Chapter 42

Forty-Two

My head slowly turned, tears falling down my paint-streaked skin. Cain was standing only a few feet away, shirtless, his arms scratched and cut. His hair was wet and messy, John's skull firmly placed across his eyes, stains of blood stretching from his mouth to his bare chest. The single green iris flickered behind the boney mask, confirming that John still resided within him. He grinned, staring down at me as I held Jinx's lifeless body close.

"Are you all that remains?" The voice was Cain's, but the words were not. He stopped, smelling the now smoke-filled air, exhaling. "Ah, it seems our fiery friend, Ruby, is no longer among us. What a shame."

"Keep her name out of your fucking mouth," I spat, squeezing Jinx close. My hands began to glow, warning him.

"Drop the act, Bambi," Cain's personality returned. "We both know you two weren't that close." Cain stopped in my direction, my body flinching. "Oh, come on, I'm not going to hurt you." His gray iris twinkled at the lie.

While one arm clutched Jinx close, I raised the other, my power flowing from my fingertips as he inched closer. "Stay back," I growled through pressed teeth.

Cain raised a brow, scoffing at my temper. "Or what?" He leaned down, his hand reaching for the blade buried in Jinx's back. My emotions flowed through my magic, engulfing his hand in my power, pushing it back.

Cain groaned, his muscles bulging as he fought against me. A bright green fire began to form in his hand as John's spirit took control and spoke to me. "Little hexer," he breathed, pushing against my force with his own, "you should know better than to try and stop me." My arm strained, my magic exhausted as I continued to fight back. "You are weak."

My strength failed me, exhaustion and defeat weighing me down as my arm fell, crumbling beneath his magic. My lungs screamed, breathing hysterically as I lowered my head in shame, clinging to Jinx's body. Cain smiled, John's magic fading as he gripped the handle of the knife. I closed my eyes, hearing the sounds of her flesh squish as he ripped it from her back.

"Excellent," he purred.

My head was yanked back as I opened my eyes to see Cain grasping a handful of my hair, forcing me to my feet. Jinx's body slid down my legs and fell onto the wet earth as I whined, Cain steering me away from her. He dragged me behind him, walking away from where we were, my back now scraping the forest floor.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, kicking my boots. "Let go!"

"As you wish." Cain dropped my head as it smacked the muddy ground. I quickly rolled, scrambling to my knees. He stood tall, holding the blade tightly in his hand, his head tilted as he stared down at me. "Shall we play a game?"

I shuffled back as he gallivanted near, toying with the knife. "You run, we hunt."

A gunshot startled me as I clasped my ears, unsure of where it came from. Cain stumbled back, his shoulder bleeding, groaning as he touched the wound. The sound of a gun reloading echoed behind me. I turned, seeing Ahote and the hillbilly, both armed, stepping through the woods towards Cain. They were covered in blood, disheveled from everything that had happened.

"Devil!" Ahote shouted, aiming the barrel at Cain. "We stopped you once before; we will do it again."

The two men moved past me, approaching Cain, who was smiling, eagerly excited by the standoff. "You think death will stop me?" It was now John addressing them. "My body may be dead, rotting in the ground, but my soul lives on. Go ahead, kill this body. It will only free me to inhabit another."

Ahote fired his gun, the bullet embedding in Cain's thigh, forcing him to fall to his knee, deep red staining his jeans. "You handle the witch; I got this devil." Cain grinned at Ahote as he stepped closer, reloading his weapon.

"Run, Bambi," Cain breathed. "I will find you."

The hillbilly turned to face me, reloading his rifle with a sinister smile. Shit. I quickly rose to my feet and began sprinting away, running as fast as I possibly could. A sharp gunshot hit a tree as I whizzed by, broken pieces of bark splintering across my face. I tried to dodge the bullets, running in a zigzag-motion.

