“NO!” I cried. A ferocious witch wind stirred from behind me, responding to my pain. I tried to think of a way to use it but if I did, it would hurt Demas too.
Razor’s back claws started to dig at Demas’ belly, just like the wolves had done to Colten.
“We have to help him!” I grabbed onto Grimm and tried pulling his power into my chest. I felt it building, if I could just sustain it. It dropped. He needed some sort of supercharged healing power. I whipped my knife out ready to slash the squad members one at a time to join us when suddenly Maggie partially transformed and stalked to her father. Razor, realizing she was now a threat, released Demas and weaved back and forth before launching at her. She caught him by the head and wrenched it to the side with a loud crack. Hell hath no fury like a sister scorned, I thought to myself.
“Maggie!” I ran to her after she changed back into her human form. I didn’t want her attacking any of my boys in her agitated state. She immediately broke down into tears again.
“Chloe was always so strong for me, constantly reminding me to hide my alpha nature. The perfect big sister.”
I nodded and squeezed her tight, listening to her ramble.
“Growing up, she would get frantic at times and I never understood why. She was an Omega. She took so much abuse from the pack. They’re always bullied, usually until they leave the pack and find their own. I never understood how my father couldn’t see it. He was so determined that she succeed him, his first born, his warrior, but that was a lie, he didn’t want anyone to succeed him.” Maggie pulled away. She looked grateful as Remy appeared at her side and handed her some tissues. “How do you kill your own child?” Maggie repeated her question three times. She suddenly looked so broken. Even Lennon, the Queen of mean, herself, who’d awoken amidst all the drama, looked tearful.
“You gave her justice,” Lennon whispered.
Maggie looked up at her with surprise and bit her lip. “I hope so. By the way, I’m sorry for….”
“Forget about it! I can see why you thought it was me. I deserve a lot worse for how I treated you and your sister. The truth is you were both,” she looked over at me too, “well, all three of you were… are kind of intimidating. At Court, we’re taught to dominate. We’re not allowed to be intimidated. Showing weakness is death and as the Queen to be.” She paused, shivering, “I’m sorry. I’m making excuses again.”
Evie looked up at Colten and he took off his leather jacket, placing it around Lennon’s shoulders.
“It sounds like wolves and Fae aren’t that different,” Demas said. The boys had helped him to his feet and now propped him up. I’d need to heal him but he’d be okay. “Your sister showed amazing strength to protect you all these years—to be an Omega and stand up to that monster. I can only conclude she loved you dearly.”
“Hmm, seems I’m just a little late to the party, aren’t I?” A voice asked from behind us.
I turned in surprise to see the familiar tatted-up woman in the painted-on jeans, and motorcycle boots. It was like déjà vu. “Mama? What are you doing here?”
Mama laughed as she strode through the bush with that hip swaying gait that only she could pull off. “I’m here to take my kin home.”
“Oh, Mama. I’m just fine. I need to see to Demas. I can’t come back to New Orleans with you.”
She strutted past me, pausing only long enough to drop a kiss on my forehead. Her glossy dark hair was pushed back from her face with a rolled-up bandanna. “Oh, honey pie. I know that. I mean my sister here. Looks like she’s wounded.”
I looked around for Aunt Aurora but couldn’t see her. “You feelin’ alright, Mama?”
She stopped and bent forward. Her hair fell across her high cheekbones, as she wiggled her fingers. Tiny fireworks danced on the tips. Next she scooped up Lennon with all the ease of a brawny man.
“Mama! What are you doing?”
She glanced around at all the gawkers. “Right. This probably seems a little funny to y’all. I guess I could tell you but it’s probably easier to just show you. Come on over here and touch my wings now.”
“Hmm?” I was flabbergasted. All of a sudden, she sparkled like Lennon and sprouted wings. I looked from Demas to Colten to every other one of my men. They shrugged and we all stepped forward. “You’re Fae,” I said.
“Yes. Thank you Captain Obvious. Now everyone, hang on tight.”
