Of Shadows and Ash

by Dana Marie Bell

  While Noah normally ran with his wolves in a normal wolf form, this form, the alpha transformation, was his battle form. The last time Ash had seen it had been when they battled the Van Helsings and rescued their people, especially Iva and Selena.

  Ash nodded his thanks to the men who’d become his family, then watched the coven try and save his mate. “Who’s watching Iva and Mina?”

  “Some of Noah’s enforcers,” Greer whispered back. “They’ll guard both of them with their lives.”

  The low growl that rumbled from Noah’s throat said they’d better, or living through Iva’s death would be the worst decision they ever made.

  When the circle was cast, Gideon began to call the quarters, but instead of placing the objects down himself, the witches at the cardinal points did so for him, keeping the circle intact. “I call to the guardian of the watchtower of the East. Powers of thought, grant us your wisdom.”

  Pat lit a bit of incense, positioned it in its holder and put it down.

  “I call to the guardian of the watchtower of the South. Powers of energy, grant us the stamina to fight.”

  Amy set a small lit candle on the floor.

  “I call to the guardian of the watchtower of the West. Powers of life, grant us your healing.”

  Lenny placed a bowl of water down.

  “I call to the guardian of the watchtower of the North. Powers of stability, grant us your strength.”

  One of the white witches, Charla something-or-other—he couldn’t remember her last name—plunked a geode on the floor.

  They took each other’s hands once more, and Gideon took a deep breath. “For the witch doctor.”

  “For the witch doctor,” the circle echoed solemnly.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Call down the moon.”

  Selena watched as the witches obeyed Gideon’s command, raising their clasped hands upward. The ritual of calling down the moon would give them power—power they would use to expel the demon, and its blood, from Selena.

  She didn’t dare join them in that raising of power. Any that she called could be used by the demon residing within her.

  The witches drew their athames, holding the black handled knives in both hands. As one, they raised the blades to the sky, using the athames as other witches would use wands.

  They must have discussed this ahead of time. Not all of those who practiced the craft chose to use wands, but all witches used an athame. It was a ritual tool for both gathering and dispersing power, so using it in this circumstance, the drawing down of the energy of the Goddess, would raise no red flags among any of them.

  Gideon spoke first, calling not the goddess, but a moon god, surprising her. “You who rises in the sky, standing at the right side of Ra’s boat, Thoth, god of the moon and magic, I call upon thee. Grant me the power to pass judgment upon the entity tormenting the witch doctor.”

  The tip of his athame began to glow.

  Moving clockwise, the next witch in line spoke. “You who rises in the sky, guide of spirits and guardian of entryways, Hecate, goddess of the moon and magic, guard the way so that the entity might not return to the witch doctor.”

  Each witch intoned the name of a different god or goddess, calling on the pantheon that they felt most comfortable with. When done, the tips of their athames glowed with power. Mano, Kuu, Artemis, Arianrhod, Khonsu and Selene were called upon, as well as Athena, Isis, Luna, Ma’at and Rhiannon.

  The room shone so brightly Dragos turned the lights out just to dim things.

  The witches lowered their athames, the points now facing Selena. She took a deep breath as something stirred inside her, flinching away from that bright silver light that surrounded her.

  She nodded and released her power. Her vision of the mortal plane dimmed as she saw the power the witches had raised in all its glory. Terrifying and immensely beautiful, it flowed around the sacred circle, binding the dark smoke attempting to escape within the confines of its brilliance.

  She could also see the dark tendrils that had sunk inside her, hidden from her sight until now. The calling down of the moon seemed to have revealed the hooks the entity had embedded in her. It was up to the circle to help her pull each hook out one by one.

  The witch to the east, Pat, spoke first. “By the power of three times three, Power of air I have over thee.” A swirling tendril of light struck Selena, and the scent of fresh air filled her.

  The next witch spoke. “By the power of three times three, Power of thunder I have over thee.”

  The sound was damn near deafening, and both she and the entity shrieked in pain.

  “By the power of three times three, the power of the whirlwind I have over thee.”

  Selena was buffeted about in her chair, painfully banging into the sides. She’d be bruised when this was over.

  But tendrils broke in the winds, and Selena smiled.

  And so it went, each witch intoning their power, each power striking Selena.

  “By the power of three times three, Power of fire I have over thee.”

  That one hurt as some of the tendrils burned in Amy’s spectral fire.

  “By the power of three times three, Power of lightning I have over thee.”

  The brilliance struck her dead on, jerking her in her chair.

  “By the power of three times three, Power of sun I have over thee.”

  The warmth that filled her reminded her of Ash’s love. She sighed as some of the tendrils glowed, then dissipated.

  “By the power of three times three, Power of water I have over thee.”

  Lenny’s power flowed over her, pushing and pulling her in her seat like a wave with a strong undertow. More tendrils snapped as the strength of that flowing power was too much for it.

  “By the power of three times three, Power of storm I have over thee.”

  She could have sworn a heavy rain was falling, yet she felt nothing drip on her. The entity shrieked once more, but no tendrils snapped, disappointing her.

  “By the power of three times three, Power of the stars I have over thee.”

