While he recovered his swing, I leapt on him and took out his throat. It was too easy, and there was no sense of victory in it. But I wasn’t here for a sense of victory. I was here to protect Eve.

  Satisfied that my target was down, I whirled and charged toward her. The Maker had a hand around her arm, and she wasn’t struggling.

  She must have landed her tracking charm on him. I lunged between them, breaking them apart. She darted back, and I went for the Maker’s throat.

  He hit me with a boom of percussive magic that made my organs feel like they’d gone through a blender. The force blasted me backward, and I tumbled across the slick stone floor. Palm trees waved overhead as the light of the moon gleamed on their leaves.

  Panting, I surged to my feet and looked for Eve. I spotted her to the side, grappling with some demons about fifteen feet from the Maker. I sprinted toward them, knowing that the Maker would be getting away with the stone. I hated to let him have it, but I had to trust the plan.

  And I couldn’t let those demons hurt Eve.

  Not that she needed much help. She was using the power of the moon to throw the melting ice sculptures at the demons’ heads. They shattered on impact, the force knocking the creatures unconscious. Behind me, the battle still raged.

  I reached the bastards who attacked Eve and dragged one away from her, shaking him viciously by the throat until he lay dead.

  Out of the corner of my vision, I spotted the Maker disappearing with the stone. A few moments later, the demons vanished.

  It was done.

  Quickly, I transformed back to human, my muscles aching from the fight.

  “Eve, are you all right?” I strode to her side.

  She stood staring at the spot the Maker had vacated, an expression of satisfaction on her face. “He fell for it.”

  “Of course he did. It was a good plan.”

  Carrow and the others approached. All looked bloody and a little beaten, but there had been no deaths. Mac’s arm looked like it was broken, and her face was pale, but that seemed to be the worst of it. “Little help?” she gasped.

  Eve grimaced and pulled a healing potion from the cuff at her wrist. “You okay?”

  “I’m good.” Mac threw back the potion and sighed. “Better now.”

  “Let’s get out of here,” Eve said. “We can follow him now and grab the stone before he locks it up.”

  8

  Eve

  * * *

  The warm ocean breeze whipped across the rooftop so strongly that it shook the palms in their pots. It was as if the ocean knew that something big was about to happen.

  We needed to be quick if we wanted to follow the Maker. My friends gathered around to use the transportation charms, and I called the witches to get that ball rolling.

  “It’s time,” I said when Coraline picked up.

  “Be there in a sec.”

  A few moments later, the three witches appeared. They were dressed in sleek black catsuits, each wearing a domino mask.

  “Really?” Mac asked, gesturing to her own face.

  “What?” Coraline shrugged. “We like to be prepared. Also, it’s not every day you get to dress like Batman.”

  “And we look good,” Mary said.

  Mac shrugged. “That’s true.”

  “All right, we’re about to go.” I pulled a small box from my pocket and flipped it open to reveal the sparkling powder within, which had been enchanted to link us to the charm I’d stuck to the Maker’s clothes. Carefully, I sprinkled it on the ground to create a large circle, then looked up at my friends. “The transport charms must be deployed in here.”

  They nodded, and I shot Garreth a look to make sure he’d heard. He stood in the back with the shifters that Lachlan had brought. I recognized many of them by now and even knew most of their names. I prayed that none were killed in the fight to come. Ralph mingled with them, seeming to like a couple of the bigger ones in particular.

  “We’ll start now,” Coraline said.

  “Thank you.”

  The witches began to chant words in a language I didn’t recognize, their voices carrying in eerie unison over the breeze. The spell was meant to make the transport charms last longer so that we could get more people through.

  Lachlan deployed his first, and I linked hands with Mary and Beth. Ralph joined us, sticking close by my side. We’d be the first line of defense, and the two witches would go through with me to incapacitate the Maker.

  Together, we stepped through the portal and let the ether suck us through space. It spun us wildly around and spat us out in cool, dark night air that smelled distinctly of heather.

