Hot Blooded

by Amanda Carlson

  “We have to go through a goat to get to her?” Tyler asked. “You’re kidding me.”

  I chuckled. “It’s petty ingenious. I bet there’s a gatekeeper goat. There have to be at least twenty of them up there.” Tyler started his ascent.

  I shrugged and followed my brother toward the tricked-out goats.

  “When we reach them, they’ll attack; make no mistake,” Danny muttered as he came from behind. “I hope they’re not weregoats. Does such a thing even exist?”

  “I’ve never heard of one,” Tyler called. “But that doesn’t mean much. I had no idea wereweasels existed before one attacked you.”

  “That was a wicked little thing,” Danny replied. “I hope the Goddess doesn’t have a cache of them at her beck and call. Their teeth are like shards of broken glass.”

  “Werewolves are so damn egocentric,” I complained as I climbed. “If you guys had paid attention to the world around you once in a while, you’d be better versed and better prepared to battle what might come your way.”

  “Nobody is stronger than us,” Tyler yelled from his point twenty feet above me. “Not even your cat. There is no need for us to worry about what’s on the bottom of the food chain. It’s like a shark worrying about the small fish. Why bother?”

  I snorted. “Yeah, that works until that guppy grows fur, a pair of wicked incisors, and comes after the shark with a million of his little pals. One wolf is no match for an army of anything.”

  “You have a point, of course,” Danny added. “But guppies don’t ever come around, so it’s easy to forget they exist altogether. I haven’t encountered anything to give me pause in more than a century. A hundred years is a long time to get comfortable with your life. No wars, no enemies, no issues. It’s been grand.”

  “Then I’m christening this the ‘Dawn of the Guppy’ because I have a feeling the small things are going to throw the biggest punches.” We all pulled ourselves steadily closer to the statuesque goats. None of them had moved during our entire climb. Danny had edged farther right and had positioned himself directly under them, while Tyler and I had stayed more left.

  “I’m pushing ahead of you both,” Danny called. “One of us has to investigate the bloody beasts and I pick myself to be the lucky winner.”

  Tyler and I stopped climbing and watched Danny steadily close the gap between himself and the goats. We were all waiting to see what was going to happen. When he was within ten feet, he placed a single foot on the ledge directly below them and a decisive power shift flowed over me in a hot, prickly wave. “Danny!” I yelled. “Be careful. Something just happened. You must have triggered a boundary line.”

  A single bleat echoed in the air.

  “Bloody hell, did you see that?” Danny yelled back. A snowy white male with long ragged hair and two sharp-looking horns moved its head.

  Then it took a single step forward.

  “I see it,” I answered.

  As we watched, it angled its head toward Danny, blinking once as a slow fire ignited in the center of its eyes.

  It bleated again.

  Then, one by one, they all turned their heads slowly, like possessed animatronic fiends.

  All of their eyes blazed a fiery red.

  21

  “This doesn’t look good,” Tyler said. “We can’t fight off twenty, two-hundred-pound possessed mountain goats in our human form and there’s no place to change safely. There’s barely a foot clearance in any direction.”

  “Wait. Maybe we don’t need to fight all twenty,” I said. “They’re all starting to move except one. Look.”

  The red-eyed monsters started to pace agitatedly as fierce angry sounds erupted out of their snouts. They milled back and forth like army sentinels, except for one who was pushed up tightly against the rocks.

  “I see it. That one’s different. It’s bigger,” Danny called as he pointed where we were all looking. “And from here its eyes aren’t lit and it hasn’t come alive quite yet like the others.”

  “That’s because I’m pretty sure it can’t. Tyler, can you isolate the scents?” I asked. “And pinpoint which goat smells exactly like what?”

  Tyler eased himself onto a small rock that jutted out above my head. The mountain angled steeply from where we were positioned, so we had a good view of the goats. Tyler shifted his head back and opened his mouth. I did the same. As the air crossed over my tongue, there was a startling difference. Now that the goats had become animated, power zapped over my tongue and sizzled my taste buds. There was no doubt we were in the right place. Selene’s magic signature was all over.

