Chapter Twenty-Two

Then death lay its gentle kiss upon her lips

S ummer’s incantations rose above the clattering and banging coming from the trapped creature. Both witches’ hands moved in finite details, quickly flashing through the carefully choreographed movements. Despite not knowing the language, the intent was clear to Sebastian as well as the demon, which struggled even more, vigorously beating against the demon trap.

Already minutes into the operation, the walls around the trap trembled and shook, shimmering under the candlelight as the powerful wendigo, shaking with anger, beat on the invisible walls. All they needed to do was hold for a few more minutes while Delta and Summer secured it and Kai began the ritual.

It paused its momentary beating on the trap to examine the small group within the cell before its evil eyes settled on Kai, who was bent over, laying ancient words on the each of the jars.

“Oh, young Kai Tarkirk, how you’ve grown. So handsome, my young nemesis,” the creature cooed in a man’s voice that Bash didn’t recognize, but Kai clearly did.

Kai’s dark neck flushed while his jaw tightened, but he continued to do his best to ignore the creature. “You’ve been busy trying to keep my meals from me. What a merry-go-round that has been, seeing your feeble attempts to save those girls who beg to come visit me. Were you jealous? Did you wish to share the women?” Its voice dropped to a whisper as it taunted him.

The voice shifted to a higher pitch to question the group. “Did the boy not tell you? Yes, I met his father.” Its voice once again dropped, deepening before it bellowed, “Aw, yes, I sucked the blood and marrow from his bones after I picked the flesh from his body.” Wild laughter surrounded them, echoing off the walls of the cell as it shrieked, picking up speed, whirling around them. “And it was so good, so good, ssso good, but I was still hungry. So hungry.”

No one found any need or desire to respond to the creature, and Kai’s flinch was barely discernibly. Still, Bash lay what he hoped was a supportive hand on the young man’s forearm. Kai tensed under the touch before relaxing; then he nodded, his jaw clenched, as he blinked rapidly and refocused on the task on hand. The painful taunts had hit home but only fortified the youth on what needed to be done.

Delta continued working her magic in the room, the clean scent of sage battling against the stench of burnt offerings saturating the room, the scent that Ravyn had claimed was Ibis’s altered black magic. She zigzagged through the air as sweat built on her forehead, fighting for control of the creature’s body even as its taunts filled the air. With the zip of a finger and barely discernible movements of her lips, the beast’s arms were wrenched out to its sides with a sharp snap and crack as the bones were pulled out of place. A slight movement of her other hand brought the monster into the air before slamming it down twice. Salt and dust rose with a puff as the wendigo was planted in the middle of the pentagram, pinning parts of its outstretched limbs on the floor with another snap of the bones. It howled with anger, promising slow retribution to the witch, who ignored it as if it didn’t speak at all.

The creature didn’t like being ignored, though, and questioned Kai directly, this time straining to lift its head from the floor to look straight at the young man. “Would you like to hear how he sounded as he died? Would you like to hear how he offered me his tender son in exchange for his life?” It clicked its yellow-red teeth sharply, tapping its clawed fingers against the concrete of the cell as it recalled the moment, eagerly awaiting a reaction, a break in their concentration, a chink in the armor.

The masculine voice coming out of the creature was unfamiliar to Bash, and even without looking at the young man, he suspected it to be his father’s voice, but not his words. Such cowardly torment reeked of desperation; he would rip its tongue from its vile mouth. But Bash fought the urge to step across the spelled floor and shut the beast up. Delta and Summer combined still only had time to create a spell that would allow one person through the wards. Of all of them, Ravyn had the highest chance of success—fast and strong, as well as having flesh that could heal from the bitter cold of the wendigo’s heart.

He’d argued against that.

Knowing that if Ravyn failed someone else would need to step through, he’d insisted on keeping the doorway open wide.

But no. They each had a job, Kai had patiently explained over and over to the group. It was imperative that they each focus on their part in the plan and trust their teammates. The youth had earnestly patted Sebastian’s arm as if understanding how badly his wolf fought against his mate entering danger at all, let alone completely unprotected.

