A Cursed Bloodline
Page 81
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Bren snapped the wolf’s neck before he could kill me. He changed and lifted me in his arms, carrying me to where Danny tried uselessly to pry Aric from the wall. Aric shrugged him off. “Leave me. Get Celia out of here!”
The entire room caved in around us. Glass rained from the speed with which Emme tossed Anara’s brethren through the demolished wall of windows. They leapt back in, snarling, hungry, and feverishly seeking blood.
Chunks of ceiling fell like boulders from the strength behind Taran’s lightning bolts. She, along with Tye and Shayna, fought their way through Anara’s guards. Shayna spiraled in a windstorm of moving swords, slicing her way through the thickening army of raging weres. Taran closed in, compelling the giant beasts back with her fire. She’d almost reached Anara, but she couldn’t stop him alone.
“We can’t leave them,” I told Danny feebly when he pulled me into his arms.
“I have to keep you safe!” he yelled.
As I looked toward the pack of snarling wolves bounding to us, I thought he was attempting the impossible. Emme didn’t. She cut through the mob, parting them like waves along the Red Sea. “Run, Danny. You have to save Celia!” She cleared a path across the vast ballroom to a section of windows leading out to the garden.
Danny jetted forward, vaulting us into the cold night. He landed on his knees just as Taran screamed and the sound of flesh tearing from bone rippled behind us. Danny shielded me as the remaining windows shattered in a wash of blue and white flame. My heart sunk into the pit of my stomach. “Taran!”
Danny raced across the sprawling lawn, cutting between buildings until he reached our Tribeca. Deep claw marks were cleaved into the side of the SUV and blood was streaked over the hood and splintered windows. He reached for the handle only to jerk back to avoid the snapping jaws of a huge red wolf.
The wolf shoved his way in front of us. My hammer fist met his snout. I brought him to the ground. He shook off the pain and stalked forward followed by three more wolves. A fourth in human form jerked me from Danny’s arms and punched me hard in the skull.
Spots fluttered in my vision. I forced myself up on my hands. More wolves arrived, these in human form. I recognized them as the morons who’d mocked and picked on Danny. They encircled him, shoving him between them and taunting him like bullies on a playground. He tried to break through the ring, reaching for me.
The red wolf I’d hit dug his fangs into my scalp and snatched me back. I could barely see straight. My head throbbed from the multiple blows. My limbs flopped against the ground, leaving a trail in the wet grass while he hauled me away by my tresses. He dragged me along, stopping suddenly near a row of firs. I angled my chin enough to see why. A beautiful snow-white wolf bared her teeth with unforgiving ire. Heidi, the last of Aric’s Warriors, had come to my rescue.
“No,” I told her. “Help Danny.”
Danny didn’t have the skill or cunning typical of all Warriors. He’d never become the type of were to make others tremble with fear. But he’d been my most loyal friend, coming both to my aid and Aric’s. I couldn’t allow his death. I had the power to stop it. So I gave him the only thing I had left—a chance at life.
Heidi’s ears perked up and her head shot toward where he remained at the mercy of the other wolves. There was no hesitation. She charged, ramming them at full speed.
Drool dripped from the wolf’s jowls and onto my hair as he raked me over the gravel, the stone steps, and through the debris and destruction littering the main building. Each movement struck me like ruthless kicks. My inner tigress made me tough, but we’d reached our limits and I doubted we could take much more.
Something punctured my wrist, forcing blood to seep and leaving a trail behind me. The were following us bent to get a taste. He licked his chops, eager for more. My eyes burned, knowing Anara would willingly oblige him.
Shayna’s nightmarish shrieks resonated through the massively thick oak doors and started my tears. She hurt. They all did. Because of him.
The doors were thrown open, an invitation to return to hell. Slivers of wood and glass cut into my skin as the wolf dragged me over the remains of the once grand ballroom.
