“What—” She was about to ask what was going on, when a black shape flew close over top of them. Hellfire’s heart began to pound and relief filled her. Sami was back! She watched him land, shift into his human form and make his way over to them.
“You made it,” she said, hugging him, but Sami stood tense. Hellfire pulled away. “Are you okay? What happened?”
Without meeting her eyes, he shrugged. “I’m fine, has it started?”
“Just about,” Hinah said quietly.
Drakayeh nodded at Sami. “Glad you made it.” Then he pulled his knife from its sheath.
“C’mon,” Hellfire said and grasped Sami’s hand.
Drakayeh walked over to the wall and sliced his hand, then without looking at any of them, he paced out from the wall, around Nix and back, leaving a trail of his blood on the hard-crusted snow. When done, he had a in a semi-circle outlined in blood that was a good fifty feet across.
Drakayeh moved into the circle, sheathed his knife, and looked at all of them. “Once I activate the circle, no one can cross the line of blood or you’ll break the spell. Only the wolves, Nix, or I can step out of it.”
They all nodded. Worry clutched at Hellfire’s gut as Drakayeh called on his power.
SAMI TENSED UP at the extra energy added to the already magic filled air surrounding them. Drakayeh’s power felt old and very powerful, and unlike anything he’d ever felt before. Flames erupted in a semi-circle along the blood trail rising to over two feet, before settling down to just a few inches. With his heart in his throat, Sami sucked in a heavy breath. He could feel the pull on his own power. He had to fight the urge to shift, knowing instinctively that letting it loose would be disastrous.
Sami wasn’t the only one to feel it. Hellfire’s hand gripped his even harder.
Drakayeh began to speak in a language Sami had never heard before and then a faint heavenly light began slowly growing from a small dot in the rock wall. Magic continued to snap, and there was suddenly an angry feel to it. The portal was fighting the forced opening.
Drakayeh looked up at the eclipse. It was just about complete.
“Nix, I’m going to start counting down, when I get to zero, you need to draw on your power, draw on the magic all around us, and connect with it all,” Drakayeh instructed.
With a glance back at her siblings, Nix closed her eyes. A moment later, her arms slowly lifted from her sides and Drakayeh started to count. They all held their breath, watching.
Nix’s arms hovered out at her sides and when Drakayeh finished counting, the magic in the air was even thicker. Little sparkles snapped and cracked as it swirled all around them. Then it grew in intensity.
Sami shivered at the power. It was almost painful. Then Nix raised her arms above her head and with a loud howl, a fierce wind swept in, bringing bolts of lightning. Multi colored, they began to zip and crack around the air above them similar to what he’s seen earlier, only not as ferocious.
Though the portal fought the invasion, it continued to slowly grow, the light almost blinding as it swirled around counter clockwise and the electricity vibrated through all of them. Then it focused on Nix.
“This doesn’t feel right,” Hellfire whispered, holding Sami’s hand in a death grip.
Sami knew what she meant. He didn’t like the feel of the magic in the air either. Suddenly, bright powerful bursts of lightning began to spear Nix. She stood as long as she could, hair sticking straight out but finally, with a cry, she dropped to her knees.
“Nix,” Hellfire shouted.
Sami wrapped an arm around Hellfire and grabbed Brimstone, preventing them from jumping into the circle.
Hinah and Isoul moved close to offer aid if he couldn’t hold onto both of the Phoenixes and Sami noticed that Orion had a hold of Dawson.
They all watched helplessly as Nix began to writhe on the ground, screaming.
“Let me go,” Hellfire shouted, fighting Sami’s hold.
“No,” he said. “You can’t go in there, there’s nothing you can do for her.”
Brimstone was shaking and had a steel grip on Sami’s arm as if to steady himself. Nix started to burn but the flames engulfing her were blue, and not orange like they would be if she were shifting.
“No,” Both Brimstone and Hellfire cried out. Sami hung onto them even tighter as they tried to go to their sister.
“Oh shit,” Hellfire whispered. She turned and tucked her head into Sami’s chest. “I can’t watch.”
