Was this her little sister?
“Lilith, they’re here!” the girl shouted, this time less creepy sounding than the first.
“Shit.” Another loud slap rang through the attic, sending my anger sparking to life once more. “Wake up! Finish the connection! Now! Don’t you dare sever it!”
“Did she just slap her?” Benji ground out.
Rowena stepped forward. “She did.”
“That bitch,” Benji muttered.
The pulsating light faded to almost nothing, and then it suddenly flickered to life again, this time with more intensity. Ridley was trying to give Lilith what she wanted. I wasn’t sure she was strong enough to do it. I also wasn’t sure what it would mean for her if she did.
“We’re coming for you, Ridley!” Benji cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted.
The light flickered brighter. I let out a howl so she would know I was here too. She needed to know we were close, that she wasn’t alone. We were here to help her.
“Hang on, honey!” Rowena chimed in.
The light grew stronger. Brighter. Its pulsing evened out to a natural rhythm that seemed to exude strength.
Was her connection with the other side growing stronger, or was that her life force we were seeing?
My gaze shifted to Arturo. Wasn’t he done yet? We needed in that attic. Now.
I watched as he poured salt in front of the door, making a thick line along the hardwood floor. Next, he sprinkled the dirt Julian and Ivette had gotten on top of it, and then he added another layer of salt. Whispered words fluttered past his lips, but I couldn’t make them out. My rapid heartbeat pounding in my ears drowned them out.
After a few moments of hearing Arturo repeat whatever he was saying, his hand reached out and wiped away the layers of salt and dirt until the floor was clean again in front of him. I didn’t understand magic, but what he’d done didn’t seem as though it would hold any power. When he pulled out the black marker and traced a shape on the floor, I ceased my negative thoughts.
Arturo was creating a rune, one I imagined would counteract the one Lilith had set in place. One to disable it.
“Someone’s doing something on the floor,” the little girl informed Lilith. “It looks kind of like the shape you drew.”
A new face appeared at the top of the stairs.
Lilith.
Her blond hair was disheveled, and her eyes were wild. She glared at us, scanning each of us until she reached Arturo. Her eyes locked on him. She didn’t say a word. Instead, she released a childlike grunt and stamped her foot before disappearing from view again.
“Hurry up!” I heard her shout.
Someone else’s voice trickled to my ears. Ridley. I couldn’t make out what she was saying, her words were too soft.
“I don’t give a damn if you’re tired or if you don’t know how to control your power yet, you’re going to tap into the other side and create a strong enough connection so I can pull my sister through. Do you hear me?” Lilith screamed.
“Watch out,” Arturo insisted.
He motioned for us to give him space. Whispered words floated past his lips in rapid succession again as he stared at the invisible wall. Sparks ignited near the floor. The magic at play crackled and popped its way to the ceiling, reminding me of my favorite firework—the ones that made noise as they crackled and fizzed through the sky.
When it was done, Arturo stepped forward.
“Let’s go,” he said.
We rushed the stairs two at a time, bypassing the little girl at the top. She didn’t seem compelled like her parents. Maybe she was too scared to go up against Lilith and Roman so she’d done what they asked of her.
I didn’t blame her. She was only a child after all, and they were monsters.
My gaze followed her as she crept to the side of the attic and curled into a ball beneath a dusty table by one of the windows.
I glanced around. The attic consisted of a large open space filled with junk time seemed to have forgotten.
Ridley was in the center.
Her arms were slack at her sides, her palms facing up, and she was on her knees. Her eyes were closed, and there was a sheen of sweat glistening cross her skin. Her lips were pressed together so firmly they were nearly white. The whitish-blue light I’d seen from the base of the attic stairs streamed from her.
Ridley wasn’t attached to the light; she was the light.
Her glowing meant she was tapped into the other side. Ridley was stronger than she gave herself credit. She was stronger than anyone thought she was—except Lilith.
“Ridley,” Rowena gasped.
