It all happens for a reason, Rylee. You know that, Giselle’s voice whispered through my brain. Yes, it all happened for a reason, but sometimes seeing the reasons laid out were more than my measly brain could handle.
Alex grinned up at me. “Alex kicks ass.”
I reached a hand and touched the top of his head. “You sure did.”
He continued to grin, a horrible twisting of lips and teeth that was as goofy as ever. But behind that grin, I felt a change in him. Submissive to me, maybe he always would be. The submissive werewolf he was, though, with everyone else, that part was gone.
Going home would be interesting.
Home. The very word made me ache for it.
I could only hope I had a warm welcome and Liam wouldn’t be pissed as hell with me for being gone so long, and leaving so much sooner than I’d thought, and without even saying goodbye.
I let out sigh and leaned against the wall, the stone cool against my skin.
Yeah, Liam would be pissed. Maybe he’d even try to punish me for it.
A grin slipped over my lips.
Yeah, one could hope.
Chapter 20
Alex and I were kicked out for the final parts of the ceremony, which was fine by me. All I could think was that we’d done it, that I’d kept my oaths to Faris, and still managed to fulfill a prophecy. And I was still alive.
Lying in the back of the truck, I stared at the wide open sky. Dawn approached, which meant the vampires were either getting their asses in gear, or staying another full day.
I almost didn’t care.
Almost.
Alex lay stretched out on his back beside me, his eyes at half mast, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. “Vampires coming.”
“About fucking time,” I grumbled. With all the battering and blood loss, I was sore and grumpy. Even thoughts of Liam’s arms around me weren’t helping.
We both sat up and the three vampires stood at the side of the truck. I shook my head at them. “Stop sneaking around. Make some noise would you?”
“Alex hears them.” He grinned at me and almost—almost—winked.
Doran held out his hand, his eyes serious. “Come on, you have to go home. We”—he motioned to himself, Berget and Faris—“have business to attend to.”
The soft shuffle of feet drew my eyes and attention. Al and the remaining shamans limped out of the cave and gathered around the opening. Hands raised to the sky, they started a chant, their feet drumming into the hard, red earth, splashing in the puddles that had accumulated, in time with their voices.
Ayers Rock answered them. A low-pitched hum emanated from the giant rock.
I backed away. “Seriously?”
“They are closing the entrance. No need to have a human wander in and cut themselves,” Faris said, for once without a trace of condescension.
It took seconds for the rock to blend and meld, the entrance gone as if it had never been. Sweet baby Zeus—that was some magic trick. The shamans backed away, one by one, melting into the darkness around the rock. Except for Al, who came toward us, a book in his hand, a wry smile on his face. “I didn’t know why I needed to take this with me, but it seems fortuitous for you.”
I knew what it was. I hopped out of the truck and met him part way. “This is the journal?”
He smiled, though I saw it was strained. How could I think we hadn’t lost much? Six people died. Shit, I really was getting calloused.
“Yes, this is your mother’s journal. Rylee, you have done your family proud tonight. You fought where you could, but allowed those around you to fight as well. That is the mark of a leader, one who knows when to let the troops take the brunt of a battle.”
I swallowed hard and lowered my eyes. “That doesn’t bring your friends back.”
“No. But we all knew the possibilities when we took on this calling to watch over the old ones.” He rested a hand on my shoulder, giving me a squeeze, but said nothing else. Just turned and walked away.
The journal was a thin, spiral bound book with a black cover. Nothing fancy. I didn’t dare open it, not yet. I needed a time of quiet to finally meet my parents.
“You ready to go?” Faris asked.
I glanced at him, took in his disheveled appearance, the fatigue in his eyes. Berget wasn’t really looking that much better.
“You sure you can manage dropping us off?” I lifted an eyebrow at him, baffled by the trajectory of our—what would you call it—relationship? Friendship? Neither really applied, yet what did you call a person who’d alternately saved and threatened your life?
Fucked if I knew.
