Her eyes blinked back in annoyance. “Oh good, another family visit that I didn’t ask for.”
I exhaled deeply, trying to mask my irritation. “Arcadia, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important.”
She chuckled and looked Valentina up and down. “And was it necessary to bring the tramp?”
Valentina growled. “Show some respect in front of your Imperator.”
Arcadia rolled her eyes and turned back to me. “Right. So sorry Imperator. What can I do for you?” She didn’t try to hide the sarcasm in her voice.
I brushed it off. “Long story short, there is trouble with the Lupi. They doubt my intentions and will not be of any use to me in the battles ahead. I need your Rougarou army to swear their allegiance to me.”
She erupted into laughter. “This is what happens when the Lupi lose their wolf charmer. Are you happy now? I knew this tramp wouldn’t be able to control the pack.”
Valentina started forward, but I held her back. “You might be right, but that doesn’t matter anymore. I need allies, and I need the Lupi to stay out of my way. Can I count on your help?”
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at me. “Perhaps… It would require me going to Diana’s Forest. I need to reassume control. They will listen to me. I will make them.”
Valentina snorted. “No way. Not happening. They are my pack.”
Arcadia cocked her head to the side. “Sweetie, right now they are no one’s pack. You need to let me clean up this mess before they go completely rogue.”
I nodded. “Val, she’s right. We need the Lupi under control before they make a mess of everything.”
Valentina huffed and paced around the garden. “Fine. But don’t get too comfortable, princess. And don’t even think about laying a hand on Lycos.”
Arcadia chuckled. “Lycos can make up his own mind. Who knows, maybe he’ll come to his senses after he sees who the true wolf queen is.”
Valentina’s eyes flashed red. I grabbed her wrist and tugged her behind me. She would rip Arcadia apart without a second thought if I didn’t calm her down. I needed this plan to work.
I dragged Valentina toward the door, pausing to look back at Arcadia. “Remember, this is only temporary. Keep them under control and you will be rewarded.”
Arcadia rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say, sister.”
Valentina shot her a venom-filled look as I shoved her down the tunnel, grunting and growling.
When we reached the surface of the city streets, she shrugged me off of her.
“I don’t trust her. How can you agree to this?” Her eyes flashed blood red.
I flashed my eyes back at her. “You need to take a deep breath and count to ten. I don’t trust her either, but I know what I’m doing. The best place for Arcadia to be is in that forest—out of our way and keeping the Lupi occupied.”
Valentina let out a deep breath and shifted her eyes back to normal. She shook her head before finally nodding and stomping back toward our ship.
This was going to be a long night. A long journey. We would all have to do things we didn’t want to do—make sacrifices we weren’t sure we could handle. A long path of bloodshed and dark magic pulled at every thread of my sanity and threatened to take away everything that mattered to me. The fear of losing the ones I loved—that was what kept me going. I just needed to find a way to keep everyone else going too.
Valentina gave me the silent treatment as the ship rocked back and forth, teetering like an acrobat on an unsteady rope. I crossed to the opposite side of the ship to give her space. I had asked so much from her that I owed her the time to process it.
With the matter of the wolves handled for now, I turned my thoughts to the Witches. Meeting with them in person was necessary to ensure loyalty and compliance. But that feeling of dread was still in the pit of my stomach. I pushed it down and swallowed it hard. There was too much at stake for me to lose control now. There would be time later to deal with my own demons. For now, I needed to focus on the ones that were currently holed up in my city.
The sound of cicadas singing carried through the wind as we neared the port. The scent of magnolias filled my nose. “It’s time. We swim from here.”
Valentina raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure Josephine’s route is safe?”
I shook my head. “No, but it’s our only option. Cerberus can’t know we are here. The cloaking spell should buy us enough time to get to the Wolf and Crescent.”
