Chapter 20

Reed's ear twitched, catching the crackle of his radio even over the din of battle. He shifted back to his human form, snatching the device from his belt.

"Reed, it's Cedric." The mayor's voice was strained, urgent. "We've got a problem. A group of cultists are trying to flank you, to break through the town's defenses from the east. We need shifters to keep them back."

Reed swore under his breath, his mind racing. He barked orders into the radio, dispatching a unit to intercept the flanking cultists. They had to hold the line. He had to buy Ellie more time.

He plunged back into the fray, his human form blurring into the tiger once more. He focused on the cult leader, a towering figure wielding dark magic like a scythe, cutting through Reed's forces with terrifying ease.

Reed lunged, his claws finding purchase in the leader's robes. They tumbled to the ground, a tangle of fur and shadow, snarling and spitting curses.

Reed shifted back, his hand reaching for the magical restraints at his belt.

With a deft twist, he snapped them around the leader's wrists, the enchanted metal flaring with a brilliant light. The leader howled, his magic sputtering and dying as the restraints did their work.

Around them, the tide of battle was turning. The town's unit had succeeded in their mission, the eastern approach secure. The cultists, seeing their leader fall, wavered, their resolve crumbling.

But even as victory seemed within reach, Reed felt a chill run through him. Ellie. He could feel her magic, straining against the darkness, weakening with each passing moment.

He had to get to her.

With a final surge of strength, Reed broke through the remaining cultists, sprinting towards Ellie's house. He could see the shimmering dome of her wards flickering, the dark force pressing against it with renewed vigor.

He burst through the door, his heart in his throat. Ellie stood in the center of the room, her face pale, her body trembling with the effort of maintaining the spell. Around her, the artifacts pulsed with a sickly, flickering light.

"El!" Reed cried, rushing to her side. She turned to him, her hazel eyes wide and haunted.

"Reed, I can't... It's too strong..." Her voice was a strained whisper, the words torn from her throat.

The house shook around them and an inhuman shriek echoed from the depths of the home. The door to the cellar flew off its hinges and a hurricane of wind whipped through the first floor.

Reed grabbed Ellie's arm. "We've got to get out of here. Now." They raced out the door and jumped off the porch as the front wall of the house exploded outward in wooden spears.

Reed landed hard, letting Ellie crash on top of him to keep her from injury. The raging battle screeched to a stop and everyone stared at the mass of black cloud hovering in the air.

A black cloud was the only way he could describe the entity floating soundlessly. He felt pure evil radiating from it as it drifted closer to him and his mate. Reed lifted El to her feet and scrambled backward.

The cult members who remained alive fell to their knees and mumbled words he didn't understand. Just as he feared, this entity was the magic that had been trapped by Ellie's grandmother years ago.

It had broken free. Now all hell would break loose.

Ellie stepped in front of Reed. "Stay behind me," she said.

He scoffed. "Are you joking?" He stepped around and in front of her. "You stay behind me."

"Reed," she huffed, not taking her eyes off the hovering blob, "you can't fight this."

"I will find a way if I have to. I won't let you get hurt." Who was he kidding? She was completely right. Teeth and claw wouldn't do much to a being made of smoke or whatever it was.

"That's very valiant of you, love, but we're beyond that."

One of the cult members rose from his prone position. "Master, we released you to join with you. Come to your humble servants and bless us with your strength."

The cloud lowered in front of the robed human and began to take shape. Two hairy feet landed on the grass, slowly forming up to a torso and arms that looked like they had been through the worst case of acne in history.

The demon looked at the cult members then a chuckle rumbled in his chest, growing into a guffaw then a hair-raising cackle. The creature whipped around its tail, grabbed the unfortunate robed man around the neck, and dragged him closer, right up to being nose-to-nose.

"Let's see what you got, boy." With that, the beast pursed his lips and began sucking in air.

Reed could only watch as the human began to shrivel up like all the air and bodily substance were being drawn out of him. Was that what the demon was doing? Drinking down the guy's life essence?

The beast threw down the husk shell of the human. "Disgusting," it hollered. "A waste of my time."

The demon pointed a clawed finger at the rest of the group. "Why would I join with animals no stronger than an ant? But she," he turned to face Ellie, "is quite yummy."

Reed's protective instincts kicked in hard. "The hell she is," he said, trying to get in front of her. With a wave of the demon's hand, Reed flew through the air, landing somewhere in the woods.