by Tamsin Ley
“Stupid human. So unaware. So helplessly bound to your own mundane plane of existence.” The face loomed closer, kicking up a gust that smelled like singed hair. “Let’s just say you don’t want the beings passing through that realm taking an interest in a stranded mortal soul.”
Ashlyn shrank back, trying to make the billowing colors around her solidify into recognizable objects or spaces. She felt like a kite being tossed in the wind, vertigo making her dizzy. Strange pinging and warbling noises surrounded her that seemed to have no source. The only stable thing she had was the thread connecting her to Kepler. Kepler, are you all right?
She could feel his confusion as he answered, I got away. What is going on?
That thing’s called an agathion. It tried to eat your soul. Ashlyn’s throat felt tight. I can’t beat it. It kicked me out of my own body.
I’m going for help.
Ashlyn knew what needed to happen. The monster controlling her body had to be killed. She had to be killed. You have to kill me before I hurt anyone else.
No, the witches did this to you. They might know what to do.
There’s no time. This monster can’t be allowed to reach the town.
She could feel his angst through their connection, as she was certain he could feel hers. They’d just found each other, just discovered forever, and their chance at a future was being ripped away. But there was no other option. Promise me, Kepler.
After a brief pause, he said, I promise I won’t let you hurt any more people.
That was all she could ask for. Closing her eyes, she thought about her wolf. Had the agathion killed her? She remembered seeing the animal in shackles, so maybe it was still alive. Wolf, where are you?
A mournful howl floated above the other strange sounds. Off balance, she tried to move toward it. If she focused on thoughts of her wolf, her surroundings seemed a little more solid. The ground became what felt like rough stone, but the world—realm, the agathion had called it—made little sense to her. All of her senses seemed jumbled, what should be something she saw coming across as a taste or smell, and her sense of touch would sometimes translate as a color or sound. At least she hadn’t encountered any other monsters.
Yet.
She pushed through what felt like yellow foam and paused at what looked like a vibrating tightrope over what could’ve been a river of magma. Her wolf called to her from the other side. Touching the tightrope with her toes, she was filled by the flavor of chocolate. What the hell. She felt like she was playing a child’s board game gone horribly wrong.
Crossing over with more ease than expected, she was stopped by a bouncing green orb. Watching it made her eyes cross, so she closed them and kept going. Then the scent of anise brushed by her. She felt it pause and reverse direction toward her again. Something about it made her blood run cold, as if she’d gained the attention of something. Her wolf howled again, a snarling, protective sound, and she started to run.
Behind her, she could feel the anise scent approaching. Shit shit shit. What is it?
Ahead, a periwinkle sliver of light held steady amidst the rest of the shifting landscape. Her wolf’s howl was coming from in there, calling her. She dove for it, the brush of anise at her heels, and everything went dark.
For a moment, she lay very still, unsure what had happened. Am I still alive?
A soft whine reached her, and she lifted her head to find a pair of glowing blue eyes watching her in the darkness.
“Wolf!” Ashlyn’s voice echoed back at her, as if she was inside a vast cavern. She crawled forward over hard, rocky ground. “You’re all right.”
A long pink tongue met her cheek.
Hope warmed in Ashlyn’s chest. Perhaps together they’d be strong enough to force the agathion from her body. Assuming Kepler hadn’t killed her yet. Certainly she’d feel something when and if he did? She had to assume her body was still alive until then.
Wrapping her arms around the wolf’s furry neck, she hugged her tightly. “I’m glad you’re alive. Ready to help me fight a monster?”
Her wolf nuzzled her ear and whined softly.
Ashlyn ran her hands over what felt like a solid ring forged in one piece around the wolf’s throat. It was connected by a thick chain bolted to the cave’s wall. The only light in the cavern seemed to come from her wolf’s eyes, but she saw what might be a keyhole embedded in a metal plate where the chain connected to the wall.
Remembering how Kepler had picked the lock to her front door, she reached out to him. Kepler, can you hear me?