“She can’t survive this, it’s not normal Phoenix fire,” Brimstone said, horrified.
Hellfire shook in his arms and tears ran down Brimstone’s face as their little sister turned into a pile of ash on the ground. Sami caught Brimstone as his knees gave out and he pulled the guy in against him, hugging both him and Hellfire as they sobbed.
Please, bring her back. Sami prayed as he stared at the spot where Nix had been. Nothing happened. He tore his gaze from the circle and buried his face in the top of Hellfire’s head.
Someone gasped and Sami glanced up to see Dawson, now on his knees, staring at the spot where Nix had been. A furious orange fire had erupted where Nix had fallen and then as the flamed died down, Nix stood once again.
“Helly, Brim,” Sami said, awed by the sight of a Phoenix reborn.
“I see,” Hellfire whispered as she clutched him.
“How?” Brimstone gaped at Nix.
Without even a glance in their direction, Nix bent down and picked up a knife from the ground that none of them had seen before. Then she sliced the palm of her hand straight across. Next, she walked up to the heavenly white light that had grown until it now reached both sides of the semi-circle, making it fifty-feet wide and about the same high. Nix pushed her bleeding palm into the center of the rushing vortex.
A pulse wave shot out and knocked Nix onto her back near the edge of the circle. Those outside felt the percussion as well, but not as strongly Hellfire clutched at Sami tighter as Nix climbed to her feet.
“Please, let her survive this,” Hellfire began to chant.
Sami squeezed her against him and as they watched, the wind died down and the magic seemed to focus on the portal.
The blinding light swirled even faster, growing is diameter until it was a good ten feet high and the same across. Then is turned into the familiar black void they remembered from the portal on Earth. A moment later, a tall, muscular man with short blond hair who looked to be about thirty stepped through. Behind him were two young women in their twenties, followed by four more men.
Hinah gasped and rushed forward, stopping before the edge of the circle. The first man through the portal gazed around the clearing.
“Who is that?” Hellfire asked.
“Her brother,” Julie said with a smile on her face.
“Honor,” Hinah called with a little wave.
The man looked at her and recognition lit his eyes. “Hinah?”
Hinah smiled. “Yes, it’s me,” she said and then looked at the two young women behind him.
“These are our youngest sisters,” Honor said indicating the women behind him as he exited the spelled circle. One of them shot him a disdainful glare before looking away. Honor ignored her. “They are twins,” he said, giving Hinah a giant hug. After hugging him back, Hinah turned her smile on the girls.
“Hello, welcome,” she said. The one who didn’t seem to like Honor nodded, while the other gave her a shy smile before looking back at the ground. Hinah glanced back at Honor.
“I’ll explain later,” he said.
More Raizarch wolf shifters in human form walked out of the portal and it wasn’t long before the clearing began to fill up. A few smiled when they saw Hinah, and a couple even came over and hugged her. There were a lot of happy faces and tears of joy.
“It’s getting a little crowded here, I should take them where it’s safe,” Julie said.
Hinah smiled at her and then spoke to Honor who nodded and then turned to the wolves.
“This is Hinah’s daughter, Julie. Go with her, she will lead you all to a safe place where we will spend the night.”
Julie glanced over at Isoul, a question in his eyes. Isoul nodded and then turned to Sami, Hellfire, and Brimstone. “I’m going to go with Julie. It was good meeting you all.”
“You too, if you are ever on Earth, you are welcome at our place in Washington State,” Sami said.
Hellfire and Brimstone both said goodbye, and together Julie and Isoul led a steady stream of wolves emerging from the portal into the forest and away.
Hinah brought her brother over to where the rest of them waited.
“Where is our mother?” Hinah asked Honor after introducing him.
Honor shook his head with amused annoyance. “She’s at the back of the pack. She refused to come until everyone else was through first.”
Hinah chuckled and Honor did as well. Orion frowned and Hinah glanced at him. “You will understand when you meet your grandmother,” was all she said. Then she turned back to Honor. “What about father, why didn’t he lead everyone through, or is he at the back as well?”