  I took in a deeper breath, trying to catch the specific scent of the stationary goat. It was hard to do. Smells in general still overpowered me with their complexities and notes, because of all the layers. All the scent information flooded into me and I had trouble sorting. “Are you having any luck?” I asked my brother. “Everything just tastes awful and powerful at the same time.”

  “Yes,” Tyler said. “I can’t taste the power like you can, but I can smell the differences in the air. The goats have a rancid undertone, almost undetectable. The stationary one smells clean, almost artificial.”

  “I smelled the stink too,” I said. “It’s definitely carrying on the air now that they’re moving around. But is it some of their kill and not their actual smell?” I curled my nose.

  “Goats don’t kill for meat,” Danny called, hearing me perfectly. “They’re vegetarians, as far as I know. They forage around, eating shrubs and roots and things.”

  Of course regular goats were herbivores—but I could see rabid, possessed goats with red eyes eating meat, preferably while it was still alive and struggling. They probably required fresh blood on the hour. “They aren’t vegetarians if they’re weregoats, right? These aren’t normal goats; these are—”

  “Dead goats,” Tyler said grimly. “They have been reanimated somehow. Selene must be able to wield some sort of necromancer enchantment. They wake when they detect a threat, and stay stationary the rest of the time.”

  “Well, that explains why their eyes are red,” I said. Red was Selene’s spell color. “But they can’t last that way forever. Goats are living things, so even with a strong enchantment they will fully decay over time.”

  Tyler inhaled. “This must be a relatively new batch, because I’m picking up only a little decay. They must get really nasty over time.”

  “Great.” I climbed closer to my brother’s perch. “So we’re dealing with necromanced goats. The bonus is they can’t be that smart. I think the artificial one is the gatekeeper. I’m suggesting one of us makes a racket at one end to lure the goats away from this immediate area, and the other two tackle the gatekeeper. I’m volunteering for gatekeeper duty.”

  “Fine,” Danny answered. “I knew handling the goats would be my job the moment we laid eyes on them. I’ll make my way over to the very right edge of their ledge.” He motioned to the far side of the rocky face we were on. “When the diversion comes, you’ll know it.” As he moved, all the goats eyed him. Every so often one of them would stomp a foot and give a scary bleat. It sounded like an old woman being murdered.

  “We need to climb closer so we’re ready,” Tyler said as he started up the wall.

  “Don’t get too close,” I said. “We don’t want them to take an interest in us if we can help it.”

  “It’s too late for that, sis,” Tyler grunted as he hoisted himself higher. “Selene isn’t stupid. If a threat makes it this close to her lair, she’ll be ready for multiple attacks at one time. I just hope Danny can herd most of them to his side so we only have to deal with a few.”

  Right as Tyler finished talking a giant goat shambled over to us, angling its head down to bellow a warning. This one sounded ten times as loud, its eyes blazing a wicked red. It was massive. I wondered for a moment if coming back from the dead meant you put on extra pounds. Surely goats weren’t this big in the wild.

  “I wonder if it can shoot lasers out of
its eyes,” I said half kidding, half not. “Selene can shoot red lines out of her fingers—if her spells manifest themselves here in a tangible state, why couldn’t she make it work in the goats?”

  “Jesus,” Tyler sputtered. “Quit talking crazy shit. If she could make something like that happen, powerful witches all over the world would be holding up banks with dead animals.”

  “Well,” I chuckled. “It was just a thought.” The goat bleated at us again and I cringed. “Not every witch is as powerful as Selene. I’m pretty sure a young witch can’t shoot physical spells out of her fingers. I’m certain Marcy can’t do it, but I don’t know about Tally. I’ve never laid eyes on her.”

  “Witches are tricky,” Tyler answered. “I bet some of them can, but don’t want the supernatural community to know. It would make them seem like a bigger threat. Selene prances around like she doesn’t give a crap about anyone else in the world. But that’s about to change.” Tyler’s eyes shot amber. “I’ve had enough of this and I’m ready to go home.”

