by Bonnie Vanak
Sienna stripped off her clothing. She closed her eyes, feeling the wind brush against her naked body, hearing the tree limbs rustle. Smelling Matt’s delicious scent. She called to the wolf inside her, long buried and dormant.
She called upon her ancestral line, long forgotten.
Help me.
The change began slowly, then sped like a light stream, shimmering crimson and white sparks spiraling around her. She opened her mouth to shout with joy.
A long, low howl came out.
Sienna blinked, saw a proud, muscled gray timber wolf, intelligence gleaming in its deep blue eyes. The wolf seemed to grin.
She nudged him with her nose, rubbing against him affectionately. This felt so right and natural.
The gray wolf pushed her hindquarters, a clear indication. Let’s roll.
Loping through the forest, she tracked the way, Matt at her side. The thicket of trees thinned as they reached the glen with the standing stones. A heaviness sat in the air, thick and menacing.
Sienna darted past the stone circle, down a small, narrow path protected by thick brambles. After a few hundred yards, it opened to a clearing.
When she’d last been here with her aunt, the circle had been protected by a ring of stones in a cairn, a small, sacred mound. Now the cairn was gone. A blue tarp covered a small mound. Matt shifted back to human form, crouched down and tore away the tarp. Fury twisted his expression.
“More of the missing Semtex. They’re not going to torch the forest. They’re going to create a firestorm.” He touched one orange packet, his expression sharp as a honed blade. “There’s enough here to blow up half the mountain.”
Sienna shifted back, the movement fluid and natural. She waved her hands, and willed clothing back on her body. “Why would they destroy the standing stones instead of drawing energy from them?”
“For the pyro demons. They need fire, explosions, energy to feed from. There’s enough Semtex here to give them energy to hold a glamour lasting long enough to access a certain air force base stockpiling nuclear weapons. A base covering a bolt hole to the netherworld.”
Matt glanced up, his jaw taut. “They want the Orb to gain the truth about my team and how to kill us, because we warded the base with our magick. And when we die, and our magick dies with us, there’s a very small but powerful window of time in which the demons could break through, and blow the base sky-high, freeing a demon army.”
She couldn’t think or breathe. Sienna closed her eyes, seeing the destruction, the demons freed, roaming the world….
He reached into his pocket, but frowned at his cell. “No service. We’ve got to get out of here.”
Taking her hand, he pulled her along the path, back to the circle of standing stones. But they were no longer alone.
Before the stone circle stood a tall, slender woman clad in a silver robe. She turned, smiling at Sienna.
Joy leaped inside her.
“Aunt Chloe!” Sienna went to embrace her, but Matt pulled her back.
“It’s not your aunt, pixie. She’s an imposter.”
Sienna inhaled, detecting her aunt’s scent of rosemary and sage. The fine wrinkles around her blue eyes were the same. And she lifted her hand and sketched a sacred Fae welcoming, just like Chloe had.
Maybe Matt was mistaken. Not all the Fae had been slaughtered. Doubts began hammering at her. Maybe he was mistaken about many things. Then she looked at him and saw the tight slash of his mouth, the hardness on his face. He’d never lied to her. He’d risked much for her. She trusted him.
But grief collided with hope, and seeing her beloved aunt alive, Sienna wanted to cling to that hope with both hands.
“My darling Sienna. Did you find the Orb?”
Sienna said nothing, her gaze whipping back from Chloe to Matt.
“I thought it was in Tim’s shop. We found out too late he’d stolen it.” The Fae released a small sigh, a flutter of her right hand, exactly like Chloe. “We sent our best people to retrieve it, but a fire broke out.”
“Tim died,” Sienna said slowly. “He was tortured. By fire.”
Bright blue eyes regarded her with sorrow. “I love you, Sienna. Come back home to us. I’ll find a way to gain you entrance. Just give me the Orb, and you’ll be safe.”
“Liar,” Matt said softly. “You’re not Chloe.”
Chloe turned, malice sparking her gaze. She flung out her hands and Matt gasped, recoiling. Hands over his stomach, he doubled over in a deep moan.
“He’s the real enemy, my darling Sienna. You can’t trust a Draicon. Remember? Draicon killed your mother. They’re vicious murderers. All of them.”
