell is good. Too good. Every inch of the ground is covered, and so is the other side of town. And I have an idea who’s behind it. “This is Ana’s work.”
“Who’s Ana?” Dominic asks.
“My cousin. She used to be Alessandro’s mistress, but when I left, had become his new bride.” I wrap my arms around myself in a pointless effort to keep warm. What’s chilling me is not the air, but the indifference I remember from her as Alessandro doled out his punishments. “She’s good. Ruthless. Exactly what Alessandro values.”
“There has to be a way out of this,” Elle says. “If it’s a spell, it can be broken, no?”
I shrug. “Her magic is pretty strong. She’s one of Alessandro’s collectibles.”
Elle grins then. “Trust me, zmeu magic is stronger.”
“Can you find out what spell she used?” Dani adds. “Or anything about it?”
I mull it over, then nod. “I can try. She’s too smart to give it up, but there’s someone else who may slip up.” Stepping away, I pull my cell and dial Alessandro. The phone rings, and rings, and just when I think he won’t answer, he finally does.
“You have balls calling me, traditrice.”
I gulp at his tone. If he’s calling me a traitor, it’s because he knows the full extent of my betrayal. I’ve seen him angry, and in a rage, and it’s never been something I wanted directed at me. Not again, at any rate. The few times it happened were enough, and taught me an unforgettable lesson.
Remember he cannot harm you. You’re far away... And you need information. Focus. I take a deep breath and ask, “Is Lucas alright?”
“Luciano is perfectly fine, at home where he belongs. And if you had one iota of brains, you could’ve been here too, free. Instead, I plan to ensure you’ll die a miserable death.”
“Whatever you say,” I mutter, and glance at the sky. The darkening clouds will bring more rain... Could help us. Or not. “I thought the great Alessandro Conti fears nothing.”
He bristles on the line, and a low growl seeps through.
“And yet you felt the need to imprison us in the town, so we can’t come after Lucas? A bit overkill, don’t you think?”
He laughs then. “Ana’s idea of a backup plan, cara. Unlike you, she knows where her loyalties lie.”
“Sì, too bad we have zmeu magic on our side here. It’ll be a piece of cake getting through, you know that?”
“Not even zmeu magic can stack up against the power of the elements, cara. Enjoy trying.”
He hangs up, and I close my eyes in relief. It worked. “I’m coming for you, Alessandro.” Grinning, I turn back to the wolves. “I have it!”
Only, we’re not alone anymore. A familiar figure is floating nearby Dominic, her immortal face solemn. I head back in time to hear the end of Ileana’s warning. “I know you think this is something you can face, but there is a lot at stake.”
“Da, I get it,” Dominic says. “And we’ll be careful.”
“I don’t mean for them,” Ileana says with a sweeping gesture towards the pack. “I mean you, dragul meu.”
Her proclamation seems to frazzle him, and that in itself makes me wary. I’ve never seen Dominic shaken, and I don’t like the fear filling Luz’s expression.
When I head closer, the tension is broken and Ileana glances my way instead. “So, the circle is complete.”
“What circle?”
She shrugs, more forlorn than happy. “The mating circle, my dear. You each have your mates now.”
“And you never had anything to do with it, right?” Finn asked. “Why let us believe it?”
Ileana tilts her head. “Because it is easier to blame the unknown for a mistake, than to own up to it yourself. And, I do enjoy playing matchmaker occasionally.”
Dominic speaks again, seemingly calmer. “Will you help us get out of town?”
“Nu,” she says in Romanian. “But you don’t need me. Your newest addition has already figured it out.”
They all turn to me, even as Ileana takes that moment to disappear, taking her warnings with her. “Is... Should we be worried?” I ask.
Dominic shakes his head, reaching out for Luz’s hand to squeeze. “No. Tell us what you found out.”
I pull out my cellphone and say, “Alessandro says no zmeu magic can stand up against the elements. Ana was always really good at one particular spell that secures an area with the four cardinal directions and respective elements. Of course, back then she was doing it on a smaller scale, but I guess everyone evolves eventually.”
“So how do we break it?” Dani asks.