At her question, resignation and worry creased Honor’s face. “Father wouldn’t leave our sister.”
Hinah’s eyes widened in horror as realization filled her. “You mean …?”
Honor sighed. “Yes. You know Val Dagan has always kept our youngest sister hostage to keep us in line, right?”
Hinah swallowed and nodded.
“And without the youngest, we can’t pledge ourselves to another pack,” he said.
Tears formed in the corners of Hinah’s eyes and anger tightened Honor’s features. “Well, Val Dagan thinks he has our youngest sister.”
Understanding dawned. “You mean he’s been duped?” Hinah asked.
A fierce, satisfied light lit Honor’s eyes. “Yes. When the twins were born, a still born was substituted in their place, and then the twins were both given to different families to raise. Very few knew and we’ve kept it a secret just for this reason.”
A touch of relief filled Hinah. “So, there is hope?”
Honor nodded. “There is. Now we just need the son of the Okami King to mate with one of the twins and our pledge to the Okami wolves will free us from the curse.”
Dread filled Sami at Honor’s words. Kyrian was the Okami king and Toren, the missing wolf, was his only son. Sami pushed his worry away and didn’t say anything. There would be plenty of time later to figure it all out.
Hinah sighed. “Giving away their children must’ve been hard on Mother and Father.”
Honor nodded sadly. “I imagine so but neither ever let on, one way or another.”
Hinah glanced at the portal, watching her family and pack as they stepped through. “So, Father is with …?”
Honor nodded. “Our second youngest sister. No, they won’t be coming. We had no way to get her away from Val Dagan. Val Dagan was so sure we would not go through with this and leave one of our King’s daughters behind, but our sister wanted our people to be free. She encouraged them to go.”
The light shining in Honor’s eyes as he spoke of their sister showed how much he loved and admired her.
“She sacrificed herself for the pack and Father did as well,” Hinah said, tears streaming down her face she stared at Drakayeh.
“Yes,” Honor said.
Sami’s arm tightened around Hellfire and she glanced up at him, eyes filled with sadness. Brimstone had been only half-listening as he continued to stare at Nix. Dawson was also watching Nix, waiting for this to be over.
Finally, a young boy who looked about five, came through and stopped.
“That’s our youngest brother. Mother should be along any moment,” Honor said and no sooner had the words left his mouth than a tiny woman who stood about four-foot-eleven stepped through the portal.
She was pretty with long white sparkly hair and even though Sami knew she had to be hundreds of years old if Hinah was her daughter, she only looked around forty.
Hinah and Honor’s mother, Queen of the Raizarch wolves took the little boy’s hand, and led him towards them with a sad smile on her face.
“Mother,” Hinah said in greeting.
Sami hugged Hellfire, happy to see Hinah re-united with her family. Nix was facing them, watching with a satisfied expression on her face.
“She did it.” Hellfire breathed proudly.
“I can’t believe our baby sister did this,” Brimstone said, smiling at the wolves.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sacrifice
SAMI SMILED, HAPPY for all of them, when a sudden twinge—a brutal warning, sucked the breath out of his lungs. Nix seemed to be fine … then he spotted a tall male, dressed all in black, rush out of the portal.
“No, Nix!” Sami shouted and releasing Hellfire, he started toward the youngest Phoenix.
Dawson was faster.
Sami knew the male from the portal had to be a Day or Nightwalker, and the flash of red in his eyes, along with the bright crimson infinity rune on the guy’s neck confirmed it.
“Nix!” Hellfire and Brimstone shouted, but none of them were quick enough to stop what was happening. The male grabbed Nix, turned, and sprinted back through the portal. Dawson screamed in fury and broke the circle, rendering it useless, as he raced after them. Lightning sizzled and then the portal closed with a furious snap.
Sami dropped to his knees. No! After all that they went through, this couldn’t have happened. Both Hellfire and Brimstone collapsed beside him.
“Nix!” Hellfire cried out.