“She won’t be alone,” Kai had reminded him in a low voice.

More desperate laughter bubbled from the wendigo. As it opened its mouth to offer more torments, in movements quicker than Bash’s own, Ravyn stepped through and into the demon trap, careful to avoid smudging any of the dark lines on the floor.

Launching herself with one foot onto its hairy thigh, pushing down hard enough to elicit another snap of bone, Ravyn propelled herself into its throat, forcing the creature’s head back to the ground with one hand.

Another explosion of motion came as she deftly pried its mouth open even as it struggled against her, snapping its mouthful of teeth at her. She pushed her fingers in through the rows of sharp teeth that cut into her flesh, blackening the edges even as her body instinctively fought to heal itself from the poisonous injury. Thank the gods she’d been well fed before the mission.

Seeming to not even notice her injuries, Ravyn grasped its tongue, readjusting her grip to gain better control before ripping it straight out of its mouth.

The wendigo let out an animalistic howl of indignation mixed with pain.

Wrinkling her face with disgust, Ravyn tossed the appendage onto the floor, where it flopped around, struggling to return to its angry, shocked master. She pushed the now wide-eyed creature back against the floor, where Delta quickly added more magical lashings.

Ravyn wiped its blackened blood on her borrowed clothes, her wounds healing almost instantly in her well satiated state. “I think we can all say we’ve heard enough from this bastard. Let’s get on with this before it can grow back another tongue, although I can’t say it would disappoint me to keep ripping body parts off it.” She settled for a solid kick to its side that didn’t seem to affect the creature, which now stared at her with fire in its eyes as more brackish, foamy blood bubbled from its mouth.

Beautiful.

Damn, she was the most beautiful thing he’d seen in his entire life. Bash’s wolf hummed in agreement and pride. The most beautiful, terrifying creature he’d ever seen. Leaving her behind in the dirt after his harsh words had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done. Despite knowing the actress was feigning fear and helplessness, he couldn’t help but cringe as his words struck her. His wolf had battered against his mind and control despite his repeated assurances that it was all part of the plan. “Mate,” the wolf had growled as the helpless female lay behind them. Bash hadn’t dared to look back and possibly lose the tenacious hold he had on his animal.

Now, however, splattered in various fluids, dried or otherwise, her strength had returned. Ever the graceful lady even as she channeled her inner Valkyrie to tear an enemy limb from limb. Despite the fact that she lived every day among humans, keeping in touch with her humanity, underneath that facade simmered the Fury she’d correctly been labeled throughout history. The earthly embodiment of vengeance, Ravyn had been written about in every era throughout history.

Fenrir, he cursed himself, he loved her. Bash’s wolf howled with pleasure and laughter at this sudden realization. Finally. But this wasn’t the time to dwell on it. Gathering her up to kiss her senselessly in the death house while the demon spilled its blood on the floor seemed inappropriate, and his wolf hummed in agreement. Soon, he promised his wolf.

“It lies,” Kai whispered despite the fact that all of the room could hear him easily. In the shadow-filled room he looked even younger than when Bash had first seen him. “All it knows is hunger and lies. I will end this today. Now.”

Bash fought the urge to lay his hand on Kai’s shoulder again. The boy was strong, stronger than he had a right to be and when this was over, he was going to find a way to return some of what had been lost to him, give him a tribe, a home, or at least a pack.

“We finish this. Get your part ready.” The words were unnecessary. Kai had been ready since birth to fulfill this destiny just as his ancestors had been. Despite the torments, he double-checked the alignment of the crude jars around the wendigo, setting them up just out of the creature’s reach.

It silently watched him with dark eyes, baring its teeth at Kai as he finished the setup.

Without removing her eyes from the creature, Delta nodded to the small group, already straining from holding it in place but still managing to keep it secured to the floor. Trapped now, nearly immobile, all it could do was stare unblinkingly up into the space above it. It lay on the floor where Ravyn had unceremoniously tossed it; even its tongue had stopped its spasms as it waited for what was to come.