  The Highlands. It had to be.

  We stood in the middle of a wide open space, our boots planted on broken cement. Scrubby grass pushed up through the cracks, and it was clear this place had been abandoned for a long time. Long, low buildings crouched in the distance, hidden by the late-night shadows. I couldn’t tell where we’d landed—it might have been an old industrial park, for all I knew—but we’d come to the right place.

  In front of the buildings, I spotted a group of figures. It was too dark to see exactly who they were, but I could feel the Maker’s vile magic. I pointed. “There they are.”

  “Let’s go.” Mary raced forward, and we followed, sprinting across the cement as the highland wind howled down from the mountains in the distance. Ralph kept pace, unusually silent for once. He was clever enough to understood the danger we were in.

  In my hand, I clutched the glass charm that the witches had made for me. It was my job to deploy it, theirs to activate the magic within.

  As we neared, the Maker turned. I couldn’t make out his face through the shadows, but I could feel his surprise.

  Two can play at this game, you bastard.

  He raised his hand to throw one of his sonic booms at us, but I hurled the charm right before he launched it. The glass shattered on the ground in front of his feet.

  He laughed triumphantly, then threw his magic right at us. I dove in front of Mary and Beth, taking the hit full to the chest. It threw me backward, pain exploding in my ribcage and eyes blurring. My organs felt pulverized as I crashed.

  I dragged my aching body upright and gasped, trying to recover from the shock of the blow.

  The witches’ voices filled the air, and satisfaction simmered through me. As their eerie, unintelligible words carried through the night, the broken glass in front of the Maker began to glow.

  “Get them!” he shouted, gesturing to the demons who surrounded him.

  Aching, I tried to leap to my feet, but I was slow. His magic was so damned powerful, and I was no match for it. Yet.

  Thankfully, Lachlan appeared at my side and helped me up. His strong hands were a welcome assistance as I watched the witches’ magic begin to surround the Maker. As arcs of blue light shot from the ground to create a cage around him, my friends streamed forward to battle the demons.

  They’d come through the portals quickly, and nearly all of them were there. Beneath the glow of the moon, I spotted two dozen wolves and other shifters charging toward the demons. Mac raced forward with her sword, and Carrow and Beatrix threw potion bombs with perfect aim.

  The battle exploded as the Maker raged, beating his hands against the glowing bars of his cage. Coraline arrived, adding her voice to Beth’s and Mary’s. Their spell rang through the air, imbuing the cage with strength.

  Mary turned to me, her mouth tight with effort. “Hurry. It takes a lot of power to hold this, and we won’t have enough for long.”

  I nodded and looked at Lachlan. “Ready?

  He nodded, though I could tell he wanted to come with me, to protect me. Our future was too uncertain, too dangerous, but he couldn’t escape that protective drive.

  We’d decided that he was the best suited to retrieving the Miami stone, however. It sat behind the Maker, guarded by six demons. They were clearly taking it to storage, and we’d beat them to it. He’d get that stone; I’d go for the other.

  Seraphia raced up beside me. “Time to go?”

  “Yep.”

  We’d planned for her to accompany me since she was able to take out multiple demons at once with her magic.

  “Be careful,” Lachlan said, his gaze dark.

  “You, too.”

  He nodded, then turned to the demons. Seraphia, Ralph, and I sprinted away from him and the rest of the crew who stayed behind to fight the Maker’s demon backup. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lachlan transform into a wolf, his form massive and strong. He charged toward the Miami stone, taking out two demons on the way.

  Seraphia and I left the chaos behind and headed toward the low buildings up ahead. They were old, perhaps a century in age, but not as ancient as many of the structures in the Highlands.

  “It’s got to be in one of those,” Seraphia said.

  I nodded, trying to reach out with my magic to determine which one the stone was hidden in. Each was at least one hundred feet long, their multiple doors large enough to drive a lorry through.

  We passed an old sign that was half broken, the letters faded away by time: RAF Wigtown, Baldoon Airfield.

