Burned: Wild Magic Book 2

by Danielle Grenier

  “Anyone have any ideas to get us out of here in one piece?” Jonathan asked.

  “No, but I’m open to suggestions,” Martin replied. “I really don’t feel like being zombie food tonight.”

  “What about witchfyre?” Matt suggested, looking to Angel.

  “What the heck is that?” Jesse asked.

  “Magical fire,” Angel explained, “burns through anything it touches. Very powerful, very difficult to control.”

  “I say go for it!” Martin said as the doors out to the lobby creaked ominously with the weight of so many zombies pushing against them.

  Angel shook her head. “When I say anything, I mean anything,” she said. “I could lose control and easily kill one of you. Or bring the whole damn hotel down on our heads.”

  “Then we’ll keep it as a last resort,” Jonathan said. “In the meantime, we fight. Try to clear a path towards the lobby and the front door. If we can get outside, we might be able to even the odds and take them out.”

  The doors in front of them began to splinter and crack; zombie limbs reached into the room, pressing against Angel’s barrier, then dissolving it completely. All the wolves except Caleb shifted quickly, not even bothering to get undressed first. Angel pulled out her second sword.

  “You should shift, Caleb,” she said.

  “I’ll be fine,” he insisted.

  Angel rolled his eyes at his stubbornness. Jesse, in wolf form, made a sound not unlike a laugh, and Caleb frowned at him. Caleb opened his mouth to say something but closed it when they heard a large bang at the door to the kitchens.

  “Awesome,” Angel said sarcastically. “I did mention how much I hate zombies, right?”

  “Yep,” Caleb said.

  “If we get through this,” she said to Caleb, “you owe me a real vacation. None of this werewolf conference with a risk of zombies bullshit.”

  “Deal,” Caleb said, smiling despite the direness of the situation. “How about Hawaii?”

  “Hawaii sounds perfect,” Angel said, giving him a nervous smile. “Be careful, alright?”

  He nodded.

  “I will. You, too.”

  Angel nodded, turning her attention to the front door. The zombies behind it seemed to surge forward once, twice, then the door collapsed into the room. Zombies pushed forward, stumbling over the furniture that had been piled up. Some of them fell and were trampled, but more followed behind them, and in moments they’d cleared the debris and were coming for Angel and the wolves. Matt and Jesse leapt forward, grabbing rotting limbs and trying to rip apart the walking corpses piece by piece. Angel joined them, hacking at any limbs she could reach and taking off their heads when Matt got them down on the ground.

  The rest of the wolves covered their backs as more zombies spilled into the room and surrounded them. Caleb, still in human form, picked up some broken chair legs and started bashing zombies in the head. The kept at it, hacking and biting and bashing at every zombie that came for them, desperately trying to move out of the restaurant, but there were just too many. Angel already had a few scrapes along her arms from where a zombie had grabbed at her; the others had similar wounds. Angel started lashing out with magic, using any spell she could think of that might help. Unfortunately, most of the spells either bounced right off the zombies or barely slowed them down. A yelp drew her attention to her left side, and Angel saw Matt on the ground, with two zombies clamped onto his back and foreleg.

  “Get off, you fuckers!”

  She shouted, swinging her blade quickly and beheading the first, then the second. Matt rose quickly but fell again, yelping when he tried to put weight on his injured leg. Caleb moved to stand over the injured wolf, shielding him from the zombies.

  “This isn’t working!” Angel screamed above the din.

  Caleb swung his makeshift bludgeon and cracked open a zombie's head like a melon; brain matter sprayed across the floor. Looking around quickly, he noticed a door behind the restaurant bar. He had no idea what was behind it, but the path to it was noticeably easier, and it had to be better than this.

  “Over there!” he shouted, pointing at the door.

  “Right,” Angel nodded. She held out her hands, and an invisible barrier seemed to push through the few zombies in their way.

  Caleb bent down quickly, grabbed Matt, and threw him over his shoulder.

  “Let’s go!” he shouted, letting Jesse and Jonathan lead the way. Angel followed right behind him, with Martin and Serguei bringing up the rear. They made it behind the bar, and Caleb flung open the door, revealing a small stock room. “Shit!” He turned, intending to find a better option, and saw the wave of zombies coming towards them.

