Chapter 17

Awailing cry pierced the air, raising the hair on my arms. I swallowed hard.

"Fear the Raging Host," a voice shouted.

The earth shook as dozens of riders came barreling through the crossroads. I held my ground and awaited Matilda's cue.

The Night Mallt's mare reared up as she released a high-pitched shriek that stopped the hunters in their tracks.

She zipped back and forth in front of them, turning tight corners to block their path.

"How could you allow Vortigern to make a mockery of the hunt?" she demanded.

The hunters remained silent.

Matilda looked from left to right. "Alan. Colm. You both rode by my side once upon a time."

"When Vortigern was not our master," Alan said.

"A monster such as Vortigern does not deserve your loyalty," she seethed. "I entreat you to turn the host around and return from whence you came. This forest is under my protection."

"And mine," I said.

"And mine," a third voice shouted.

A flock of birds burst from the treetops as a hooded figure broke through the shadows. I recognized the staff in the new arrival's outstretched hand—because the weapon belonged to me. The hood fell back to reveal a pert nose and twinkling eyes.

"Addison?" I silently cursed Ray and Nana Pratt for letting her leave. "We're kind of in the middle of something." I waved a hand at our opponents.

Addison took a step closer to them and thrust the end of the staff into the ground. "Right. We're here to kick your ass. I've got my deadly weapon right here."

Alan's brow furrowed. "That's a wooden staff."

Addison regarded the staff with mock surprise. "Is it? Why don't you step down off your horse to verify?"

"No ass kicking," I told her through clenched teeth.

She shot me a helpless look. "But they're the enemy."

I offered the hunters a placating smile. "What she means is we'd like to negotiate a truce."

"Riiight. Negotiate." Addison turned to me and winked.

"I'm serious."

"Uh-huh." She pivoted back to the hunters. "Here are the terms. Leave Wild Acorns now and never come back."

"Acres," I mumbled.

Addison looked at me with a creased brow. "Is it?"

I nodded, along with a few hunters.

"It's Wild Acres," Colm piped up, "although there are plenty of acorns underfoot, so I can understand why you'd say that."

Alan lifted a boot. "I had a huge one lodged in my heel. Had to use my knife to get it out. Don't even know how I got there."

I bit down on a frustrated scream.

Matilda looked ready to crush the interloper under her mare"s hooves. "Your kind is not welcome here, goddess of mischief and ruin. Return to the Castle."

I pointed to myself. "Hey, goddess of nightmares. Let's not judge a book by its title."

Addison strolled closer to the hunters. "How about this? I tell you guys where the boar is, you kill it, and scurry on home straight after. Sound good?"

Alan glanced at his cohorts. "We heard there's a white stag."

Addison blew a dismissive breath. "Forget the stag. The boar is more valuable."

Colm's eyes glinted with suspicion. "Since when is a wild boar more valuable than a white hart?"

"Since the boar has a god trapped inside it. Kill the boar and claim the god's power. Easy peasy."

Alan and Colm exchanged glances. "A god's power has got to be worth more than a plain old stag," Alan said.

"Vortigern would reward us well," another hunter chimed in.

"I spotted it about half a mile from here." She pointed south. "I'd hurry if I were you. As my dad always said, if you're not first, you might as well be last."

Half the hunters took off. The other half remained in the clearing.

Addison blew me a kiss. "You're welcome."

It had to be a ruse. I hoped to the gods she didn't really know something about that boar that I didn't.

Thunder rolled across the sky. The sound of hoofbeats pounded in time with my beating heart. Lightning cracked overhead.

A large black stallion cut through the ranks. Fire flashed in its eyes, promising fury and fear. The horse looked similar to Matilda's, except for the whip marks on its muzzle.

Matilda maneuvered her mare in front of me.

The man on the stallion smiled in recognition. "Well, well. What do we have here? I believe you were put out to pasture, Matilda. The hunt is no place for you now."

"You know perfectly well that I frequent these woods. I am the only reason you've decided to leave your stench here."

He peered down at her. "Be gone, Night Mallt. We do not come here to hunt you, but we will kill you should you choose to interfere."

"Try and you will fail spectacularly."

A scowl marred his already twisted features. "I can see you have caused enough trouble." His gaze landed on the druid's head. "And Malcolm failed to return with the other scouts. I assume that was your doing as well."

Matilda raised her chin a fraction. "He was merely injured. He will recover soon enough, but you should know I took no pleasure in it."