Faris swung his hand and twisted the veil. On the other side was the front porch at Giselle’s house, sunlight dimmed by heavy snow clouds. I didn’t question him. It was time to go home.
“Let’s go, Alex.”
The werewolf bound ahead of me, through the veil, and barreled into the house with a howl of excitement.
“You will find me when you’ve done your business?” The question was meant for Berget, but all three nodded.
Good enough.
I stepped through the veil, into the early afternoon of the day before. Weird, very weird.
Here, the equinox hadn’t occurred yet. But I’d already lived through it. I shook my head and walked into the house to hear … crying?
“Pamela?” I pulled my swords, gripping the handles tight. “Alex?”
“Are you Rylee?”
I spun to face a woman I’d never met and looked suspiciously like a Troll.
I didn’t answer, just whipped my swords forward, stopping them at the base of her neck. “Who the fuck are you?”
Her pale pink skin paled even more. “My name is Tara. Liam saved my life.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know. Milly brought us here and then left to help him.”
Help, why the hell would he need help from Milly? I Tracked both Liam and Milly. They were together and they were both afraid, even if it came through differently in them. Liam’s was a fury born of fear, and Milly’s was a terror born of fear for her child. Only one of them was hurt.
Liam.
I lowered the tips of the swords. “Where’s Pamela?”
“I don’t know, I went to lie down for a moment and when I opened my eyes she was gone.”
“FUCK!” I was, to say the least, not happy about this. I Tracked Pamela. She wasn’t far, just down the street. “Tara, stay here.”
She nodded, and I bolted for the door, forgetting it was like barely 15 degrees outside, if I was lucky, and I’d just come from 130. I sucked in a sharp breath, my lungs seizing up. “Alex, go get Pamela. Hurry!” I opened the door and he galloped out, nose buried in the snow. I slammed the door and ran upstairs. Extra clothes I had stashed away, and I could finally get out of this fucking dress. Easier to be mad at the clothing than worry about my friends. It took me less than a minute to change into jeans, layered tops, boots and another heavy winter coat. Not my leather one; that had been lost somewhere along the way. Damn, I hated to break in new leather, but looked like I might have to. Again, easier to think about a new coat than worry about those I loved.
The front door slammed and then feet pounded up the stairs. Pamela flung open the door, her face a mess of emotions. “Rylee, the Black Coven has Liam and Milly and there are too many. I couldn’t stop them.”
I grabbed her arms and held her still. “How many witches, were there other supernaturals?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Okay. I’m getting Blaz, and he and I will deal with this, got it?”
“What about me?”
Al’s words about being a leader wrapped around me, and as much as I wanted to leave her behind, she could help.
“I want to come too.” Tara stood in the doorway.
Before I could ask, Pamela was nodding. “You can trust her, Rylee. They killed her children.”
My jaw twitched. Baby killers; just fucking perfec
t. And they would be the same ones who helped kill Dox and the others.
The mother Cyclops came to mind, her fury at the loss of her children, and I let out a slow breath. This wasn’t perfect, but baby killers were baby killers, and maybe this would go a short way to evening the scales of justice for her, as well as Tara.
“Then we go together, come what may.”
Come what fucking may.
Chapter 21
Blaz was more than happy to get us.
The farm is quiet, but I did not come here for quiet. Now, hunting witches, that’s more like it.
Three of us were bundled up tight, but Alex needed no bundling. He was quite happy with his thick fur and tongue hanging out in the wind as we flew. I Tracked Liam and Milly, felt the injuries doled out to Liam. Broken bones, one at time, the witches let him heal and then broke the same ones again and again.
Fury rippled through me, very much like facing the Trolls at the Landing Pad. I was weak from blood loss, despite the food and juice I’d guzzled before Blaz reached us. But that wouldn’t matter. I felt it surging in my blood, a demand for the death of those who’d truly done wrong. Those who would stomp out the light in the world around them.
The Blood of the Lost sings strong in you, Tracker. Have you yet begun to understand yourself?
