Dark Coven

by J. C. Diem

  Another shot came from the church. The bullet passed by me so closely that I felt it brush my shoulder. The shot was true and the creature’s head snapped back as the bullet went through his eye.

  I sensed my pack mates approaching an instant before they struck. The cougar’s claws raked the creature’s arm, severing it from his body. The snake hissed, spraying his toxic venom in the vampire’s face to blind him. Clawing at his eyes with his remaining hand, bubbling screams came from his melting face.

  Slithering forward, the snake wrapped his tail around the vampire’s middle and began to squeeze. Mewling in agony, the ancient living corpse writhed, but couldn’t dig his nails into the thick scales that protected the reptile’s body. Dead, clotted blood burst from his mouth when the snake constricted, tearing his body in two. The cat wasn’t satisfied with that. Her claws swiped out, severing his head from his body.

  The surviving vampires shrieked as the link that had bound them to their master was broken. The female in my hand wriggled free from my suddenly lax grasp. I staggered at the baffling sense of loss that I felt at his death. Freed from their servitude, the minions went mad and fled in all directions.

  My mate appeared beside me and nuzzled my neck where I’d been bitten by one of the foul creatures. Are you well?

  I am well, I responded. Let us destroy these creatures utterly. The ancient vampire had called me an abomination, but that description was more closely suited to his kind. No soulless had a right to exist. It was our duty to wipe them out.

  Splitting up, we went in search of prey.

  Chasing after the female who was still linked to me, I detoured to swipe the head from the shoulders of one of the other creatures. She was staring up at the sky, screaming at the top of her lungs. I sensed that she’d been linked to her master for so long that she could no longer function without him.

  It had been a mistake to stop and finish her off. I looked for the other female and found her to be gone. There were still several of the vampires in the vicinity and I couldn’t leave them all to my brethren. By the time we hunted down the filthy nest of undead, only one had escaped. We followed her scent towards a town and lost it near the first set of houses. She’d stolen a vehicle to make her escape. Even we couldn’t track her now.

  She is gone, my mate said. He flicked an annoyed glance at the feline when she rubbed against my arm.

  It was unnatural for us to be a pack, but our instincts to do battle were absent. Her tongue rasped the fur of my face as she licked me affectionately. Her stare when she looked at my mate was bordering on insolent. Is something the matter? she asked him with a purr.

  My mate now smells like a cat, he complained.

  Strong arms came around me and pulled me back against a hard, cold body. Now she smells like a snake, our scaly brother said. My mate growled, but he wasn’t truly angry. Like me, he finally felt complete. Our family now consisted of four rather than just two. We might be different, but we were united in our affection for each other.

  Can we eat now? The cat rubbed her empty belly, which was growling loudly enough for us all to hear it.

  There was plenty of food within the town limits, but my mate reminded us that the humans and their pets were taboo. The woods will have more suitable food, he said. Follow me. I was his equal and could have refused to follow his command, but I surrendered to his logic. We followed him back towards the cemetery where we’d battled the vampires. There hadn’t been any humans in the area for many years. We’d be in no danger of being interrupted during the next three nights.

  A car approached and the headlights momentarily caught us in its glare. My mate’s silver fur almost seemed to glow in the light. Tires screeched as the driver slammed to a halt. The car reversed wildly, turned and headed back from whence it had come. The cat grinned in amusement at the thought of the poor, confused meal inside the metal confines. Our kind was rare enough to be mere legend. His story wouldn’t be believed by anyone. We would remain safe as long as no one else saw us.

  When we were deep in the woods, the feline and the snake split up. They preferred to hunt alone rather than in a group. The woods were extensive, yet we could still feel them in our minds. We would know if they were in danger, just as they would know if we encountered any enemies.

  Before dawn came, we gathered together to sleep in a jumble of limbs. My head rested on the reptile’s chest. My mate was at my back with his arms around me. The feline was stretched across our legs, purring loudly in contentment. I snuggled against my mate as the snake lazily stroked a hand down my back. There was nothing sexual in our contact. We were luxuriating in being close rather than locked up in our prisons all alone for once.