  “Just get in!” Angel shouted, pushing them forward. The wolves followed, and she slammed the door shut, dropped her swords, and started piling boxes in front of the door. Caleb set Matt down gently, spotting a heavy looking metal shelf near the door.

  “Here,” he said, stepping forward and grabbing the shelf.

  Angel stepped out of the way, the wolves shifted back to human, and Jesse helped him slide the shelf into place. The door creaked a little as the zombies pushed against it, but it seemed to be pretty sturdy. It wouldn’t last forever, but it would give them a few minutes at least.

  “Now what?” Martin asked, frantically looking around. “We’re in a friggin’ closet with no windows and no other door. We’re sitting ducks in here!”

  “Calm down,” Jonathan said, imbuing his words with a subtle amount of power to calm the panicky wolf. “We’ll figure something out.”

  “There’s just too many of them,” Serguei remarked, “and too few of us.”

  Jonathan nodded, and Caleb could practically see the wheels turning in his head, trying to figure out a plan.

  “How’s your leg, Matt?” Jesse asked, kneeling next to the other wolf and gesturing to the ugly bite mark on his lower leg.

  “Stings like a bitch,” Matt growled, “but it’s healing. I should be able to walk on it shortly.”

  Caleb stepped over to Angel, who was wiping her swords clean with a rag she found somewhere. She had a few scrapes on her arms and legs but otherwise seemed fine.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “I’m still in one piece,” she replied. “As for ‘okay,’ ask me when there isn’t a hotel full of zombies after us. You?”

  “Also still in one piece,” Caleb told her, grinning despite the seriousness of their situation.

  “Does anyone have a cell phone?” Jesse asked. “Maybe we could call someone who got out and tell them where we are. Even the odds a little.”

  Caleb looked around, noting that he and Angel were the only ones still wearing clothes, and thus the only ones who might still have their phones. He patted his pockets quickly, realizing his phone had been in his jacket, which he’d discarded somewhere in the restaurant.

  “I don’t have mine,” he replied, turning to Angel.

  “Fuck, I don’t either,” Angel replied. “It was in my jacket.”

  “I think it might be time to consider our last resort,” Matt said.

  The door creaked loudly, and a small crack appeared in the middle. Jonathan thought for a moment before shaking his head gently.

  “I’m afraid Matt might be right,” he said. “What do you think Angel?”

  “I can try,” she replied, “but do remember I warned you about what could happen with witchfyre.”

  “You have,” Jonathan said, “and we’ll accept the potential risks. What do you need us to do?”

  “Just stay back,” Angel said, “and whatever you do, do not touch the witchfyre. This isn’t like regular fire; it’ll burn a person to ash in less than a minute. I can try a quick burst to clear out the immediate area, but I don’t trust myself to maintain control for much more than that. We’ll probably still have to fight our way out.”

  “Whatever you can do,” Jonathan told her.

  Angel nodded, sheathing her weapons and taking a few deep breaths.
>
  Caleb stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders.

  “Are you gonna be alright?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” she said, “but it’s not me I’m worried about. The witchfyre shouldn’t burn me because I’m creating it, but it could easily kill any of you, werewolf healing or no.”

  “We understand,” Caleb said, “just do your best.”

  “Thanks,” she said, smiling nervously.

  Caleb smiled back and planted a soft kiss on her lips. “You can do this,” he said, and there was no doubt in his mind she could.

  Angel smiled at him, took a deep breath, stepped back, and addressed everyone. “Stay behind me, as far back as you can,” she instructed, “and don’t move until I give the go ahead. Got it?” Everyone nodded in the affirmative. She turned to face the door and sheathed her weapons. “Here goes nothing.”

