Shift - 02 (47 page)

Rayna was standing, but struggling to stay on her feet against a vampire and a Cyclops. She was doing no offensive work, but had so far managed to dodge everything they threw at her.

Rai was pinned to the ground by a group of witches. She screamed as hunters tore into her wings with silver blades, and bright red blood burst from her body, staining perfect white feathers.

I could feel the anger building inside me. The four elements stirred in my soul, begging to be released in an angry thrust, but there was something else weighing me down and this time it wasn’t magic; it was defeat. We were losing.

Injured shifters covered the grassy field, which held no color but red. Ashes of werewolves were thick on the air and fires raged through the woods, leaving dark smoke to billow into the sunless sky. Riley, the Dark Brothers, and their new companion were gleaming at the top of the cliff, untouched from battle.

The bright blue eyes of my father were evil, and even at this distance, I could see his satisfaction. He looked down at his hand and the glint of the red gem on his finger made my stomach sink. He smiled, spun it on his finger, and although I couldn’t hear him, I saw him laugh. He was ecstatic, watching the battle from the safety of his high peak, smiling at the death he’d created. He had made his point. You either joined him, or you died.

Footsteps approached and I moved for my dagger, but I wasn’t fast enough. Brock’s magic was already there. Green flames swallowed me and searing pain covered me. I could feel my skin singe as his flames snapped at my body. Panic sparked through me and my magic came to life on its own.

A wall of dirt shot up from the ground, suffocating Brock’s flames. It stopped his flow of magic but Brock didn’t let up. He moved closer and flames began crackling through the dirt. I pushed the magic harder, but it was my earth element and I had yet to discover its true potential. Flames broke through the shield and the heat scalded me again, causing blisters to bubble on my skin. I screamed and called my water element, but before it came forward, a white tiger with thick black stripes leapt over me.

Chief’s beast pounced on Brock and the weight of the tiger crushed him to the ground. Green flames vanished, leaving me with such pain I wasn’t sure I could move. Brock screamed as claws dug into his chest and Chief brought a paw across his face. Brock’s head shot to the side. The unsettling sound of his neck snapping sent a shiver through my body. Chief turned to face me, bright purple eyes meeting mine before he unleashed a ferocious roar.

In response to his call, a wave of werecats burst through the forest. An army of panthers, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, lions, and lynx flew from the woods in a stampede of thunder. Chief’s claws tore up the dirt as he led his pride into the battle, leaving Brock’s dead body behind.

The sight of the werecats brought a surge of adrenaline through my veins. With them here, we had a fighting chance.

I finished calling my element, and water coursed through my veins and began repairing my body. The open wounds closed, new skin folded and knitted itself over the raw burns, and I heard a
click
in my chest, making the pain disappear and allowing me to breath with ease.

More beasts jumped from the forest and I pulled both daggers in fear. Bears, foxes, coyotes, and unnaturally large birds broke through from the other side of the field. Eagles soared and cried above us with massive and prehistoric size. Falcons the size of small cars tore through the air, and my nerves faded as their beaks tore into unsuspecting demons.

Riley’s satisfied smile faded, and for the first time, doubt covered his face. The Dark Brothers remained emotionless, but slowly they stepped back from the hill and vanished into the woods. Riley yelled in anger, storming into the thick forest behind them. The newcomer stayed on the edge of the cliff, his dark eyes locking with mine before he followed in line behind them.

I moved after them with unparalleled speed. I wasn’t letting them get away. If I couldn’t kill them, I could at least try and get the ring back.

I weaved through cats and ducked under eagles, moving as fast as ever. There was no way I could climb the face of the rocky cliff and catch up to them in time, but as I neared it, power beat through me and something told me what to do.

I jumped near the base and let the air element explode beneath me. My body soared upward at a speed I never thought I’d be able to travel. Air whipped around me and I came down, planting my feet into the edge of the grassy cliff top.

I broke into a run and leapt through the brush. I moved with no direction, and I’d run nearly two miles when I felt the magic and realized I was chasing shadows. The power of a recently opened portal was thick on the air. I was too late.

I kicked at the dirt and rocks around me, and screams echoed from the battle I’d left. I turned around, moving back towards the fight, but I’d only taken a few steps when the voice sounded. I recognized it, but before now I’d never had a face to go with it. The strange man who had stood with my father was watching me, amusement dancing in his eyes.

“So you’re the infamous Chase Williams,” he said, his voice gruff and gravelly.
 

A set of three claw marks scarred his face, from one corner to the other. His skin was so tanned it looked olive and long black hair hung down to his waist. Thick, muscular arms were covered and black eyes stared out under furry, unkempt eyebrows.

“And you are?”

The man smiled and stepped towards me, extending his hand. “I’m a good friend of your dad’s. The name’s Arian.”

I stepped back and reached for my daggers.

“So, you’ve heard of me,” he chuckled. “That’s good. Then you know what I’m capable of.”

“I know you’re a disloyal predator whose own pride celebrated your dethroning.”

The smile faded from his face and he took another step towards me. “Now, you watch how you speak to your future master. I’m the one granting you this gift.”

“Master?” I laughed. “What gift could you possibly give me?”

“Your father has decided since you like demons so much, you might as well be one. I’m going to be the one to give you that gift.”

I stepped back and didn’t take my eyes off of him as he circled me.

“It didn’t have to come to this. If you would have cooperated, you could have avoided this fate.”

“And what makes you think making me a shifter is going to change that?”

“You won’t become just any shifter. You’ll become like me. You see, I’m not your everyday animal. Unlike those other half-breeds, I’m immortal now. Once I bite you, you’ll be compelled by my beast. Your loyalty will be forever mine.”

“Is that why your pack was so happy to be rid of you?”