  On the third and final night of our change, my mate and I chased a small herd of deer deep into the woods. Leaping gracefully through the air, my mate landed on one of the larger does and brought her down. He howled in triumph and I joined his song. Just as our howls petered out, we heard an answering cry coming from a great distance away.

  Going still, my mate’s ears flicked towards the sound. I picked up the connection he felt with the other shifter through our bond. Another werewolf was somewhere in this area and he now knew that he wasn’t alone.

  He reached out with his thoughts, making brief contact with my mate. He recoiled from the stranger’s mind immediately, sending me what he’d sensed. I didn’t share a connection with the werewolf at all, but I’d sensed what my mate had felt. He didn’t know how or when, but he’d met the other shifter before. They’d recognized each other’s minds from that one fleeting moment of contact.

  We exchanged an uneasy glance as another howl sounded from across the vast expanse of woods. It was lonely, poignant and hinted of madness. My mate sensed that there was something wrong with the other wolf. He was suffering from a sickness of the mind. He didn’t have our capacity to retain reason when he changed. He was unpredictable, extremely dangerous and curious about who we were. If we remained in his territory, he would undoubtedly seek us out.

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  “Aw,” a gleeful voice said, waking me from a deep slumber. “That’s so sweet.”

  I opened my eyes to see a very naked Kala standing over me. It took me another second to realize that I was lying on the ground and that Reece’s arms were wrapped around me from behind.

  “Leave the two lovebirds alone,” Flynn said, but I heard the amusement in his voice. He was as naked as the rest of us and didn’t seem to be at all bothered by it.

  My momentary confusion was wiped away when Reece released me and sat up. My memory of all that had transpired over the past few nights returned and so did his. “We need to check on Mark, Major Levine and Beatrice,” he said. He had too much fear and respect for my dad to call him by his first name.

  I could still faintly feel Kala and Flynn in the back of my mind as I scrambled to my feet. Our link was fading, but I wasn’t sure if it would ever completely dissipate. At least we couldn’t read each other’s thoughts. That would have been far too intrusive and uncomfortable for all of us.

  “Can someone explain to me how we’re all still alive?” Kala asked as we began making our way through the dense woods. “Why didn’t we tear each other apart?” Shifters from different species usually fought as soon as they came into contact when we were in our animal forms. Neither she nor Flynn remembered the events that had transpired three nights ago.

  “Lexi and I bit both of you to forge a temporary link between us,” Reece explained. He’d taken the lead and I followed a few steps behind him. He wasn’t at all self-conscious about being naked. Apparently, I was the only one with a sense of modesty.

  Picking up on that thought, he glanced back over his shoulder and smirked. My hands automatically moved to cover myself, but I let them drop to my sides. He’d already seen me unclothed several times. It was a bit late to worry about trying to hide now.

  “I don’t remember anything,” Flynn complained. “How can
you two manage to retain your memories?”

  “It has something to do with our bond,” I said and winced when I stood on a sharp stick. The wound healed after a couple of steps. “Our minds are linked when we change and we’re able to keep some of our humanity. It seems to help us remember everything.”

  “So, what exactly did we do after we turned?” Kala queried. “We didn’t hurt anyone, did we?”

  “We didn’t kill any humans,” Reece replied. “We eradicated an entire nest of vampires, though. Mark, Beatrice and Lexi’s dad were safe in the church when we took off after the vamps.”

  “We didn’t quite take down the entire nest,” I said unhappily. “We killed the master and most of his minions, but Katrina got away.”

  Reece sent me a sympathetic look and Kala reached out to touch my arm. “We’ll find her, Lexi,” she promised. I hoped so, because both Reece and I were still in danger of becoming vampires.

