Authors: M. R. Merrick
The werewolves fought against the Underworlders, who had changed from their human shape and unleashed their demons. Gladiator demons stalked the streets, although among the slowest of the Underworlders, they were the strongest and most brutal warriors. Shoulders broader than two grown men supported muscles that a human body couldn't carry. Thick red veins pushed against orange skin, and a second set of massive arms exploded beneath their first set. Two pairs of large hands carried small, bone-lined spikes over them, turning their fists into razor sharp blades. Beady, red eyes shone from beneath thick brows as they moved in an unorganized group of power.
They caught the wolves and tore them from the ground, driving sharp fists into their sides. Another Gladiator grabbed two of the shifters and tossed them left and right along the pavement, leaving their furry bodies to slide across the road. The pack was struggling, but I didn’t have time to help them. Willy was fending off three different hunters and Brock had focused his attention on him.
I moved with a hunter’s speed and drove my shoulder into Brock as he tried to bring a blade down on Willy’s back. His ribs cracked as I tackled him to the ground, and his blade skidded across the road.
Anger rushed through me and I felt the fire riding my veins as I unleashed a fury of punches. Heat pushed itself from my knuckles, scalding Brock’s skin with each connection. I used that power to hit harder and I kept swinging until he lost consciousness. His chest moved up and down, but his face was a mess of burns, bruises, and blood. I pulled my dagger from its sheath and brought it up above my head, but I couldn’t drive it into him. I grew up with Brock, and as much as he was a jerk, I couldn’t take his life.
Rayna ducked as Lena’s leg swung over her, and with a burst of magic, Rayna struck out with the force of solid earth. Green energy formed around her fist while rocks and pieces of asphalt broke from the street and wrapped around her. Rayna launched a fist of stone forward, and as it slammed into Lena’s jaw, her head snapped to the side and her eyes rolled back in her head. Lena’s shoulders drooped and her knees buckled, her body collapsing to the ground.
“Don’t ever call me a bitch again,” Rayna said, towering over her. Her power vanished and the rocks crumbled, falling off her hand.
The wolves had taken control and cornered the last Gladiator demon. They moved as a single unit stalking their prey. Willy had joined them, and they all pounced at once, jaws snapping and latching around the demon’s limbs. The sound of tearing flesh rode the air, and moments later, bright red and orange lights exploded as the demon caught fire and burnt to ash.
The wolves turned and Rayna moved beside me as they crept forward. My stomach clenched and I kept my magic just beneath the surface. As they closed the gap between us, the fur began to shed. Bones cracked and parts that shouldn’t have been able to, moved. Their bodies moved and shifted until they had regained their human form.
Jax stepped towards me and extended his hand. I looked at it for a moment before I shook it. Considering he was naked, it should’ve been awkward, but the surge of battle overrode the strangeness. At least it did for me.
“Oh, gods.” Rayna diverted her eyes.
“Among our people, Willy is nothing but a coward,” Jax said.
Willy dropped his head in shame, and disappointment and anger filled me.
“But…” Jax continued. “He took a stand tonight. Willy doesn’t stand up for himself. Not ever. Yet he risked his life for you. That speaks volumes about how you treat your people. Hunter or not, your pack respects you, and I respect that.”
I nodded.
“Willy.” Jax turned to face him. Willy brought his eyes up hesitantly, as if he was about to be beaten. “You hang your head in shame. You stutter because you have no confidence, and normally you let others determine who you will be. Tonight,
you
decided. You chose not to take a coward’s road. Even when you thought we didn’t stand behind you, you stood for your friend. Hang your head no more. That is honor, my brother. You should carry it proudly.”
Warmth filled me as I watched a new light shine in Willy’s eyes. His chin rose a little bit higher, and he stood taller than he ever had before.
“Thank you,” he said clearly.
“Tonight, we celebrate. A cub has become a wolf, and a boy has become a man. Tonight, my brothers, we hunt!” Jax yelled and the others howled.
