“Is the salt still in front of the doorway?” She could hear Jessica moving around her apartment as they talked.
“Yes. It got scuffed, but I fixed it.” Or at least she hoped she had. Sabrina prayed it would keep out whatever was outside the door.
“As soon as whatever is out there goes away you need to get out of town.”
“What?” That was the last thing she expected her friend to tell her.
“You can’t stay in the city. There are too many innocent people who might get hurt. I’m also not sure the wards around your apartment will hold for very long. That’s some powerful evil after you.”
Jessica was right. “I’ll head out to Granny’s place.” The small house on the edge of the bayou was the only place she could think to go.
“I’ll join you there as soon as I can.”
“No.” Sabrina was adamant. “I don’t want you or Tilly there.” It made her blood run cold to think of either of her friends getting hurt by whatever was out there.
“You need help or you won’t make it.” Her friend sounded so certain, but Sabrina still wasn’t taking any chances.
“No. Arand and I will manage.”
“Arand?”
“The name of the warrior.”
“Who does he belong to?” A sense of urgency filled Jessica’s voice.
“The Lady of the Beasts. That’s what he said. Do you recognize the name?” Jessica was more up on the gods and goddesses of various pantheons.
“Yes.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “You need to get out of town fast. Take Tilly’s car.” Of the three of them, only Tilly owned a vehicle, but she was generous with it, loaning it to her friends whenever they needed it. “I’ll call her and tell her you’re coming.”
Before she could respond, the line went dead. “Crap.” She scrambled for the closet and grabbed her tote bag, dumping her phone in the outside pocket. There were probably a dozen things she should take with her, but she couldn’t think of a single one.
Shoes, she needed shoes. She’d forgotten all about them earlier the moment she’d seen Arand’s tattoo. She tugged on a pair of sneakers, figuring if she had to run they were the best things to be wearing. It was going to be cool outside, so she grabbed a brown sweater and slipped it on over her tank top.
The noise outside the door suddenly stopped and the silence was deafening. Sabrina crept over to stand beside Arand. “Are they gone?” she whispered.
He waited several long minutes before his body started to change. She stepped back, watching in total awe as the wolf disappeared and the man reappeared. Fur was replaced by skin, paws by hands and feet. His jaw shortened and his teeth became normal until Arand was frowning down at her.
“Who did you call?”
“A friend.”
“No one should know about what is happening.”
“Tough. I’ve been having dreams for a couple of weeks now and strange things have been happening to me.” An understatement if there was one. Her entire life had been crazy lately.
“What things?” He grabbed her shoulders and lightly shook her. He was also still totally naked, and all that exposed male skin was making it difficult for her to focus.
“Could you put on some pants?”
He gave an exasperated growl and a heartbeat later was covered in the same tight leather pants he wore earlier. Leather moccasins covered his feet, and he wore a vest that left his arms and chest bare. “Answer me.”
“I will, but we have to leave.”
He frowned at her. “Why?”
“Because it’s not safe here, and it’s not fair to my neighbors and friends. They didn’t ask for this.” She couldn’t bear being responsible for anyone being hurt.
“Where will we go?” Arand followed her when she went to the front door but placed his large hand on the wooden panel to keep her from opening it.
She met his gaze and wanted to fall into his bottomless black eyes. She wished they’d met under different circumstances, which was crazy. The man was an immortal warrior, and she was an artist who read tarot cards. Plus, she was human. He was only here until the curse was broken.
“We’re going to my granny’s house. Well, I suppose it’s mine now that she’s gone. It’s on the edge of the bayou and fairly isolated.” The humor of the situation struck her and she laughed. She was taking a wolf to Granny’s house. She didn’t have a red cape, but maybe she should wear her red sweater instead of the brown one.
“What is so funny?” His shaggy hair framed his rugged face. He looked tough and totally hot.
She shook her head. “It’s nothing.” No way was she going to try to explain it. “We need to get going.”
He nodded and unlocked the door, making certain she was behind him. When he determined there was no one there, he allowed her out and kept watch while she locked the door.
“We have to go to my friend’s house to get her car.”
She started to go around him, but Arand stopped her. “Tell me which way to go, but stay behind me.”
Warmth filled her when she realized he was protecting her. He could have easily left her to fend off whatever demon or evil came her way. Instead, he was going with her and was obviously intent on shielding her as best he could. Maybe he was only doing what he saw as his duty. Maybe it was more. Either way, she was happy he was with her when they hit the sidewalk and started toward Tilly’s house.
Hades peered into his mirror into the other realms and watched Arand and Sabrina scurrying down the sidewalk like frightened mice. He liked the analogy. They were also doing exactly what he wanted them to. It would take too much energy to shield their fight from an entire city, and that might attract the attention of his annoying siblings. Once they were in a more isolated area, he could send in more demons and not have to worry about anyone seeing them.
Perfect.
A few growls, a threat or two and his prey were ready to run. He loved it when a plan came together.