Blood drained from Matt’s face. Sweat streamed down his face, dampening his T-shirt. He seemed in agony.
Sienna fisted her hands. “Stop it, Chloe! Whatever you’re doing, please, stop it! He’s not like the others.”
“Oh, but he is, my darling. He only wants the Orb for his own purpose. He shared your bed. I can smell him all over you. He seduced you, only to get what he wanted. He doesn’t care about you. Only his precious team, and his duty. He’s going to leave you and never look back.”
The truth hurt like a knife arrowing into her heart.
“I do care,” Matt rasped. “And I will leave you, Sienna. I’ve never lied to you. Not like she’s doing now.”
Torn, she stared at Chloe.
Kill her, pixie. You’re the only one who can. She’s cast a spell on me. I’m dying, cooking from the inside out. It’s how she killed Tim.
The deep, pain-laced voice inside her head was commanding. Sienna stared at Matt, startled by the telepathic communication.
I can’t. She’s my aunt, the only family I have left. I love her. She raised me, Matt!
She is not your aunt, pixie. Chloe is dead. Look closely at her eyes.
Sienna concentrated on her aunt, the woman who’d hugged her, fussed over her, loved her unconditionally. Remembering the times they’d shared.
Chloe blinked, her eyes flashing red. Demon-red.
Fury and grief crashed together. Had to save Matt. Had no powers…distraction.
You have powers, pixie. Open yourself up to them. Oh, gods, damn it, hot, so hot, this hurts!
A low moan wrung from his throat. Sienna’s heart raced with panic, panic she knew she must quell. Chloe cackled and watched as Matt writhed on the ground. She tore herself away and went behind a tree. Please let this work, please, it has to work.
She thought of Matt’s quiet strength and it loaned her courage to glamour into the most despicable form. A pyro demon.
As she stepped from behind the tree, Chloe gasped. “Master?”
The woman’s glamour faded, showing her as a small, wizened crone.
The spell tormenting Matt snapped like a breaking stick. As Chloe lifted her hands, pointing them at Sienna, Matt shifted.
Teeth bared, he leaped on Chloe, going for the throat. The demon screamed, wrestling with him but was no match for the muscled wolf. She tussled with him, trying to gouge his eyes.
It was over in a minute. The demon lay on the ground, staring sightlessly at the blue sky. Blood stained the wolf’s thick gray coat. Matt shifted back, crouched down by the demon, examining the body.
“A lesser demon, same kind that killed Tim at the shop.” Matt stood, brushing off his hands. “I have a bad feeling about this. Back in New Orleans, Stephen mentioned a convocation of demons. The pyro demons are gathering forces.”
But as they turned, several figures emerged from the thick woods. Dozens of them. Dressed like Fae, they began to change, turning into hordes of Darksider Fae and demons, talons bared, lips pulled back in snarls. An army advancing toward them, armed with dark magick.
Sienna whipped her head around. Behind them came the eerie glow of red through the pine trees. Fire cut off their southern escape.
They were trapped.
Chapter 18
Matt composed himself as he set about calmly analyzing their situation. It did
n’t look good.
“We’re not getting out of this,” Sienna muttered.
He turned her chin up, facing him. “Hey, there,” he said fiercely. “I’ve been through worse.”
A tremulous smile wobbled on her soft, pink mouth. He couldn’t resist. Matt bent his head, kissed her. “For luck,” he added, pulling away and studying the terrain.
Weapons wouldn’t cut it. Not with this crowd. He’d run out of ammo too fast. Matt’s mind raced over possibilities.
He glanced upward at the treetops. There’s a possibility. About twenty feet up. Not bad.
“How high can you jump, pixie?”
Sienna tracked his gaze. “Not that far.”
“Figured as much. Me, either. Which is why I always travel with a backup plan.”
He began unwinding the length of slim nylon rope he’d wrapped around his waist. Matt tugged her hand, racing to the edge of the stones. He flung the rope up a pine tree, letting it double over on a thick limb.
As he knotted the rope, she looked panicked. “I can’t climb that.”