  This must be one of the white witches who’d volunteered, because his energy felt like a balm to her weary soul. Selena sighed and soaked in the gentle, glittering light.

  “By the power of three times three, Power of earth I have over thee.”

  She was beginning to understand why Gideon had chosen these particular witches to hold the cardinal points. Charla was damn strong as she grounded the entity into the circle, forcing more tendrils to snap. Selena sank in her chair, the force of the gravitational pull making her grit her teeth from pain.

  “By the power of three times three, Power of magic I have over thee.”

  The rainbow light that struck her must also have been from one of the white witches, because suddenly Selena wanted to laugh. The happiness that came from it surprised her, but it also formed a shield around her, preventing the demon from reestablishing its hold on her.

  “By the power of three times three, Power of the moon I have over thee.”

  Pale light bathed her, giving her the strength to snap some of the tendrils on her own.

  Gideon frowned, and the tip of his athame glowed even brighter. He was the last to speak. “By the power of three times three, Power of the gods I have over thee.”

  The rush was intense, male and female, divine and infinite.

  This, then, was the true reason Gideon had been chosen as coven leader. His power was immense, his determination unwavering, and his bond with the gods so strong she was surprised he didn’t glow on a daily basis.

  He used the power of the divine to inflict hideous damage on the creature that had tormented Selena for weeks, forcing the rest of the tendrils to snap so loudly she heard Ash gasp.

  Selena shrieked as the entity was finally ripped away from her. The pain was so immense she nearly passed out. The divine power was too much for her, fighting the remnants the demon had tried to leave behind like black larva invading her fles
h and mind.

  Writhing in her seat, speaking words she didn’t understand, Selena fought the power that tried to take her over as the cleansing power of the gods flooded her. Caught between two opposing forces, her body became a battleground, the landscape torn and bleeding, the rivers running red and black. Lava flowed in her veins, her mind burning, twisting this way and that to get away from the agony deluging her.

  And still, the witches chanted, each giving their unique energy, forcing the demon out of her and purging her soul of its taint.

  The brand on her forehead burned, the light shining out of the darkness, her tree of life symbol once more a shining rainbow in the darkness. The markings around her eyes were purified, no longer hidden in the shadows but brightly illuminating that which she wished to see.

  And what she saw left her gasping in surprise as well as pain.

  The ghosts of Maggie’s Grove surrounding the coven, watching over their spirits as Ash, Dragos, Noah and Greer protected their corporeal bodies. Greg smiled at her as he stood behind Gideon, the coven leader obviously unaware of their presence.

  The entity lashed out, trying to establish a hold, any hold, on Selena once more, but the power of the rainbow light prevented it from finding a foothold. Shielded by the white witches, it could no longer become part of her.

  From her pores, black ooze seeped, staining her white garments. She thought briefly that she’d need to burn everything she was wearing except her glasses, which she couldn’t do without. And she’d have to be careful not to let any of it touch her skin, or the entity might find another way to enter her once more, making all of this suffering for nothing.

  The smoke coalesced into a shadow man, the creature menacing, its eyes bright and hellishly red. “You’ll regret this.”

  Gideon scowled. “Give me your name, demon.”

  It snarled, swiping at Gideon, but the power of the sacred circle protected him. The demon screeched, its claws smoking.

  “Give me your name, demon.” Gideon glowed, the power of the gods flowing through him.

  The demon howled its denial, but to refuse a gift such as Gideon’s was near impossible.

  “Give me your name!”

  “Ruaḥ Tum’ah!”

  Gideon scowled as the creature gritted out its name. “Call yourself unclean spirit all you wish, but I demand your real name.”

  The demon snarled, throwing itself over and over again at the barrier.

  Free of it, Selena began to slowly work her magic on the knots tying her down.

  It was her turn to fight, to keep the demon from entering anyone else. She would destroy it before it could do any more harm. She was strong, fast, and now she was free.

  Careful not to distract the circle of witches she released the last bond. Standing, she held out her hands, ready to blast the demon from here to hell.

  “What are you doing?” Gideon’s horrified tone had her turning to stare at him.

  “Cleansing the taint while—”

  With a flash, the light of one of the witches dissipated. Without complete concentration, he was unable to keep his fragile hold over the powers he channeled.

  The demon saw its chance, bowling over the young witch and fleeing the mansion, breaking the circle and knocking all the witches, even Gideon, on his ass.

  The ghosts quickly followed the demon outside, but Selena knew it was too late. The demon would be long gone, hiding somewhere within the town, waiting for a chance to pounce.

  “Shit and Shinola.” Selena put her hands on her hips and let her power dissipate, bringing her vision once more into the natural world. “What the hell were you thinking, Gid?”

  He blinked as he sat up. “That’s what I’d like to ask you.” He stood, dusting off his rear with as much dignity as anyone performing that task could. “What the hell, Selena? You were supposed to stay in the chair, damn it, and let us deal with the demon.”

  She grimaced. Yeah, okay, so he was right, but she was clean now, her powers moving smoothly. She felt better than she had in weeks and could see far more clearly than anyone else. “Can you see the demon?”