The glass in the mirror went dark. He sat back in his chair, sipped a particularly fine brandy from a crystal goblet and contemplated his next move. He didn’t need the serpent’s help at all in order to deal with the wolf and his woman. No, he was much better off doing it on his own. It showed him how little he really needed Mordecai. Once the war was over and he had ultimate power over the Earth and the Olympians, he would destroy the serpent.
He waved his hand in front of the mirror, wanting to see what Mordecai was up to. He didn’t trust the sly creature. They were too much alike.
The immortal warrior stood on the edge of a meadow staring up at the night sky. Hades couldn’t see anyone else around. Had Mordecai destroyed the Lady of the Beasts?
Hades frowned. He hadn’t sensed any great implosion of power, which would happen when a god or goddess was killed. Then he laughed as the obvious answer came to him. Of course he hadn’t felt anything. The goddess had grown weak during her imprisonment in Hell. She’d used all her power to curse her warriors in her effort to save them and had no way to replenish the energy she’d lost. As a result, she had hardly any power left.
He rolled the goblet between his palms, warming the liquor within. That meant the other gods and goddesses would be weak as well. He was the only one who still went among humans, the only one who many of them still worshipped in their way. His power continued to grow daily.
Satisfied his plans were unfolding as he wanted, Hades let the mirror go dark again. Mordecai would make his way to New Orleans, but he would probably be too late to join in the action. Arand would either be turned to Hades’ side or dead by the time the serpent got there.
Hades could get Mordecai there in the blink of an eye if he opened a portal, but he wanted the serpent to have to work to get there. He’d shown the warrior too much favoritism. It was time to remind Mordecai of his place in the hierarchy of Hell.
But the truth of the matter was he’d come to rely heavily on the warrior over the past few decades. It was Mordecai who deal
t with the more mundane business that Hades didn’t want to be bothered with, like meeting with investment bankers, powerful businessmen and terrorists. They weren’t all that different in Hades’ mind. They all wanted power and wealth and didn’t care what they had to do to get it.
It was Mordecai who ferried contracts back and forth to the humans Hades had dealings with. And it was Mordecai he sent in to enforce the terms of the agreements if the puny humans tried to default on the deals.
Hades set down his goblet of brandy and stood. Ah well, time to get his hands dirty. He had a quick meeting in the Sudan with a warlord who no longer thought he needed Hades. He’d soon discover the folly of such thoughts. Hades had a nice spot on the sixth level of Hell all picked out for him.
When it was done, he’d come back, check the mirror one more time and make his final plans.
Jessica hung up the phone and tried to think what she needed to do next. She needed to get some of her things gathered before she headed out to Sabrina’s place in the bayou. She prayed she’d told her friend the right thing to do. If she was wrong—
No, she wouldn’t think that way. She’d known this was coming, known the evil stalking her friend would not be deterred. All they could do was meet it head-on and fight it.
She went to the antique cabinet that dominated one wall of her dining area. Opening drawers, she began to pull out everything she thought she might need.
The first thing she removed was a small silver box. She reverently lifted the cover and pulled out the amulet that sat there. It had belonged to her grandmother. Jessica lifted it and slipped it over her neck, knowing she’d need it in the coming fight. It was their ace in the hole, the one chance they had to defeat the devil.
Her grandmother’s journal rested in a place of honor on top of the cabinet. She took it down and held it to her heart, drawing strength and comfort from it. She’d read the words over and over, committing many of them to memory. She’d done the same with her grandmother’s spell book as well. But she was taking them both, just in case.
She hurried to her bedroom to dress. She hit the second number in the contacts list on her phone, waiting impatiently while it rang.
“’Lo.” She’d obviously woken Tilly from a deep sleep.
“Tilly, you need to get up. Sabrina is on her way to your place and she needs your car to get out of town.” She carefully set her grandmother’s journal and spell book on the bedside table.
“What?” There was some scrambling on the other end. “What are you talking about? What’s happened?”
“Hope you’re sitting down.” Jessica took a deep breath and plunged onward in her explanation. “Sabrina has freed an immortal warrior from a curse and now the devil is after her.”
“What have you been drinking?” Tilly’s voice got louder with each word she spoke.
“Listen,” Jessica yelled. “Listen to me. There’s no time.” She kept the explanation as brief as possible, cutting Tilly off each time she tried to interject a word. She put the phone on speaker, yanked off her nightclothes and started to dress. “You’ve only got a few minutes until they get to your place and you’ll see for yourself.”
“This is crazy.” She could hear the brush of fabric in the background and knew Tilly was getting dressed too.
“Crazy or not, we have to help Sabrina.” Jessica grabbed an oversized purse and stuffed both journals inside. The amulet around her neck warmed and began to pulse. She paused, wrapping her fingers around it.
“I’ll get a box of supplies ready to go with her and meet her outside.”
“I’ll get to your place as soon as I can,” Jessica told her friend. “I have some things I have to do before we can join Sabrina and her warrior. But they can’t wait. The quicker they can get out of town the better.”