Bash held the still sheathed knife loosely in his hand, enjoying the feel of it, the weight of it. A part of him wondered if yielding the knife would change him. Ancient, ancestral magic tended to do that; the ancestors did what they wanted, everyone else be damned. But he looked at Kai intently dipping his fingers in a mixture of blood, animal fat, and salt to create the runes outside the demon trap that would assist in permanently imprisoning the spirit of the wendigo in the jars—hopefully for eternity, if the ragtime team had their way. There would be no chance of it bouncing back to hell and returning someday. No chance it would sneak back though a gateway to torment humanity ever again.

“Ms. Sinclair, once the heart is ripped out, toss it straight above the monster.” Kai took charge, reiterating the plan they’d gone over numerous times. “Summer and Delta, it’s important that you freeze it in place and hold it simultaneously above the body. If it returns, then this has all been for naught. We must time this perfectly. It’s imperative.”

So much was riding on the witches and their power. Delta and Summer would need to divide their attention as well as their magic for the next bit. Bash had complete faith in Delta; he knew her, knew her story. Despite Summer being on Oliver’s team, Sebastion hadn’t worked with her before. Bash reminded himself that only the best were on the payroll, but they’d already asked so much from the witch.

Summer had refused a shot of Ravyn’s offered blood, admitting that the adrenaline boost might cause her to lose focus or intent. An older witch might have been offended by the offer, but thankfully she hadn’t been. Delta had giggled and suggested she might take Ravyn up on the offer afterward. Bash didn’t want to think what that might mean.

Each of them settled into place and out of the corner of his eye, Bash was aware that Delta’s hands now flashed with movements quicker than even he could follow. Despite its apparent stillness, the wendigo still battled against the temporary five-pointed trap, and as quickly as its magic battered the tenacious structure, Delta fought back, rebuilding the wards on weakened spots, as well as trying to guess where the next magical battle-ax might strike.

The trap was, at best, temporary; they needed to move quickly. Earlier, Delta had admitted her unfamiliarity with the demon’s magic. She might be able to hold it off for an hour or less; there was no way of knowing. But looking at the strain on the young red-headed witch’s face and the fever to her movements, Bash suspected that they didn’t have an hour and might be lucky if they had more than a few minutes.

His hands felt sweaty. He couldn’t imagine how Kai sounded so calm as he chanted the incantations to begin. If the heart returned to the wendigo’s body, the backlash of the magic would knock the creature free of the already failing trap. Bash dreaded thinking about the others who had learned that unfortunate fact the hard way.

“Focus, Bash. Remember: five pieces as equal as you can.” Kai looked at him. “I promise you once the knife is in your hand, it will fit the need.” He quoted his father once again. Apparently, neither he nor his father had ever seen the knife in action, but previous users had passed down that it would always fit the need. Bash had to believe him, had to trust him, just as they were all trusting the other members of their haphazard team.

“It’s time.” Kai’s voice sounded clear as the moon reached its zenith, shining over the group. Bash had never taken part in killing something that was as subdued as the wendigo appeared at the moment, but now wasn’t the time to hesitate. If the creature had its way, it would feast on all of them, perhaps lingering over Ravyn for years.

Kai began reciting words in a language that Bash didn’t understand but once again, he didn’t need to for any of it to work. As he intoned the words, his voice grew deeper and heavier and the air grew thick around them. A quick gesture at Ravyn ensured it was her time.

Time to pull the heart from the beast.

With quick efficiency, she once again drove her hand through its mouth and past the rows of tiny, sharp teeth that ripped and tore at her skin despite the vampire armor. With a combination of horror and fascination, Bash watched her drive her hand past the teeth while the beast gagged and fought against the magical bonds holding it. Already its eyes were twitching in panic, its long, clawed fingers tapping in the air as it struggled to free itself from Delta’s magical grip.

With a roar, Ravyn pushed and squeezed her hand down its throat up to her elbow, and then to her shoulder straight down its chest. The cracking of its breastbone reverberated through the room as her fingers frantically searched the frozen cavity for its heart while she remained face to face with the unholy creature, determination and perspiration peppering her face.

