23. Montana

Relief sang in my veins. Callie was here. And together, we’d kill the venomous beast who had taken our father from us.

She was on Wolfe’s back, stabbing Fury into his body again and again. Excitement spilled through me but before she reached his heart, he tore her over his shoulder and smashed her head against the brick wall. Fury hit the floor and she groaned from her injuries, stumbling as blood spilled down her face.

“No!” I cried, panic clawing at my insides.

I hunted for my blade, spotting Nightmare on the ground a foot away. Launching myself toward it, I snatched it up and heat sped across my skin.

Drive me into his withered heart, Moon Child.

Callie staggered into Wolfe and he wrenched her head sideways with a murmur of glee, ripping her neck open with his fingernails. He licked a line all the way up to her ear and horror pooled inside me.

I lifted Nightmare, promising his death with all my heart, rage coating my soul at seeing him hurt my twin.

“Get the hell away from her,” I snarled.

Wolfe’s laughter filled the air as he glanced back at me. “No chanthe.”

Callie regained her senses and jammed her elbow into his ribs, thrusting him toward me. I was ready with my blade, stabbing it deep into his side and he screamed to high heaven.

Callie turned around with a fire in her eyes.

“For Dad,” she snarled, her gaze locking with mine.

Wolfe slashed out at her, slapping her so hard she hit the ground.

My world spun as I wrenched Nightmare from his side and tried to get close once more. He moved like the wind, diving towards Callie and dragging her up before him. She writhed in his hold, but he gripped her tight, licking the blood from the wound on her head. I could tell it was affecting her; her movements were unsteady and her eyes half shut.

Wolfe groaned, clearly weakened from the cuts of our slayer blades, but he held on tight. He hugged her against his chest and glared at me over her shoulder.

“Get off of her,” I growled, readying to tear her from his arms.

He grinned at me. “Get too clothe and I’ll break her neck.”

Callie looked to me and a small smile twisted her lips. I fought a frown, realising she was faking the extent of her injuries. She looked at Fury on the ground then back at me, and my heart swelled as I interpreted exactly what she meant.

I side-stepped toward it and Wolfe rotated sharply, keeping Callie facing me, his mangled hand on her throat. “I’m going to drain every laft drop of her blood, then I’m going to cruth you like a goothberry.”

I inched closer to Fury on the ground, feigning fear, but the glittering malice in Callie’s eyes gave me strength. Wolfe lapped at the blood on her cheek once more and Callie lurched violently away from him.

As he moved his full attention to holding her, I bent down, grabbed Fury by the hilt and tossed it to Callie. She snatched it out of the air, turning in his arms and ramming it straight into his cheek. He roared in agony, stumbling back and gripping the hilt to try and tug it out. It burned his hands as he desperately tried to yank it free and the scent of burning flesh seared my nostrils.

I ran closer as Callie kicked him squarely in the chest and he hit the wall, pulling the blade out and dropping it with a gasp.

Blood poured from his mouth, his tongue swollen and half severed. “Ged away you thucking bitheth! Dyou’ll pay for diff!”

As Callie approached, he swung a fist at her but she evaded the blow with ease, dropping low to grab Fury and planting it directly between his legs. His screams hit my ears so hard I winced, but satisfaction sprawled through me. We had the upper hand. We were taking down the beast who’d haunted us and making him suffer in the process. Just like Dad had suffered in Wolfe’s hands.

My sister twisted the blade in his groin, glaring straight into his eyes. “You’re a monster,” she snarled, ripping Fury out. His pained yells were the only sound I could hear and they sparked a thirst in me that could be sated by his death alone.

He stumbled past her, suddenly trying to run and I sped after him. He was faster than Callie, but not fast enough to escape me.

I tore Nightmare across the backs of his knees and he fell down in a heap at my feet.

Callie raced to my side, her jaw set.

“You’re dirt,” I growled, kicking him so he rolled over to look up at us.

“And you’re dead.” Callie smiled darkly.

He clasped the wound between his legs with a pained whimper. “Thuck you and your thilthy, worthleth father!”

With a scream of vengeance that was echoed by my sister, we drove our blades into his heart at once.

Wolfe exploded into ash and the hammering rain swept him away so nothing but his clothes lay on the ground. Callie’s eyes glimmered as she looked at me, and a moment of sweet relief filled the air. Then we closed the gap between us, embracing hard, revelling in our victory.

“He’s gone,” she groaned her happiness, and I squeezed her tighter as bliss flowed through me.

A tear tracked down my cheek as I bathed in the afterglow of what we’d achieved. Justice was dealt and it felt so damn good to have cast our enemy from this world together.