  Holy fates, it was an airfield. An old one, too—probably from World War II.

  “The Maker really has a knack for finding the creepiest abandoned places,” Seraphia said.

  “No kidding. It’ll be an asylum next. Or a clown school.”

  “You’re going to give me nightmares.”

  Together, we reached the first building. I didn’t even have to go inside to know it wasn’t there. The place felt dead as a rock.

  “Next one,” I said.

  We sprinted past the huge hangar doors to the next building, which was also a bust. But the third proved promising. I could feel the faintest glow of magic from the place.

  Seraphia pointed up ahead. “Look, one of the doors is cracked.”

  At the far end of the building, I spotted it—an open hangar.

  “Jackpot.” I picked up the pace and reached into the bag at my side to retrieve a potion bomb.

  Right on time, a duo of demons stepped out of the hangar door, their eyes bright and black in the darkness. They stared at us in shock for the briefest moment, as if they couldn’t believe they’d have to actually do their job as guards.

  I hurled my potion bomb at the one on the right and nailed him in the middle of his broad chest. He was wearing some kind of strappy leather top that made him look like he should be modeling for a demon fetish calendar. The glass exploded against his gray skin, spraying him with brilliant green liquid. He shrieked and collapsed backward, hitting the ground with a thud.

  Beside me, Seraphia raised her hands. Massive vines rose from the ground and wrapped around the other demon. As four more demons sprinted out of the hangar with their clubs drawn, she caught three in her vines, raising them up and squeezing the life from them as they thrashed.

  Quickly, I drew another potion bomb and hurled it at the remaining demon. As it sailed through the air, he hurled a blast of smoke at me.

  I dove right, taking the hit to my legs. Pain sang up to my thighs as I slammed to the ground and rolled, but I looked up just in time to see my bomb hit him in the chest. It exploded brilliant green, and he went down with a crash.

  Seraphia threw her demons aside, their limp bodies landing with a dull thud on the cement.

  Together, we raced toward the interior of the hangar.

  Ancient airplanes sat in the space, all of them looking like they hadn’t been touched in a long time. The heavy weight of history hung around the hangar, and I couldn’t believe that historians hadn’t come to collect the planes.

  Unfortunately, they were all I could see.

  “Where the hell is the stone?” Seraphia asked, a frown in her voice.

  “I have no idea. I can feel a bit of its magic, but I don’t see it.” There were also no more demons.

  Shit.

  Frantic, I raced through the hangar, looking into every nook and cranny that I could find. The witches wouldn’t be able to hold the Maker forever, and once their spell died, he’d be too powerful to defeat. Staying one step ahead of him was my only hope of victory.

  The hangar echoed with our footsteps. Soon, the rough sound of my breathing joined it. Panic began to grip me, darkness creeping in at the edge of my mind.

  Chill out.

  Ralph’s voice echoed in my head, and I stopped abruptly.

  Shit, he was right. I really did need to chill out.

  Gasping, I leaned over and gripped my knees. He raced up and hugged my calf, bringing a blessed wave of calm to my mind. With his strength and some slow breathing exercises, I was able to pull my mind back from the shadows into which panic had driven it.

  Seraphia appeared at my side. “I haven’t found it, and I’ve searched everywhere.”

  I straightened. “We need to change our approach. If we can’t see it, maybe I can feel it.”

  “Just tell me how to help.”

  I nodded and closed my eyes, breathing slowly and deeply. With Ralph still wrapped around my calf, my magic was a bit stronger. And the calmer my mind, the easier it was to sense the currents of magic that floated on the air.

  Gradually, I began to get a feel for where they were stronger. It was like swimming and finding the warm spot in the water, just a little less gross. I followed them, walking slowly across the floor with my eyes closed and my arms outstretched. Ralph hung on tight, and I didn’t shake him off, despite the fact that he weighed as much as a large dog. Eventually, the signature was strong enough that I stopped.

  When I opened my eyes, I saw nothing.

  Shit.