“I’m going to call my granny.”
Jessica didn’t try to stop Tilly. As far as she was concerned, the more help they had, the better. “See you soon.” She ended the call and tossed her phone into the bag.
Jessica hurried to her desk, opened her laptop and sent out an urgent message to her circle of Wiccan friends. She’d put them all on alert a week ago, letting them know she’d be calling on them for help. They would all focus their power on protecting Sabrina.
That done, Jessica typed Lady of the Beasts into the search engine and pressed enter. Immediately, a page with choices popped up and she hit the top one. The website was devoted to this obscure goddess and included the story of the curse. It also included an email address.
“They’ll either be able to help or think I’m crazy,” she muttered as she began to compose a message. When she was finished, she read I aloud. “Wolf is free in New Orleans.” That was vague enough in case these people had nothing to do with the curse. She also included directions to the cabin.
Jessica rubbed her hands up and down her arms, feeling a distinct chill. “Do it.” She pressed the send button and closed her laptop. It was done. If they could be of any help, they would. And if not, Jessica and her friends were on their own.
She had a few more things to do before she left. She had to center herself and cast a powerful protection spell. This was too dangerous a situation to go into without doing everything she could to protect herself and her friends.
Jessica stopped and looked around her tiny apartment, wondering if she’d ever see it again. There were no guarantees any of them would be coming home.
Straightening her shoulders, she strengthened her resolve. She had to do this. There was no other way.
Chapter Nine
Arand didn’t like this situation, not one bit. Someone was watching them. Or at least they had been. He no longer felt the eyes on them, but he was still on high alert.
He glanced down at Sabrina as she strode down the sidewalk just behind him and to his left. He kept her on that side so his weapon hand was free. He could fight with both hands, but his right was the stronger one.
“How much farther?” His words came out more as a growl than a man’s voice. He hated that he had no idea where they were going, that he was dependent on Sabrina for directions. He was the alpha. It was his job to protect her.
“About ten minutes.” Her gaze darted all around and he could sense her nervousness, smell it. He didn’t like it one bit.
“There are two men in the alleyway to the right and another passed out on back of the house over there.” He pointed to show her. “There is nothing paranormal around us right now.”
She stopped and peered at him. “How do you know that?” She pulled her sweater tighter around her body. Arand wished he was wrapped around her body warming her.
He tapped the side of his nose. “I can smell them.” He could also smell gasoline, exhaust fumes, garbage and the dense river air that pressed down on the city.
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
He stood a little straighter before he realized what he was doing. Irritation filled him. It didn’t matter what she thought of him. His duty was to protect her, evade Hades and find his fellow warriors so they could protect the Lady. There was no place in his life for a woman right now, especially a human one.
But his instincts and his wolf weren’t listening. His wolf gave a menacing growl inside him as if to refute his words. The wolf wanted Sabrina as his own, and so did Arand.
“All my senses are enhanced.” It wasn’t bragging. It was fact. He might not have his full powers, but he was still strong, still more than capable of protecting them.
He pressed his hand against the small of her back and urged her to start walking again. “We must hurry.”
“Of course.” She resumed their trek to her friend’s house.
“Tell me about this friend, the one you spoke with.” He was curious about every aspect of Sabrina’s life, including who she spent her time with.
“That was Jessica. She’s a witch and I trust her with my life.”
Arand growled as a dark emotion filled it. It took him a moment to recognize it—jealou
sy. He was jealous of the trust she gave her friend. He shook himself and shrugged off the feeling. It didn’t matter if she trusted her friend more than him.
And he was lying to himself.
“You okay?” Sabrina asked, her green eyes filled with concern.
“Fine. Tell me more about her.”
“Jessica came over to my house last night and cleansed it.”
Arand remembered the salt barrier at the door and was impressed. There was real power behind it. Not enough to keep out Hades indefinitely, but more than enough to annoy him and stop some of his lesser demons from entering her home. “She was the one who put down the salt.”
“Yes.” A strand of her red hair escaped her braid and she tucked it behind her ear. He loved her hair, the color full of fire and passion. It suited her.
He looked away, scanning the surrounding area. It was so strange to be outside after all these long years, to feel the cool breeze against his skin, to see the night sky overhead. Not that he could see too many stars with all the city lights giving off their illumination, but he knew they were up there. And he would see them. He would run free in the forest, the joy of simply being alive coursing through his veins. Once he defeated Hades he would give himself this gift.
The world was such a different place now. So many people living in such cramped quarters. The buildings were made from brick and wood and were stacked close together like stalks of grain in a sheaf. But there were still untamed places in the world, places perfect for him and his wolf.
His wolf snarled a warning and Arand whirled around to find the two men from the alleyway following them. They were both tall men and stunk of stale sweat and desperation. One of them pulled a knife. “Give us your purse, lady.”
Arand wrapped one arm around Sabrina and tucked her safely behind him. The second man drew a knife as well, the blade about six inches long. “You heard the man. Give us your money.”
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