Vortigern offered a half-hearted shrug. "It simply means more bounty for the rest of us. Now, remove yourselves from my path. My scouts told me where I can expect to find the best game." He whistled sharply and waited. Finally, he cast a suspicious glance at Matilda. "Where are my hounds?"

"I haven't the slightest notion. Shouldn't they be at your side? Or perhaps you haven't proven yourself a worthy leader?"

The muscles in Vortigern's neck strained. "I'll only ask you one more time, crone. Where are my hounds?"

"Not to worry. They're safe. Unlike you, I would never harm the creatures that ride with me."

Hatred radiated from every pore of his body. "That doesn't answer my question, Night Mallt."

"If you're such a skilled hunter, you should be capable of finding your own hounds," Addison taunted.

Vortigern glanced at his cohorts. "Find my hounds," he ordered. "And do not return to me until you do."

The other riders scattered.

Addison waved a hand after them. "Aren't you going to try to stop them?"

I didn't want to reveal that our team was currently spread out in the woods with their weapons brandished, waiting to ambush the hunters.

Vortigern laughed at her. "I welcome you to try, pretty lady." He shifted his attention back to Matilda. "Out of my way, crone. I have no qualms about trampling you."

"You know it would take more than that to kill me."

He sneered. "Who said anything about killing you when I would get more of a thrill from inflicting pain?"

What a charmer.

I raised my sword and rushed him, but the weapon seemed to have no effect. He charged past me without acknowledgement.

"So much for repelling him," I muttered.

"He's grown stronger since we last met," Matilda said matter-of-factly.

"You don't sound too concerned."

She sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?"

"Pine?" I asked.

A smile blossomed. "Death." She kicked her heels against the mare's sides and stormed after him.

Addison looked at me. "What now?"

I tossed her one of my daggers and she caught it by the handle. "If you insist on being here, at least have a useful weapon."

"What's wrong with the staff? I can use it to knock them off their horses. That makes them easier to injure, right?" She smiled. "See? I pay attention."

Gun's voice echoed in my ear. "Tell Miss Mischief to head our way. We could use an extra set of hands near the Falls."

"What's happening?"

"I'm trying to use my cards to knock riders to the ground so that Cam can attack, but it's more challenging than I expected. Theirs thighs must be incredibly powerful."

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Stop thinking about their powerful thighs." I turned to Addison. "You're needed at the Falls."

Addison yipped with joy and bolted left.

"What's your position, Kane?" I asked.

"I would think you already know the answer to that," he replied, his voice whisky smooth.

I winced. "A gentle reminder that this is a party line."

Gun's laughter reverberated in my ear. I promptly turned off the earpiece as a horse and rider cantered toward me. His boots were so worn, they were practically falling off his feet.

I gave him a friendly wave. "How's it going? Find any game yet?"

His face clouded over. "Not as of yet, but I will."

"What makes you so confident?"

He spat on the ground. "I know how animals behave. Wild Acres. Wentwood Forest. Galloway Forest. The location is irrelevant. All animals need water. I watch your water sources long enough and I'm bound to find one of them. Hopefully that nice stag."

"Wild Acres has multiple bodies of water. How do you expect to watch them all at the same time?"

He sneered. "I have a method."

"In case you haven't found it yet, there's a fantastic waterfall not far from here. I'd suggest starting there. The energy it generates is extremely powerful."

His squint was filled with suspicion. "Why are you helping me?"

"Oh, I'm not. As soon as you turned your back, I was going to knock you off your horse and steal it."

The hunter roared with laughter. "Aren't you an adorable little thing?

Kane stepped out from behind a tree, surprising both of us. "Aw, thanks, but you're not my type. I prefer someone with a deeper scowl and far less scruples."

The scout's bushy eyebrows lifted as he assessed the rising threat level. "You're a demon."

Kane tsked him. "You say that like it's a bad thing. What's your name?"

The hunter hesitated.

"Come on, son. Your name," Kane insisted. "Surely you know it."

"‘Course I know my own name, but I won't be giving it to you just so you can use it to hex me."

Kane recoiled in mock horror. "Hex you? Do you know anything about demons? We don't hex."

"They don't hex," I agreed.

The horse's tail began to swish as he picked up on his rider's discomfort. "The name's Zachary."

Kane's mouth eased into a smile. "There. That wasn't so hard, was it? Listen up, Zachary. My name is Kane Sullivan, former prince of hell, current resident of Fairhaven, and you're trespassing on my territory."