We navigated the shipping channels of Lake Pontchartrain with ease. The marsh-filled water embraced my skin like a warm bath. The speed with which we moved was attributed to our Dhampir abilities. We could cover miles in just a blink of a human eye.
As we neared the bayou, I could feel the magic. It pulsated around the city, lighting it up like a forest fire. Invisible to the human eye, it permeated through my veins and sent chills down my back. Valentina swallowed hard and shot me a look of caution as we made our way through the swamps.
The creatures of the night shrank back as we walked. They sensed it. We were deadlier than they were. Birds scattered and alligators glared from a safe distance. In this world, we were at the top of the food chain and they were our prey.
Torches lit the path before us, and a low humming vibrated in my ears. The Witches’ voices wove in and out just above a whisper. Their magic pulled me toward them like a magnet.
Valentina grabbed my arm. “You need to shield yourself. They are putting out a lot of energy.”
I shivered and shrugged her off. “I’m fine, Val.”
She grabbed me again. “Then why are your eyes black?”
My stomach dropped. My Narcissus magic was surging. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, quieting my thoughts. A tremor shot through me, and it turned off. It was taking more focus to do this lately.
I exhaled slowly and opened my eyes, turning toward Valentina. She searched my face and then nodded, satisfied that I was back to normal.
The Wolf and Crescent glowed like a swarm of fireflies. Hooded Witches gathered on all sides of the newly rebuilt structure. Traces of sage and oleander stung my nose. It was one giant ritual—all the Witches using their power at once to create a magic barrier around the city.
Josephine emerged from inside with her son, Samuel, at her heels. Her black hair was pulled back in a low bun at the nape of her neck and sweat dripped down her temples, creating a light sheen on her brown skin.
I nodded as she approached. “Josephine.”
Her eyes crinkled as she wiped the sweat from her brow. “Gray. Welcome back. As you can see, we are all working overtime to keep the city sealed.”
I glanced around at the Witches—hundreds of them from all over poured out their magic. “How long can you keep it up?”
Josephine clenched her jaw. “As long as we have to. We can’t have demons roaming around the entire country. We all have families out there. Families that are unprotected.”
Samuel snickered in my direction. “This is all your fault. You let them out, and now we are doing your dirty work for you.”
Josephine gasped. “Samuel, no—”
I raised my hand. “It’s okay. We all have our dirty jobs in this war. You’re right, this is my fault. But I’m trying to fix it. I appreciate the Witches’ help in this matter.”
My head was pounding. Samuel had had issues with me since the beginning. His contempt for me was palpable.
He snorted in disgust. “Appreciate? All you Dhampirs think about are yourselves. The Witches are expendable to you, and you know it. My mother knows it. Why she keeps helping you is beyond me.”
Josephine hissed at him. “Hold your tongue. You are speaking to the Imperator. I am the leader of this coven, not you. And I chose to lead us into a better future by joining the Consilium. You will not say another word. Understood?”
Samuel chuckled. “What Consilium? She’s killed most of our members in her temper tantrum over her daddy issues. How convenient that she and her band of misfits are in ch
arge now.”
Josephine seethed. Her eyes flashed at him, her hands trembling.
I drew in a sharp breath as Valentina started toward him. “You should listen to your mommy, Witch. You’re getting real close to crossing a line you literally won’t be able to walk back from.”
He shot her a defiant look as she held her ground, inches away from his face.
An uneasiness formed in the pit of my stomach. “Samuel, tell me something. Why weren’t you on the battlefield at Infitum? Were you afraid? Or were you plotting something else?”
His eyes bulged, and his cheeks reddened. “What I do is none of your business. And I fear nothing.”
I licked my lips. “But it is my business to know if Witches are gearing up to stab me in the back.”
Josephine’s pulse quickened. “Gray, please, he has a foul tongue, but he would never betray the covens.”
Samuel clenched his fists. “Oh, believe me, I thought about it. Ever since you stepped foot in our city, everything has gone to hell. But if you are accusing me of plotting against you, the answer is no. I’m guilty of a lot of things, but a traitor, I am not.”