The wendigo’s vocal cords apparently broke free from the magic and it let out a guttural howl around her hand, promising death to all as it increased its struggle to pull away from Ravyn’s hand, which dug through its chest in equal determination. Its body pulsated and quivered in its attempt to escape as it burned through the magic holding it at an alarming rate.

Bash could see the struggle on Delta’s face as her magic fought to hold it in place. “Hold,” reverberated through his mind, a reminder to his wolf that they each had a part to play. Any deviation from that part could mean the entire plan would fall apart, ensuring the death of the entire team by an enraged wendigo. Hold , he once again ordered his wolf while sending calming thoughts down their connection.

Summer stood nearby, face frozen in determination and hands raised, bouncing in anticipation of the exact moment to call open her magic, breaking through the magical barrier with which Delta had surrounded the creature. Too soon and the creature would have a shot at freedom; too late and its frozen heart would be drawn back into its body before their shot at destroying it.

The moment Ravyn’s hand grasped its heart, Bash could tell. The triumphant look in her eyes was mirrored by the immediate look of panic and anger in the wendigo’s expression as its body desperately tightened and twisted.

With a pained look, Ravyn shifted her arm and tightened her fingers around the frozen appendage. She began methodically pulling and twisting her arm back up its path, even as the creature’s chest and then throat pulsated around it. Instinctually, it fought to survive, contracting deeply, determined to hold its frozen heart in place.

Her exposed forearm grew frosty with cold as the creature rebelled against the attack. The skin first turned white, then purple as the cold dug in.

Bash couldn’t imagine the damage it was doing to the parts of her still inside the creature’s body. He fought down the urge to pull her free. Kai had stressed to not become distracted and to trust each other to do his or her part. Bash’s wolf growled in distress as Ravyn fought with the gaping, sunk-in chest before finally pulling her hand free from its mouth with a loud pop as the body released the suction it had on her arm and its own heart.

At the pop , the wendigo’s clawed hands broke free from the magic bindings, reaching out to grab Ravyn in the waist. Without reservation, it dug its claws deep into her side as she screamed out in pain. Too late, though; working past the pain, she triumphantly raised her hand in the air even as the creature pressed its claws deeper into her side.

Ravyn’s hand and forearm were a deep purple, nearly black now from the unrelenting cold. Cold that Kai had warned could freeze a man through in seconds. Seemingly unbothered by the frostbite that had already settled in, her mouth formed a victorious grin. Without time to celebrate, she launched the heart high above the group with a strong throw.

They all watched as it went up and then started to come down even faster, heavy with the cold that encased it.

In a breath, Delta’s hands slashed downward through the air, severing at least one section of the magical pentagram, allowing an opening for magic and, if done incorrectly, also an opening for the wendigo to retrieve its frozen heart.

Holding his breath, Bash waited for the next step of the plan to be executed, the part that still didn’t belong to him. Please, Fenrir. His lips silently shaped the prayer, hoping the god understood the specifics of his request.

“ Duratus ,” Summer commanded, moving her hands to form the hidden magic before tossing it toward the falling heart. She missed!

Sebastian fought the urge to move from the spot Kai had placed him in, clear in his instructions to not move. They had to count on each other to complete their assigned tasks. If they stumbled, it would all fall.

However, Summer recovered as quickly as any battle-worn witch might, repeating the command to freeze.

“ Duratus !” she summoned, twice in quick succession, tossing both spells toward the heart, both of them catching it and holding it suspended less than a foot above the body. Close, but close didn’t matter as long as it remained frozen away from the body with its hands twitching as it strained to move them in the direction of its frozen heart.

“And you’re up, Daddy Wolf.” The strain on Delta’s entire body was beginning to show as she shook.

With a roar, Sebastian pulled the knife free, dropping the sheath at his feet. The hilt grew warm in his hand as the blade pulsated once, twice, three times, glowing as it dragged him toward the motionless monster, compelling him—no, commanding—that he finish the job. How many times the knife had completed its task was anyone’s guess, but it seemed to know perfectly its job.