She rushed to her, but Lilith backhanded Rowena with so much force she flew through the air. I watched as she landed on a dusty old trunk a few feet away.
“No one goes near her,” Lilith seethed. “Ridley is mine.”
Rage blistered through Lilith’s eyes. She was not about to let us near Ridley before she could finish what she’d started.
With a flick of Lilith’s wrist three vampires came out of nowhere. They stalked toward us as Roman positioned himself at Lilith’s side.
“Start with him.” Lilith pointed to Arturo.
The three feral vampires did as she said and rushed toward him. When the first one reached him, he busted out fighting moves that surprised me.
Who knew Arturo was part ninja?
Eli, Dorian, and Tate moved forward. They set their eyes on one of the other two vampires as Julian and his sisters dueled with the third.
My sight was set on Ridley. I needed to get her out of here.
“She’s not yours,” Benji seethed from behind me. His proximity jarred me from my thoughts. I’d forgotten he was in the attic, that he was here at all. “Let. Her. Go.”
Shit. The last thing I needed was for him to play hero. Especially against these two. He was no match for either of them.
Didn’t he realize that?
I took a step back, trying to place myself in front of him. Maybe once he realized what I was doing, he’d stamp out his hero complex and logic would slip in.
It didn’t work.
Wicked determination to rescue Ridley burned through his eyes. Julian left the vampire he’d been battling to his sisters and stepped to Benji’s side. I thought he was going to talk some sense into him, but instead his focus fixed on Roman.
“This isn’t you,” Julian insisted. “It’s the bloodlust talking. You’re not this person anymore, Roman.”
“Oh, but I am, little brother.” Roman grinned. “And, I happen to quite like who I am.”
“No.” Julian shook his head. “You beat this demon long ago. This is not who you are now.”
Lilith draped an arm over Roman’s shoulder as an evil smirk plastered on her face. “It is who he is now. It’s who he’s always been. You and your siblings are always suppressing him.”
Julian narrowed his eyes at her. “I don’t want to hear you speak.”
While this exchange between the three of them happened, I noticed Benji inching closer to Ridley. I wasn’t sure what he planned to do, but I followed suit. My wolf slipped toward her right alongside him.
We were almost to her when he extended an arm to reach out and touch her. Lilith came at him so fast she was nothing besides a blur shifting through the air. She grabbed his hand and jerked him to her, breaking multiple fingers of his in the process and possibly dislocating his arm. Pain contorted Benji’s face as a deathly groan pushed past his lips. My heart seized in my chest.
This wasn’t happening.
Lilith was not going to kill my friend today. I wouldn’t allow it.
I leaped into the air, my wolf’s jaws snapping wildly as I zeroed in on her. Something solid collided with the side of my head before I made it to her. The blow had come from Roman.
Strong arms wrapped around me, catching me before I hit the ground. I knew who they belonged to without having to glance up.
Eli.
He’d shifted into hum
an form. Why? Was he hurt?
We fell to the ground together. He let out a grunt, and I slipped off him. My gaze drifted over his body, searching for injuries.
“I’m fine,” he said, knowing what I was looking for.
Another grunt of pain came from Benji. It radiated through the room, blasting my ears and jerking me back to the moment.
Foreign energy buzzed through the attic, causing the hairs along my wolf to stand on end. Then it faded to nothing.
At the same instant, Ridley slumped over.
“No!” Benji shouted. He reached for her again, but Lilith twisted his arm at an odd angle, causing bones to pop and break.
“This ends now,” Arturo growled. He stepped forward. “You’re coming home. Now. Playtime is over.”
Lilith glared at him. Hatred for him was deeply rooted in her being. I could tell from her eyes. I found myself wondering why. What had he done to her that would make her hate him so? Why was she willing to go through all of this trouble to get her sister back?
Lilith released her grip on Benji and in the blink of an eye moved to place a kiss on Roman’s cheek. “It’s been fun. Sure was one hell of a birthday. Thanks for that,” she said before she flung herself backward out the window behind her.