His expression turned serious and he muffled a growl. “They were weak. They knew me as only a werecat. Your father has given me a gift that brings a whole new meaning to the race of shifters. Soon, they’ll all bow to us.”

I laughed. “Us? If you think for a second that Riley will share any power with you, you’re delusional.” I pulled my water element to the surface and channeled it into my blades.

Arian laughed. “He already has. Allow me to show you.”
 
His beast rose to the surface in a collage of strange power, and his shift was seamless. Bones cracked and moved without the hint of blood or fluid. Dark fur pushed itself out of his skin, and his entire form changed shape at once. In seconds, the man who stood in front of me became not just a cat, but a hybrid. His legs had become agile like a cheetah, his body thick like a tiger, and his head was massive like a lion’s. He gave a quiet growl and circled me, his thick paws crushing the forest beneath his feet. Bright red eyes stalked around me and I didn’t wait for him to attack.

I sliced my blade through the air, creating a wave of power. It turned to ice and he tried to leap out of its path, but the range was too much. Ice cut through his body and threw him back in a blast of white light.

Arian rolled and came up on his feet, shaking the leaves and dirt off his body. I stepped back, giving myself more room to work, but then something unexpected happened. Power moved on the air and his body shifted again. Thick paws vanished and his body hit the ground with a thud. Fur sucked itself into his body, and a clear, slimy film covered him. His head snapped left and then right, his furry mane and sharp teeth disappearing as the diamond shaped head of a cobra formed. Two long fangs hung from his mouth and the color of his skin changed to a dark green, blending in with the forest floor.

“Which animal sssshall I make you to be?” he hissed, slithering towards me.

I threw my power towards him again, but he ducked low, sliding along the earth.

“Not thisss time.”

His body was massive, with thick scales pulling him along the ground. He coiled himself around the trunk of a tree, and with demonic speed, he slithered to the top, disappearing among the canopy of green leaves.

I squinted, scanning the treetops for his huge form, but somehow he remained hidden. I turned at the rustling of leaves and the snake’s tail snapped above me. It smashed against my face and knocked me to the ground. I moved with the momentum and came to my feet, straining to hear another sound. I pushed out with my earth element and the forest came to life. I felt the trees, their branches stretching up into the sky, and I could hear blood curdling screams from the battle below, but there was no sign of Arian.

The flutter of wings shuddered above me and I jumped back, waiting for Arian to strike, but there was only silence. I moved towards the edge of the forest when the snake lunged from the undergrowth, his massive body twisting around me.

“Ssssurprisssse,” he hissed, and his muscles contracted, crushing my body.

He wrapped himself around me from my ankles to my shoulders, leaving only my head exposed. He brought his diamond shaped head before me and bright red snake eyes stared into mine. His pink tongue slipped between long fangs and flickered across my face. His body coiled around and tightened its grasp, squeezing the air from my lungs.

I fought the lack of oxygen and called the hottest fire I could manage, letting the magic tear itself out of me in a wave of authority. Arian hissed, pulling his head back and aiming to strike. His tongue flickered out again and he snapped his head towards me, but I pushed the magic harder in an adrenaline-charged panic.

Fire blasted around me and the air came to life, an unseen force lashing out, and it connected with his face. His head snapped back and his fanged mouth smashed into a tree. I pressed the magic against him, pinning him against the bark as his body released its hold on me.

Arian hissed as I broke through the last of his grip and I squeezed the daggers in my hands. My air element crushed his body and flakes of bark fell to the ground as he struggled against it. I brought my blade above my head, preparing to cut into his body, when his tail flipped off the ground and smashed itself into me. I flailed through the air and fell into a thorn covered bush. Wooden spikes carved my skin and I tried to push through, but it only allowed the wooden stems to do more damage. I struggled to my feet to see the last of Arian slithering into the brush. I stalked towards him, waiting for him to strike.

“Now isss not your time. We will meet again sssoon.” Arian slid from the bushes and shifted until a red and white wolf stood in front of me. He growled and Arian’s red eyes stared into mine. His lips curled back into a fierce snarl before he broke into a run. The creature weaved around trees, racing away from me before he vanished deep into the forest.

My pulse pounded and I didn’t lighten the grip on my daggers. Tiny cuts burned along my body as I stared at the trees, waiting for him to lunge back out, but he never came.

A tingle moved through me and the smell of something sweet moved on the air. More screams cut through the air and I sprinted toward the cliff, pushing myself faster than I knew I should be able to go. I jumped out of the woods and didn’t stop for the drop in front of me. I pulled the air element around me and leapt off the edge.

The wind cut past me, and as I hit the ground feet first, the earth exploded in a circle around me. Dirt flew into the air and before I could gain my footing, a vampire came forward with long talons. The claws tore into my arm and I blocked his next attack. I stepped into him and grabbed his throat. I lifted his body with incredible strength and slammed him into the ground. I pushed magic into him and his body exploded in a strange burst of flame.

I turned, waiting for the next attacker, but the fighting had stopped. There were cries of injured warriors, and fire crackled over the forest, but the battle was over. The werecats roared, the wolves howled, and the other animals screeched in victory. The clearing was full of bodies, but there was nothing but us and the shifters standing now.

Blue Cyclops’ blood hung on the green plants and over the red field. Black and white ash rained from the sky, and any of Riley’s Underworlders that hadn’t been killed had retreated.

Marcus, Tiki, and Rayna were bloodied but alive, and they each looked proud as they walked towards me. Rayna ran ahead of the others and jumped into my arms. She pulled back and I could see the blood and cuts that covered her skin. She tilted her head and pushed her lips against mine and a new kind of adrenaline filled me. Her magic vibrated in a wave of relief and ecstasy. Our lips parted and closed in a long embrace, our tongues meeting softly for only a moment.