I shook my head, kept my words to myself.
Perhaps when this is done, you and I will seek out the favor I’ve asked of you, and you will see what you truly are.
“Why can’t you just tell me, lizard?”
He laughed, the sound rolling back through the clouds to us. What fun would that be, bitchy woman?
“Is there a plan?” Tara leaned forward, her hands gripping Blaz as best she could.
Pamela shook her head. “There’s never a plan with Rylee. You just go in and kick ass. Right?” She looked at me, like I had all the answers.
“Yup. That’s how we do things here. Kick ass, leave the names written in blood.”
Blaz circled a warehouse that could have easily housed ten Blazes. Liam’s threads drew us to the back side.
“Pamela, blow out the roof and walls. Blaz, can you take what they throw at you?” He answered for all of us to hear.
You know I can. And I do believe the little witch can do more than windows and roof. Why don’t you shake them up while you’re at it?
Pamela grinned, but it was not a kind grin. “Good idea, Blaz. I think I will do just that to those damn bloody bastards.”
The dragon’s wings beat hard as he hovered mid air and Pamela lifted her hands, a spell rolling off her tongue and fingers. Her power drove into the building, literally blowing the roof off, then the walls, scattering the structure like matchsticks. But when she fisted her hands, and the earth began to shake, I knew she was pissed. And I was really glad she was on our side.
The Black Coven fired back, but Blaz dodged and ducked, taking hits here and there. But like me, he was an Immune. So saying he took hits was a misnomer. But the Black Coven didn’t know that. Pamela rained down fire on their heads. They scattered, enough for Blaz to drop to the ground.
Now, time for a meal.
We slid from his back as he began to chase the fleeing witches like a giant dog. Alex tore after him, alternately howling and snarling.
“Alex, no!”
I’ll watch out for him, get your other wolf.
I grabbed Pamela and Tara and we ran toward the building, toward where I felt Liam hurt and bleeding, broken in too many places.
There were downed I-beams and I leapt over one, pulling my sword as I landed in a crouch on the far side.
Liam was sprawled out on the floor, completely unconscious. Milly was pressed against him, her eyes wide, a collar on her neck studded with rubies. Fury in me built to a crescendo; I needed something, or someone, to unleash it on.
Three of the Black Coven members remained. Two men and a woman. Perfect.
Pamela didn’t wait; she stepped forward and snapped her hands up, the ground erupting in front of them, sending them flying backward.
“Tara, help Milly,” I said softly before running into the fray. The spray of dirt and dust still floated and provided the screen I needed. The woman was closest to me and I drove my sword up, through her jaw and out the top of her head. She bobbed and arched against the blade. I yanked it out and she dropped to the ground, twitching.
I turned slowly to face the two men, but only one was standing. His eyes closed tightly as he whispered a spell. Only it wasn’t a spell.
In his hand was an orb covered in spikes, an orb I knew too well. A demon stone. I had to kill him before he completed what I knew he was doing. I felt the darkness rising, felt Orion drawing near.
“Kill him!” I ran for him, but wasn’t going to make it. A black streak of death wrapped around his neck, feet from where I stood. The spell strangled him, cutting off his words. His eyes bugged out, but I didn’t wait for the spell to finish the job. I swung hard with my sword, taking his head to the ground.
Disrupted, the spell slid away. I turned, expecting to see Milly.
But it was Pamela who faced me, who’d called up one of the deadliest spells I’d seen.
I gave her a nod, though my heart ached for her lost innocence, gone sooner than my own. “Good job.”
Milly got to her feet, and Tara held the ruby-studded collar in her hands. Milly took it from her and showed it to me. “They can collar witches now, like I collared Liam. They had me in thrall, I would have done anything they asked.”
I frowned as I strode toward Liam. He was already healed, though still completely out of it. “Why didn’t you fight for them, then?” I sent the words over my shoulder to Milly as I dropped to my knees and put my hands on his back. To be sure. His breath rose and fell in slow beats. Good enough for me.