He didn’t answer. Her nausea returned, not vertigo this time, but dread. Had the agathion got him? Maybe it was just the cave blocking reception. She scanned their surroundings, hoping to see a door. A key. A magic button that said ‘eject.’ Anything.
But the surrounding blackness seemed absolute.
The wolf bent and lifted something in its jaws, depositing it in Ashlyn’s lap. The thing moved.
Ashlyn recoiled, ready to shove it off, but a protective sensation washed through her from her wolf. In the dim glow from her wolf’s eyes, a mangy, one-eyed ferret stared up at her. The tiny creature cowered in her lap as if expecting a blow.
“Oh, you poor thing,” said Ashlyn. “Are you trapped here, too?”
The ferret nodded.
Ashlyn hadn’t expected the creature to answer, but then her wolf wasn’t an ordinary wolf, so she shouldn’t be surprised. “Are you a shifter animal?”
The ferret shook its head no.
“Do you know the way out?”
The creature jerked its head to the right in a purposeful way, as if telling her to look over there. Then it hopped off her lap and scratched her thigh with its front feet.
Fingers buried in her wolf’s ruff, Ashlyn said, “I think it wants me to go with it.”
Her wolf nudged her shoulder.
Stomach churning, she rose. The ferret ran a few steps away, all but disappearing in the darkness before it turned to face her, single eye glittering like a dim star.
Ashlyn followed the ferret’s hunched gait, walking carefully over the uneven stone. She had no idea how the thing knew where it was going, but it stayed only a few paces away, turning to face her every few steps. Ahead, what looked like a glowing orange circle grew brighter, eventually clarifying into what looked like a group of knee-high mushrooms.
The ferret stopped at the outer edge and stood on its hind legs, peering over the caps.
Something about the circle made her head spin. “Curiouser and curiouser. What is it? A fairy circle?”
The ferret scurried around the circumference, coming to stop at her other side. It once more stood on its hind legs to peer into the middle.
“You want me to go in there?” The idea made Ashlyn want to vomit.
The ferret scratched the top of her foot like it had her thigh.
“I guess that means yes.” Sighing, Ashlyn looked over her shoulder. She could no longer see her wolf, but she could feel her comforting presence. Stepping into the circle of mushrooms might very well send Ashlyn to yet another place. What if she couldn’t get back?
The ferret scratched at her foot again.
Bending, Ashlyn picked the creature up. Its fur was softer than she’d expected, its body light and bony. It squeaked as if in pain. She hadn’t been rough, but adjusted her grip. “I’m not going to hurt you, but I need you to come with me.”
The ferret lowered its head in what might have been resignation.
Steeling herself, Ashlyn lifted a foot and stepped into the circle.
Chapter Fourteen
No way in hell would Kepler let Ashlyn die. A witch had caused this, and a witch was going to fix it. He’d accept nothing less. He dodged trees and leaped over brush, heading straight toward the coven’s gate. Ashlyn, what’s your witch friend’s name?
She didn’t answer.
He slowed, searching for their mental bond. But there was nothing. Dread settled into his gut. Darcy’s warning about monsters
hovering around the hellmouth returned to haunt him. Ashlyn was alone on the other side. He glanced in the direction he’d come from, realizing he’d also abandoned her body to a monster. An agathion, she’d called it. It was leave her or kill her. He prayed the witches knew what an agathion was. Raising his muzzle, he howled in frustration but continued onward.
Despite his natural healing power, his chest still burned where the demon had touched him. He’d never felt as close to death as in that moment. If his wolf hadn’t taken over, he was certain he’d be dead right now. No one the agathion came in contact with stood a chance. More was at stake than the life of his mate.
He reached the wrought-iron fence and skirted it toward the gated driveway, praying the witches had a way to exorcize the thing without hurting Ashlyn. I should’ve let Darcy introduce me to the coven. He hadn’t met the local witches and had no idea if they were friendly to shifters or not. Ashlyn seemed to think they wanted to help, but he’d feel better if he had backup.
Cal, can you hear me? Desperate, he searched for the connection they’d shared earlier. I need your help.