"And mine," I added. "Lorelei Clay. Those crossroads you came through to get here… I'm the unofficial guardian."

Zachary regained his composure. "I think you'll find the master of the hunt isn't too bothered by claims of ownership. He doesn't intend to stay. Once he gets what he wants, he'll leave."

I folded my arms. "The way he's left other territories in absolute devastation? No thanks."

Shame flooded Zachary's round face. "How do you know about that?"

"That's what happens when you carve out a reputation for yourself," Kane said. "It precedes you."

"You seem like a reasonable guy, Zach," I said. "Someone with a deep respect for the land. We don't want to hurt you or anyone else in your party, but we'll do whatever it takes to keep you from destroying Wild Acres."

Zachary grunted. "If you think Vortigern would be scared off by an idle threat, then I guess his reputation doesn't precede him after all." He shot Kane a triumphant look.

"That isn't the boast you think it is," Kane remarked.

Zachary bit his lip, confused. "Unless you intend to kill me, you should get out of my way."

Kane glanced at me. "Go on. Do your thing."

"The weapons don't seem to have any effect."

"Not that thing."

I returned his glance. "Which thing?"

He held up his hand and wiggled his fingers.

"You want me to massage him?"

Kane rolled his eyes. "Are you being deliberately obtuse?"

Zachary nudged his horse forward.

I moved to block their path, causing the horse to rear up. Zachary gripped the reins for dear life.

"That thing," Kane said.

"I don't see what my hands have to do with this." There was no need to touch the horse in order to frighten it. I only needed to get close enough for it to scent me.

The horse skittered backward in an effort to escape me.

"What kind of hex is this?" Zachary demanded, desperately trying to regain control of his horse.

"No hex," I said. "It means your horse is smarter than you are." I sighed. "And here I thought you understood animals better than anybody."

Zachary lost control of his steed. The horse turned and bolted back through the crossroads with the unlucky hunter clinging to its neck, yelling commands. He was wasting his voice; the horse was too panicked to listen. I felt bad for the animal, but it would be fine once it put distance between itself and the perceived danger—me.

Kane chuckled. "Did you see his face? I feel a little bad for him."

I shrugged. "I didn't like him. He called me adorable."

The demon nodded sagely. "Note to self: never call Lorelei adorable."

"Would you have?"

His mouth lifted at the corners. "I much prefer stunning."

An arrow whizzed overhead. I grabbed Kane by the sleeve and pulled him to the ground.

"What did you do to Zachary?" the archer demanded.

The hunter circled us, keeping one eye trained on me and the other on Kane.

"You might want to rethink this," Kane warned. "We let your friend off easy, but we don't need to extend you the same courtesy."

"That's okay. I like my odds." He raised his bow and notched another arrow.

A thick vine snapped into action; it wrapped around his bow and pulled it to the ground, taking the archer with it. Sinewy roots erupted from the ground around him as more vines slithered across his ankles and wrists.

"What is this?" he shouted.

More roots climbed the air, forming a cage to contain my attacker. He thrashed against his earthly prison, but the hunter's struggle to free himself was in vain.

A familiar figure stepped into the clearing, twirling a branch like a baton.

"Brody!"

The nature mage swaggered toward us. "I heard a rumor that the Wild Hunt was descending upon this quaint little town," he said with a wink at me. "How could I leave you twisting in the wind?"

The hunter's lips parted, presumably to call for aid. A fat stick slammed into his mouth and muffled the sound.

"Brody, you remember Kane Sullivan."

The visitor dipped his head in recognition. "Aye. I'm unlikely to forget a prince of hell."

"You couldn't have come at a better time," I said.

He motioned to the cage. "I can see that. Apologies for not arriving sooner. T'was in Canada and took the first available train."

"Dare I ask what you were doing in Canada?"

His mouth split into a grin. "Plenty of nature to experiment with and very little oversight."

A fair answer. Brody's specialty was fashioning weapons from the natural materials around him. He could turn a tree branch into a broadsword, or he could simply manipulate roots and vines to create a cage.

The mage glanced at me. "I heard Magnarella's dead. Is it true?"

"Yes." We'd met when vampire mobster Vincenzo Magnarella hired Brody to kill me. The nature mage made a formidable foe. I was relieved when he turned out to be too honorable for the vampire and chose to switch teams.

"Was it you who did the deed?"

"Not directly." The vampire had been eaten by a creature from the deep—the kulshedra that lived in Bone Lake until its recent demise.

"Either way, congratulations are in order. Your town is better off without him."

