Wolves, Witches and Bears...Oh My!

by Nicky Charles

  “Well, this is a surprise!” Cyrus glanced about the room, a bewildered expression on his face. “Am I late for a meeting?” He shook his head. “My memory isn’t what it should be anymore.” He began to walk towards one of the empty seats near Gwyneth.

  “Stay where you are, Cyrus.” Camille spoke, her voice seeming louder and harsher than it had been earlier.

  “Here? But my seat…” Cyrus glanced at Camille but kept walking.

  “I. Have. Spoken.” The room reverberated with her words.

  Cyrus stopped and turned to look at her, his eyes wide. “Camille? What’s going on?”

  “That’s what we are all wondering.” Camille folded her hands in her lap. “Accusations of using black magic have been laid against you. What have you to say in your defence?”

  “Black magic? Me?” Cyrus paled. “No. Never.”

  “I have noted significant energy fluctuations—” Camille began.

  Cyrus interrupted, his hand shaking as he brushed strands of his white hair from his face. “It’s not me. I swear. Remember the matter we spoke of?” He leaned towards Camille speaking in a stage whisper and then shooting a look in Gwyn’s direction only to stiffen, his gaze fixing on Dante.

  Gwyn glanced at Dante. His entire being radiated anger, his jaw clenched, his muscles tense. She placed a cautioning hand on his arm but he didn’t acknowledge her touch, his focus solely on Cyrus.

  Camille inclined her head. “Yes, Cyrus you did. You felt Gwyneth was the source.”

  Cyrus jerked his eyes back to Camille. “Yes, yes. It’s her.” He licked his lips. “I’ve been trying to warn you only you didn’t listen. She’s more powerful than you know. A danger to us all.”

  Gwyn let out a soft gasp. Hearing Cyrus accuse her was like a cut to her very soul.

  “She wants your position, Camille. She’s been plotting against you. I’ve acted like I was on her side but I was gathering information.” Cyrus was speaking quickly, his face flushing, his gaze darting about the room. “Remember the vision you had? The ring of fire? The wolf? She’s brought a Lycan right into our very midst endangering us all!” He swept his arms out to encompass the gathering.

  The other council members began to murmur among themselves, shooting suspicious looks her way.

  Temper flaring, Gwyn surged to her feet. “You’re the one who came to me, planting seeds of suspicion. You said Camille had developed a means of cloaking the use of magic, that she was trying to preserve her position on the council.”

  “You despise Camille.” Cyrus pointed an accusing finger at her, his voice raised. “You’d like nothing better than to see her gone!”

  Gwyn opened her mouth to speak but Camille rose to her feet.

  “You need to deal with her now, Magissa. Before it’s too late!” Cyrus gave a decisive nod and stepped back so there was a clear path between the women.

  The council members’ gazes swung between Gwyn and Camille, a sense of tension rising within the chamber.

  Gwyn stared at Camille, prepared to defend herself, not sure how to read the woman’s expression.

  Camille opened her mouth to speak when a scream echoed through the room only to be abruptly cut off. Every eye swung to the source and a collective gasp filled the room. Cyrus had grabbed Bianca who, as usual, had been standing unobtrusively to the side. He gripped her throat, raising her to her toes. She clawed at his hand, struggling to breathe, her eyes wide with fear.

  The Coven members stared, frozen in shock. The Cyrus they all knew was gone, his befuddled look had been replaced by cunningly sharp eyes, his feeble, shaking hands now strong and the stoop of his posture nonexistent. Dante let out a growl and took a step forward but Cyrus called out a warning.

  “Stay back! All of you stay back!” A wave of power radiated from him and a ring of fire sprang up around him.

  The other Coven members cried out and, in their rush to back away, knocked over chairs and stumbled into each other leaving only Camille standing her ground. Gwyneth remained rooted where she was, wincing as the waves of heat reached her. Beside her, Dante began to move, circling around the protective barrier Cyrus had created.

  “It seems the charade is up.” Cyrus faced his accusers through the flames that surrounded him. “Gwyneth, you weren’t supposed to suspect me yet. Did my befuddling spell wear off?”