I passed Bren and Emme first. They were draped over the battered floor where they’d collapsed, from death or bludgeoning—I couldn’t tell which. But Emme wasn’t healing and that in itself was a very bad sign. Bren’s brown paw was slung over her back. His muscles were flaccid and shriveled from weeks of lying unconscious, and still he’d fought to protect us. Even near to death, he shielded Emme.
Taran and Tye were next. Tye lay as a tremendous lion, his bowels strewn across the space between them. Blood tinged his white fur crimson and his neck twisted away from his body. Nothing in him demonstrated signs of life.
Taran met my gaze, her stark pale face expressionless as white and blue sparks sizzled erratically around her. She’d lost control of her power. She’d also lost an arm. Blood squirted from the bloody stump despite her attempt to tie off the artery with her scarf. She was powerless, weaponless, and terrified. And still not as vulnerable as Shayna.
Shayna stopped screeching and flailing her legs when she saw me, but when I saw what Anara had done to her I thought she had every damn right to continue. Blood drenched her light blue shirt, plastering it to her thin frame. Shards of broken bones jutted from her elbows. Anara had feasted on her limbs, devouring her hands, muscles, and bones while she watched. She choked on her sobs as the wolf lugged me past her. “Celia.”
Anara kept his back to me as he loomed over Aric. Aric had wrenched himself from the wall and now lay writhing against the floor, his eyes more animal than human. Anara…he was mostly animal. He’d doubled in size. His clothes lay in shreds across the floor. Silver fur spilled over his humanoid body and sharp black claws protruded from the soles of his hands and feet. He turned, unmasking his grotesque wolf head. The flask of blood hung against his furry chest. He stroked it lovingly while picking chunks of flesh from his razor-sharp fangs. “I can understand why Shayna was fed to the demons. She’s absolutely delicious.”
My heart pounded slowly, but with purpose. There was so much strength one could gather from anger. “You fucking coward.”
His head snapped toward me. “What did you—?”
I drove my fist into my captor’s jaw, breaking his hold and hopping to a stand. My injured foot hung loosely, the nerves so damaged I felt no pain when I drove it into the red wolf’s side and sent him soaring into Anara. “I said you’re a fucking coward!” Anara shoved the wolf off him. I limped forward. “Fight me—not with your magic—but like the were you pretend to be.”
The entire room caved in around us. Glass rained from the speed with which Emme tossed Anara’s brethren through the demolished wall of windows. They leapt back in, snarling, hungry, and feverishly seeking blood.
Chunks of ceiling fell like boulders from the strength behind Taran’s lightning bolts. She, along with Tye and Shayna, fought their way through Anara’s guards. Shayna spiraled in a windstorm of moving swords, slicing her way through the thickening army of raging weres. Taran closed in, compelling the giant beasts back with her fire. She’d almost reached Anara, but she couldn’t stop him alone.
“We can’t leave them,” I told Danny feebly when he pulled me into his arms.
“I have to keep you safe!” he yelled.
As I looked toward the pack of snarling wolves bounding to us, I thought he was attempting the impossible. Emme didn’t. She cut through the mob, parting them like waves along the Red Sea. “Run, Danny. You have to save Celia!” She cleared a path across the vast ballroom to a section of windows leading out to the garden.
Danny jetted forward, vaulting us into the cold night. He landed on his knees just as Taran screamed and the sound of flesh tearing from bone rippled behind us. Danny shielded me as the remaining windows shattered in a wash of blue and white flame. My heart sunk into the pit of my stomach. “Taran!”
Danny raced across the sprawling lawn, cutting between buildings until he reached our Tribeca. Deep claw marks were cleaved into the side of the SUV and blood was streaked over the hood and splintered windows. He reached for the handle only to jerk back to avoid the snapping jaws of a huge red wolf.
The wolf shoved his way in front of us. My hammer fist met his snout. I brought him to the ground. He shook off the pain and stalked forward followed by three more wolves. A fourth in human form jerked me from Danny’s arms and punched me hard in the skull.
Spots fluttered in my vision. I forced myself up on my hands. More wolves arrived, these in human form. I recognized them as the morons who’d mocked and picked on Danny. They encircled him, shoving him between them and taunting him like bullies on a playground. He tried to break through the ring, reaching for me.