I gestured to the hunter. "Yes, as you can see—way better off."

He chuckled. "Life would be dull as a brick without a bit of danger every now and again."

As if on cue, a rock arced through the air and hit the back of his head. His eyelids fluttered and he sank to the ground.

Two hunters sat on horseback at the edge of the clearing. Kane was first to react. A flaming sword appeared where his hand had been only a moment ago. He charged our attackers while I planted myself in front of Brody's prostrate body.

Flames licked the hunters' spears as they attempted to defend themselves against Kane's energetic offensive. The demon prince was too fast for them. His sword sliced horizontally through the air, cutting each of their spears in half.

"Where's Vortigern?" I demanded.

Kane yanked the first hunter off his horse and threw him to the ground, holding him in place with the heel of his shoe.

The second hunter's eyes widened as he glimpsed his immediate future. "Last I saw him, he was pursuing the boar along a creek," he babbled.

"What about Matilda?"

He shook his head.

Brody climbed unsteadily to his feet, rubbing his head. "You're both getting caged for the headache I'll be forced to endure." He flicked a hand toward the mounted hunter. "Sullivan, would you mind?"

Kane relieved the horse of its rider and tossed the hunter next to his companion. "Misery loves company."

Using more of Mother Nature's bounty, Brody constructed a second cage large enough to contain the duo.

I mounted the abandoned horse. "I'll head to the creek." I inclined my head at Kane. "Head to the Falls. Make sure nobody tries to release the hounds."

Brody looked at me expectantly. "And me, lass?"

"Unseat as many hunters as you can and lock them down."

He bowed in a sweeping gesture. "It would be an honor and a privilege."

I urged the horse forward. He bucked in response, fearful of his new rider. After a few unsuccessful attempts to calm him, I gave up and sent him through the crossroads.

I switched on my earpiece. "Any updates?"

"We've got things under control by the Falls," Gun said.

"Any sign of Vortigern or Matilda?"

"Nope."

"How about the white stag?"

"Negative."

I couldn't decide if that news was good or bad. A shriek shook the leaves from the trees.

"Gods above, what was that?" Gun asked.

"I'm about to find out." I sprinted through the woods in search of the source.

I barely recognized the crone in the copse. Sharp teeth. Claws that could slice a man in half. A strength and determination that defied her age. This was the Night Mallt in her truest form, in all her violent glory. Her mare stood at a safe distance, almost reverent in her patience. Brody leaned against the trunk of a tree with his arms folded, taking in the performance. He caught my eye and waved.

I'd never witnessed Matilda in her element before today. It was unnerving, and I found myself relieved she was on my side.

I spotted Claude attempting to tug a rider from his horse as the Night Mallt twisted and leaped with a dancer's grace. She shifted another rider off his mount.

Brody grinned as he crafted another natural prison for the hunter unlucky enough to be unseated. "This is the most fun I've had in ages. You should invite the Wild Hunt ‘round more often."

I felt a surge of confidence that Vortigern was about to get a taste of failure for the first time. Gods willing, he choked on it.

A puff of smoke popped into existence next to me, revealing Addison.

"I forgot you could do that."

She winked. "Cheap theatrics, I believe you called it."

"Must come in handy in a pinch."

"Yeah, like right now. Thought you'd want to know Vortigern is headed this way. He seems pretty pissed. Then again, I'd be pissed, too, if my face looked like that."

I motioned to Brody.

Matilda threw her head back and laughed as she ripped another rider from his steed.

The cackle died in her throat as the stallion's approaching hoofbeats rocked the ground. Matilda released her hold on the hunter and pivoted toward the sound.

Vortigern cut straight to the heart of the copse and glowered at us. "I was told there would be a god's power to claim when I killed the boar."

"Oopsie," Addison said. "Was that just a regular wild boar? My bad."

"You would think a hunter of your distinction would know the difference," I said.

Vortigern didn't waste his breath on a response. He signaled to someone out of sight. A lone arrow loosed. The world slowed as the projectile whizzed toward me. Addison twisted in front of me with her arm extended at an odd angle. My gaze landed on her gilded mirror tattoo, and I understood her intention. I screamed as the point missed the tattoo and pierced her chest.

I tried to catch her as she dropped to the ground; we fell together.

I ripped the point of the arrow from her chest and flung it across the copse.

Vortigern heckled me. "The damage is done."

I examined the blood that oozed from the wound. It wasn't dark crimson; it was black.

