Of Shadows and Ash

by Dana Marie Bell

  The howl that rang through the room came from both the cloud and Ash’s throat as his body bowed. Mina, who’d taken position behind the sofa, broke her silence. “Ashton Ward, attend me!”

  Ash’s eyes flew open as the Queen of the Forest’s power forced him awake. “My queen.”

  “Yes, Ashton.” Mina spoke his name for a second time, and his gaze flew to her.

  “Again,” Gideon commanded, his brow furrowed.

  Selena could see the queen’s hold on Ash. It shown bright, healthy green, unlike the dark, evil blackness of the demonic cloud. Mina’s power pierced the cloud, holding Ash in a loving embrace, those threads holding the cloud at bay.

  Selena cut at the cloud once more, and Ash shuddered.

  “Ashton Ward, focus upon me.” Mina reached down, placing her hand on Ash’s forehead. As tiny as she was, she must have been standing on tip-toe to reach.

  But that third intonation of his name, and the power that accompanied it, allowed Ash to focus on his queen.

  That focus sent Ash’s own power to Mina, who somehow cleansed it and sent it back. Selena didn’t think Mina was aware of what she was doing. It was as natural as breathing for the queen to see to the needs of her people, even one as strong as Ash.

  Greer’s head dropped as he hummed. “Yes. Keep that up, Mina.”

  Greer’s power, also green but dappled with gold, began to shine on the cloud. Wherever it focused the cloud dissipated under that pure light. The humming intensified, the gold and green power wrapping Ash in a protective shield, forcing the cloud away from his body as Mina’s power joined with Selena’s to fight off the invader.

  The cloud fought back, lashing at Greer, Selena and Mina with an intensity that was both painful and startling. The dark power fought to gain entry, tried to force its way inside Selena, to make her as ill as Ash was.

  I don’t think so.

  Selena formed a shield around herself, keeping the dark energy from entering her body. She could sense Mina and Gideon doing the same thing, each in their own way.

  The entity would find no purchase in either of them.

  Greer continued to sing, the hum turning to words she didn’t recognize but seemed eerily familiar. She could have sworn she’d heard that language somewhere before, but the time and place eluded her. It drove her crazy every time she heard it, like song lyrics stuck on the tip of your tongue.

  The demon smoke recoiled at the words, making a high-pitched screeching sound that made Selena want to cover her ears. But she couldn’t let go of Ash or she’d break the circle they’d made.

  Mina was shuddering with the stress of the attack, but her power continued to flow cleanly. The queen was pulling on the forest, its energy giving her the strength to stand against the demon.

  A different hiss came to her ears, one filled with warning. Without looking she understood exactly what had happened.

  Dragos’s beast had felt Mina’s pain, and had awakened.

  Shit.

  She hoped Mina had enough presence of mind to soothe her mate, or he’d try and break into the circle. Dragos, as a half vampire, half dragon, might be strong enough to break Gideon’s circle, but he’d been vulnerable to Kate’s power. He might be kept out long enough for them to break the spell on Ash, but he would be enraged at being kept from his mate.

  It was a cluster fuck of the worst order. Their only hope was to finish cleansing Ash of the demonic influence before Dragos completely lost it and tore them all apart to get to Mina.

  Greer’s song intensified. He was probably aware of the same thing she was, that they were working on borrowed time. If they didn’t get Ash free soon they would all suffer, but Ash most of all. The recoil might kill him as the demonic force slammed back into his body. They had to get rid of it now.

  Selena let go of the shield, forgoing protecting herself in favor of freeing Ash. If the exorcism they were planning on worked, all of the damage she took now would be healed.

  If it didn’t, she’d be dead.

  Selena thrust her power toward the entity, forcing it to back away from her mate. It hovered over him, the last of the threads breaking as Greer’s voice soared and Mina cleansed away the taint. Gideon’s power created a barrier between Ash and the cursed fog, preventing it from returning to him.

  It shrieked again, causing all of them pain. Selena held on, gritting her teeth as the sound tore through her, causing physical damage. She could feel herself bleeding from tiny, sharp cuts to her arms as it clawed at her. She had no doubt the other three were suffering the same fate as Mina cried out.

