by Kim Faulks
“You double-crossing bastard!” Abrial’s father lunged, grasping Hurron by his blood-soaked shirt. “What have you done? What have you done!”
“Kill him.” Hurron snarled the command and a boom followed the words.
Crimson bloomed in the center of his chest as the Bloodstone Alpha stumbled backwards. He hovered for a second. His eyes widened as his brow arched high as he whispered. “Why?”
“No!” Abrial scrambled forward, clutching her father’s arm as he dropped to the ground. “Dad... Dad!”
The shadow of death descended, without a whisper to call its name. Her father jerked and shuddered. A bloody mist splattered Abrial’s face as she clawed him close. Those beautiful lips twisted in torment, and for a second I wished for her to never turn, for fear her anguish would consume me.
“Abrial.” A croak tore from Rowen’s lips as she reached for her sister.
My muscles strained. My heart clenched, and every drop of blood froze in my veins. It wasn’t the mindless terror in his gaze that filled me with dread, only the hard tremble of the muzzle that pointed at my wolf.
The sheriff moved faster than his girth should allow. He lunged and grasped a handful of long dark hair. Rowen screamed as he yanked, dragging her body against his chest. Dark hair sprouted between his fat fingers. He clutched her neck and whispered. “Now, no more magic. Or my finger might just slip and splatter your sweet sister all over the ground next to dear old dad.”
He lifted his gaze, and his cruel smile stretched wide. “Now, I heard the stories, but I never once thought they were true. You’re a terrifying beast, I’ll give you that. But you’re a day late and a dollar short. The bitch has got to go.”
“Why?” I hissed.
“Why what? You think your little piece of paper would protect us forever? Look around you, dragon. You’re dead. Your family’s dead. Your damn name is dead. You’re nothing but a memory. A fable to scare naughty children and entertain tired old women.” The sheriff pumped the shotgun and smiled.
I closed my eyes as Inanna filled me, all fire and fury… tasting like sex and the wolf. Fight, she whispered, burn them all to hell. “The Gods will never die.”
“Leave him alone you spineless fucking rat. You want me, then come and get me.” Abrial growled, her voice turned husky. I forced my head to move, silver eyes glinted when she glanced at me. “You think Sol’s going to take you with him?”
The sheriff spun, taking the gun with him. “Shut up.”
“He’s going to slit your throat and leave you in this forest.” Her eyes lit up like the moon on a cloudless night. “Or worse, you’ve seen the black beast, the one they call Xael. Maybe Sol will leave you for her, let her drive those spikes through your belly.”
The muzzle trembled. The sheriff turned his head to scan the trees and bushes. Fire raged like bile in my throat. Red filled me. Red of fire and flames and I could almost taste his death.
He was too far away. I’d never reach her in time.
Burn them. Burn them all to hell.
The sheriff clenched Rowen tighter. I’d burn her sister too.
Abrial’s foot snaked out, gouging through the dirt as she shoved backwards. I clenched my fist as the fat fuck sniggered “You think you can get to me before this bullet gets to her? I’m a betting man myself, and I don’t like your odds.”
His eyes hardened and his finger twitched. I lunged a second before the boom, but my muscles felt like lead. I moved too slow. I moved too fucking slow.
I slammed my wings around her tight as the shotgun sprayed. A hundred daggers sliced deep. Metal carved through my wings and embedded deep into bone as the ratchet of the shotgun rang out.
My legs buckled as the blast tore scales and sliced deep. Something hit my chest, so close to my heart. I dropped my head, lips curled, ready to rip and tear until I stared into those emerald eyes. My wings slipped. I clutched her close with all that remained.
And when I couldn’t say the words, I let the silence speak for my heart.
I love you.
Light sliced through my ravaged wings bathing her face in a crimson glow, and for a second I saw blood. My heavy breath scattered her hair as shredded muscles gave way. The howl welled in my belly as I clenched my insides and dragged the useless limb close, as a boom rocked the forest.
My muscles trembled, straining until the ground shook and the scent of wolves filled me. I felt no agony, no pain—only the searing heat of rage. Abrial’s fingers gouged my neck as the sheriff slumped to the ground.
Rowen fell, dragged by her hair entangled in the bastard’s grasp. She clawed his hand, yanking her hair free as a voice rang out. “Come, Rowen. There’s no need for anymore bloodshed.”
She whimpered at the sound, shaking her head as the mutant scum emerged from the trees, flanked by wolves. Light glinted off stark white hair as Rowen whimpered. “Sol.”
But I only heard Abrial inside my head as she whispered. Burn them. Save my sister, but burn them all.