“Lilith!” Arturo shouted. His voice vibrated through the air like thunder as he dove after her out the window.
Two vampires down. One to go.
My gaze locked on Roman.
He was too close to Benji. Too unpredictable. His eyes held evil in them as the corners of his lips twisted into a wicked grin. I knew what he was going to do before he made the first move, but I was too far away.
Time slowed as Roman reached for Benji.
His fangs extended, and he sank them deep into Benji’s throat. Blood pooled from the wound, soaking his T-shirt.
My heart shattered into a million tiny pieces as Roman released him and Benji’s lifeless body slumped to the ground.
Gargled sounds spurred from his mouth as he struggled to keep his hands pressed against his throat.
No!
My wolf stepped aside, allowing me to rush to the surface and help him. The transformation was quick, and when it was complete, I dashed to Benji.
“Until we meet again, brother,” Roman muttered before he tumbled out the same window Lilith and Arturo had.
Ivette and Octavia were quick to rush after him. When Julian moved to rush past me and join them, I gripped his wrist.
“Julian! Help him,” I pleaded, knowing he was the only one here with medical experience. “Please!”
Julian stared at me, but I wasn’t sure if he saw me. His eyes then focused on Benji. Had he never witnessed this side of his brother so up close and personal before?
“Julian!” I shouted, trying to get through to him. Benji was running out of time.
He snapped to, slumping to his knees and began to assess Benji’s wound.
“I-I can’t fix this. He’s lost too much blood already, and the wound is too deep,” he said. “I can’t help him. Not in a conventional way.” Julian’s eyes lifted to lock with mine, I knew what he was hinting at.
The only way Julian would be able to save Benji was if he turned him.
23
Time stood still as the implications of what Julian was saying sank in.
“Benji,” Ridley muttered. I watched as she crawled to him. “No!”
I averted my eyes from her, unable to bare seeing the pain reflected in her features. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Benji wasn’t supposed to die today.
I peeled myself away from him and stood. Warm arms wrapped around me from behind, and I leaned against the familiar solid chest of Eli. His fingers brushed against my hip in a lazy pattern as I smoothed my hand over his forearm.
“I’m so sorry this happened,” he whispered.
“Ridley, are you okay?” Rowena asked as she moved closer to her niece.
“Benji,” Ridley sobbed. My gaze drifted back to her. She touched his cheek. “Don’t leave me, Benji. Please.”
My vision blurred as I watched my friends, each of them dying in their own right.
“Please, don’t leave me,” Ridley sobbed. Her body shook, and she folded over placing her head on his chest. Benji released a hand from his throat to cup the back of her head, his way of telling her he was sorry. I could feel his remorse clinging to the air.
“I love you,” I swore I heard him whisper before his eyes fluttered shut for the final time.
“Benji? Benji, stay with me! Don’t go!” Ridley shouted. She peeled herself off his chest and pounded her palm against his shoulder. Her gaze snapped to Julian when Benji didn’t respond. A sense of wildness I’d never seen before burned behind her eyes. “Do it. Do whatever it takes to save him.”
“Are you sure?” Julian asked. “You’re sure that’s what you want? That it’s what he would want?”
Ridley’s lips pursed together. Tears flowed from her eyes. Her gaze moved to Benji, and she adjusted her glasses.
“Think about what that would mean for him,” Rowena insisted. There was a level of worry present in her voice. “Becoming a vampire might not be something Benji would want.”
Ridley removed her glasses to wipe her tear-stained cheeks. She sniffled. “At least he’ll still be here. He can be pissed at me all he wants, but at least I’ll know he’s still here on Earth.” Her gaze snapped back to Julian. “Do it. Please. Before it’s too late.”
My throat constricted at the threat of more tears. I understood what she was saying, what she was feeling; it was exactly how I’d felt when seeing Eli bleeding out before me.
Julian gave Ridley a swift nod before his fangs descended. She slipped out of his way, and he tore into his own wrist. We all watched on as he placed it to Benji’s mouth.