"You can run, lil' witch, but I'm gonna catch ya!" He shot a second bullet, the impact breaking a branch, knocking me to my knees. Panic controlled me as I crawled along the forest floor, desperately trying to regain my footing. The hillbilly laughed, rushing to me. I swerved, rolling to my backside as I raised my hands, blue fire immediately appearing on his. He screamed, dropping his rifle, stumbling back attempting to vanquish my fire. The gun had fallen not far from my feet, sitting between us. My eyes shot from him to the gun, sweat dripping from my forehead as I lunged, gripping it close. The old man reached for me, my magic dissipating as I fumbled the gun. "You lil—"

I pulled the trigger, the sound piercing our ears. He grabbed his head, as he fell, disoriented by the sharp blast, the bullet missing him leaving a graze mark across his temple. I quickly rose, clutching the rifle close as I sprinted through the woods. Nearby familiar barks caught my attention, calling to me. Alastair!

"Alastair!" I screamed, searching the trees for any sign of him. "Alastair!" His barks increased, growing in volume as I ventured in a different direction. Where are you?

Something moved ahead in the darkness, catching my attention. My eyes squinted, noticing his glowing irises, two golden drops of honey in the night. "Alastair!" I rushed to him. He was wearing a metal muzzle, his neck wrapped in layers of ropes, his body tangled in them like a web. He looked as though he had been thrown through the woods. I tossed the rifle aside, falling to my knees. My hands tugged at the muzzle, ripping it from his snout. He whined, wagging his tail as he licked my face. "I know," I cried, happy to see him. I cupped his face in my hands, staring into his eyes, "You have no idea how glad I am that you're still alive." My smile quickly faded, remembering that it was just us. "Laza—" I choked on his name, the pain too fresh. Alastair whined, noticing my heavy feelings. "Lazarus is dead," I cried, sobbing uncontrollably. "They're all dead, Alastair." My head fell onto his body, burying my face in his black fur as I soaked it with my tears. "You're all I have left," I wailed, holding him close.

Alastair whined, nudging me with his head, comforting me. My hands felt along the ropes, tugging to try and free him. He was intertwined, a knotted mess. I touched my fingertip to his binds, a faint blue radiating as my magic ate away at them, freeing the wolf.

Alastair stood, shaking his fur as he stretched, free at least. He circled me, licking my face, causing me to laugh softly. "Careful," I whispered. "I'm pretty beat up." He sat next to me, laying his head in my lap. My hand shook from exhaustion and sadness as I stroked his fur gently. "Ready to get the hell out of this town?" He barked softly. "Yeah, me too."

Snap.

Alastair lunged to his feet, growling as he positioned himself behind me, protecting me. I turned to see the hillbilly panting as he leaned against a tree, glaring at us. "You bitch!" he spat. Alastair snarled, daring the man to step closer. "You think that dog of yours can stop me?" He began trekking closer, uncaring of the threat Alastair presented.

"I already told you, he's not a dog," I growled, standing behind the wolf, fed up with this fucking town. My hands curled into fists at my side, my emotions taking control as I readied to face him, Alastair planted in front of me. "He's a wolf. My wolf." The hillbilly stared at us, daring to step closer as I smiled. "Attack."

As the command left my lips, Alastair charged, crazed and full of rage. He opened his mouth, his jaw widening as it clasped around the man's ankle, dragging him to the ground, his body hitting with a loud thud. The wolf shook his mouth, his teeth locked onto the man, growling as he yanked him back into the woods. I knew this was my chance to run, to try and escape.

I braced myself, inhaling as my feet carried me in the opposite direction. "Alastair," I yelled over my shoulder as the hillbilly screamed, trying to free himself from the wolf's jaw. "Alastair!" The wolf's ears perked up, releasing the man's ankle. I whistled, Alastair bolting in my direction, briskly aiming for me.

The hillbilly stood, grunting as he began to chase after us. I turned, focusing on the path ahead, moving faster than before, Alastair shadowing me through the forest. A distant shriek vibrated the earth, reminding me that one Wendigo still remained, roaming in these woods.

The oldest and strongest.

The Ancient One.