  We’d destroyed the master vampire, which Beatrice had said would give us a chance to stop the taint. Turning into a werewolf had helped to slow it, but it hadn’t halted it completely. I could feel the infection spreading through me. Unless we now hunted down my mom, the vampirism would slowly become stronger until our souls were in peril again. Reece was facing the same death sentence. He was as invested in finding her as I was.

  With her master dead, Katrina was now free to make a new nest of her own. Somehow, I didn’t think she’d waste much time gathering minions. The sooner we found and destroyed her, the better. Otherwise, we’d be facing another mob of blood suckers instead of just one.

  Our noses led us to a road and we followed it back to civilization. Reaching the outskirts of Bradbury, we hunkered down near the town line. I examined the area, trying to sense the wards. “I can’t see or feel any magic,” I said to the others. There was no telltale shimmer in the air.

  “Wait here,” Reece ordered then leaped over the fence. My tense shoulders relaxed when he wasn’t zapped by a spell. He crossed the yard to a clothesline and pulled a pair of sweatpants off the line. They were too short and much too tight, but they were better than nothing. The rest of us joined him. We chose clothing that didn’t fit very well, but at least covered our nakedness.

  “Keep your eyes peeled for the rest of the coven,” Reece ordered. “They might still be somewhere in town.”

  Wearing shorts that came down to my knees and a t-shirt that was almost as long, I was just glad to be wearing anything at all. Shoes and underwear would have been welcome, but we were out of luck there.

  Sticking to the back streets, we made our way to the center of town. It made sense for us to try to pinpoint where the coven were hiding while we were here.

  Kate’s Kafé was still closed. We rounded the corner and ducked into the alley behind the building. “I can feel traces of magic,” I said. Destroying the talisman had negated Malachi’s ability to cast spells, but maybe his siblings had regained their ability to do magic. Who knew what other spell books and items of power they’d collected over the decades.

  “I wish there was some way we could scout out the apartment without actually going inside,” Reece said quietly. He was reluctant to enter the building without knowing if the witches were lying in wait for us.

  As if sensing our need, I felt a pack of dogs approaching. They rounded the corner, following my scent. It was the same pack that had come to my assistance when Talitha had snared me in her clutches. Overjoyed to see me again, they gathered around us. Quietly snarling at Kala, they ignored Flynn completely. Reece was worthy of respect, but they didn’t fawn over him like they were over me. I quietened them before they could start barking happily.

  Kala’s nose wrinkled in distaste at being surrounded by canines of all sizes. Zeus was the only one missing from the pack. I could feel him at the outer edges of my senses. I figured he was at Dawson’s Retreat with the rest of our party.

  A strange look came over Flynn and he glanced from the dogs to me. “Could you send one of the dogs inside to scout out the building?”

  It was a great idea and I wished I’d thought of it first. “I can try,” I replied. Figuring that a smaller dog would draw less notice, I picked a Chihuahua out of the mob. I touched her mind and found it to be a whirling tangle of excitement.

  I need you to go inside the building and look around, I said to her. Giving a high pitched yap of agreement, she followed me over to the door. The lock hadn’t been fixed yet, so I didn’t need to break it open again.

  I opened the door just wide enough for her to enter then concentrated on trying to see through her eyes. The connection between us was weak, but it worked. I saw a cloudy image of the hallway and guided her to the end then to the left.

  She climbed the stairs to the second floor and entered the long hallway. She glanced inside each room and saw little of interest until she came to the end of the corridor. Her nose told her that five different people were inside. One of them was Talitha. The Chihuahua recognized her scent from when she’d helped rescue me from the witch.

  That was enough confirmation for me. I called her back and opened my eyes. “They’re in there alright. They’re holed up in the living room. I think they’ve cast a spell on the room, but I’m not sure what it does.”

  Ghosts began to materialize as I gave my report until the alley was full of spirits. The young woman I’d seen staring at the photo of the coven in Dawson’s Retreat stepped forward. She gave me a beseeching look and pointed up at the second floor of the café.

  “Is their spell keeping you out?” I asked her. She nodded in response.