Energy merged around us, and in moments, the men standing before us were no longer men. Their animal forms took over and Willy’s wolf stepped forward, colorless eyes staring up at me with pride. His fur cycled through the colors, finally settling on a mismatch of red, black, and white.
“Thank you, Willy. I owe you. Again.”
Willy howled, and the other wolves followed suit before they turned and trampled down the road, disappearing among the shadows.
“Wow,” Rayna said. “Shifter or not, I’d never have guessed Willy had that in him.”
I stared down the dark street and nodded. The smile that hung on my lips was unmovable in that moment. “Neither did I.”
Tiki was asleep when we got back to the condo. He wasn’t going to be of any use if he was exhausted, so we gave him the night to rest. Rayna spent the evening prepping the spell, and I spent the night awake, staring at the ceiling in my bedroom.
The authorities had left, but the condo’s main floor was a mess. Splinters of wood and fluff littered the floor, black soot clung to the walls and ceiling, and a layer of water covered the kitchen and living room. I should’ve spent my time trying to clean up, but my mind was elsewhere.
Marcus hadn’t come back yet and I couldn’t stop running through the details in my mind. Part of me was angry and hated him for what he did, but a small part of me knew Rayna was right. Marcus always kept his word, and knowing my mom, she wouldn’t have given him a choice. It didn’t take the anger away, but it did make the hatred fade.
First thing in the morning, when Rayna was ready, she ushered Tiki and me into the library. Tiki came up the stairs behind me, his black hair standing in every direction and ruffled from sleep. He was still shirtless and wearing his white pants. He wouldn’t even use the belts we bought him, so the frayed rope still hung around his waist.
“What happened to the house?” Tiki asked, but neither of us answered. “And where’s Marcus? I have not seen him.” Rayna and I ignored him again and Tiki's orange eyes flickered between us, looking worried. “The house is destroyed, Marcus is missing, and neither of you are talking. What did you do with Marcus?”
“He’s had a meeting at the Circle. I’m sure he’ll be back soon,” Rayna said.
“I hope not,” I muttered, and instantly regretted what I’d said. Marcus had taken me in and done so much for me. As angry as I was, he didn’t deserve that. He deserved a chance to explain.
Rayna sighed and glared at me. “Let’s just get started.”
“What do I do?” I asked.
“Nothing. Focus on the ring and be quiet. I need to concentrate.” Rayna opened the book in her hand and magic sprinkled over the room as she began to chant in a foreign tongue. She added ingredients to a wooden bowl, mixing them together with a small stirring stick. A melody of sweet aromas filled the room as it came to a boil without the assistance of heat. The magic thickened, tingling along my skin and filling the room, but it wasn’t her elemental powers at work.
As Rayna crafted the spell, her slit pupils expanded until there wasn’t a spot of color. The witch inside her came out, and her solid black eyes filled with magic. Her witch rose to the surface, and as her eyes changed, so did the power.
Wisps of magic moved around her and she extended a hand to Tiki. Tiki stepped forward, and the moment they touched, his orange eyes were engulfed with black and the magic came with a crushing force.
Raging through the air, the spell came to life, moving around me in a whirlwind of energy. Rayna reached towards me and the magic took aim. She repeated the incantation, her voice growing louder as the words came faster. The wooden bowl steamed, bubbles of liquid spilling over the edge. The bowl shook like the table was having an earthquake all on its own. Tremors moved through the condo, the floor shaking and leather bound books flying off the shelves. Thinking it was part of the spell, I didn’t move, but as a minute passed, the magic grew, building towards me in a torrent of witchcraft.
Bright sparkles of light began to shine on the air, flickering in and out of transparency. I could see the power forming around Rayna. Her black eyes were locked with mine. The magic pushed closer towards me, but as the colorful crescendo moved over my skin, it exploded. Colorful light flashed between us and the power shot backwards, blowing Rayna and Tiki to the floor. The spell disintegrated on the air and the sparkles of color faded. The crushing force of magic vanished, leaving only silence.