A moment later, I opened my eyes and we were standing in the basement of our family’s plantation house, Midnight Manor. Right in front of the broken portal.
“Well, come on now, child. My patience is not what it used to be. You gonna help me put this thing back together or not?”
“The portal?” I questioned stupidly, like we were surrounded by jigsaw puzzles or Ikea furniture.
“Well, duh? Geez, Evangeline. You go to school and suddenly forget to use your brain.”
“Who are you?”
We all turned at the sound of Lennon’s voice. She wasn’t looking good at all. Her sparkle had faded. She looked rather ashy in color.
“Oh dear, we better hurry, sister dear. The Queen will not be happy if something happens to you.”
“You know my mother?” Lennon asked.
“Course, I do. She’s my mother too.”
“Your mother is Queen of the Winter Court?” I blurted out.
At my words, one of the doors upstairs slammed shut.
The boys tensed and Zephyr disappeared in a blur.
We all looked around.
“Were you expecting someone, Briar?” Bodhi asked.
Mama looked at him and then me, and laughed. “This is the Midnight Plantation, son. Big ears and all.” She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, “Go on now and have a cup of tea and quit eavesdropping on us, Gran! You know you don’t like this story. You never have.”
“Who is she talking to?” Lennon asked, just as Zephyr returned.
“Hey guys, I couldn’t see anything. I checked the security footage and nothing’s been breached, so I’m really not sure what that bang was.”
“Oh, thanks Z. It was just Gran.”
“Who’s Gran?” Lennon asked again.
“The house has a ghost,” I replied. “Well, actually the house, sort of, is the ghost. Her spirit works it.”
“Weirdos,” Lennon mumbled. Apparently, her injury hadn’t improved her attitude. “Oww,” she squealed. “Did someone just pinch me?”
Mama cleared her throat and smirked. “Anyway, we need to hurry. This ones on borrowed time unless I get her back to Faerie. She’s got iron poisoning.”
“Wait. You said you were my sister, but Rose is dead.”
Mama nodded and leaned forward, “Yes, you’re right. Okay, here it is, everyone. I am not a Midnight.” She paused to look around. “Their real daughter was named Rosanna—Rose for short. She was ill and there was no cure for what she had.” Gran’s ghost materialized and stepped forward. She wrapped her hands around my mother’s shoulders and laid her head down against her neck. Mama reached back and patted her. “So, the Midnights contacted Grand-mère Delphine, who is also part Fae.”
“She’s what?” I blurted out. So many things about the Delphines started to make sense.
Mama hushed me with a look. “Grand-mère brokered a deal with the Queen of the Winter Court. They would allow a seven-year switch. That’s how long it was gonna take to heal Rose in the Faerie Realm.”
“So, Rose went to Faerie?” Lennon whispered.
Mama nodded. “And was daughter to the Queen—our mother. That’s who you thought was your sister, and I came here to be raised as a Midnight.”
I took in a deep breath. My throat was so tight. “But you guys didn’t switch back? How come?”
I looked down and noticed Lennon was weeping on the ground. “She died,” she cried out. “She didn’t want to go back. She didn’t want to leave me.”
My mother’s chin quivered too. “I’m afraid it’s not a happy story, love. Anyway, I’
m gonna need to finish it when I get back ‘cause I don’t think the Queen can handle losing another heir.”
I nodded. “Okay, Mama. But I don’t know what you expect me to do. The magic is broken. I’ve already tried to fix this thing and it didn’t work.”
“What did you try?”
“Well, I mapped out all of the broken pieces of magic.” Someone coughed. I looked around and caught Bodhi’s grin. “Sorry, it wasn’t just me—it was all of us—we mapped the magic that was scattered throughout the house. I thought maybe if I knew where all of the magical pieces were, then we could mark them on the map and then fold it in some weird configuration until it aligned.”
“You thought if you made a drawing of the portal, it would open?”
“Well, not just that. I drew a sigil on it to heal it.”
“I see. Okay, so here’s where you went wrong. You were thinking like a witch. This isn’t your average portal. This is a faery portal. You need to use Fae magic.”