I heaved my shattered wing against my body, and inhaled pain and rage. Burn them. Burn them all. I opened my mouth and fire poured out, licking the air with hungry yellow tongues as the fireball consumed Sol’s army of wolves with insatiable hunger.
Sol leapt to the right, missing the ball of fire. Flames smothered the wolves next to him and held tight. One warrior wind-milled his arms, slapping thick furs as a boom rocked the air. The blast peppered my side. I swung my head, searching the shattered bones of my wing. Abrial held onto my side, unhurt and alive.
Pain beat a dull drum in the middle of my chest, but I refused to listen. I inhaled soot and the heady scent of burning flesh and swung as the muzzle lifted higher.
Lightning ripped a jagged hole in the air, bright sparks jumped from Rowen’s hand as the salty, smell of the sea clogged my nose. I lifted my head to the movement in front of me.
Victor took flight, as the heavy pulse turned into the thunder of paws. I spun my head as a wolf bounded through the trees from my right and lunged. White fur glistened bright with blood, savage eyes aimed at my side, it wasn’t me he wanted to kill.
Abrial!
My brother ran faster than the brute could leap, driving a fist into his belly and slamming the warrior to the ground. Water swelled from the bastard’s mouth to leak from his eyes and his ears as the wolf melted away and became the man.
In the middle of nowhere. Hundreds of miles from the nearest lighthouse, the sea came to claim Sol as water spilled from his mouth. But I wouldn’t give up so easy. I swallowed the air and felt the fire in my belly. My words no more than a growl. “They say you can see your future in the flames. I wonder if you’ll see your future in this.”
Fire ran a rancid tongue along my throat as I unleashed the flames. His hair singed and his skin blackened. The sickening scent of burning flesh felt victorious and I swallowed every lingering taste.
Evander bounded through the thicket, followed by Byron, Isaiah and Michael, then Xael. My sister swung her murderous gaze to the sheriff as my brothers went after the wolves.
The flash of white light dulled as the shotgun went off. The spray hitting the trees inches from Rowen’s head. Xael lashed the air with her tail, slicing right through the sheriff’s neck. Blood shot into the air as the sheriff’s head hit the ground. His body wobbled then followed with a thump.
“No!”
The shrill scream hit me like a sonic boom. I stumbled as the wave came again, throwing out my hands to grasp something… anything. Abrial cried out and fell, hitting the ground beside me.
From the edge of the trees a demon rose. A black cloak swallowed his body and yet I felt its mark, under my flesh and bone, under my bull and my dragon. His hood pulled low to cover his face. His pale hand, tinged with blue peeked from under the wide sleeves to grip his blade.
The demon swung. One quick sweep caught my brother in his chest, yet the simple touch of the blade was enough. Victor clawed his chest as the demon reared once more. Water leaked f
rom between his fingers, pouring out as though it were his life blood. He stumbled and fell.
My feet refused to move. Fear staked me where I stood as the demon swung the blade high and I knew Victor wouldn’t survive. A tiny blur scrambled out of nowhere, all blonde hair and frantic hands. Odessa threw her hands up and leapt—but it wasn’t the tiny Odessa who came down.
Out of the sweet faced woman came a mist. Darkness seeped from her pores, her ears, her nose and her mouth to devour the flesh. And out of that fog came a wolf. A monstrous wolf of shadows.
The wolf of my vision.
Power rocked the trees and trembled the earth, and I felt that tremble to my soul. My flayed nerves fired, sending my pulse thundering like a stampede. The sun seemed to fade through the canopy overhead as the black mist swallowed the demon. The demon stumbled and swayed, swinging the blade through the air to protect itself. The blade sliced the mist, cutting the shadow across the wolf’s face.
The shadowed wolf howled. The sound ripped through the forest and slammed into me like a hurricane.
The dark wolf whimpered. The beast was hurt. Odessa was hurt. Still the predatory wolf kept coming, raking the demon with savage claws. The demon’s black cloak moved, exposing a beast of three legs as the creature fell.
A ravenous growl filled with hate and horror. The sound shattered the air followed by a scream from the demon that chilled the blood in my veins.
The sound consumed my thoughts, leaving only one as the bloodthirsty wolf bit. I slapped my hands over my ears while my dragon bellowed. Run, run. Run!
The crunch of bone pierced my fingers to burrow inside my head. I couldn’t look away as a thin shard of white bone pierced the demon’s chest, followed by another as the shadowed wolf slashed with misted claws.
The demon won’t survive. Nothing could. How can you fight a shadow?
The prophecy came to life in the space of a heartbeat as the ravenous shadow swallowed the demon. Crying, screaming. My brother’s screamed for me. I closed my eyes reliving the vision. Cold, frozen forever in stone….