“Rayna?” I asked. I wasn’t sure if I should move, but as they both lay motionless, I stepped closer. “Tiki?” There was no response. They were both unconscious.
Rai fluttered into the room, chirping madly. Her feathers were ruffled and small, but powerful wings fluttered around my head. “Not now.” I shooed her away.
The aroma from the spell was gone. The bowl was turned over and liquid ran off the table. I moved towards them and the stench of cigarettes took over.
Tiki stirred and Rayna squirmed along the floor. Their eyes opened in unison and they both looked confused.
“What happened?” Rayna asked.
“You were doing the spell and then…you both were on the floor.”
Rayna’s eyes fell with disappointment. “Dammit!”
“What is it?”
She shook her head and jumped to her feet. She picked up the book, flipping back and forth through the pages. “I did
everything
right.”
“I smell smoke,” Tiki said, rubbing his eyes. “Did it work? Did you meet the gods?” His voice was innocent and full of hope.
“Not exactly,” I said, turning to Rayna. “Are you sure you did everything right? Maybe you pronounced something wrong.”
“I didn’t.”
“How can you be sure?”
“She didn’t do it wrong.” Grams’ voice made me jump. “First, she’s nowhere near strong enough for a spell like that. Second, she’s doing the wrong spell. And third, what the hell were you thinking?” Grams snapped, standing at the top of the stairs. A half-burnt cigarette smoked from her mouth and she took a drag, the tip of it lighting up in a glow of orange and red embers.
“Do you
ever
knock?” I asked.
“Shut up,” Grams snarled, and I did as she said. I didn’t need a pissed off witch being…pissed off at me.
She walked into the room in a green dress that wrapped around her frail frame and showed off veiny, wrinkled ankles. Shiny yellow heels tapped along the floor and she flicked her cigarette, sending ashes to the floor as she walked.
“How do you know this is the wrong spell?” Rayna asked.
“If I can channel the spirit that powers the ring–”
“Because a witch can’t do a spell to use The Ring of Contact, and even if they could, that spell is for
channeling
a god’s spirit, not summoning it. There’s a difference.”
“How do we get the spirit to come out then?”
Grams laughed and smoke slipped through tight lips. “Naïve girl. There is no spirit in that ring.”
“Yes there is,” Rayna challenged. “I was there when she gave it to us.”
Grams chuckled and more smoke spilled out of her nostrils. “This is what happens when untrained witches practice magic,” she grumbled. “The spirit you speak of is a piece of the Goddess, bound to her soul piece. That’s The Ring of Contact, not the soul piece.”
“Then what’s the soul piece?” Rayna spat the words.
“How the hell should I know?”
Rayna rolled her eyes. “So you just came to save us from killing ourselves? How thoughtful.”
“Of course not.” Grams waddled towards her and tore the book from her hands. “I went to buy this book today, only to find some punk and his girlfriend had already picked it up. Now that I’ve remedied that, you can go back to playing sorceress and whatever he’s supposed to be.” She pointed at me.
“Hey, that’s mine!” Rayna reached for the book, but Grams slapped her hand away with surprising speed.
“You’re not ready for this.”
“How do you know? I’m getting stronger all the time. I can handle it.”
“Is that how you explain that pathetic excuse for a spell? That much magic entering a trained witch all at once is a challenge. You handled it pitifully. You’re lucky the backfire didn’t kill you.”
“If you know so much about all of this, how does the ring work?”
“You need to channel the air element into the ring. Whoever is the wearer at that time receives the effects.”
“Marcus isn’t here; we don’t have one,” Rayna started.
“Of course you do.” Grams began coughing and slapping her hand against her chest until a disgusting sound broke in her throat. She turned the bowl back over and spit a thick ball of brown and green mucus into it. “He’s that arrogant shit, right there.” Her crinkled finger pointed at me.