  “Someone brought me to my senses.” She tried to take a step forward but the heat was too intense.

  “If my cloak had been able to hide the energy fluctuations caused by my spells, you’d never have had to be involved, Gwyneth. But when Camille began asking questions I had to throw her off the scent, so to speak. Your mutual animosity made you the perfect decoy. I’m sorry, my dear, but there really was no other way.” The look of cunning faded from him and he seemed the kindly old man they’d all thought they’d known.

  Camille stepped closer to Gwyn. “I never suspected you, Cyrus, not once.”

  “Thank you, Camille. I thought my performance was superb.” Cyrus waved his free arm in a theatrical manner and inclined his head. “The stronger I became, the frailer I began to act. No one noticed or cared what I was doing. I was the vague old man in the corner who the others laughed about. But no longer.”

  “I never laughed at you, Cyrus.” Gwyn flicked a glance at Dante. He was inching around the circle, moving slowly to avoid notice.

  “You’re a sweet girl, Gwyneth.” Cyrus smiled at her then swung his gaze on Camille, his expression becoming hardened again. “Aren’t you going to ask me how and why? That’s how the script for these things always goes.”

  “Very well, Cyrus.” Camille gave a slight nod. “How and why?”

  “I’m the Coven archivist. It’s amazing what’s tucked away on those dusty old shelves. The immortality spell was an amazing find though it still needs perfecting. It only stops aging for a period of time and then needs another energy infusion. I’ve been experimenting trying to find the correct combination of life force energy and time intervals.”

  “That’s…fascinating.” Gwyn flicked a glance at Camille hoping to catch her eye. Years ago they’d been close enough that they’d almost thought as one. If they could work together again, both sending waves of magical energy at the fire wall at the same time, they might be able to extinguish it.

  Cyrus continued talking. “I was going to try a Lycan and a werebear this time. I had you end things with Matthias so you wouldn’t miss him, Gwyneth.” He smiled at her benevolently. “Unfortunately, my plans experienced some interference. However, I can improvise.” He pulled a knife from his belt and pressed it to Bianca’s chest.

  Camille gasped. “Cyrus, no!”

  His expression changed once again. “The blood of a witch spilled on the night of a black moon. I had reservations about using one of my own kind but my hand has been forced.”

  “Cyrus, you don’t want to do this!” Gwyneth took a step hoping to appeal to the side of him that was still the man she’d once called friend.

  “You don’t know what it’s like to grow old, Gwyneth.” He stared at her through the flames. “To feel your strength fading, your memory slipping.”

  “Living forever isn’t that wonderful either.” She saw that Dante was now behind Cyrus and had shifted into his wolf form. Somehow, she knew he was planning on leaping over the flames and attacking Cyrus. She kept talking to keep Cyrus’ attention on her and wouldn’t see what was happening. “Watching friends grow old and die, always moving to avoid human detection. I have no close family, no one to love me. I’d trade it all to experience real love.”

  The evil side of Cyrus sneered. “You say that now but if the choice were put before you again, you’d chose life over love.”

  “She speaks the truth, Cyrus.” Camille stepped forward. “In this one matter, Gwyneth and I are in accord. We made foolish decisions in our youth. What we gained wasn’t worth what was lost.”

  Gwyneth looked at Camille in surprise just as a snarl ripped through the room. Dante had
launched himself through the ring of fire.

  “We have to get inside,” Matt shoved open the car door. “They might need our help.”

  Brandi shook her head. “We’d never get past the security system. Bianca told me it’s a complicated spell known only to Coven members.”

  “There are a dozen other witches in the room. They’ll be fine, I’m sure.” Damien spoke from where he stood beside the car.

  “And now we’ve lost all feed!” Matt grumbled. He tossed the phone down in frustration.

  Reno picked it up and exited the car. “We recorded Gwyn saying the spell when they entered the building. If we play it back, we could probably get through the security system.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Sam began to walk across the street with the others, only to pause. Her hand slowly drifted down to her stomach. “Crap.” She pressed her lips tightly together and then turned to look at Damien. “Will you….?”