  He scowled. “Not the point.” He pointed toward her, his athame shaking. He was truly angry with her. “You set it free by not following the plan, and risked every witch here.” He sheathed his blade, no longer needing it. The sacred circle was broken, the entity fled. “Damn it, Selena. It could have hurt you or tried to take you again.”

  “Wait.” One of the white witches, Charla, held up her hand. “Look at her eyes.”

  Gideon frowned before studying Selena. He let out a soft curse. “You’re right. She’s power-blind.”

  “Meaning?” Ash’s arms were around her, grounding her. Some of the power she’d gathered from the ritual seeped into him, making him sway.

  Selena blinked as the power was grounded through Ash, and through Ash, his tree. “Uh-oh.”

  Gideon rolled his eyes. “Is that all you have to say?”

  She bit her lip and hunched her shoulders. “Sorry?”

  “What’s going on, little witch?” Ash’s tone was low, menacing, but his hold was gentle as always. That menace was directed toward Gideon, not her.

  She sighed and sagged into him. “The power they used to free me was too much for my system to handle. I needed grounding, but there was no one in the circle who could help me do that, and I was too far gone to do it myself.”

  “Making her power-blind, unable to sense the limitations of herself or the circle.” Gideon’s stance relaxed. He’d more than likely been power-blind himself a time or two. “She probably thought she could take on Godzilla, Mothra and King Kong without breaking a sweat, never mind one puny demon.”

  The swat on her rear startled her. “Hey!”

  “Bad witch. No cookie for you.”

  The coven laughed as Selena rubbed her butt. “Hmph.”

  “So she had no idea what she was doing?” Dragos stared at her. “That’s a first.”

  She stuck her tongue out as the coven laughed.

  “She’s going to crash soon. You might want to take her upstairs.” Gideon shook his head at her, clearly amused now that the crisis was over. “Get some sleep, Selena. You’re getting married in a few days.”

  Now there was a thought that made her want to faint. “Don’t remind me.”

  Another swat landed on her butt.

  She turned and poked Ash in the chest. “Do that again and I will seriously end you.”

  “Sure you will.” He turned to Gideon. “We need to get these clothes off of her.”

  “Get her in the shower as well. You’ll need to get the goop off her skin.” Gideon led the witches from the room, sending Helen back with a trash can and a black robe. “And wash your hands before you touch anything, Mr. Ward.”

  Selena got naked, ignoring the way Ash watched her every move. The rest of the people in the room politely turned their backs, giving her privacy. She slipped into the black robe and put the dirty, tainted clothing into the trash can. “Make sure you burn these.”

  “Yes, witch doctor.” Helen winked. “And may I say you have a very fine ass.”

  Helen left the room, leaving Ash and Selena to stare after her in surprise. Ash spoke first. “I didn’t know she was gay.”

  “Neither did I.” Not that Selena cared. Who someone slept with was their business, not hers.

  “Hmm.” He stared after the witch with a slowly growing grin. “I have a wolf I need to introduce her to.”

  Selena swayed, the effects of the power overload finally wearing off. “First you need to get me in bed.”

  “Like that will be a hardship.” Ash slipped his arm around her, helping her from the room. “Boo hoo, I have to put a hot woman between my sheets.”

  “And let her sleep.”

  “And let her...” Ash pouted. “Boo hoo?”

  She chuckled as he helped her up the stairs. “Have I told you that you’re lucky you’re cute?”

  “Cute?” He huffed in
fake outrage. “I’ll have you know I’m a proud warrior of an ancient race—”

  “And cute as a baby bear.”

  “No, I’m not.” They were almost all the way up.

  “Koala?”

  “No.”

  “Bunny?”

  He shuddered. “You wouldn’t say that if you’d ever met a bunny shifter.”

  “Good point.” Those girls were just plain mean.

  Ash half-carried her into their bedroom, bathed her, and put her to bed. He left with a soft kiss to her forehead.

  Really, he could deny it all he wanted, but the man was far too cute for words.

  * * *

  Ash’s hands were shaking.

  Why were his hands shaking?

  Ash blew out his breath and began to pace. He’d never been so nervous about anything in his life. Hell, in his childhood he’d been one of the ruling dryads. With his father’s death the mantle had automatically passed to him. He’d always had responsibilities, had always taken part in rituals only the dryads knew of.

  So why was he so apprehensive about having a piece of cord wrapped around his wrists? “Maybe we should have waited, like Selena said.” He nodded, fully aware he was acting like an ass but unable to stop himself. He was pretty sure all the blood had left his head and had run straight to his cold feet. He tucked the edges of his green silk shirt into the white pants. Even without the tie it felt like he was being strangled. “We could find another way to deal with the demon.”

  “What are you on about?” Parker snagged his hand, forcing him to halt. The vampire was stronger than he looked. Parker stared at him, his gaze becoming more and more amused. “Oh.” Parker began to laugh as he helped Ash into the white jacket. “Having second thoughts?”

  “And third, and fourth.” This was fucked up. He was the one to insist on the handfasting, so why was he the one panicking?

  “It’s perfectly normal.” Parker tied the white tie around Ash’s throat before nodding in satisfaction. “You look smashing.”