  “Amen,” I replied. The angry goat stomped its hoof at us, like it knew what we were saying. This one wasn’t going anywhere, no matter how much noise Danny made on the other side.

  There was more bleating to the right. “Come on, you bloody beasts! Come and get me.” A huge crash exploded against the mountainside. “Huh? You don’t like that, do you? But I don’t care. Here’s another.” There was loud thunk and one of the goats toppled over the edge, emitting a scary yowl on the way down.

  “Is he trying to stone them to death?” I asked. My head was down because I was climbing quickly, but it sounded like rock on rock with an occasional rock on putrid flesh. “Come on,” I urged, catching up to Tyler. “Hurry.”

  “Ow!” Danny yelled. “The bloody horns are sharper than a blade.” Another goat flew over the edge. His diversion was certainly a ruckus, but as we climbed closer, less than half had followed the noise. Another third were focused on us, and the rest stood by the artificial one, defending what I was sure was the entrance. There was a strangled howl and my head shot to Danny. “Their horns have some kind of spell on them,” Danny gurgled in pain. “Don’t touch them. My arm is losing feeling quickly.” He clutched his arm right above the elbow.

  “Dammit,” Tyler muttered. “Stay away from their horns, Jess. I have to get Danny before they gore him to death.” Before I could voice my concern, Tyler vaulted onto the goat ledge, immediately shouldering two large beasts over the side. He stayed low, using his preternatural speed.

  Tyler, in his wolf form, was faster than any other. It was his extra gift. He was also incredibly fast in human form. Three others went over the side. Remarkably, all the remaining goats started to follow him, snorting and bleating their rage. They were slow, so they were easy to dodge. Tyler made his way to Danny, who was still busy trying to stone them with rocks thrown with one arm.

  Was this really Selene’s last defense? We had to be missing something. The goats were scary enough, but not crazy deadly. This would have been the right place for a winged devil attack. We would’ve been picked over like carrion.

  We have to stay vigilant. This can’t be all she has. My wolf growled in agreement, her eyes darting around, taking in everything around us.

  I pulled myself onto the ledge carefully. Not wasting any time, I beelined for the stationary goat. It still hadn’t moved an inch, but all its guardians had followed Tyler. As I moved closer I could see it wasn’t alive in any form.

  It’d never been a real goat.

  Now the question—was it a mirage or something I had to defeat to get inside? What do you think it is? My wolf barked and scratched at the ground. I sampled the air again. The smell of decay was stronger on the ledge, but there was also a hint of warning in the air. It made my stomach churn, like I’d ingested something nasty. What do we do with it? I asked my wolf. She was up at attention, ears back, teeth bared. She didn’t like it either. She flashed a picture of the goat morphing into something else when I put my hands on it. I need to touch it? She batted the empty wooden box into view. I understood. We would gather power to ourselves and try and break whatever magic was inside the goat. Selene’s last ward. Once it was gone, the opening to her lair should be clear. It wasn’t an excellent plan, but it was enough. Okay. Here it goes.

  We both concentrated on channeling the power inside us, the same power we’d reabsorbed after the bubble broke. I finally understood that my power was never in the box; it lived somewhere inside me, situated deeply. In the future I had to learn to call it up quicker, but for now I closed my eyes and focused on grabbing it with everything I had, like sucking on a gigantic straw.

  Power began to materialize in my psyche.

  I could see it. It manifested like bright gold ribbons floating in my mind. I realized as I saw it that my power signature must be gold. The power swirled until all I could see was bright golden sunlight in my mind. Fur sprouted along my arms; my muscles shifted under my skin. My Lycan form was strong, as strong as it could be. I think we’re ready.

  An angry bleat sounded from right behind me.

  Shit! We’ve got company. Its breath hit the back of my neck like stinky swamp ass. I’d been too preoccupied to notice one had ambled over.

