“We all do stupid things,” I said, sympathy warring with residual anger as I studied her. “You knew better than going after power, yet you let a man convince you it was a good idea. That was a stupid move – and we’re going to have a really long talk about it when this is over – but I’m starting to understand why you did it.”
“That makes one of us,” Aric said, crossing his arms over his chest. “You cannot possibly be considering forgiving her.”
“I don’t know what I’m considering,” I admitted. “I’m angry and frustrated where she’s concerned, but in the grand scheme of things we’ve all made poor choices.”
“I haven’t.” The tilt of Aric’s chin was obstinate.
“You didn’t tell me that you suspected Laura was the big evil during sophomore year,” I reminded him, hating that I had to bring up my former roommate’s treachery.
“And I paid dearly for that,” Aric countered. “Don’t think for a second my heart wasn’t as broken as yours. I almost lost you then. I learned my lesson.”
“You guys are so sickly sweet I can barely take it,” Tusken muttered.
I slapped him with another bit of magic, causing him to cry out. “Stay out of this,” I warned. “I’m not trying to upset you. I’m merely pointing out that we’ve all made mistakes.”
“What mistakes have you made?” Aric prodded.
“I didn’t trust you when I should have,” I said. “I should have given you another chance that night. Instead, I dug my heels in and we both almost died because I was convinced I was right. I don’t want that to happen again.”
“Okay, for argument’s sake, let’s say she is sorry and she’ll never do it again,” Aric said. “How can you ever trust her given the fact that she lied to us twice?”
“I have faith.”
Aric’s expression was unreadable. “Well, I have faith in you,” he said. “If this is what you want, this is what you’ll get.”
“Really?” Paris looked hopeful.
“I don’t forgive you yet,” I replied, wagging a finger in her direction. “You have to earn it. Getting my parents back and ending this threat is a step in the right direction.”
Paris nodded solemnly.
I turned back to Tusken. “How many wolves has Teague amassed?”
“A legion of them,” Tusken said, wrinkling his nose. “We’ll crush you.”
“If that were true you wouldn’t be out looking for us in the woods,” I shot back. “You’re not ready. Bob was right on that front. You know we’re coming, but you don’t know how to stop us.”
“Who the hell is Bob?”
“You know what? Take those shorts off,” I ordered. “They’re not yours and I don’t want you in them.”
“What?” Tusken was dumbfounded. “You want to see me naked?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. No one wants to see you naked.” I moved away from Tusken and scanned the open field around us. There wasn’t a hint of movement.
“Wait, what are you doing?” Aric asked.
“I have another idea.”
Aric’s expression was wary. “I’m going to hate this, aren’t I?”
“Yes.”
“What are we going to do?” Aric asked, sighing.
“Well, for starters, I need to make the shield area bigger,” I said. “I also need Tusken naked. That’s your job.”
“Why is that my job?”
“Do you want me staring at another man naked?”
Aric growled. “While I’m glad you’re feeling full of yourself and you’re ready to take the fight to them, your attitude is starting to worry me.”
“Wait until you see what I have planned next.”
“It’s going to be a long night,” Aric muttered.
26
Twenty-Six
“As far as ideas go, I’m not going to lie; this is one of your freakier ones,” Aric said, staring at the art I’d made with a conflicted look on his face.
“Come on. It’s great.”
Aric shook his head. “He’s naked and tied to a tree, baby. I’m not sure this is going to send the message you think it is.”
Tusken, his arms and legs spread and fastened to a large tree, foamed at the mouth with anger. “I’m going to kill you!”
“You’ll have to get in line,” I shot back.
“Okay, seriously, tell me what we’re doing here,” Paris said, eyeing Tusken distastefully. “All you’re doing is ticking him off. Other than making you feel better – and being pretty darned funny – what will this accomplish?”
“They’re setting a trap for us,” I said. “Why can’t we set one for them?”
Aric glanced at me, rolling my words through his head. “You want to drop the shield and draw them to Tusken, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
Paris and Aric exchanged wary looks.
“I’m not shooting this idea down, and you know I’m behind you no matter what, but explain to me why you want to alert them to our location.”
Aric was used to my whims. Most of the time, he could talk me down if necessary. I didn’t think he would find it necessary this time. I was officially brilliant. “Only some of their forces are out here.”
“Okay,” Aric said. “I still don’t understand.”
“If we draw out the wolves they have in these woods now, it’s going to be a limited force,” I explained. “They have more fighters at the compound. We can take on the wolves that are out here now. They’ll be drawn to us the second I drop the shield and Tusken wets himself.”
“I will kill you!” Tusken raged in the vain attempt someone would come and save him. I made sure that wouldn’t happen until I was ready.
“You want to take out the wolves in the woods now so the force at the compound will be smaller,” Aric mused, rubbing the back of his neck as he studied Tusken. “That’s pretty ingenious.”
“That’s not all,” I said, relishing being the center of attention. “Once we take out these wolves, they’ll probably send out more tomorrow morning to look for them.”
“And if we take out those wolves, too, the army at the compound becomes severely limited,” Aric finished. “You have a brilliant mind sometimes.”