Without hesitation, he stepped through the area of the pentagram that Delta had previously said she would bring down, trusting the witch to do her part; otherwise, the original magical constraint would kill him instantly. But there was no other option. Delta had only been able to spell it for Ravyn to pass through unharmed. A longer, lengthier process would need to occur to open it for any more of them. That was time they didn’t have. Dropping it was the quickest, if not the most dangerous option.

The shield of the demon trap was dropped. The heart hovered in place above the wendigo, taunting it with its closeness. This was the most vulnerable time of the entire operation.

As he raised the blade up it pulsated again, harnessing the power of the moon, growing longer, changing its shape to a silver battle-ax that fit perfectly in his hand. He brought it down across the wendigo’s legs, slicing them bloodlessly and with ease while an inhuman howl echoed through the room.

Amazement and power coursed through Bash as he continued another arch, removing torso and arms, easily switching the weapon from one hand to the other. The arm deep inside Ravyn’s side thrashed violently once, twice, before falling helplessly to the ground.

Bash swung the weapon lightly as he moved, aware that the ax felt made for him, that perhaps the magical weapon was an extension of him. The blade cut and cauterized with each fatal swipe and with the final one, it pulsated one last time before both the glow and the extra length faded away. It turned once again into a simple bone and leather athame, mysteriously clear of blood.

Sweat beading on his brow, Kai continued his chanting as he opened a jar, preparing to drop inside one of the parts. The mouth of the small jar opened wide, forming its own set of tiny, jagged teeth as it wrapped itself around the body part and inexplicably expanded, sucking the section into its base before shrinking back to its smaller size and shape. Kai repeated the procedure four more times, each jar somehow ingesting the large portions of the wendigo’s body into it. As each jar sucked in its pound of flesh, the frozen, blue heart flickered and twisted as it struggled to free itself from its magical restraint.

When the last piece of the monster was engulfed by a jar, the heart quit twisting. Within a breath it burst into flames, leaving behind a handful of blackened ash that haphazardly floated to the floor and across the room as Summer released her magic and collapsed to the floor, drained. Delta wavered back and forth on her feet but managed to remain standing even as Ravyn moved with a flash to give her a helping arm despite her own injury.

Lids sucked onto all the jars after they’d swallowed the body pieces as Kai also collapsed, leaving only a shocked Bash and Rayvn standing amid the remains of the monster and the spell. Ravyn held up a pale and shaking Delta.

Bash caught his breath as the sight of the disheveled Ravyn filled his eyes. She dripped in both her blood and that of her enemy. A light dusting of ash from the now destroyed heart of the beast covered her. Her blackened arm already was starting to have bits of color flood into it. She needed to feed—and soon.

Delta grimaced as she pulled her arm out of Ravyn’s grasp, determined to put some space between herself and the mess surrounding them.

“Goddess, I may be speechless,” she admitted, letting out a deep breath followed by a laugh of relief. “I honestly can’t believe that worked.”

Leaping across the mess on the floor and his exhausted comrades, Bash caught Ravyn in his arms, lifting her triumphantly to meet him as he lowered his head toward her. Meeting her lips, he could taste the grime and death on them as well as the sweet taste of her underneath. Her tense lips relaxed after a mere second with him, and she pulled him closer. Invited him closer, before pulling away.

Bash reluctantly let her slide down his body before only half releasing her so that she might stand on her own two feet.

She graced him with a small smile that he hoped promised more to come.

Rubbing the arm with her other hand as feeling returned, a wide, relieved grin crossed her face. “We did it,” she whispered, looking around the room, as if not really believing it had worked.

“Go team, go,” Delta intoned in a flat tone, rubbing her own arms to bring feeling back to them as the chill remained heavy in the cement room. Letting out yet another deep breath and laugh of shock, she exclaimed, “Wow.”

“We did it,” Bash agreed softly, then repeated more loudly with a gasped laugh of disbelief as he squeezed Ravyn once again in a half hug. “We did it! Never doubted us.”