  “Jess, look out!” Tyler yelled.

  “I got it,” I called, my voice gravelly once again as my neck morphed. Power swirled around me, inside and out. I didn’t wait to see what the goat was going to do. I bent at the waist and locked one hand into the ground. I dug my claws into the rocky floor and pivoted on my arm, bringing my body and legs around in a blur. My feet connected with the side of the mangy freak of nature hard, sending it flying backward. Straight off the cliff. It bleated its anger and surprise, its red eyes sparking evilly right before it dipped over the side. It was a massive animal, but its weight didn’t even register in this form.

  This is too easy, I said to my brother in my mind. Selene wants us here. She’s got the death goats on a level two danger attack, not a level ten. If they were level ten they could probably spit venom.

  We still have to watch it, Jess, my brother replied. It looks like she wants us in there, but these goats could be masking something else lurking just behind. A stupid diversion.

  Is Danny okay? I asked.

  I think so, but I’m not sure. The spell seems to be moving slowly.

  Right then I heard Danny swear and yell, “You aren’t going to keep me down, you bloody bastard!”

  I turned my attention turned back to the inert goat. My brother was right. This gatekeeper could be a ticking time bomb. We have to move fast, I said to Tyler. Once I insert my power into this thing, all hell could break loose. Which was likely inevitable. The final showstopper. I just hoped the calamity would be contained to me and not destroy the entire mountainside.

  I extended my arm slowly.

  Get ready, I told my wolf and my brother at the same time. My wolf gave a bark ending on a snarl. She had no idea if this would work either, but it was the best we had. My fingers brushed the side of the goat and once they came in contact with it power rushed up my arm. There was nothing solid about it, only massive energy. The goat was a figment. A mirage. There’s nothing here but power, and it feels like it’s seriously contained, I told Tyler. Get ready to jump.

  I took a step closer to the figment; nothing impeded me.

  Instead Selene’s signature began to envelope me, covering me completely. It poked and prodded me, trying to burrow under my skin, but my golden strands of power held like a shield locked around me. I heard a faint yell behind me.

  “Jess!” Tyler’s voice held more than stress. “Don’t go any farther. You’re fucking disappearing!”

  Disappearing?

  I gazed outward. Everything outside looked normal. Danny and Tyler started toward me, Danny’s arm clutched to his side, blood running down his sleeve. You can’t follow me in here, I called to my brother. Selene’s power is trying to insert itself into my flesh. You won’t get through. He
r power will eat you alive. I have to destroy it. When it goes there’s going to be a massive explosion. My wolf gave a yip of agreement. Tyler kept coming. Tyler, I said back off! I inserted power into my voice.

  He skidded to a stop, grabbing Danny by his shirtsleeve.

  Jess, it’s too dangerous, he pleaded. There has to be another way in.

  I don’t have time to find another entrance. When I throw my power into this goat, energy will ignite. You and Danny have to get off this ledge right now. After I’m in, find a way in.

  Jess, he said, it’s too risky. We can climb to the top and see if there’s another entrance. She has to have more than one entry point.

  I refuse to waste any more time, I replied. I need to find Rourke and this is it. Do you understand me? This is my last chance. I can feel it. He needs me and nothing is going to turn me back now. I want you to get off this ledge. Tyler struggled against me, but I was issuing a command and our blood connection rang with it. Tyler, go now. I’ll give you thirty seconds. After that, Selene’s power will find a way into my body. I’m running out of time.

  Tyler pushed Danny to the edge. Danny understood what was happening and gave me a salute with his good arm. “Godspeed, Jessica.”

  Tyler glanced over his shoulder at me and moved his lips one last time. “See you on the inside.”

  I’ll see you there. I knew Tyler would find a way in. Or he’d die trying.

  Then they were gone.

  Okay, this is it, I told my wolf. We throw our power out. If we break this ward, we’re in. She gnashed her teeth, her eyes sparking violet, which mirrored my own. She was ready.