Relief flooded him when Cal answered, Glad you’ve come to your senses. What happened?
Ashlyn tried to shift, but something went wrong. I think a demon came through instead of her wolf.
Fuck, man. Okay. Finch and I are almost there.
The last person Kepler expected Cal to rally was the grizzly shifter. What about the pack?
I thought about what you said, and you’re right. We need level heads here. Plus, I’m following chain of command. Which actually meant he wanted to show off for the Regional Director. But before Kepler could comment, Cal’s voice grew more serious. What the hell is that stench?
Shit. Kepler suddenly realized Cal was probably backtracking his trail, which put him on a collision course with the demon. Stop. It’s the demon. Don’t go back to where you left me and Ashlyn. Come to the coven house.
The witches? Aren’t they the ones who started all this?
I don’t think it was these witches. But I’m hoping they have a way to get rid of the demon. Kepler shifted to human form and approached the keypad. Whatever you do, stay away from Ashlyn until we have the witches on our side.
Fuck, man, she’d better be worth it.
She is. He reached for the buzzer, but the gate swung open before he touched it. Of course the witches were waiting for him. Aware he was naked as a jaybird, he strode down the driveway, keeping his wolf at the surface in case he needed a quick change.
A group of women waited for him on the porch of a big gray house. One of them hurried forward with a fleece blanket, her gaze seemingly unable to stay off his junk. She flushed as he accepted the blanket, then stepped aside. He wrapped it around his waist and stared up at the coven. “You were expecting me.”
An older witch at the front of the group nodded, her face stern. “Saw you on the gate camera when you ran away the first time. My name’s Tessa. I lead this coven.” Her attention moved past him toward the gate which had swung closed behind him. “Where are the other two?”
“Cal went to get the pack.” He decided it might be best if they thought he had a lot of backup on the way. “But Ashlyn, my mate, seems to have been possessed by a demon.”
Exclamations of distress rose from the group of witches. “We’re too late.”
“The agathion is loose?”
“This is a disaster.”
Tessa raised a hand, and the voices silenced. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. You may remain inside the compound for safety. We will take it from here.”
Kepler put his hands on his hips. “I don’t think so. That’s my mate you’re talking about.”
Once more, the group murmured. The older witch raised her brows. “The woman or the man?”
“The woman, Ashlyn.”
“Are you certain? She isn’t one of your kind.”
“Of course I’m certain.” He hated the way supernaturals always divided people by bloodlines. If it wasn’t pack versus pack, it was wolf versus bear, or shifter versus witch. He was done with it. “One of your kind cursed her, so I expect one of you can reverse it.”
She shook her head, gaze full of regret. “We have apprehended the guilty party and she will pay, I promise. But there is no way to reverse the spell. We must destroy the host before the demon gets any stronger.”
A dark-haired witch shouldered forward, glaring at the coven leader. “She’s more than a host. Her name’s Ashlyn, and she’s my friend. I feel partially responsible for what’s happened to her.”
“It was in no way your fault,” Tessa insisted.
“I invited Jen to visit.” Muffy tapped her own chest. “I invited them both to my party. All of this happened right under my nose. I’m a terrible witch and a terrible sister. I should’ve seen it.”
“Your sister is the witch who’s been creating the rogues?” Kepler asked, his hands balling into fists at his sides. His wolf was ready to rip out someone’s throat. We need them alive to reverse the spell on Ashlyn, he reminded his animal. “Can she reverse the hex on Ashlyn?”
Tessa glared at Muffy. “You reveal too much, especially to someone outside the coven. There’s nothing Jen or any of us can do.”
Muffy threw up her arms. “She wants to make this right. But you won’t talk to her.”
“Her suggestions are all forbidden magic,” Tessa said.
Kepler advanced up the steps, forcing several witches to stumble backward as he put himself nose-to-nose with Tessa. “Let me talk to the witch who did this.”
Beside the coven leader, Muffy held her ground. “It’s his business, too. They’re mates. I know I’d want Jonathan to do everything he could if I was in trouble.”
