Authors: Crystal Jordan
Embrace the Night (35 page)
“Gods.” She didn't know what else to say. So many things spun through her mind, wild hope, crazy scientific possibilities, deathly terror because the danger was nowhere near past. She grabbed for something real, something sane. “The side effects aren't good, because you weren't doing so hot.”
He snorted. “A few minutes for the healing magic to kick in, but that's nothing if it means wolves don't have to worry about dying. Some tests, some tweaking. But
look
at me. I'm not even having to fight for it, and I'm human.”
look
at me. I'm not even having to fight for it, and I'm human.”
Something enormous slammed into the door, making them both jolt back to ugly reality. Tess called from where she was prowling around the edge of the building. “Could we hold off on the celebration until we're out of here, please?”
Stumbling back from the door, they all gathered near the railing. Twinkling city lights stretched in a panorama around them, brightly lit high-rises and the Space Needle piercing the sky, with the Puget Sound a dark swath in the distance. Chloe was almost ashamed of the relief that rushed through her at being back in a metropolis, surrounded by millions of lights. “Well, we're downtown. As if that helps from up here.”
Wind rushed up, pushing them back from the edge of the building. This time, when whoever was at the door pounded on the metal, he or she got through it. Chloe groaned at the shock that punched through her with breath-stealing force as her shield gave way. Then a great explosion shook the very air around them when the door blew. They ducked, hitting the hard cement surface of the roof. Screams, flames, the putrid stink of burning flesh.
Chloe stared in stunned silence, unable to believe what she had wrought. Bodies on fire danced in grotesque patterns across the roof, some moving so fast they made streaks in the darkness. Slowly, they collapsed. Dead. She knew they were dead.
“Holy shit,” Tess gasped.
Even Alex turned to give Chloe an incredulous look. Shaking her head in mute silence, she clenched her quaking fingers. “I don't know how I did that.”
A quiver ran through the wolf's body, and his nostrils expanded as he pulled in a deep breath. “Smith's coming. Gregor and Sasha. A female wolf, too. Get ready.”
No Peyton. Had he survived the fight? Had he run as soon as he had the opportunity? Chloe still associated the man with the burn of bronze against her skin, so she wasn't ready to trust that he'd helped them for some altruistic reason. For all she knew, he was hoping to overthrow Smith and take over and they'd just provided a handy excuse. She wasn't willing to trust much of anything anymore.
And then there was no more time for thinking.
The wolves are mine.
Alex tensed beside her, his muscles twisting and flexing as he grew into a monstrous half-shift. His dark skin went pitch black, his facial bones stretching into a muzzle with massive, dripping fangs. The tall boy grew to a height of almost seven feet, and his ropy young muscles swelled to a rippling sinew so huge he exploded from his baggy T-shirt. Parts of him shrank in and others thrust forward, making grotesque sucking and crackling sound effects.
Alex tensed beside her, his muscles twisting and flexing as he grew into a monstrous half-shift. His dark skin went pitch black, his facial bones stretching into a muzzle with massive, dripping fangs. The tall boy grew to a height of almost seven feet, and his ropy young muscles swelled to a rippling sinew so huge he exploded from his baggy T-shirt. Parts of him shrank in and others thrust forward, making grotesque sucking and crackling sound effects.
It took place in a handful of seconds, but those terrifying moments stayed with a person forever. Tess choked and swayed, her eyes forming perfect circles as she stared at the transformed Alex. A deep roar ripped loose from the teen, answered when two other half-shifted wolves plunged through the smoking doorway. They leaped forward, dropping into crouches to survey their prey.
A noise that was almost a chuckle rippled from Alex before he launched himself toward them. Chloe grabbed for his arm, wanting to hold him back, but he was moving faster than her reflexes could keep up with. She missed, crying out as the three half-animals collided with the crunch of shattering bones.
“Get down!” Red streaked through the night, and Tess dove to knock Chloe off her feet as a spellbomb exploded where she'd been standing.
Tess covered both of their heads with her arms, and Chloe automatically threw up a shield around them. The next bomb exploded like shooting fireworks against her warding spell, and she jerked when the dark magic ruptured her shield. It was a blow to the solar plexus that left her gasping, and before she'd managed to recover, Tess bounded off her, which gave Gregor the opportunity to drag her away from Chloe's protection.
That left Sasha blasting another spell at Chloe, who threw up another shield to block it, but sprawled onto her backside when it struck.