“Don’t sweat it. I’ve got you.” Matt gestured to his back. “Climb on.”
“You’re going to climb up there and carry me? What are you, Superman?”
“Super lupus,” he cracked. “Besides, you’re a lightweight. Adam, he topped you by sixty pounds. And I carried him on my back while climbing up a lot higher.”
He’d said his name, and the stabbing pain he’d felt previously had lessened to a dull ache. Matt knew he’d never forget his buddy, even when the time came for his memories to be erased when he left the teams. He could finally remember Adam’s cocky grin, and feel only sadness, not the stinging grief.
Sienna climbed on his back. “Hang on. Time to go visit the penthouse. Up we go.”
Flames crackled and snapped in the near distance. Heat bathed them as sweat poured down his forehead. Matt began to climb fast, his muscles pulling hard. Sienna wound her arms around his waist, her head buried against his back. As he climbed, he pulled the rope with him, preventing it from reaching the ground. He glanced down and saw the demons and Darksider Fae gather beneath the tree, their outraged roars echoing through the clearing as they tried to grab for the rope. One pointed a finger at Matt.
He paused, hanging on with one hand. Muscles strained beneath the weight. Matt reached for his blade. “Damn, always did like this knife.”
The tip of the steel dagger buried itself into the demon’s throat. It fell, clutching its neck.
Shimmying up the rope, he reached the limb and hooked his hands around it. Sienna swung up onto the branch like a gymnast. Matt pulled the rope and wound it around his waist.
They made their way through the pine tree, climbing up the branches. He spotted a clearing below, far enough from the fire. Smoke curled into the air. The ominous crackle of flames was nearing the sacred glen. And the Semtex.
Minutes later, aided by the rope and a nice, Tarzan-like swing, they were on the ground once more. Together they raced to a small gathering of boulders. Cover for now. But soon those demons would catch their scent and come after them.
He pulled out his cell and checked the time. “Looks like my ride should arrive soon,” he said softly.
Sienna glanced at him, dirt smudging her face. “We sure could use a team of navy SEALs about now, huh?”
“Your wish is my command.” He gave a slight grin.
The chopping sound of a helo’s blades echoed through the glen. Matt glanced up.
Incredulity etched her face. “Matt? What did you do?”
“Called in for a little help.” He playfully tapped her nose. “I told you, we’re a tight team. No man, or sweet-faced Fae, gets left behind.”
The helo was opening its cargo doors. Not just any helo. One equipped with a little something-something pyro demons hated…
“Bombs away,” he sang out, diving to the ground, taking Sienna with him and covering her body with his.
Thousands of gallons of water rained down on them, extinguishing the forest fire. The demons screamed in outrage.
Then came the wonderful sound of seven rough, deep voices singing out.
“Yo, Dakota. Got a bit of a sitch here, huh?”
“Always did think he was a hot dog, digging his way out of things. Taking on the world.”
“Forgetting us, you’d think he’d learn not to hog all the fun.”
His team. His friends.
They gathered around, faces painted green and black, clad in olive drab BDUs. Emotion clogged his throat as he slid an arm around Sienna’s waist.
“Guys, this is Sienna McClare. Sienna, meet the guys.”
“So glad to meet you,” she said, her relief evident. “Not that Matt didn’t have the situation fully under control.”
“Why should he hog all the fun?” Shay’s white teeth flashed in a wide grin. He tossed a rucksack to Matt, who caught it with one hand. “Extra rounds. Tough enough to take out demon hide. After your chat with Curt, we knew you needed a little special care.”
J.T. gave a low howl. “Dakota always did like a little extra attention in a tight jam. But never before with such a pretty lady.”
Sienna gave a faint smile. “I’m glad you came dressed for the occasion.”
“Yup. And here they come. Let’s do it,” Matt said, his expression hardened. “Lock and load, boys. Let’s kick some demon ass.”
* * *
The sound of the gunfire was deafening. Crouched behind a large boulder, Sienna watched Matt and Sam take cover behind a fallen log while the other SEALs positioned themselves behind the rocks. Matt had placed her farthest away from the kill zone.
No magick. They weren’t attacking with magick, she heard him tell the men. Not with the enemy so close to Sienna, he’d told her. Matt didn’t want to take chances she might get hurt accidentally.