  Greer’s voice filled the space, the power behind it shattering the last of the smoke’s hold. It flew toward the ceiling and out of the mansion, but not before imparting one final cut to Mina’s skin.

  Mina staggered back, her hand clutching her wounded arm. Gideon cursed but held on, his hands still in Ash’s hair.

  Greer ignored his own wounds, his song returning to the quiet hum from when they first started. He healed the damage Ash had taken while the entity was toying with him.

  And Selena had no doubt that’s exactly what it had been doing. That hadn’t been the full force of the demon inside her mate. It was a shadow of what it could have been, and for that she was grateful. But it also meant the exorcism was going to be far more dangerous than she’d initially thought.

  “Gideon, you have to let Mina out of the circle.” Selena dropped her power as Greer spoke, shocked at how tired the singer looked. Greer was dripping with sweat, his shoulders slumped and his face pale. Dark circles had appeared under his eyes and he trembled as he stood. “It’s safe now, and Dragos will hurt himself trying to get to her.”

  Gideon nodded and helped Mina to her mate, muttering a quick spell that dismissed the circle.

  Selena sat on the arm of the sofa as Dragos carried his mate from the room. Mina whispered in his ear, most likely trying to calm the beast, but Selena had seen Dragos’s eyes.

  They’d been his dragon’s eyes. Both beasts were pissed, and she doubted they would be soothed while Mina still bled.

  Ash opened his eyes and looked around, smiling when he saw her. “Hey, little witch.”

  She slumped in relief. His voice sounded normal, strong, no harshness or scratchiness. “Hey, yourself.”

  He winked, and everything was right with her world.

  * * *

  “I’m still not sure about this.” Ash watched the preparations with a critical eye. They’d decided to perform the exorcism at Dragos’s mansion, where the entity had less power.

  “You have a better idea?” Gideon looked annoyed as he placed some tools around the room. When the doorbell rang, the annoyance faded into satisfaction. “Can you get the door?”

  Ash grumbled, but obeyed. Selena was upstairs in their bedroom, doing Goddess knew what, but she’d had her head bent together with Gideon all day. In between discussing the exorcism with the coven leader she’d checked up on him, running her fingers over his forehead constantly and pushing so much orange juice down his throat he probably looked like an Oompa Loompa.

  He couldn’t help but be pleased by the fact that she worried over him, but the determination he’d seen in her before she went upstairs scared the hell out of him. His little witch was preparing for a battle that he couldn’t take part in. He’d asked her to handfast him tonight and perform the exorcism the next day, but she’d smiled, patted him on the cheek and completely ignored him.

  Damn it.

  Ash opened the door and allowed the first group of witches in. These had been among the first to volunteer to save the kidnap victims from the Van Helsing compound. He recognized them immediately, having made a point to memorize the faces of those willing to help out their fellow townsfolk and especially his mate. At eighteen, Lenny Andrews had been the youngest volunteer. At sixty-five, Pat Wilder had been the eldest.

  “Lenny, Pat. Thanks for coming. How are you?”

  The two appeared startled at his greeting. Lenny answ
ered first. “We’re good, and ready to fight for Gideon and Selena.” He shook Ash’s hand, the grasp firm but not challenging. The young man looked him right in the eye, but nodded respectfully. “My parents are home with my sister, who’s got a bad cold. But they told me to tell you that if you need anything, just call.”

  Pat grinned, her weathered face and graying ponytail at odds with her youthful exuberance as she bounced in place. “Do you know how long it’s been since I got to kick demon ass?”

  Lenny bore a striking resemblance to the older Pat. “Grammy.” He leaned closer to Ash as Pat walked into the living room and gave Gideon a strangling hug. “I tried to tell her to stay home, but she’s a stubborn old goat.”

  “I heard that!”

  Lenny grimaced and followed his grandmother into Dragos’s living room.

  The doorbell rang before Ash could follow the pair. He let another group of witches in, this time three sisters who each hugged him tightly and wished him well in his mating with Selena. Helen, Amy and Evie Hill looked like dark roses, with their shoulder length brown hair and blushing cheeks. Each of the sisters asked after Selena and offered their support.