“You’re going to be okay,” Ridley said. She smoothed Benji’s hair away from his face. He was pale and clammy looking. It was hard to tell if he was still breathing or if he was already gone.
Was it too late?
“Everything’s going to be okay,” Ridley said. Her words were soft and strangled sounding.
My eyes shifted to her. A pang of sorrow centered in my chest for what she was going through. I opened my mouth to give her some words of encouragement, to tell her Benji was strong and she was right in thinking he would be okay, but her body grew slack and she fell back against the hardwood floor.
“Ridley!” Rowena shouted.
I took a step forward. Ridley’s eyes opened and I froze. My tense muscles loosened. She was okay. Maybe the stress of the situation on top of everything she’d already been through had been too much for her to handle and she’d passed out.
As soon as the thought shifted through my head, Ridley’s body convulsed.
My blood turned cold. What was happening? What was wrong with her?
“Get her on her side,” Julian demanded. His wrist was still pressed to Benji’s mouth. “She’s seizing! She needs to be rolled onto her side!”
Rowena flipped Ridley over as I rushed to help. Her eyes rolled back into her head as her body continued to tremor.
“What’s wrong with her?” I asked. “Why is she having a seizure?”
“She tapped into the other side before she was ready, and now it’s become unstable,” Rowena insisted. Her voice shook with fear as she spoke.
“How do we fix it?” Eli asked.
“I need to get her home. I need to do a cleansing on her and create a new talisman. A stronger one, one that can stabilize her energy so she can stabilize the other side as well,” Rowena said through tight lips. Tension radiated from her.
Was she worried all of that might not be enough?
Ridley stopped seizing as quickly as she’d started. Seconds passed as she lay on the floor of Lilly Pendergrass’s attic eerily still.
“She’ll be okay,” Julian said. He’d finished up with Benji and had switched to assessing Ridley. He smoothed her hair away from her face and pressed his
ear to her chest. “Her heart is still beating strong. She blacked out from the seizure. Give her a few minutes for her body to recuperate. She’ll come to.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding and tipped my face to the ceiling. When I glanced back down, my gaze landed on Benji.
“What about him?” I asked. Blood coated his lips. It had soaked through his shirt and stained the floor around him.
Julian leaned away from Ridley, righting himself. “He should be okay, but he’ll be out for a while. Days even.”
His words didn’t bring me peace. Instead, I felt as though he’d left something unsaid.
If he wakes at all, my mind finished for him.
I knew not every human survived the transformation.
Ridley stirred and my attention drifted to her.
“Oh, thank God!” Rowena cried out. “Someone, help me get her out of here. I need to get her home.”
Dorian and Tate stepped forward. At some point, they’d shifted back into human form. They lifted Ridley, and Dorian shifted to cradle her in his arms.
“Wait,” Ridley whispered. Her voice was so soft it was almost hard to hear her. She seemed completely drained of energy. “Where’s Eli?”
Eli stepped closer to her. “Right here.”
“Your dad.” She lifted her head and attempted to open her eyes, but they wouldn’t commit to staying open no matter how hard she seemed to try. “He’s proud of you,” she whispered.
Her head crashed against Dorian’s chest in exhaustion.
Eli blinked. “You spoke to my dad?”
“He watches you,” she said. “On the other side. He wanted me to tell you he’s proud of you. He said you’re a great alpha and to give yourself more credit...”
She fainted before she could say anything more.
I moved to Eli and placed a hand on his shoulder, knowing what Ridley had said must have affected him greatly. Making his dad proud was all Eli had worried about since becoming alpha.
Now he knew.
“Thank you,” Eli whispered even though Ridley couldn’t hear him. “Thank you so much.”
Dorian disappeared out the door, carrying Ridley, and Rowena followed. The energy inside the attic shifted, becoming less crazed now that she was gone. She must still be connected to the other side in some way. Her magic had woken fully, and now she was a viable anchor between the living and the dead.
Moon Revealed (Mirror Lake Wolves Book 6) Page 14