“We need to find the four points – north, south, east, west. Each one of us will have to conjure one of the elements there to negate whatever’s already in place.... And we have to do it at the same time.”
The girls all share a look, then nod. “We’re in.”
Dominic whistles and one vrykolakas comes out of the woodwork, stepping closer. He points to me and says, “Protect her with your life.” To Tristan and Finn, he adds, “The rest of you, go with your mates, and I’ll go with Luz. No way we’re leaving them alone to do this.”
“Alright,” Tristan says. “But exactly how are you going to make sure you’re doing it at the same time?”
“Flare guns.” Elle grins and pops out a few from the back of Finn’s truck.
“Alright.” Dominic nods. “Everyone shoot up a flare when you’re in position. Once the last one shoots, wait for exactly five seconds, then do whatever it is you girls do.”
No one complains at the plan, and we spread out, each taking one area. The vrykolakas by my side scares me, and I hesitate for one moment. He comes up to my hip, his bulk large and ominous. Yet rather than open his jaws to eat me whole, he sits down and tilts his head in a way that’s almost...cute.
I’ve heard from Lucrezia how these beasts used to eat humans’ hearts, and have venom in their canines to incapacitate. So for me to even think it can be cute, obviously means I’ve lost my mind.
Step by careful step, I head into the direction of the southern point. With each moment the wolf follows me in silence, I get more comfortable, until I’m finally moving at my regular speed. A flare goes up behind and I figure Luz has already found the northern point.
Keeping my eyes on the ground, I struggle to find the damn area – and then I do. A pentagram symbol etched on a tree, and the scent of blood nearby. With a wince, I pull out my flare gun and shoot up in the sky.
Then it’s a waiting game. After a beat, another flare goes to the east.
I pull on my pentagram necklace, centering myself again. Whispering words of comfort, drawing in deep breaths of nature. I only need a wisp of earth to complete my part here, and it should be easy enough to conjure it.
You are connected, through the wolf and the stregheria... Never forget it.
My quiet prayer of thanks goes to my grandmother, for her wise words from so, so long ago. Grazie, nonna.
Then the last flare goes to the west. I count to five, and on the fifth number, I place my palm to the tree and summon the mag
ic of my ancestors. Despite the work for Alessandro, I’ve never had to use it to such an extent.
Yet I feel more than my magic. Through the connection to the tree, I sense the water Luz found, the air symbol Dani ran into, and the fire for Elle. Each one of them, and their zmeu magic, lights up the connection at the same time I do – then lightning strikes the four parts of the circle.
I’m blasted backwards, and by the time I come to with the vrykolakas near me, it’s to find the tree completely obliterated. Their extra dose of magic must’ve made up for my fainter abilities. Let’s hope this worked.
Wobbling, I head back to the cars. One by one, each of the girls returns, appearing just as worn out as me.
Once we’re all together, Dominic says, “Care to do the honors?”
I pick up another rock and toss it into the distance towards the town sign... And watch with satisfaction as it lands on the other side, completely whole. Grinning, I turn back to my companions. “Let’s go rescue an alpha, sì?”
∞ ∞ ∞
∞ Tempo ∞
“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”
-Buddha-
Lucas
With each passing hour, the wounds inflicted on my body heal. My mind though, that’s another thing. I can’t get over seeing Matteo. Reconciling this new picture with the kid who died in my arms, whose touch I felt as his soul departed... It’s beyond me.
For the second time in my life, it feels like the rug’s been pulled out from under me and I have no leg to stand on. Darkness consumes this place, and has consumed my father. And he’s trying to drag Matteo into it again.
I’m no fool, though. There is no way the great Alessandro Conti feels regret. No, more than likely he wants what he’s usually after – control. Over Matteo, and me. I have no idea what use he has in mind for my younger brother, but I need to get him out.
Drained is a poor word for how I feel. For the last hours, all I’ve done is turn the problem in my head, without finding a solution. If I escape with Matteo, without knowing the implications of his resurrection, Alessandro will come after us. I cannot lose my brother again, not if there is a chance to save him, to give him back the life so unfairly taken from him.
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