  “How is she holding up?” Helen, the eldest at twenty-six, always seemed to be the one to take the most responsibility. “Is she getting ready for the exorcism?”

  “She’s fine, and yes, she’s upstairs.” Ash shut the door behind them.

  “Good. Don’t worry, Hel, Selena knows what to do.” Amy, the middle sister, glanced around the hall, whistling softly. “Damn. It’s good to be the mayor.”

  Evie, the youngest, just watched them all with a quiet intensity. There were those that considered Evie to be the “plain” sister, but Ash was charmed by her intelligence. When Evie chose to speak, others listened. She never spoke unless she was certain of her facts, and there was an air of serene certainty that her sisters lacked that Ash would have found very attractive if he didn’t already have Selena.

  Someday, that girl was going to be a coven leader, or the mate of one.

  The girls made their way into the living room and greeted Lenny and Pat with enthusiasm, then Gideon with respect tinged with awe.

  By the time all of the witches had arrived they had the full complement of both black and white witches. Each side eyed the other warily, but Ash knew who would be doing the fighting, and who would be doing the containment spell. Both sides would do their job.

  It didn’t surprise him at all that none of the gray had answered Gideon’s call. While Gideon didn’t look happy about that, he didn’t say a word as he ordered his people to set up the ritual space. They might adore their witch doctor, but they’d argued viciously against having a black coven leader, something Ash only knew because of his mate.

  “Things look like they’re coming along nicely.” Dragos’s accented voice had him turning around. The vampire looked much better than the last time he’d seen him. His beast was back under control, for now anyway. And Mina had been barred from the ritual space due to her previous entanglement with a demon. Gideon had declared it unsafe for her to take part in the exorcism.

  Mina had tried to argue, saying she’d taken part in Ash’s healing, but that had been different. Ash was one of hers, and her sole purpose at the healing had been to protect Ash.

  Now they’d be trying to pull the demon out of Selena, who wasn’t yet bound to Ash, and therefore was not one of Mina’s. She’d have less power, and worse, she might be vulnerable to a repeat possession.

  Dragos had been thrilled, Mina less so, but she’d grudgingly agreed to remain in the Throne for the night. Dragos would join her once the ritual was over, and through him Mina would know everything that happened. Dragos intended to stay well outside the circle so as not to risk Mina any more than he had to, but his presence, and their mental link, was the only reason she’d finally capitulated.

  “How’s Mina?” Ash did not envy Dragos. Mina had given them all an earful before retreating to the safety of the Throne. His ears were still ringing with her displeasure.

  Dragos grimaced. “Pissed.”

  “Great.” Ash rubbed his forehead. He’d have to deal with Mina when he got back home, but he agreed with both Dragos and Gideon that she had no place here. Besides, other than his wolves, she was the only one Noah trusted to watch his mate. He’d agreed to come once Ash explained to him that they might need the alpha’s strength to hold Selena during the exorcism.

  Dragos appeared pissed as hell himself. “We’re still learning what Kate told the Van Helsings and what she didn’t, but it looks like she was giving them all sorts of information on our strengths and weaknesses. Going through her computer has gotten us some links we’d never seen before, ones that will help us locate where their headquarters might be.”

  Ash snarled. “I want to raise her from the dead and kill her all over again.”

  Dragos chuckled darkly. “Get in line, my friend.”

  “We’re not moving on the Van Helsings until Selena is cured.” His mate would have a fit and a half if they tried and left her behind.

  “Of course.” Dragos’s tone was soothing, but Ash knew the truth. The mayor was just as terrified of Selena’s wrath as Ash was.

  “Ash, can you tell Gideon I’m ready?” He looked up the staircase at the sound of his mate’s voice and nearly swallowed his tongue.

  She’d dressed in all white, and she looked stunning. She wore white jeans, a white tank top, and over all that a floor length white cloak. She’d pulled up the hood, hiding her dark hair and shading her face. The only bit of color on her was her black glasses. Even her shoes were white, a pair of sandals he’d never seen before. “I didn’t think you would come down in jeans.”