Sienna tried to calm her racing heart. A bullet slammed into the boulder she hid behind, sending rock shards flying. She peered out, focusing on Matt.
He fired his assault weapon with deadly accuracy. Hot shell casings flew into the air from his weapon. Around him the seven other SEALs fired at the oncoming demons and Darksider Fae.
A slick, coppery scent of dark blood tinged the air. The noise was deafening. With exact precision, the SEALs took down the approaching enemy. But there were too many. And then she peered around the boulder and her blood turned to ice.
A pyro demon advanced toward Matt. The oily stench of fuel clung to its gray, stooped form. The creature spit fire from its mouth, nose and fingertips and began to glow orange-red.
The log shielding him began to burn as the demon cackled. The bullets melted as they hit the demon’s superheated skin. Matt crouched down, his gaze narrowing as he set down his weapon and reached for a knife.
Hand-to-hand combat. Sienna gasped in shock as a stream of fire singed his hand. He winced.
The smell of burned flesh, the sight of blood, jolted her into recognition. Memories suddenly assaulted her. Fire. Screams. Hiding in a rotting, hollowed log, watching in terror as the orange flames came closer, the heat incredible, trying to quiet her panting breaths.
Wolves howling in…pain? Pain. Agony. They were being slaughtered one at a time, shifting into their human form as they died in agony.
Not wolves killing Fae.
Wolves…her people!
A snarl arose in her throat, born of fury. Matt was hurt. Her Matt, her mate, her love. She smelled blood and it pissed her off.
“You bastard!”
Sienna sprang up, barely feeling the heat from the approaching demon. Power flowed through her, sure and strong. The shift came as she leaped over the log and charged, feeling the wind rush against her face, feeling her body shape-shift. Magick sparked the air, good magick, her magick. Nothing but anger fueled her, anger at these demons who dared to hurt her mate, a good, solid man who fought evil, a man who loved her as surely as she loved him.
The shifting kept happening, her body twi
sting and contorting. Wolf to jaguar, to human and Fae, all forms happening so fast she barely knew what she was, but it felt good and right.
“Damn, look at her go,” Sam cried out.
“Sienna! What the hell! Cease fire!” Matt yelled.
She ignored the shouts of the men, the cessation of assault weapons. She kept racing forward, shifting into various forms as she ran, searching for the right one like a woman trying on dresses. For the first time in her life, Sienna felt linked to the power, letting it flow through her. Floating, she was floating on air, and did belong, and this was her time, her magick.
Confusion twisted the demon’s ugly face. It paused, hands raised to the sky, staring at her, and then lowered its hands, fire streaming from the tips.
Sienna released a roar and flames poured from her own mouth.
Dragon flames.
* * *
Fire against fire. Stunned, Matt watched the lovely Fae turn into a beast the size of an army tank. The demon staggered back with a squeal as she advanced, giant wings beating at the flames to fan them. The dragon’s scales repelled the demon’s flames, sent them hurling back into the bastard’s face.
Jaws opened, revealing rows of stalactite teeth. The dragon hissed once, then snapped.
Matt blinked in stunned shock as the dragon—no, his Sienna—cut off the demon’s head with one mighty snap of her jaws. The dragon flung the head downward. Distracted by the sight, the remaining two demons paused in their assault. The minions began to fall back, slinking into the shadows.
“Now,” he yelled, pulling his fist downward.
All eight SEALs attacked. Not with ammo, but power. Magick.
Sully teleported behind the Darksider Fae, attacking from the rear and vanishing as he hit them two at a time. Jammer, the team’s PSI, used telekinesis and pelted the enemy by lifting boulders and hurling them as Matt, Renegade and Dallas shifted into wolves, leaping over the log as they changed. Flanking them to the right, Shay’s body crackled with power, glowing as he sent reserve electrical charges snaking into the army of demons.
The SEAL commander, Curt, pitched white energy balls one after another at the minions. And J.T., who commanded the power of water, stretched out his hands, calling the river to him. With a loud chant, he sent the stream crashing down upon the fire demons, splashing over them and flooding their flames.