“I think it’s freaky,” Paris said. “How did you come up with this?”
“I’ve watched a lot of war movies,” I replied. “This is also basically the plan from Home Alone.”
“How so?” Aric furrowed his brow.
“We’re weakening the army by drawing them to us,” I said. “It’s the same thing the kid did in that movie. He forced the robbers to play his game. That’s what I’m going to do.”
“I’m not sure I’m okay with basing our plan on a bad kids’ movie,” Aric said.
“That movie is amazing, and you know it,” I said, poking Aric’s chest. “Can you think of a better plan?”
“Honestly? No. I am worried there’s some big hole I’m missing, though.”
Paris raised her hand, patiently waiting until I called on her.
“What?”
“How are we going to handle the wolves who come through here?” Paris asked. “Are you going to fry them like you did the wolves at your house?”
That was a good question. “If you’re asking whether I’m keen on killing wolves, the answer is no,” I said. “I can’t see any other way around it, though. We can’t let them live because we can’t trust them not to run to Quinn. If we somehow manage to contain them … well … they’ll die of exposure out here.”
“Zoe is right,” Aric said. “We have to do the smart thing. That means killing the wolves.”
“You can’t!” Tusken kicked his legs against the tree. “That’s murder!”
“Don’t get your panties – or lack of panties – in a bunch,” I said. “We won’t forget you. Once all of your friends are dead, we’ll let you join them.”
Tusken swallowed hard. “You said … .”
“What did I say?”
“You said
you would let me go if I answered your questions,” Tusken charged.
“I said no such thing,” I argued. “I told you to tell us the truth or we were going to eat you. Now, granted, I might have been exaggerating a bit about eating you. No one is going to do that. We’re determined, not crazy.”
“That doesn’t mean we’re not going to kill you,” Aric added. “I think you’ve got it coming.”
“This isn’t my fault,” Tusken whined. “You can’t punish me for doing my duty!”
“Since when is kidnapping and murder the duty of a police officer?” I asked.
“You’re an abomination,” Tusken hissed. “You never should have been part of this world. This is the world of the wolves.”
“Your twig is showing, and it’s tiny,” I said. “You need to get your head out of your rear end. Whenever one group says that it wants to take things over because it knows best or it’s the superior race … well, that means you’re the crazy ones, honey.”
“I will kill you!”
“Sit there and look … pathetic,” I challenged. “You’re doing a pretty good job of it, but I would be more impressed if you whined and whimpered a little louder for those watching from the peanut gallery. Once it’s show time, I’ll expect a lot more sobbing and cursing.”
“I hate you!”
“You haven’t even begun to hate me yet,” I chided. “Don’t worry. You’ll get there.” I turned my attention back to Paris and Aric. “Do you understand what we’re doing here?”
“I do,” Aric said. “I’m not crazy about you being out in the middle of this field alone.”
“I think Bob wanted me to come to this conclusion,” I explained. “That’s why he told me not to leave the fairy ring.”
“I think you’re putting a lot of faith in a guy you never met before this afternoon,” Aric said.
“I think I’m putting faith in myself for a change,” I said. “I don’t see a better way to do this, and after tonight we’re out of chances. We will make it to the compound tomorrow.”
“I’m with you, Zoe,” Paris said, offering me a lame salute. “Let’s do this.”
I forced a small smile for her benefit. She was trying. I had to give her that.
Aric grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me to him, our mouths inches apart. “No funny business, Zoe,” he ordered. “Draw them in and then end them. Don’t mouth off. Don’t play games. You’re mine and I want to keep you in one piece.”
“I’m not yours until I get my ring,” I reminded him.
“You’re mine forever,” Aric corrected me. “Be careful, Zoe. I can survive a lot in this life … but losing you isn’t something I’ll get over.”
“Right back at you.” I smacked a hard kiss on his lips. “This is going to be fun.”
“We’re going to have a talk about your definition of the word fun when this is all over with,” Aric said, swatting my rear. “Wait until we’re in position before you drop the dome. If you get in trouble … .”
“I’ll burn them all without a second thought,” I promised.
“I’M GOING to kill you all!”
Tusken howled and fought against the ropes binding him, desperate to free himself. It wasn’t a pretty sight. He continuously threatened me with great bodily harm while thrashing about like a two-year-old in the middle of a temper tantrum and screeching about retribution and magical abominations and how they were a plague he would eradicate. Because he was naked and helpless, the threats bordered on hilarious. If I didn’t know what was coming, I would take the time to laugh.
I couldn’t see Aric, but I knew he was close. I could feel him. His steady mind was like a warm blanket around my shoulders.
I knew it wouldn’t take the wolves long to find us once I dropped the shield. We stoked the fire so the meadow was illuminated, and then Paris and Aric hid in a clump of trees so it would appear I was alone. The ruse didn’t need to last long.
The first wolf took a tentative step into the clearing less than five minutes after the shield lifted. He was large and black, although his chest was nowhere near as big as Aric’s when he shifted. He was bitten, not born.
The wolves that joined him – all tentatively stalking in my direction while casting furtive looks around the clearing – were also bitten. There wasn’t a born wolf in the invading army.