Tessa shook her head, gaze moving between Kepler and Muffy. “Impossible.”
“The witch who summoned the agathion must know its weakness,” Kepler pressed. “I want to talk to her.”
The front door opened and a blonde woman called out, “Tessa, there’s a shifter at the gate who says he’s with the State Troopers. What do you want me to do?”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “I had hoped to settle this problem internally, but I see it’s already spread beyond the coven’s boundaries. Let him in.”
Moments later, Finch and Cal stood at Kepler’s side, both naked. Finch spoke low, hands discreetly over his crotch and eyes on Tessa. “Afraid I don’t have my credentials on me at the moment, ma’am.”
“We have other means of verifying your identity, Director Finch.” Her gaze remained shrewdly on his face, although the younger witches around her were obviously ogling the naked men. Tessa turned toward the house. “Follow me, please.”
Inside, Cal and Finch were given blankets like Kepler’s then they all followed Tessa to a low door. The witch looked over her shoulder. “My Circle of Protection was damaged, and this makeshift one is fragile. Please do not disturb or pass over the stones.”
She descended a narrow stairway into a basement that was barely more than a crawlspace. Kepler had to duck to keep from bumping his head on the bare joists overhead, and though the space appeared dry, the air smelled earthy and pungent, like mushrooms. A few bare lightbulbs hung at regular intervals down the joists, revealing a circle of stones on top of clear plastic vapor barrier. In the center sat a woman on a wooden chair.
Kepler’d expected her to be tied up or something, but her hands rested in her lap, clutching a wad of tissues. She lifted her chin to regard the approaching group. Her long auburn tresses hung limp around her ghostly pale face, and her reddened eyes looked as if she’d been crying.
Muffy hurried forward, stopping short at the edge of the stones. “Jen, the agathion—”
“I know. Hamilton told me.”
Kepler frowned. “Who’s Hamilton?” He hadn’t seen any male witches since he’d arrived.
“Jen’s familiar.” Muffy faced him, eyes worried. “The agathion was holding him hostage, forcing her—”
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nbsp; “Muffy,” Tessa’s tone held warning.
Muffy nodded, stepping back to allow the others to approach. Cal hung back, eyes wide, but Finch moved forward next to Kepler.
Stopping only when his bare toes nearly touched the stone circle, Kepler glared at the witch inside. Finally, he stood face-to-face with the person who’d started everything. Who’d evaded him for years. He had so many questions. None of them mattered now except for one. “How do I banish the agathion?”
Finch planted ham-sized fists on his hips. “And why are you suddenly helping?”
Jen shook her head, mouth a grim line. “He kidnapped my familiar and broke his promise to give him back to me after I completed the hex.” She looked past the shifters toward the coven leader. “But I can’t banish the agathion back to his realm because it would require me to use forbidden magic.”
Tessa’s arms were crossed, her face stern. “The magic is forbidden for a reason. It opens a hellmouth. Anything could come through. Besides, even if I let you try, you don’t have the proper components.”
“If it’s the only way to get Ashlyn back, we need to do it,” Kepler said and looked at Jen again. “What components? Tell me what you need and I’ll get it.”
“I need a physical sample from the being to be hexed. Blood, skin, hair.”
“That’s easy.” Kepler exhaled with relief. “I’ll go to Ashlyn’s apartment and bring you her comb, toothbrush, whatever you need.”
Jen shook her head. “Old samples won’t work. We need samples from the body while it’s inhabited.”
Tessa added, “The agathion knows that. Even if it didn’t kill you on sight, it won’t allow you to collect materials that will banish it.”
Kepler grit his teeth, recalling Ashlyn’s glowing purple veins and how close he’d come to death when the agathion had touched him. But he refused to give up. “I think I can get close enough. It called me its consort when I was with it earlier.”
Jen blinked, horror filling her eyes. “You’re Ashlyn’s mate?”
“Yes.” He felt his lip curl in a snarl, exposing one long canine.
She visibly swallowed. “Then it may allow you near, at least for a time. The problem will be when you try to get away.”