  “Why’d you stop walking?” Seraphia asked.

  “The magic is strongest right here, but”—I looked down—“the stone must be underground.”

  There wasn’t a trapdoor that I could see, but magic could hide that.

  I listened carefully with my new hearing and picked up the faintest sound of a heartbeat from below. I looked at Seraphia and whispered, “Definitely a trapdoor. I can hear a guard below. Probably several.”

  Quickly, I pulled a little vial of powder from my bag. It was similar to the one I liquefied and put in a spray bottle, but a little more convenient when the hidden object was on the ground and smaller.

  “This will reveal the hidden latch.” I sprinkled it on the ground and waited as it glittered in the dim light, its magic going to work. As the powder changed from silver to blue, a little latch revealed itself.

  “Perfect.” I knelt, then looped my fingers through the latch and looked up at Seraphia. “Ready?”

  She nodded, her gaze determined.

  I heaved the heavy trapdoor open, and chaos exploded.

  Blasts of smoke shot from the ground. Seraphia dove, narrowly avoiding a hit, and I protected myself behind the trapdoor. Ralph crouched next to me.

  Three demons charged out, their swords drawn and faces set in menacing lines.

  Seraphia grabbed them with her vines and forced them into the air. The biggest demon raised his sword and slashed through the coiling vine, then landed in a crouch. I hurled a potion bomb, taking him out with a stunner that sent him right back through the trapdoor.

  Shouts and clattering sounded from within. He must have hit another demon on his way down. Two for the price of one.

  At my side, Seraphia kept her prey suspended with her vines, squeezing the life from them before throwing them aside.

  “How’s it coming, there?” a voice asked from Seraphia’s comms charm—Carrow, from the sound of it.

  “Getting close,” Seraphia said.

  “Hurry. We’re holding off his demons, but the witches are losing strength.”

  Shit. I raced to the trapdoor and looked down. Shadows moved below, demons on their way up.

  Swiftly, I pulled a poison gas bomb from my pouch and chucked it onto the stairs, then darted back. “Hold your breath,” I warned Seraphia.

  A yellow plume arose from the stairwell, and I heard the faint sound of bodies hitting the ground. I gave it a few seconds to let the mist dissipate, then moved toward the stairs.

  I led the way into the darkness, climbing over the bodies that were beginning to disappear back to their underworlds.

  The air was cool and grew colder as we descended. About two stories later, the stairs terminated in a large room that appeared to have been carved out of the earth itself. A short search would reveal if it had been made by the Maker or the humans who’d built this place nearly a century ago, but I didn’t have time for that.

  The stone was waiting. It sat in the middle of the room, huge and ornately carved.

  “I’ve got this,” Seraphia said. “You push it in, I’ll make sure it gets where it’s going.”

  We’d all agreed I shouldn’t know that information, just in case the Maker could get inside my head. I doubted he could, but better safe than sorry. I nodded as she pulled a transport charm from her pocket and went to stand at one end of the stone. I positioned myself at the other end, ready to heave it into the charm. It was a good thing I had my improved strength, or we’d have needed more backup.

  “Three, two, one.” She hurled the transport charm to the ground, and it exploded into a silver cloud. As I began to push, she used her vines to pull the stone toward the portal. Slowly, it disappeared inside.

  I looked down at Ralph. “Go with her, just in case.”

  But you—

  “I’ve got plenty of backup, and I’m not going to lose my mind in the next twenty minutes.”

  He nodded and went to join her.

  Before disappearing into the portal, Seraphia looked back. “See you soon. Be careful.”

  Finished, I turned and raced up the stairs, leaping over the bodies that had almost entirely disappeared. When I reached the hangar above, I transformed into my dire wolf form for the extra speed and strength.

  Pain tore through me as I shifted, and I sprinted from the hangar and out into the cool night air. The sound of battle drew me back to the Maker. I passed the area where the Miami stone had been sitting, grateful to see that it was gone. Lachlan must have succeeded.

 

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