Her heart pounded so loudly in her ears, all she could hear was the rush of blood. Magic hummed beneath her skin, waiting for her to direct it. She wracked her brain for any self-defense spells she knew. Merek's teaching of Alex hadn't included lessons in casting because wolves couldn't cast well. Chloe didn't think she could do any of the physical moves they'd drilled. The only magic she was proficient at was what she used at home and at work. Potion making, practical everyday magic. Merek would know the right spells if he were here, and her heart cinched so hard thinking of him that she gasped with the pain. Tears pricked her eyes. There was another kind of spell she'd used recently, with Merek. Seduction spells. She staggered under the weight of agony that threatened to crush her, and she desperately tried to shove it away, to remain numb.
The Fae woman's face swam before her tear-glazed eyes.
That
face had haunted her dreams for weeks. The woman who'd tortured her, ripped her already-fragile sense of safety away in a handful of moments. Rage exploded inside her, and she didn't need the spells. Her magic simply reacted as she wanted it to; the simple magic she used with Merek turned dark and deadly.
face had haunted her dreams for weeks. The woman who'd tortured her, ripped her already-fragile sense of safety away in a handful of moments. Rage exploded inside her, and she didn't need the spells. Her magic simply reacted as she wanted it to; the simple magic she used with Merek turned dark and deadly.
Massive bolts of lightning shot from her fingertips, sizzling toward the other woman. Sasha tried to set a magical shield around herself, but the amount of fury behind Chloe's spell meant some of it got through.
A cold smile of satisfaction curled Chloe's lips as she watched utter shock widen the Fae's eyes. Then her body began to writhe as the lightning hit her, arced around her, bit into her flesh. A harsh scream wrenched from her throat. The shield before her wavered, and Chloe used the momentary lapse to her advantage. A part of her was stunned at her own ruthlessness, while the rest of her simply reacted.
Another round of lightning forked from her hands, slamming into the Fae. The anger inside Chloe was nowhere near burning out, and she fed it into the spell. Flashes of memory erupted in her mind. Her own torture by this woman. Barely escaping the last full moon with Alex. Tess's betrayed, hurt expression when she'd found out they'd all lied to her. The stench of Luca's flesh igniting in the morning sun. Blood covering Merek's body, his beloved gray eyes going blank. A raw sob tore from Chloe, but she didn't allow herself to stop.
What remained of Sasha's shield disintegrated in a shower of blue sparks, and Chloe hit the other woman again and again. The shrieks that came from the Fae were barely human, a wild sound of pain. The noise trailed off as she finally passed out, but her body kept jerking spasmodically under the hits of lightning.
Chloe could kill the other woman. She
wanted
to kill her. For Merek, for Alex, for herself, for being part of an organization that had harmed so many she loved. She stood on the edge of a precipice she'd never faced before. Violence, rage . . . murder.
wanted
to kill her. For Merek, for Alex, for herself, for being part of an organization that had harmed so many she loved. She stood on the edge of a precipice she'd never faced before. Violence, rage . . . murder.
For Merek, she pulled back, shut down the magic. For Alex and Tess, she didn't allow herself to look at what her hate had produced. It would fuel her nightmares for years to come.
She had won the fight, but no sense of victory stole through her as she turned away. She was numb, finally, and she welcomed it. Anything to keep from feeling, from coping with what she had seen and done. She staggered only a step or two before she ran toward the sound of a scream in the night. High-pitched and terrified. Only a woman's voice could make a noise like that. Tess.
The sound cut off so abruptly it sent chills racing over Chloe's flesh. She paused, staring blindly into the cloud-shadowed darkness. Gods, she fucking hated the dark. “Tess!”
Where had the sound come from? She didn't know which way to go now. Shit. The glare from the city lights only made it harder to see.
“Tess!”
The scream came again, ending in a gurgling choke. Chloe's heart hammered against her breastbone, and she shot forward, sprinting through the night and praying the roof stayed even underneath her.
The clouds parted, and moonlight gilded the gruesome scene before her. Gregor circled Tess, fangs bared and dripping pink foam. Blood poured from a series of bite marks around Tess's throat, but she was still on her feet, still fighting. The vampire feigned left, darting right in a blur of speed, but Tess had already dived for the ground, both fists swinging in blind arcs.
She connected, hard.
The vampire staggered back maybe an inch, but Tess kicked out with her foot and swept him off his feet.