“B-but, I don’t have—”
“Yes, you do. You know those visions of yours, and the teleporting to the waterfall? That was because of your Fae magic.”
“Grand-mère said I was traveling the astral plane.”
Mama frowned. “I know, honey. I’m sorry we’ve had to lie to you so much in your life. I swear we were only trying to protect you. Anyway, you need to let your light out.”
“But I don’t know how. I never meant to do any of those other things. They just happened.”
“Exactly, so don’t overthink it. There are no spells or sigils needed here. You just have to want to do something.”
Mama reached out and placed her hand on my shoulder. “Boys, step back now. Evangeline, I’m going to sprinkle faery dust on you to speed things along. I want you to hold my hand and imagine that portal opening.”
Moments later, I felt something pop in my back and my scalp tingled and suddenly something sharp pierced through.
“What the hell?” I heard Bodhi whisper. “You have horns.”
I felt the top of my head. Sure enough, he was right. I turned fast to see what the others thought and almost knocked Zephyr over with my wings. Big, black faery wings.
“Holy crap, I’m like some evil Disney faery. How will I walk around like this now on?”
“It’s okay, honey. They’ll disappear when you want them too. Now, concentrate. We need to get your aunt home.”
“My aunt? Lennon is my aunt?” Holy crap. I was freaking out inside. “Okay, Sorry. I’m on it.”
I closed my eyes and did as she said.
I heard it open before I saw anything, and by that, I mean, I heard my men gasp in awe. They’d seen hell but they’d never seen the land of Faery. A blinding light glowed from within the portal, but once that dimmed, the countryside was visible.
“Can they see us?” Bodhi asked.
“No,” Mama answered, “It’s like a one-way mirror.”
The land was white and snowy and there was a rainbow. It was practically a Utopia. Mama held Lennon in her arms like a mother with her child, and I felt a little tingle of jealousy but, also, I felt strangely proud to be related to such a powerful creature.
“There’s just one more thing I need to say before we go,” Mama said.
I stepped forward to listen.
“It’s for all of you to hear,” Mama clarified. “It’s very important that we keep this a secret. No one can find out about Evie being Half-Fae and Half-Necromancer.”
“Why?” Bodhi questioned.
Mama frowned, “There is a prophecy of doom over the Fae Kingdom. That’s why I’ve kept Evie’s heritage a secret all this time. I can’t have someone weaponizing her against our own people. And if the Queen knew she existed, well, I don’t know what she’d do. She might just kill her just to eliminate the chance.”
“What? Her own granddaughter?”
Colten and Zephyr each took one of my hands and Eleutian touched my wing from behind. “You can count on us. We’ll keep her safe.”
“The vampires?” I whispered.
She nodded. “They figured it out and that’s why they were after you. That’s why Grand-mère was hoping to bring her sister, Sarah, back from the dead. Sarah was very scholarly. I think Zoe figured if anyone could find a loophole to save you, it was her.”
“So, Grand-mere’s not bad?”
“Child, Grand-mere is part Fae and that is a complex topic. In the meantime, stay hush and stay safe. Now come and give your Mama a kiss on the cheek.”
40
A day later, we were gathered at the Academy where Demas was resting. We’d taken over the headmistress’ quarters. Maggie and Remy, as well as Giselle and Marigold had come to visit. Demas was looking better, resting on a soft leather couch. I’d been nursing him back to health when our company arrived so he was scantily clad in boxers and a red wool throw. His war wounds, the repeated slashes of Razor Howl’s claws, not to mention the puncture marks from his fangs were still visible. I would be riding him back to recovery again once they left. The sacrifices I made to keep everyone healthy.
As it turned out, the Headmistress had poisoned Demas with wolfsbane which was why his healing was slow-going. It was the same way his father had been betrayed.
We didn’t have all the answers yet. We only knew the headmistress had been trying to protect her brother. Aurora suspected Razor was pulling the strings, although Babs refused to confirm. Regardless, both brother and sister were in custody of the council now. The truth would come out, it was only a matter of time.
“So, now what happens?” I asked.