"Told you I was an impulsive line crosser," Addison whispered.

Vortigern observed his imprisoned hunters with contempt. "Weak and pathetic. You don't deserve to share in my good fortune. I'll find the stag without you."

He galloped away. Everyone was too stunned to chase him.

I choked back tears. "You're the goddess of mischief and ruin. Why didn't you use your powers?"

"Didn't want to hurt you … any more than I already have." Her eyelids fluttered. "Forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive."

"Do me one last favor."

"No last favors. We'll take you to a healer."

She struggled to speak. "Won't make it."

I looked around helplessly. Nobody around us had healing abilities.

"Don't let them take me," she said in a hoarse whisper.

"The Corporation?"

She managed to nod. "They'll only plant me in someone else."

"Isn't that what you want? To live?"

"I'm tired. I'd like to rest." A smile broached her lips. "Maybe come back next time without help, like you. Burn my body. Leave no trace."

A lump formed in my throat. "Aite, wait."

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Call me Tessa." Her voice weakened. "I'd like to hear my name one last time."

"Tessa," I choked. "Don't go."

Her body went limp. Slowly, I lowered her head to the ground and let my tears flow as freely as the Falls.

"Deep peace of the quiet earth to you," a voice said softly. "Deep peace of the shining stars to you."

I searched the sea of faces until my gaze landed on Alan, trapped inside one of Brody's prisons.

"Thank you, Alan," I said.

He glanced warily in the direction Vortigern had gone. "I spotted the stag west of here, drinking from a stream."

And yet he let Vortigern travel south and said nothing. Interesting.

"Swear an oath to help us stop him and we'll free you," Matilda said.

Alan hesitated.

"If Vortigern takes the stag's power…" she began. "You know better than anyone what the risks are. Do you want to be responsible for that?"

Alan swore.

"Good lad."

More voices joined Alan's, promising their support. The prisons collapsed around the hunters.

I couldn't seem to leave Aite's side.

"We must go now," Matilda urged.

"She isn't a fallen log. We can't leave her here like this."

"The stag first. Then we'll return for her. I promise."

"I'll take her," Brody offered. "To the Castle?"

I nodded as Matilda helped me to my feet. A storm gathered inside me as I watched Brody lift her body off the ground.

"She deserved a better death."

"She should be thankful for it," Matilda said. "Unlike the way she lived, she died with honor."

Reluctantly, I left the copse with Matilda in search of the white stag. I knew the location of the stream. I switched on my earpiece and directed the others to head there now.

"You didn't use the code word," Gun said. "How do we know this isn't a trick?"

I heaved a sigh. "The angel has landed. Better?"

"Much."

With a team, there was a chance we could drive the stag through the crossroads without Vortigern's knowledge, although I knew Matilda objected to that particular plan. Despite the risk, it still seemed preferable to killing the majestic creature.

The gentle crunch of leaves gave him away. The white stag stared at me from his hiding spot between two mighty oaks.

"I won't hurt you," I promised. "Not for power. Not for glory. Not for anything in the world."

The animal seemed to understand me because he emerged from the safety of the trees and approached me. His dark eyes were in sharp contrast to his pale coat. A gorgeous creature, almost ethereal in his beauty.

"You need to leave Wild Acres," I told the stag. "There's a hunting party determined to kill you and steal your power."

The stag observed me with curious eyes, seemingly unconcerned by my urgent plea.

"Please, it isn't safe here. I can take you to the crossroads, but you need to walk through on your own. Find another realm to inhabit. Somewhere you won't be hunted."

An arrow whizzed a hair's breadth above my shoulder and struck the stag's neck. The creature reared up in agony as streaks of red traveled from the wound.

I pivoted to face Vortigern. Riding by his side was one of the hunters we'd released from his prison. So much for integrity.

Casting aside his bow, Vortigern released a throaty laugh as he leaped off his stallion and charged the injured animal to finish the job.

Members of our team seemed to converge all at once. Gun and Cam appeared behind the hunters, along with Kane, West, and a handful of others.

Guilt gnawed at my bones. The white hart had been under my protection. I'd failed in my duties as the liminal deity. Why had I ever believed the crossroads should be under my care? I couldn't even defend an innocent stag. Of all the virtues, that had to be the one worthiest of preservation.

A memory blazed in my mind like the Vegas strip.

Virtues and vices can't coexist, at least not in such a small space.

Gods, I'd completely bungled the message from the tarot card. It wasn't axe throwers the card wanted me to take away from One Oak; it was information.