  She shrugged. “No one said witchcraft had to be uncomfortable.” She smiled. “Go get Gideon, Ash. It’s time to kick some ass.”

  Ash pulled her into his arms, ignoring her squawk of surprise. She smelled of sandalwood, lemon and rose, the scent of the ointment she’d used to prepare herself mingling perfectly with her natural aroma. “You stay safe, little witch, or I’m going to be really pissed off.”

  “You want the truth or the lie?” She tugged a strand of his hair.

  Ash took a deep breath and placed his forehead against hers. “The lie,” he whispered. He didn’t need to be told how much this was going to hurt his mate.

  “It’s going to be a piece of cake. We’ll play games, shoot sparkles at each other from our wands, drink champagne, and maybe throw darts at pictures of Van Helsings. Hell, I might even turn someone’s dress from pink to blue. You know, the usual witch party.”

  He smiled. “You’re such a rebel.”

  “Absolutely.”

  He kissed the smirk right off her, taking her mouth in a desperate bid to impress himself as much as possible on her psyche. She might not be bound to him yet, but there was no way in hell she would forget he was there, guarding her and cheering her on.

  “Whoa.” She was breathless against him, and Ash felt ten feet tall.

  “Remember. It can’t have you.” He reluctantly let her go. “You belong to me.”

  She licked her lips, daring him to drag her back up those stairs and rip those tight jeans from her body. Selena pushed her glasses up her nose and looked him up and down, the heat in her gaze making him take that step forward. “Wrong answer, dryad.” Her finger poked his chest, but he barely felt it. “You belong to me.”

  And she sauntered past him, every inch proving why she was one of the people who ruled Maggie’s Grove.

  Ash followed his mate, unable to keep the smile off his face. She’d thoroughly laid claim to him with a room full of her people just beyond the wall. From the way several of them stared at her, they’d heard every word she said.

  They seemed to approve, if the grins and high-fives they gave her were anything to go by.

  Ash called his sword as Gideon clapped his hands. They must have finished putting the ritual tools in place, because the witches stood in a circle arou
nd a large, sturdy chair.

  Selena took a seat and gestured for the three Hall sisters to step forward. It was only then that he noticed the black ropes they held.

  “Oh hell no.” Ash started toward the circle, but Selena’s voice stopped him.

  “No, Ash.” Her dark gaze was deadly serious. “It will fight for me, cause me to thrash, maybe cast spells. This is as much for my safety as theirs.”

  “Then let me bind you.” He winced as one of the girls tugged on the knot, securing Selena’s hand to one of the arm rests.

  “No. You’d make the bindings too loose to save me pain.” She shook her head. “No pretty lies, Ash. They need to do this.”

  He snarled and took a step back, placing his back against the wall. “Noted.”

  She stuck her tongue out at him, and he reluctantly smiled back. “No hacky-slashy at the nice witches, Ashton.”

  He bowed to her. “Yes, my witch.”

  Her expression softened. “Ash?”

  “Hmm?”

  She smiled, and something about her expression had his heart racing. “I love you, you stubborn shit. Now go stand in the corner like a good boy.”

  Ash couldn’t help but laugh. She would take now to make her declaration. “I love you too, little witch. Kick that demon’s ass.”

  Selena took a deep breath as the last knot was tightened. Her gaze glued to Ash, she said, “Now.”

  The thirteen witches clasped hands, all thirteen of them, forming a circle around Selena.

  This was it. The moment when his life would either truly begin, or end in fiery pain.

  Gideon cast the circle, walking around the witches with his athame pointed away from them. Ash was left on the outside. He told himself he was keeping guard, but he knew the truth. He had no real place inside the circle. He would only be a distraction for both Selena and the people trying to help her.

  So he would guard them all, watch from the outside with Dragos. Looking across at the mayor, he saw Greer standing beside him, holding his own sword. Noah stood next to Greer, the wolf in his Alpha form. He was easily six feet at the shoulder, towering over all other wolves that followed him. In fact, as alpha of the United States, Noah towered over other Alphas as well. He was a serious bad-ass, and if anything happened, Noah would be the first into the fray.