The red wolf I’d hit dug his fangs into my scalp and snatched me back. I could barely see straight. My head throbbed from the multiple blows. My limbs flopped against the ground, leaving a trail in the wet grass while he hauled me away by my tresses. He dragged me along, stopping suddenly near a row of firs. I angled my chin enough to see why. A beautiful snow-white wolf bared her teeth with unforgiving ire. Heidi, the last of Aric’s Warriors, had come to my rescue.
“No,” I told her. “Help Danny.”
Danny didn’t have the skill or cunning typical of all Warriors. He’d never become the type of were to make others tremble with fear. But he’d been my most loyal friend, coming both to my aid and Aric’s. I couldn’t allow his death. I had the power to stop it. So I gave him the only thing I had left—a chance at life.
Heidi’s ears perked up and her head shot toward where he remained at the mercy of the other wolves. There was no hesitation. She charged, ramming them at full speed.
Drool dripped from the wolf’s jowls and onto my hair as he raked me over the gravel, the stone steps, and through the debris and destruction littering the main building. Each movement struck me like ruthless kicks. My inner tigress made me tough, but we’d reached our limits and I doubted we could take much more.
Something punctured my wrist, forcing blood to seep and leaving a trail behind me. The were following us bent to get a taste. He licked his chops, eager for more. My eyes burned, knowing Anara would willingly oblige him.
Shayna’s nightmarish shrieks resonated through the massively thick oak doors and started my tears. She hurt. They all did. Because of him.
The doors were thrown open, an invitation to return to hell. Slivers of wood and glass cut into my skin as the wolf dragged me over the remains of the once grand ballroom.
I passed Bren and Emme first. They were draped over the battered floor where they’d collapsed, from death or bludgeoning—I couldn’t tell which. But Emme wasn’t healing and that in itself was a very bad sign. Bren’s brown paw was slung over her back. His muscles were flaccid and shriveled from weeks of lying unconscious, and still he’d fought to protect us. Even near to death, he shielded Emme.
Taran and Tye were next. Tye lay as a tremendous lion, his bowels strewn across the space between them. Blood tinged his white fur crimson and his neck twisted away from his body. Nothing in him demonstrated signs of life.
Taran met my gaze, her stark pale face expressionless as white and blue sparks sizzled erratically around her. She’d lost control of her power. She’d also lost an arm. Blood squirted from the bloody stump despite her attempt to tie off the artery with her scarf. She was powerless, weaponless, and terrified. And still not as vulnerable as Shayna.
Shayna stopped screeching and flailing her legs when she saw me, but when I saw what Anara had done to her I thought she had every damn right to continue. Blood drenched her light blue shirt, plastering it to her thin frame. Shards of broken bones jutted from her elbows. Anara had feasted on her limbs, devouring her hands, muscles, and bones while she watched. She choked on her sobs as the wolf lugged me past her. “Celia.”
Anara kept his back to me as he loomed over Aric. Aric had wrenched himself from the wall and now lay writhing against the floor, his eyes more animal than human. Anara…he was mostly animal. He’d doubled in size. His clothes lay in shreds across the floor. Silver fur spilled over his humanoid body and sharp black claws protruded from the soles of his hands and feet. He turned, unmasking his grotesque wolf head. The flask of blood hung against his furry chest. He stroked it lovingly while picking chunks of flesh from his razor-sharp fangs. “I can understand why Shayna was fed to the demons. She’s absolutely delicious.”
My heart pounded slowly, but with purpose. There was so much strength one could gather from anger. “You fucking coward.”
His head snapped toward me. “What did you—?”
I drove my fist into my captor’s jaw, breaking his hold and hopping to a stand. My injured foot hung loosely, the nerves so damaged I felt no pain when I drove it into the red wolf’s side and sent him soaring into Anara. “I said you’re a fucking coward!” Anara shoved the wolf off him. I limped forward. “Fight me—not with your magic—but like the were you pretend to be.”