Still massaging the damaged appendage, Ravyn admitted, “I did.”

“Me too, just a smidge,” Delta confessed, holding up a small space between her thumb and forefinger. “Your side good? To be honest, I don’t think I have an ounce of healing left in me, but—”

“It’s good.”

Looking around the room at the still exhausted forms of Kai and Summer, Ravyn repeated, “I can’t believe it, but I’m really, really glad we did it.”

Despite Ravyn’s assurances, Delta moved the cloth that remained on Ravyn’s bleeding side. Satisfied, she silently examined Ravyn’s arm, pushing into the purpling flesh as Ravyn groaned against the pain.

Bash reluctantly loosened his grip on her, knowing that Delta would offer healing that he couldn’t.

Delta waved her hands around the arm, muttering words that Bash couldn’t understand and could barely hear. He watched as a bit more color returned to the arm.

“I’m sorry, that’s all I can manage at the moment. Once you feed, it should help more,” Delta apologized before adding with a smile, “But you two can feel free to get a room if you need to, you know, take care of things.”

Both sets of eyes flew to the red-head’s hands, which shot up innocently. “You know, to take care of healing and whatever else needs taken care of after a battle.”

The look Ravyn gave him when she looked up at him nearly brought him to his knees. Large eyes, framed with sooty lashes and bits of ash had his heart pounding harder, “Bash, I l...”

“I think it’s too early to celebrate,” Bash declared pulling away, before she could complete her sentence. He kneeled next to Kai, pulling the disoriented youth to a sitting position. “I still need to find Ibis. And I need to get my nephew home to Missouri.” A hint of apology crept into his voice and he couldn’t bring himself to look directly at Ravyn. Instead, he busied himself checking Kai over. “He needs me to get him home. The rest can wait, but...”

He felt Ravyn go still next to him at the declaration, pausing, waiting for him to continue, but that was it. Honestly, his priority now was getting Toby back to his mom and begging her for forgiveness.

Delta admitted, “Ravyn’s sister is long gone. I think she saw the writing on the wall and took off.” Slowly walking around the room, shuddering as she examined the sterile, cold killing room, she continued, “Her magic saturates this place. I would guess she ran while we were making plans, by the age of this magic. Not bothering to let this one know…” She gestured with a nod at the small dusting of ash from the remains of the wendigo’s frozen heart.

Speaking to Ravyn, she went on. “Her last need of him was a distraction while she covered her tracks. She attempted to burn over her magic in and around this place, but there is too much and she didn’t expect me. Now that I’ve tasted her magic, we can specifically ward you against her.” With a spit of distaste, Delta continued solemnly, “This is witch business now. I need to report her to my mother, but I already know what will be happening next. The great mother’s will be done.”

“Let your mother know I’ll help as needed,” Bash offered, ready to stab the witch who had taken part in maiming and torturing Toby and Ravyn.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Delta kneeled next to Summer, who also sat up in dazed amazement that they’d survived the night.

“Well heeded, witch,” Bash mumbled toward both of them, unable to say more to express how deeply he appreciated their help. Despite being employed with his and Oliver’s company, both witches had right of refusal, and neither had hesitated to stand alongside them. They’d destroyed a great evil today and few would know about it.

Delta nodded again as Ravyn kneeled on the other side of Summer. Working together, they carefully brought the witch to her feet. Was it just his imagination, that suddenly she wasn’t looking at him? That was what he wanted, right? He had stopped her words spoken off the high of a battle, before she could regret them. His wolf whined and pushed him to release his hold on Kai and approach her, but already despite her own injuries she was half carrying the exhausted witch away from the room. “Fool , ” his wolf hissed as Sebastian followed with Kai, confused as to what just happened but realizing he’d missed something important and things had shifted within seconds.

Delta shook her head sadly as Bash passed by her with Kai. “Should have just gotten that room, Wolf,” she chuffed at him softly, taking a place behind him in leaving the wendigo’s house of horrors.