  Chapter 38

  Angel wasn’t sure if it was Caleb’s confidence in her abilities or the fact that she’d performed some pretty spectacular magic in the past few months, but as she faced the door and prepared to conjure witchfyre, she felt surprisingly calm. Taking another deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused on her magic. The spell to create witchfyre was relatively simple, and she completed it quickly; now all she had to do was ignite the spell, and she would have an immensely powerful weapon on her hands. She opened her eyes, pushed the shelf out of the way with her magic, and took a moment to prepare herself. Then, before she could second guess her decision to go through with this crazy plan, she pulled open the door and ignited the spell.

  Zombies fell through the doorway and were engulfed in flames before they could even react. The witchfyre consumed them almost instantly, the dead flesh being extremely combustible. Within seconds, the doorway was cleared. Angel stepped forward, pushing the magical fyre forward and through the mob of zombies inside the restaurant. The fyre tore through the zombies, leaving piles of ash on the floor, burning through the remaining furniture, and scorching the walls. The magic strained to be released, almost like it was a living being, but she managed to maintain control, if just barely. In a matter of minutes, not a zombie was in sight, but Angel knew it was only a matter of time until more came after them. They needed to get out of there, and fast, but first she needed to extinguish the spell. She pulled the fyre back to her, ignoring its attempts to break free from her control. Finally, she managed to pull it back completely and extinguish the spell. She was breathing deeply, the cost of the spell weighing on her heavily.

  “Is it safe?” Caleb called out. “Can we come out?”

  “Yes,” she replied, “it’s safe.”

  Caleb came forward and pulled her close. “Are you alright?”

  “Yep, just a little tired.”

  “They’re all gone!” Martin exclaimed, dashing past them and through the empty restaurant.

  “Wait!” Jesse called out, but it was too late; the other wolf was running quickly. He went to go after him, but Jonathan pulled him back.

  “We’ll find him,” he told the younger wolf, “but we need to stay together.” He turned to Angel. “Are you good to keep moving?”

  Angel nodded, took a few deep breaths, and drew her swords.

  “Yeah,” she said, “let’s go.”

  All the wolves except Caleb shifted again, and they headed in the direction of the lobby. Matt was still limping slightly, but he was able to keep up. They got through the restaurant without running into any trouble, but just as they were deciding which direction might be the safest, they heard a scream from towards the front lobby.

  “That’s Martin,” Serguei said.

  He moved to go after his friend but paused, looking to Jonathan.

  “Let’s go,” the Master Alpha said.

  They rushed down the hallway, encountering a small group of zombies as they turned a corner. Martin was on the ground, unmoving, and based on the amount of blood that covered the beige carpet, they were too late. They would have turned and headed back the other way, but there were two vampires with this group, and as soon as they caught sight of Jonathan, the zombies headed straight for them. Angel dodged the first grasping arm, turning quickly and slicing off the offending limb; the zombie’s head hit the ground a moment later. Each of the wolves had a zombie to fight, and most of them were doing well, but then the vampires jumped into the fray. The first one grabbed Matt by the scruff of his neck and hurled him into the wall. The grey wolf lay still where he landed. The vampire went after Matt again, but Serguei leapt at him, drawing him away from the downed wolf. The second vampire went after Jonathan, who’d already dispatched one zombie and was helping Jesse with another. Neither wolf saw him coming.

  “Jonathan!” Angel shouted, but the vampire was too fast.

  He reached Jonathan before the wolf realized the danger, landing a solid kick to the Alpha’s ribs. Jonathan went sprawling, and Jesse moved to try and help his father but was waylaid by a zombie. Without hesitating, Angel teleported herself just behind the vampire as he went after Jonathan again. Lifting her blade high, she used all her strength to ram the blade through the bloodsucker’s back, hoping she might manage to destroy his heart.

  Instead of dying, the vampire screamed in pain and turned quickly, dislodging her grip on her sword. With the blade still stuck in his back, the vampire backhanded her roughly. The blow knocked her to the ground and left her ears ringing. If she weren’t a wolf, Angel suspected she would be unconscious. Trying to ignore the pain in her jaw and cheek, she pushed herself to her feet, gripped her other sword tightly, and charged the vampire again. He was standing over Jonathan - who was definitely struggling with a few broken ribs - and at that moment Angel had no doubt the Alpha was the target of this attack. Opting for a less than conventional attack this time, she struck low, hamstringing the vampire and bringing him to his knees. The blade of her other sword still protruded from his back, so she took advantage of the new angle, using her full body weight to drive it in deeper, not stopping until he made a gurgling sound and slumped to the ground.