  He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. “Thanks. I know it’s hard to not be in the thick of things.”

  “Go, before I change my mind.” She grumbled.

  He nodded before hurrying after the others.

  Reno’s plan to get past the security worked. Once inside, Matt tested the air and then headed down the hallway. “Gwyn’s this way.”

  They’d only taken a few steps when an alarm began to sound.

  “Security’s caught us.” Matt began to look around expecting to see guards swooping down on them.

  “Sounds more like a fire alarm to me.” Damien said.

  After exchanging glances, they began to run down the hall towards a set of double doors at the end of the hall. As they approached, a cacophony of sounds reached them; the ringing of the alarm, the sound of crackling flames, snarls and shouts, spraying water, cries of distress. Matt tore open the doors only to pause at the chaos that met his eyes.

  Dante stood in the ring of fire facing the man who had consumed his life. The man who was responsible for innumerable deaths, who had used Gwyneth’s friendship and then betrayed her. The man who had killed Carlotta. The need for revenge surged through him and he lowered his head growling, ready to attack.

  He wanted one thing and one thing only, the death of the witch before him.

  Cyrus turned at the sound of his snarl a momentary look of shock on his face before he grinned. “You’re too late to save her.” He plunged the knife into the woman’s chest then pushed her aside as her scream filled the air.

  Dante launched himself at the man, his vision blurred with rage. He fought like one possessed, ignoring the blows from the man’s fist, the sting of the knife slicing into his flesh. It was only when cold water suddenly doused him that he momentarily lost his focus. It was the opening Cyrus needed.

  “Ha! Take that, you dog!” Cyrus’s knife dug deep, his face contorted in an evil parody of the kindly old man he’d portrayed minutes before.

  Dante yelped and leapt away, his paws scrabbling to gain a grip. Water from the over-head sprinkler system rained down, mixing with the blood and making the floor tiles slippery.

  Dimly, he was aware that the young woman Cyrus had grabbed was crying, pressing her hand to her chest. Beyond the wall of flames, he could see Gwyneth and Camille working together, standing side by side with their hands extended towards the flames. They were saying something, the words inaudible over the adrenaline pounding through his veins.

  He shook his head to get the water from his eyes and charged the man again. Cyrus seemed to have the strength and agility of someone much younger, no doubt fuelled by the energy he’d stolen from his victims. The thought spurred Dante on and he tried to grab Cyrus’ wrist but his teeth clicked together, catching only air. The man had pulled his arm back a split second too soon. Undaunted, Dante ducked low biting down hard on Cyrus’ leg. A scream of pain rent the air before the witch used his free leg to kick him in the stomach.

  The force of the blow sent him skidding backward yet again. Cyrus charged at him and he dodged to the side then twisted and jumped landing on the witch’s back, his weight pressing the man to the ground. With a snarl, he bit down on the back of Cyrus’ neck, feeling his teeth strike bone, the metallic taste of blood stinging his tongue. Then he found himself being propelled backward by some invisible force. He rushed forward again, rage blurring his vision to all but the form of the man lying on the floor. This time a flash of light blasted him backwards slamming him against the wall and jerking him out of the murderous frenzy that had consumed him.

  “Enough!” Camille stood with her hand extended towards him, anger radiating from her.

  A magical force seemed to be holding him in place. He fought uselessly against it, trying to reach Cyrus before growling in frustration and returning to human form. Blood seeped from his wounds, staining his clothing but the pain of his injuries paled in comparison to the rage that still burned inside him. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he addressed the Magissa. “It’s my right to seek revenge on him for the death of Carlotta.”

  “You have no rights within this room except those I give you. Cyrus is dead. Ripping his body to shreds will prove nothing.” Camille pinned him with a look.

  The protest he’d been about to make died on his lips. Cyrus was dead? He turned to stare at the unmoving body on the floor. Had he been the one to deliver the fatal blow or had it been Camille? Some might say it didn’t matter but he wasn’t so sure.