She gave a half-smile. “Because like me, they were stupid and told me not to use my magic. I had to obey them, even when they screamed for help.”
Pamela laughed, and even Tara smiled, though it seemed forced. “We still have to stop Ingers, before the equinox.”
“Do I want to know?” I stood and Blaz trundled around the corner, his mouth blood stained. Alex pranced at his side, tail flagging high.
“Alex kills bad witches.” He snapped his teeth, and fuck me if he didn’t have blood on his lips too. “Watches boss. Learns.”
Again, an ache shot through me. He would always be Alex, but to see him lose some of that gentleness that was a core side of him was a physical pain.
Milly put a hand on my arm. “Liam will be unconscious for awhile, he’s been healed twice in a very short time from major injuries. He can’t be here for the rest of this.”
“Tell me about Ingers. Who is she, why are we going after her, and why the time limit? Blaz, take Liam back to Giselle’s then come back to us.”
Bossy. But he did as I asked, scooping up Liam in his front claws.
Milly and Pamela filled me in on Ingers, the guns, and the potential Army connection.
“What does she look like?”
“Tall, mocha skin, pretty, dark hair and eyes—”
An image of the woman in the sedan on the highway came back to me. “I’ve seen her.”
Pamela’s eyes widened. Apparently we’d all had a run in with the same chick. Awesome. I locked onto the image and name in my head, Tracking Ingers with ease.
She was about a half-mile away; hopefully far enough she hadn’t heard the commotion and wouldn’t know we were coming. “Come on, let’s end this, I have things to do.”
That stalled Milly. “What do you have to do?”
“I’m taking a fucking vacation.”
Alex moved ahead of us, nose to the ground, and he snickered. “Yuppy doody, taking a vacay.”
The other three kept up with my slow jog, I couldn’t do much more than that. “Rylee, are you hurt?” Milly caught up to me, putting up a hand to slow me.
“Just. Yes, I don’t know. I had to donate a lot of blood.”
“I can’t heal that, I’m sorry.”
I didn’t answer. No point and talking would take more air than I wanted to use.
The fatigue rushed through me out of the blue and I wobbled mid-stride, stumbling to my knees.
“Rylee!” Pamela grabbed at me and I remained down, breathing hard, my heart pounding in overtime. My gorge rose and I knew I was done. I was at the end of my stamina.
“Just give me a second.”
A second turned into a minute, which turned into five. I couldn’t pull it together, and I was trying. Alex circled us and I found myself lying in the snow. “How long before the meeting?”
Milly crouched beside me. “A few hours.”
I Tracked Ingers. She was so close, yet she might as well have been on the other side of the continent. “She’s human, but has guns that work; is she cocky?”
I was stalling and the look in Milly’s eyes told me she knew.
“Rylee, we can finish this.”
“You can’t find her.” I pushed to my feet and called Alex. Using him, I started forward again. No one argued. We were far slower, but at least I was moving. And fuck, just moving at all at that point was a bonus.
We reached the building as the sun began its dip below the horizon and shadows stretched around us. Like fucking déjà vu.
“Let’s hope there are no vampires this time.” Shit, was that my outside voice?
“What?” Tara squeaked.
“Never mind, just reliving an equinox past.” No need to mention it had only been the night before.
“Well, I’d think you’d like at least one or two vampires to show up.” I turned my head, unable to spin around. Doran stood behind me, grinning. Berget and Faris stood behind him, and although Faris was not grinning, he gave me a nod.
Berget moved to my side with the speed her kind were known for. Pamela took a step lifting her hands as her eyes narrowed.
“Stop.” I laid a hand on Pamela’s shoulder. “Things have changed. This is my sister, my real sister, Berget. No longer a puppet of the Emperor and Empress.”
The two girls were close to the same age, but I saw Berget had more control. She’d learned it at the knees of two monsters.
Tracker: A Rylee Adamson Novel (Book 6) Page 20