Hope sprang eternal, and I seized it with both hands.

"Whatever you do, don't let him eat the heart!" I shouted.

A wicked smile unfurled. In true toddler form, Vortigern said, "As if you could stop me." He pulled a dagger from his boot and cut open the creature's chest. Blood gushed down his forearm and to the ground as he ripped out the creature's heart with lustful glee.

Matilda made a move toward him, but I grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her back. The other onlookers seemed to follow my lead and remained rooted in place. We watched in silence as he devoured the heart.

Matilda shot me a quizzical look. "Cariad, what are you doing?"

I shook my head.

Vortigern began to shimmer with golden light as the stag's power flooded his body.

"This is bad, right?" Camryn asked.

"Golden light does seem bad in this context," Gun agreed.

The intensity of the brightness sealed my eyes closed. I said a silent prayer to the heavens that I was right—because if I was wrong, things were about to get a lot worse. A more powerful Vortigern could do far worse than level Wild Acres. All of Fairhaven was at risk.

An inhuman sound pierced my ears, and I forced my eyes open.

Vortigern's eyes bulged, and a purplish-black tongue protruded from his mouth. Black lines crisscrossed his skin.

Gun blinked rapidly. "Um, did anybody have this option on their bingo card? Because I sure as hell didn't."

The lines cracked open. Powder the color of midnight spilled from the gaps forcing Vortigern's body to cave in on itself. A sea of darkness seeped across the husk like spilled ink until it broke into a million grains of black sand.

I released the breath I'd been holding.

"Huh. A pillar of pepper," Gun observed. "What ever happened to good, old-fashioned salt?"

"I think his body rejected the heart," Camryn said. "That happens sometimes with transplants."

Gun grunted. "More like the heart rejected him."

"It's both, actually." The stag's power was his virtue—the innocence and purity he carried in his heart. It couldn't coexist with a heart as wicked and corrupt as Vortigern's, which meant neither could survive.

Matilda clapped me on the shoulder. "Well done, annwyl. You make me proud."

The remaining hunters stood awkwardly around their fallen leader.

"What do we do now?" one of them asked. He was tall and reedy, with a wiry gray mullet that seemed out of place on an ancient spectral hunter.

"Await our new leader, same as always," Colm said.

Matilda puffed out her chest. "No need to wait. Gather the hounds. You'll find them hiding in the caverns by the Falls. We'll ride through the crossroads together."

I spun toward her. "We?"

"As the Morrigan said, you no longer require my services. Perhaps it's time to return to what I do best."

Alan dropped to one knee. "It would be an honor to ride alongside you again, Night Mallt."

The other hunters followed suit until Matilda was surrounded by hunters swearing their allegiance to her. There was no sign of the traitor.

I studied Matilda. Regardless of her initial reasons for befriending me, I knew she saw me as more than a duty. I was her family, and she was mine.

"I'll miss you," I told her. "If I could choose anyone as a big sister, I'd choose you."

Her face softened and she patted my cheek. "I am so relieved you said big sister and not mother. I was on the verge of smiting you."

I took her hand and gave it a quick squeeze before releasing it. Honesty and vulnerability weren't easy for me, but I was working on it.

"Will I ever hear from you again?"

She pressed her forehead against mine. "When thunder rolls into town and the wind howls, listen for the sound of my voice."

"Or you could just try the telephone," Josie deadpanned.

"To whom much is given, much is required," Matilda whispered. "But you've already learned that lesson." She released me and, with a dramatic sweep of her cloak, mounted her mare. As sunlight shattered the darkness, Matilda disappeared through the crossroads, trailed by the faint echo of her cackle. A Wild Hunt parade followed. One by one, the hunters filed in line behind her, followed by riderless horses and hounds.

Kane entwined his fingers with mine. "I'm sorry about Addison."

"Thank you." I didn't sense her ghost nearby, which meant her human spirit hadn't lingered. The knowledge was a comfort. Tessa deserved to dwell in a better place. As for Aite, I wished her only peace.

West let loose a deafening whistle to summon the missing members of his pack. "If I never chase another horse, I'll be a happy werewolf."

Josie stretched her arms over her head. "I'm glad this is over. Devil's Playground is a snoozefest without any customers."

I didn't have the strength to correct her. We may have survived the Wild Hunt, but if recent events were any indication, our problems were far from over.

The scent of pine invaded my senses as I walked through the woods toward home. Spring was finally on its way. I hoped to live long enough to see it.