  For years, he’d lived for this moment and now… Now it was over. A strangely hollow feeling filled him, not the glorious sense of victory and relief he’d been expecting.

  He blinked and looked around. Black marks showed where the ring of fire had been, flecks of soot floating in the puddles that covered the floor. Camille was glaring at Reno no doubt over some offence. Matt had his arm around Gwyneth’s shoulder and Brandi was crouched beside Bianca along with a few others who seemed to be applying first aid.

  A movement to the side caught his attention and he turned. Damien was standing there staring at him. There was no sign of Sam though.

  He tensed. Had she somehow been injured in the milieu? Panic filled him as he flashed back to the night Carlotta was killed. Could Cyrus have claimed another victim in those final moments? “Sam and the baby?”

  “They’re fine.” Damien gave a quick nod.

  “Good.” He gave a long, slow exhale at the knowledge his fears were unfounded.

  Damien continued to look at him. Dante’s mind raced. There was so much to be said and yet nothing seemed appropriate. Finally, Damien spoke.

  “The woman, Carlotta. She was my mother?”

  He nodded.

  Damien looked past him to where Cyrus’ body lay. A muscle worked in his jaw and his hands slowly curled into fists.

  Dante cleared his throat. “She was beautiful and loved you very much. Your middle name, Carlos, was for her. The ‘D’ in Damien was for me.”

  Damien shifted his gaze from the dead body, looked at him for a moment longer and then turned and walked away.

  Compressing his lips, Dante tried to ignore the ache in his chest. So, that was it. The big reunion with his son. He’d known it wouldn’t go well but he’d hoped for some small sign of acknowledgement.

  Camille was speaking now. He turned his attention to her. She didn’t look happy.

  “I won’t even ask how you circumvented the security but I want all of you out of here immediately.”

  The other shifters nodded. Reno glanced his way. “Dante, can we give you a ride back to your hotel?”

  The gesture was a pleasant surprise. It wasn’t often anyone offered him a favour. He flicked a glance towards Gwyneth. Matt had already moved away from her. She was standing by herself, a lost expression on her face as if her world had just crumbled around her. He knew what that felt like. “No. I’ll find my own way back, thanks. I have some loose ends to tie up here.”

  Chapter 29

  Gwyneth walked into the club, entering through the back door. Mystique was alre
ady open for the night. Thank heaven her staff could operate unsupervised. She’d not even given a thought to the business until now.

  “I suppose I should check what’s going on.” She stood halfway between the stairs leading to her apartment and the doorway to the club. Turn left or right? For once the driving need to stay on top of what went on at the club was missing. A bone-weary exhaustion had hit her, the idea of chatting with patrons and answering questions the staff might have seemed overwhelming.

  Dante put his hands on her shoulders and made the decision for her, gently pushing her towards the stairs. “I’ll tell Rudy you’re upstairs and okay.”

  “I’m sure Matt’s already contacted him.” She spoke over her shoulder concentrating on getting up the stairs. Even her legs needed prompting to move.

  “Excellent.”

  Something in his tone made her believe he felt Matt’s efficiency was anything but excellent. Questioning him seemed too much work though.

  Dante followed her up the stairs. She hadn’t invited him and his assumption was ballsy yet the idea of being alone right now wasn’t appealing either.

  She opened the door of her apartment and he followed her inside.

  “Nice place.” Dante looked around, walked over to the window to check the view and then bent to scratch Sherman’s chin. The cat purred in approval from his perch on the back of the chair. “Have you lived here long?”

  “About ten years. It’s not fancy.” She started to walk towards the kitchen. “Do you want a drink? Tea? Coffee? Something stronger?”

  “Definitely something stronger, but I’ll get it. You sit.” Once again, he took her by the shoulders and guided her, sending her towards the sofa.

  She didn’t protest, enjoying the fact that someone else was taking charge just this once. Sinking into the cushions, she exhaled slowly. “I can’t believe I let Cyrus dupe me like that.”

  “He duped everyone. Camille, the Coven members, his victims. He used the ‘harmless old man’ façade on everyone.”