  “Do they know if the spell will keep us out?” Flynn asked.

  The spirit shook her head. “Does that mean it won’t keep us out?” I asked for clarification and she nodded. I smiled and I wondered if it was as nasty as it felt. “Who wants to come with me to kick down the coven’s door?”

  Kala’s smile was just as cruel as mine felt. “You couldn’t stop me if you tried.”

  Reece and Flynn felt the same way. None of us wanted to miss out on our chance to finish off the coven. We’d left our weapons at the church, but we were far from defenseless. If we moved quickly enough, we could barge inside and tear them apart before they even knew what had hit them.

  “Let’s go,” Reece said, taking point again.

  He was the first through the door and I was next. The dogs wanted to follow us inside, but I ordered them to stay in the alley to keep watch. The Chihuahua scurried outside as we entered. She was happy that she’d been able to assist me.

  Moving as quietly as we could, we crept up the stairs and along the hallway. Reece motioned us to a halt when we were nearly at the door. He wanted to listen in on the witches’ conversation.

  Talitha was speaking and she was nearly incoherent with rage. “Are we really going to continue hiding from ghosts?”

  “You saw them,” Eunice said in a frightened tone. “They’ve turned vengeful! They’ll rip us to shreds the instant they break through our wards!”

  “She’s right,” one of the warlocks agreed. It wasn’t Jeremiah, so that only left Jonathan. “With the talisman destroyed, we barely have enough power to maintain a shield around this room. We wouldn’t stand a chance of holding off the wraiths. They’d overwhelm us in seconds.”

  Reece turned to me and we shared the same thought. While we wanted to take the witches down, the ghosts had more of a claim on their lives than we did. “It’ll be risky,” he whispered far too quietly for the witches to be able to hear us.

  “We just need to distract them long enough for them to drop their wards,” I replied.

  Flynn shook his head and muttered beneath his breath when he realized what we were planning.

  “What are we waiting for?” Kala said impatiently. “I don’t care if it’s us or the ghosts who kick their butts. Let’s just get it done.” She’d figured out our plan as well.

  “What if we use more than one distraction?” I mused out loud.

  Re
ading what was on my mind, Reece nodded. “Do it,” he said and I called on the pack.

  Padding as quietly as they could, the dogs entered the building and climbed the stairs. Whining softly in anticipation, they lined up on both sides of the door, leaving the way clear for Reece.

  Ready? he said into my mind and I sent him a mental nod. Now! Taking a step forward, he kicked the door. It burst open, revealing the surviving members of the dark coven standing in a huddle.

  Talitha’s face darkened with rage when she saw me standing behind Reece. “You! You’re the one who destroyed our talisman!” Venom nearly dripped from her words.

  Banding together, the coven dropped the shield that they’d raised to keep the ghosts out. They zapped Reece and I with a paralysis spell. I could practically see them wilt as they used up their power.

  Unable to move or speak, I sent a mental command to the pack. Attack!

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  With snarls and yips of glee, the dogs surged into the room, intent on maiming the coven. Talitha reacted first. Clapping her hands together, the shockwave that she sent out this time was barely strong enough to stir their fur.

  Ophelia screamed shrilly and kicked out at a Doberman as he ran at her. He bared his fangs then sank his teeth into her leg. Our plan had worked. The witches were distracted enough that they didn’t even notice the ghosts when they began to appear. In seconds, the room was full of insubstantial spirits.

  Jeremiah saw them first and gasped in alarm. His already pale face whitened even more. His siblings became aware of the danger. They moved into a tight circle, facing outwards. Surrounded by a pack of dogs and the spirits of the people they’d sent to their deaths, they tried one final spell.

  Talitha began to chant and the others joined in. They couldn’t maintain the spell that they’d cast against Reece and I. It wavered then dissipated, leaving us free to move again. Kala and Flynn crowded into the doorway with us as I called the dogs back. Things were about to get very nasty and I didn’t want them to be harmed.