  “Angel!” Caleb cried out, coming to her side.

  “I’m okay,” she insisted as he gingerly touched the side of her face.

  “Your face begs to differ,” he remarked.

  “I’ll be fine,” she said, pulling her sword out of the dead vampire, which was considerably easier now that he was starting to decompose. Jesse took down the vampire he was fighting and came to join them, shifting and kneeling next to his father.

  “You okay, Dad?” Jesse asked.

  The older wolf shifted quickly and gave his son a reassuring pat on the hand. “I’m okay,” he said. “Where’s Matt and Serguei?”

  They all turned quickly to see Serguei in wolf form and Matt in human form, fighting the remaining vampire. Before they could move to help, the vampire threw Serguei off him and grabbed Matt by the neck, lifting him off the ground. Knowing she had seconds before the vampire snapped his neck, Angel conjured witchfyre for the second time that night and hurled it at the vampire. The spell landed on target, burning through the vampire’s flesh like it was putty. Sprinting forward, Angel tried to get closer so she could extinguish the spell as soon as the vampire was dead. Unfortunately, this vampire wasn’t going to go out quietly. He released Matt and thrashed wildly, trying to escape the flames, which caused the fyre to spread. Matt was on the ground at the vampire’s feet, trying to catch his breath, when a flame landed on his hand. He jumped up instantly, trying to put it out, but Angel knew he wouldn’t stand a chance on his own. Thinking quickly, she charged forward, struck quickly, and severed his hand at the wrist. Matt stood there in shock for a moment, staring at the bloody stump where his hand had been. Angel extinguished the witchfyre and pulled off one of her leather weapon holsters, intending to use it as a tourniquet.

  “You cut off my goddamn hand!” Matt screamed at her. “What the fuck is your problem?!”

  Angel tried to ignore his shouting. “Caleb, give me your shirt,” she ordered. Despite hi
s obvious shock, he complied. He pulled the shirt over his head and handed it to her silently.

  “What the hell?” Jesse exclaimed.

  “It was this or let the fyre kill him,” Angel replied tersely, trying to get the leather strap tightened around his arm before Matt lost too much blood. But the wolf wasn’t in a cooperative mood.

  “Don’t you fucking touch me!” he shouted, jerking his arm away from her.

  “I need to stem the bleeding,” she tried to explain, but he just moved further away.

  “Fuck that!”

  “Matt!” Jonathan said sternly, stepping forward and taking the strap from her. “Hold still, and give me your arm.”

  He obeyed immediately, allowing Jonathan to apply the tourniquet.

  “I’m sorry, Matt,” Angel said, “it was the only thing I could think of.”

  Matt cast her a dirty look and turned away from her, cradling his arm close.

  “Don’t worry about it, Angel,” Jonathan said, “it’s just the shock. He’ll figure it out later. Now we need to get the hell out of here.”

  Everyone agreed wholeheartedly. The collected Serguei, who’d only been temporarily stunned by the vampire, and once again headed for the lobby. Jesse shifted back to his wolf and took the lead, while Serguei took up the rear. Jonathan, Matt, and Caleb stayed in human form. They reached the lobby with very little resistance, which probably should have prepared them to find a huge mob of zombies and vampires blocking the front entrance. There were easily a dozen vampires, and three times as many zombies.

  “Shit,” Angel said.

  “You can say that again,” Caleb told her.

  “Angel, can you teleport with another person?” Jonathan asked as every vampire and zombie turned their way.

  “No idea,” Angel replied, “I’ve never tried. Maybe.”

  “Take Matt.”

  “I can fight,” Matt argued.

  “Take Matt now, Angel,” Jonathan repeated.

  Before Matt could protest further, and before Angel could doubt her ability to do as Jonathan asked, she grabbed the grumpy wolf and teleported outside of the hotel. They landed in the front parking lot, and Angel stumbled slightly, feeling the effects of stretching her magical limits.