Damn impressive for a Normal to be holding her own against a full-grown male vamp. Chloe shook herself, and torched the bloodsucker with her lightning. He jolted and spun, hunching forward in a hissing roar that made her heart stop. He came at her, fangs gleaming in the moonlight.
Chloe glanced around, frantic. A weapon. She needed a weapon. Spells alone wouldn't do much to a vampire. Only sunlight would, and it was nighttime. She sliced him with lightning again, concentrating hard on the glow of it. Sunshine. She needed it to be sunshine. Her magic answered her commands eagerly. The crackle of it lifted the hair on the back of her neck. A ball formed between her hands, so brilliant she had to turn her face away and close her eyes.
A hoarse shout from Gregor, and the stink of burnt flesh told her the spell was working. It was too much to maintain for long, but when she blinked her eyes open, there was no one near her. Not Gregor, not Tess.
The hollow crash of metal sounded as the torched vampire ricocheted off the doorframe before streaking through the open door and into the bowels of the building, clearly deciding this wasn't a fight he could win.
Good.
She didn't have a moment for relief as Alex came tumbling by with Smith. The teen wolf's flesh was shredded to ribbons, his face a barely recognizable mass of blood and broken bones.
The slightly smaller female wolf tackled a pursuing Tess. Lashing backward with her foot, Tess caught the she-wolf in the chest. The wolf grunted, but Tess didn't have time to do more than roll over before the she-wolf was on her again. The Normal used the heel of her hand to snap the she-wolf's muzzle back and up. Both let out an agonized howl as Tess gripped her now broken wrist and the she-wolf tripped back.
Chloe didn't know what to do, who to try to save. Alex punched all ten talons into Smith's sides, and the bigger wolf howled in rage, pummeling the boy with fists that sounded like concrete impacting flesh.
Tess's shriek spun Chloe back toward the other fight. The she-wolf had the Normal on her back, hunching over her body, a taloned hand around her friend's throat. Tess thrashed for air, for life.
“Get
off
her, bitch.” Chloe drew back a hand, flung a fireball over the she-wolf's head, searing her back, but not doing much damage. She had to get the wolf away from Tess. She had to.
off
her, bitch.” Chloe drew back a hand, flung a fireball over the she-wolf's head, searing her back, but not doing much damage. She had to get the wolf away from Tess. She had to.
Gods help her.
The she-wolf writhed in pain, her huge, half-shifted form crushing Tess. Chloe rushed forward, throwing all of her weight behind the push, but her strength was no match for any werewolf. The she-wolf whipped around and sank her fangs into Tess's thigh, ripping through cloth and flesh.
“No!”
Bitten. Tess had been bitten by a wolf on full moon, the time of Change. Oh. Gods.
Bitten. Tess had been bitten by a wolf on full moon, the time of Change. Oh. Gods.
Silver. silver. SILVER. Find Silver.
A chorus of whispers sounded off in Chloe's head. Werewolves were allergic to silver.
A chorus of whispers sounded off in Chloe's head. Werewolves were allergic to silver.
Tess. Tess had a silver necklace she wore all the time. It glinted in the moonlight. Chloe reached over, jerking it off her friend's neck.
The wolf arched back, jaws gaping, Tess's blood leaking from the side of her mouth, to howl her triumph at the moon.
“Aaaa-oooh.”
“Aaaa-oooh.”
Chloe cupped her friend's necklace in her palm, thrust it into the she-wolf's mouth, and lit up another fireball to force the melting silver to coat the inside of the wolf bitch's throat.
The wolf's jaw locked around Chloe's wrist, and her fangs made screaming agony shoot up Chloe's arm and directly into her brain. She stared into the female wolf's eyes as the silver ripped into her bloodstream, killing her quickly and painfully. Her every breath and every heartbeat sped her demise. Her feral eyes glazed over with death in moments. The crunch and crackle of Change sounded as her body shriveled back into its human form. Chloe wrenched her injured arm out of the wolf's mouth, whispering a few healing spells to stop the bleeding, but Tess needed her energy far more.
Slamming her hand over Tess's femoral artery, Chloe felt the pressure of each heartbeat pulsing blood between her fingers. She closed her mind to doing the same thing for Merek that morning. He was gone, but Tess could still live. Even with Chloe's full weight pressing down on the bite, some blood escaped. She focused her magic on healing the wound. It didn't matter if her friend had been bitten if she didn't survive the initial injury.
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