The sickening shredding to flesh filled me. The demon’s body jerked under each unsatisfied blow with no life of its own.
The misted wolf stilled, then opened its massive jaws to drop the demon’s remains at Victor’s feet. Glowing red eyes found me as the shadow turned. For the first time in my existence I felt my dragon quake with fear.
Victor lay on the ground, unable to move as the blurred beast circled his motionless body swinging its predatory gaze through the crowded trees.
It’s protecting him.
The thought swept through my mind like a hungry storm. I turned my gaze to what was left of the three-legged beast and swallowed the bile.
Dear God, that thing is protecting him.
My heart refused to beat. Until, slowly my brother opened his eyes. The gush of water between his fingers turned to a trickle. He raised his chin as the dark wolf dropped its head. The mist fought to catch up with the movement as the beast nudged his hand. Tendrils slipped from the monster’s mouth to lick his wound. Victor hissed and stared into the beast’s eyes.
The Bloodletter sank like a stone as I clambered to my feet. Claws turned to nails, long thick feet turned to my own. Pink flesh swallowed crimson scales as I shifted back to human form. I edged closer, my gaze trained on the shadowed beast. Crimson eyes from the shadowed wolf found me. Black lips curled and I glimpsed hell itself within those massive jaws. I raised my hands, taking one slow step. “I’m not going to hurt him. He’s my brother. I’m not going to hurt him.”
The growl deepened, still the movement, until Victor whispered. “Marcus?”
Blue eyes pierced me as he turned his head.
“I’m here. You’re okay.” I kept my gaze fixed on the beast and whispered. “You’re okay.”
My brother turned back to the hulking shadow. And out of the shadow came tiny hands reaching through the wolf’s wide mouth. Arms followed her hand, then her head and the tumble of blonde hair. The wolf’s jaws popped and strained as the beast birthed the tiny wolf.
I caught a glimpse of blood as her blonde hair parted. Odessa’s shoulders slipped free, followed by the rest of her body to hit the ground beside Victor.
The shadowed wolf lost form, slipping into nothing more than tendrils of black mist. With one drawing breath Odessa dragged the mist into her body. No. My knees trembled at the sight. I stumbled closer as her legs buckled. Blood trickled down her neck as she turned her gaze to Victor, then fell to the ground.
A haunting sound slipped from Victor’s. The high pitched wail sent shivers along my skin. I’d never heard such pain—such torment. Victor clawed her against his body, and her lifeless arms fell to the side.
Blood covered her cheek. I caught a glimpse of bone where her nose had once been and my stomach rolled with the sight.
“No, no, no, no!” Abrial’s words tortured me. I reached for her, grasping her arm as she lunged.
She spun and bared her teeth. Her green eyes wild as she wrenched her arm from my grasp. “Let me go!”
I felt the thud as she hit the ground and reached for Odessa.
“Mine.” Victor snarled, spearing her with a frigid stare. A cold wind whipped through the trees, chilling me to the bone. Storm clouds gathered overhead. I stared into his icy gaze and knew rain was coming—drops so big they would sting as they hit my skin. My brother’s pain would wash us all away. “Leave her! She’s mine.”
The wolf in his arms gasped. Victor dropped his gaze and blinked. A pent up sigh failed to escape. I stared at her blonde hair and her tiny hands, yet all I saw was a wolf of shadows.
And that memory would haunt me for the rest of my days.
Victor lifted his head and blinked through thick tears. “Why would she do that? Why would she risk her life to save mine?”
“I don’t know.” I whispered. “I don’t know.”
The crunch of steps echoed all around us as those who remained of the Bloodstone pack stepped from the trees. I scanned the faces and the bodies of the fallen. Maddy gripped her baby tight and rushed toward Odessa. Her cries filled me like an incoming tide. There’d been too many deaths, too much heartache. How would we survive?
One of the women neared the charred remains of the Echo pack leader. She wrenched her foot backwards, then swiftly kicked him in the head. Brittle blackened skin flaked away on her boot. His head lolled, then cracked, separating from his body.
But we have survived.
The sheriff cradled his severed head, he’d finally found a way out after all. But they weren’t the only one who meant Abrial harm.
“Hurron.” Abrial whispered. “He’s gone.”
I caught her shudder as Xael spoke. “That’s not all. The demon took Zadoc. I couldn’t stop him… I couldn’t help him. I chased the bastard back here before….”
Silence sliced like a sword and her words sank deep. “Did you hear me, Marcus? The demon took our brother!”
Continue the series with Aquarius here