Aric was right. They were fodder. They were sacrificial lambs … err wolves … to the slaughter. Teague and Quinn didn’t care what happened to them. Unfortunately for the wolves, I didn’t care either. I was done playing Ms. Nice Mage.
Tusken continued to howl as the wolves advanced. I let them get close even though my heart hammered so loudly I could barely hear above the blood rushing past my ears. I needed to be sure I got as many of them as I could.
“You’re not so tough now that you’re out here in our woods alone, are you?”
I squinted, trying to follow the sound of the voice with my eyes. The fire ring illuminated the area only so much.
“You have me at a disadvantage,” I said. “You can see me, but I can’t see you. I have a feeling you’re the bitten mongrel from my river, though. It wouldn’t make sense for it to be anyone else.”
I recognized the man’s features as they took shape out of the darkness. They were the same ones I saw the day I took my walk. He was naked as he plodded into the field, the flickering flames glancing off of his pale skin.
“It’s you,” I said, feigning excitement. “I was hoping I would see you again.”
The man arched an eyebrow. “Really? I have my doubts. You know that a wolf can smell a lie, right? There’s no sense trying to snow me.”
“That’s such a douche thing to say,” I scoffed. “Wolves can’t smell lies. You would be stunned at how many wolves I’ve lied to – and I’m leaving the one I live with out of that equation.”
The stranger made a face. “I … that is completely true.”
He was trying to be enigmatic and scary. He had no idea that bees scared me a heck of a lot more than werewolves. “It is so not true,” I said. “I lie to wolves all the time. They can’t smell it. Even if they could, you’re a bitten wolf. You have very few abilities. In fact, other than shifting and sniffing your buddies’ butts, I don’t think you can do anything that a normal human can’t.”
“Uh-huh!” The man was indignant.
Aric once told me that I could derail the sanity of a man in thirty seconds flat. I think he exaggerated. It took me closer to sixty seconds this time. “Listen, let’s not pretend things that aren’t true are something they’re not. I know more about wolves than you do. Admit it. You’ll feel better.”
“I’m going to crush your skull!”
“Well, that was predictable,” I muttered. “Who are you, by the way? Do you live in Barker Creek or did Teague recruit you somewhere else?”
The man shot a furious look in Tusken’s direction. For his part, the police officer could do nothing but hang there. “You told her?”
“She tortured me, Eddie,” Tusken whined.
“That’s true,” I said, nodding at Eddie. That was a stupid name. Wait … was Eddie Munster a werewolf? Ugh. Who takes their inspiration on being a badass from Eddie Munster? This was getting pathetic. “I totally tortured Tusken. First I captured him all by myself. Then I made him put on a pair of shorts because his thing was tiny and giving me eyestrain.”
“I’m going to rip your heart out!” Tusken screamed.
I ignored him. “Then I asked him a few questions and told him I was going to eat him for dinner if he didn’t answer them,” I continued. “Then my boyfriend said I couldn’t tell him that again because it was gross. Then I got an idea and made him strip again. Then I made my boyfriend tie him to that tree as bait and … wow … here we are.”
Eddie stilled, his gaze bouncing around the clearing. “Where is Aric Winters?”
“He’s behind that tree over there,” I said, pointing at Aric’s actual location.
“Come
out, Winters!” Eddie bellowed. “Meet me like a real wolf.”
“He’s twice the wolf you are,” I said. “He can’t come out and play, though. We don’t have time for that.”
The other wolves were trying to surround me. It was time.
“You have enough time for me to kill your boyfriend,” Eddie shot back. “I’ve been ordered to bring you back alive. Your wolf and the weak witch are mine to do with as I please.”
“Did you ever consider that you are mine to do with as I please?”
Eddie wrinkled his brow. “Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?”
“Just about everyone I’ve ever met,” I said. “I can’t seem to help myself. I want to be a quiet and demure girl. I really do.”
“Then do it!”
“See, you can’t smell a lie,” I chuckled. “That was a complete whopper.”
“I’ve had just about enough of you,” Eddie said, stalking in my direction. “It’s time to fall in line.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
I lifted my arms, red flames crackling at my fingertips. The assembled wolves whimpered and took a step back. It was too late for that.
“Tusken was the bait, but you’re the real prize,” I said, meeting Eddie’s gaze levelly.
Eddie eyed my fingers, leery. “And why is that?”
“Because it’s your bodies I’m going to use when I send a message to Quinn and Teague,” I replied. “It’s time for you to fall in line and realize you were never anything but fodder for them.”
“I … what are you doing?”
“Winning.”
The magic arced out of my fingertips, breaking into fiery wisps and heading in a multitude of directions as it slammed into the wolves. I steeled myself against the howls and screams. I couldn’t afford to be weak. It was a fight to the death, and I had to make sure my side walked out of this mess alive.
It was over quickly; the smell of burnt fur the only reminder of the figures surrounding me only moments earlier.
In the tree above, Tusken openly sobbed as he watched the carnage below.
The initial battle was over.
Rising Covenant (Living Covenant Trilogy Book 1) Page 20