Valentina sighed. “Then stop acting like one and get on board.”
I rubbed my temples. “Look, we don’t have time for this. The longer Cerberus is in this realm, the stronger and more solid his hold will be. Just keep doing what you’re doing. No one gets in or out of New Orleans until I say.”
Josephine nodded. “What if the gods abandon us?” Her voice quivered.
My heart skipped a beat. “Then we’ll figure out another way, but I can’t think about that now. You do your part and we’ll do ours. We can save this world if we work together.” I rested my gaze on Samuel.
He shuffled his feet back and forth in the dirt. Josephine gave him a nudge and muttered something under her breath.
He sighed, annoyed, but looked me straight in the eye. “I understand. You won’t have any trouble from me.”
I let out a deep breath. “Good. Since you seem to have this under control, we will head back to the Hall of Secrets to find out exactly what the Hades Protocol entails. Send word if anything changes here.”
Josephine nodded, and as Samuel stomped off, I noticed that there were new lines in her face, marks of exhaustion and fear. As Val and I swam back to the ship, I prayed the Witches could keep this up. If the barrier were to fall, we would all be doomed.
Three
The mood in the Hall was a somber one. Underneath all of it was tension, worry, and uncertainty. Dragos and Aldric were going stir crazy, careful to avoid each other at opposite sides of the study. The last time the two of them were in here, they tried to rip each other’s throats out, another incident that was directly my fault. The guilt crept up in my throat and threatened to choke me.
The Keeper had been working night and day on potions and antidotes to arm us with—specific tools to use against the banshees and the shadow demons. Our magic alone would not protect us from their deafening screams and soul sucking appetites.
He broke away from his lab to meet with us in the study. With puffy eyes and a furrowed brow, he looked worse than Josephine. If the demons didn’t kill us, the lack of sleep surely would. For Dhampirs, we slept with our eyes open, but for the others, a human sleep was what they needed…and a stiff drink.
The Keeper addressed the room. “I have located the entrance to Elysium… You aren’t going to like it.”
I swallowed hard. “Go on.” I shot Valentina a nervous look.
He continued after a deep sigh. “It’s in the Harpy Forest. You will need their permission to cross through.”
My stomach dropped, like the air had been knocked out of me. The Harpies—half human, half bird—were a vile bunch. They had made no effort to work with any of our covens, and they thought of themselves as superior because of their history with the gods.
I stood up and began pacing. “They are never going to let us pass. Maybe we can sneak past them somehow.”
Aldric rubbed his chin. “I’m game for that.”
Valentina shook her head. “No. That won’t work. They’ll see us coming. They’re in the trees, the sky, even in the dirt. They’ll know we are there the second we set foot on their land.”
My head ached. A mixture of doubt and anxiety started to seep into my veins. We needed the gods, but the only way to get to them was blocked by an unpredictable flock of winged heathens. Narcissus magic scratched at the back of my throat as my mind raced.
Dragos hesitated but then opened his mouth to speak. “I might be able to at least get us in the door…so to speak.”
Valentina’s cheeks flashed bright pink. “No. Not again, brother.”
I raised an eyebrow, my interest piqued. “I’m listening.”
Dragos’s past was always full of surprises. I had to remind myself that he had lived much longer than I had. There was also a long stretch of time that he and I were not together.
A hint of mischief twinkled in his eyes. “Let’s just say I know their leader, Iris, very well.”
Aldric snorted. “Is there anyone you haven’t slept with?”
My cheeks burned red and a tinge of jealousy shot up my spine. It shouldn’t have, but it did.
Dragos smirked. “What can I say? I’m charming and irresistible. She had this spot on her—”
“Spare us the details. Can you get us a meeting with her?” His past exploits were the last thing I wanted to hear about.