Sami pulled her into his arms as tears streamed down her face once again. Brimstone just stared in stunned silence where the portal used to be. Sami pulled him in as well. Brimstone wrapped his arms around Hellfire and Sami, but stayed silent and tense.
A scream broke them up.
Hinah began to run and Orion, followed by Honor, hurried over to the rock wall where Drakayeh had been standing, keeping the circle of magic up. The upper portion of his body lay in a pool of blood on the ground. Hinah began to wail and Orion wrapped his arms around her. Together they rocked in grief beside the man they both loved.
Hellfire stared at the spot where the portal had been. “We have to go get her, we can’t leave her there.”
They watched as a few of Hinah’s brothers carried what was left of Drakayeh from the clearing. Hinah stood in her mother’s embrace, tears running down her face while Orion waited off to the side, looking like he’d break if anyone spoke to, or touched him.
Finally, Hinah left her mother’s side and waving at Orion to follow her, she approached them. Honor followed them.
Hellfire pulled away from Sami and climbed to her feet. “We need to go get my sister.”
Sami rose as well, and helped Brimstone, who was pale and shaking, to his feet. Sami’s heart ached at the pain everyone was in.
Hinah shook her head sadly. “I am sorry. It is not possible.”
Hellfire refused to believe her. “No, it has to be. I can’t leave her there.”
Hinah glanced at her mother and brother, before looking back at Hellfire. “I’m sorry,” she said and then she turned to Sami. “Orion will lead you back to the portal for Earth. Please tell Kyrian that we will be there in a couple days.”
“Kyrian? You know him?” Sami questioned, surprised.
Hinah gave him a sad little smile. “Yes, I know him very well.”
“Oh. Sure. I’ll tell him,” Sami said, worried and confused.
“We only have a limited time for the mating to happen and pledge ourselves, before we are locked once again into wolf form,” Hinah said.
Sami bit his tongue, not having the heart to tell her about Toren. Besides, it was possible Kyrian’s son had been found. He prayed that was so in any case.
Then, with her mother and the little boy, Hinah turned and left the clearing.
Hellfire blinked at where Nix had disappeared and Sami pulled her into his arms.
“She can’t be gone,” Hellfire said, a sob catching in her throat.
“I’m so sorry, there is no way to re-open it,” Honor explained. “Not for another hundred years, and even then, we can only hope to open it,” he said, though Sami noted his slight hesitation.
Sami stared pointedly at Honor, who was looking up at the sky. The three suns had already begun to move away from the two moons, ending the blood eclipse. Blue, streaked with pink and gold lit up the sky and the magic in the air was slowly dissipating.
“There has to be something we can do,” Hellfire said woodenly. “What will happen to her over there?”
Taking pity on her, Honor sighed. “I’m just guessing, because with Val Dagan, there is no telling what he will do. But now that we are gone, he will most likely have his wizard Arckell unlock the portal. Val Dagan will be looking to escape the Nightwalkers who hate him and leave Galias in search of another planet. If your sister is strong, she may survive and my father is there as well. If he finds her, he will help.”
“Do you really think Val Dagan will have his wizard unlock the portal?” Hellfire asked.
Honor shrugged. “I’d say it is likely.”
“When?” Hellfire asked.
“I’m not sure, soon I’d think, but he will be in hiding until the time is right, so I really have no idea,” Honor answered.
Finally, Sami spoke up. He’d been wondering about something. “What happens if neither of your youngest sisters is able to mate with the Okami King’s son? You mentioned something about a pledge.”
Honor’s eyes widened at the suggestion. “I pray that does not happen.”
“But if it does?” Hellfire asked.
“Then we will not be able to pledge ourselves to the Okami. We will remain pledged to Val Dagan. Our curse will remain, keeping us in wolf form,” Honor said, bitterness lacing his voice at the very idea.
“And Nix’s sacrifice will have been for nothing?” Hellfire asked.
Honor nodded.
“Well, either way, Val Dagan will be coming out. So we wait here,” Hellfire stared around the icy cold clearing.
Dracones Boxset Books 1-5 Page 81