Maggie stood as Remy walked over and smiled at her. “With help from Demas and Aurora, I’ll be declared alpha of all three packs. I’ll visit each one as soon as I build a trusted circle with the help of Remy, here.” She wrapped her arm around his waist. “The goal will be to find out how to repair the damage Razor did and supply them with everything they’ve needed for a long time. Razor had skimmed off vast amounts of cash paid into the pack funds, purchasing frivolous crap for himself. Most of the members of our pack have been living in cabins without any modern conveniences. The Blackpaw Phantoms and Bayou Loup Garous have modern facilities but are rundown since Razor took over. So, I’ll be selling everything to finance those repairs.”
“Aurora and I will help finance the Blackpaw Phantoms pack,” Demas gritted out.
“Why would you do that? I mean, I appreciate it, but it was my father that caused all of this.”
“The Blackpaw Phantoms was my pack before…before…” Demas cleared his throat.
“Razor killed his father, the alpha,” I said, for him.
“Oh, God, that’s right. Is there anyone he didn’t hurt? I’m so sorry, Demas!” Maggie reached out to touch his shoulder.
“It’s our responsibility. I was too young when it happened to do anything, but I can help fix things now.”
“Shouldn’t you be alpha of that pack then? By rights, it’s yours,” Maggie said.
Fear suddenly knotted my stomach, and I worried what his answer might be. Goddess, I was so stupid, I’d never considered he might leave me to run the pack.
Demas must have felt my fear because he reached out and yanked me down onto the couch with him, scooting over so we were snuggled close. Then he kissed my neck and shook his head. “I could never leave my Evie. Or the Monster Squad. The pack is yours, Maggie, we just have to help for our own peace of mind.”
Maggie sighed and I could see in her eyes that she was happy for me. Then she slapped her hands together and looked at Remy. “Well, we better go pack my stuff.”
“Wait, you’re leaving the academy?” I asked, shifting nervously against Demas.
He groaned as I hit a sore spot.
“Sorry,” I twisted my head and kissed him.
“No, just taking a leave of absence until things are sorted out and then I’ll return. Probably the only alpha in history to attend an academy while in charge of one pack, let alone three. T
hank you all for your help. I know I was wrong to frame the clique, but at least Lennon seems to have turned over a new leaf.”
“Temporarily, anyway,” Colten said.
“I heard the Queen was pissed …” Giselle said.
“With the school or the wolves?” I asked.
“No, with Lennon for allowing herself to be kidnapped.”
Marigold smirked as she smacked her gum. “I’d like to say I feel sorry for her, but quite frankly after watching her torture everyone else, it’s nice to see her get bullied for a change.”
I frowned. “This is what’s wrong with this place. Seriously, girls, the bullying has got to stop. We need to have a little compassion.”
“I could use a little of this compassion of which you speak,” Demas croaked the words out before cracking a smile.
He winked when I turned back to look at him.
I trailed a fingertip lazily in circles on the top of his chest “I think what you need is a hot bath and a massage.”
“Oh, I like the sounds of that.”
Grimm stuck his hand in the air like an eager schoolboy followed by Colten. “We’d like some of that compassion too, please.”
I laughed as my boys playfully shoved one another like they were fighting for the front of the line. “Yes, yes. Keep your pants on. You can all have a little of my unlimited supply of compassion.”
“Actually, I’d prefer we take our pants off,” Bodhi suggested with a leer.
“And I think that’s our cue ta leave, Chere,” Remy said as he tugged Maggie and the other girls to the door.
Keep reading for a sneak peek at the final book in the Midnight Arcanum series.
The faery dust has once again hit the fan in the French Quarter. As if the Undead Uprising and Razor Howl’s attempted war wasn’t hellish enough, now some sort of toxic sparkle is overtaking the city, sending shifters into a violent frenzy. Hey, it’s me, Evangeline Midnight and I barely finished the academy’s exams and completed my first honey trap before this new shitstorm hit.
Sticks & Stones Spell Werewolf Bones: A Why Choose Academy Romance Page 22