He licked his lips—satisfied and amused with himself for getting under my skin, yet again. “Of course I can. I’m sure she’s dying to see me.”
Valentina flashed her eyes at him. “Dragos, are you sure you want to go down that road again?”
There was something unspoken between them. It passed through their eyes like a dark secret.
He sprang up from his chair. “I wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t sure. I can be very persuasive…as you know.” He let his eyes linger on mine for a minute too long.
Aldric jumped up from his chair. “Enough with the innuendos, asshole. We get it. If you’re going with Gray to talk to the Harpies, I am too.”
Dragos chuckled. “Always so predictable. Just let me do the talking, Bannister. I wouldn’t want you to bore them to death.”
Aldric started toward him. “I’m going to cut out your—”
The Keeper snapped, “Enough. Can’t we get through one conversation without you two berating each other?”
The room fell quiet as he shook his head in disappointment. I had never heard The Keeper lose his temper before. This war was taking its toll on all of us.
I gently squeezed his shoulder. “You need to rest. When was the last time you slept?”
His eyes welled up. “I will rest when this war is over. Now, make your preparations for the Harpy Forest. You should leave at dawn. It’s a long journey.”
We nodded in unison. With his sharp tone, even Dragos refrained from spouting out a snarky response.
I poured myself a whiskey and knocked it back. “Meet me in the Library of Covens.” It was time to chart our course.
With a satchel of oyster pearls and a jug of cherry brandy, we reached the outer edges of the forest in two days’ time.
The trees glittered like clusters of bright green emeralds. When they blew in the breeze, the air filled with the scent of rainwater and freshly cut grass. It was intoxicating.
The leaves rustled, and it felt like a thousand pairs of eyes were on us. The back of my neck prickled. As we moved farther into the lush foliage, the tingling sensation in my limbs increased. It was a different kind of magic—stripped down and animalistic.
Aldric, Dragos, and Valentina felt it too. Their mouths gaped open as they searched the tree-tops for movement. The sky was obscured by what looked like a blanket of birds. They chirped a song that was sweet and melodic, but I knew it was meant to be a warning of our intrusion.
The Harpies were organized and methodical. They have had this system in pl
ace for a thousand years. There was a time when they were open and vulnerable, and it cost them dearly. Hunters had come in, seeking their colorful feathers, and destroyed half of their race to acquire them. They recovered in time and grew larger in number, but they vowed they would never trust another species again.
Dragos pulled me to a stop in front of a stone bench that was covered in ivy. “We need to wait here for Iris and her sister.”
A spark sizzled between my fingers as the anxiety in my belly grew. My darker magic wanted to lash out at the slightest hint of danger. I clenched my hands to my sides and willed it to subside.
Valentina’s eyes glowed red as her head darted around in anticipation. “I don’t like this.” Her jaw was tight, but the tips of her fangs slightly protruded out.
Aldric moved closer to stand next to me. “Why do I feel like we are being stalked, like prey?”
“That’s because you are prey.” She flew down and hovered a few feet off the ground. Iris.
Her wings fluttered like a butterfly—bright yellow, pink, and gold. With talons for feet and a beak for a nose, that was the extent of her birdlike features. Her hair was streaked with the colors of the rainbow—spun together like silk, twisting like vines. Her eyes were violet with flecks of gold, invoking visions of lavender macarons and sparkling champagne. She was a stunning sight and she knew it.
Next to her was her opposite, her sister Nemesis. If there was a perfect example of the absence of color, she was it. With silver and white feathers and eyes as black as night, her presence sparked a cold, ominous feeling. Her ebony hair matched her eyes and her attitude. Was this how people felt when my eyes were shifted? I shuddered and felt a twinge of guilt.
Iris narrowed her sights on Dragos. “You have a lot of nerve coming here.” Her voice was small and sweet like a child’s but laced with bitterness like sour grapes.
Gods and Demons (Blood and Darkness Book 3) Page 2
