Suck It by Linsey Hall
17
Mac
Frozen, I tried to break free from the black haze that trapped me. The fog seemed to wrap around me like the tentacles of an octopus, reaching inside my mind and igniting nightmares I’d thought long gone.
Me, alone in a room. Dark. Cold. Wind howling outside, battering at the windows. I curled myself against the wall, the most horrible loneliness gnawing at my soul. Worse, I felt a sense of betrayal so thick I might choke on it.
This was the same thing I’d felt when the phantoms had attacked me last week. And yet, it wasn’t my memory.
Or was it?
I didn’t know what had happened in my past, but this waking nightmare felt so real. I hadlived this.
But what was it?
Worse, I thought I felt Ludovic nearby. I couldn’t tell if it was within the memory or not, but his presence was a distinctly miserable feeling that I couldn’t escape.
I tried to figure it out, but the memory was so terrible that I couldn’t focus. Unfortunately, there were no phantoms around that I could see. No way to escape the misery.
Panic thundered within me, fierce and bright. I tried to claw my way out of the fog inside my mind, away from the horror, but I couldn’t.
I was trapped.
I’d heard of protective spells that encapsulated intruders inside a nightmare, but I’d never experienced one.
It was bloody awful.
I drew in a ragged breath and prayed that the witches would be able to break this enchantment as they had the last one.
No.
That was ridiculous. I was responsible for myself. I would get myself out of this shitty situation.
When Genevieve appeared at my side and gripped my calf with her strong little arms, I felt her magic give me strength. I clung to it, using it to drag myself away from the memory.
It’s not real.
It might have once been real, but it wasn’t real now. And I wouldn’t let the horror of it pull me down. There were too many people counting on me.
I blinked frantically as the fog began to clear from my mind. Beside me, Drakon gripped my arm.
“Are you all right?” Shadows haunted his blue eyes, but he seemed to have control of his mind.
“Yeah.” My voice was weak as I turned to inspect the shifters around me.
Donahue was pulling herself free, but the others still appeared trapped. The witches were chanting low under their breath as they swiped their hands through the air, clearing away the threads of the spell.
Before they could finish their work, a shout sounded from the other side of the church.
“Intruders!”
Shit.
McCabe broke free of the enchantment, followed by Kate, the female shifter.
“Hurry,” he said, charging forward. “Free Daniel, then begin the spell to free the pack. We’ll hold them off while you work.”
From across the room, a half dozen guards charged toward us. He launched himself toward them, transforming into a massive black wolf in midair. He landed with a graceful thud and charged toward them.
Donahue and the other shifter joined him, shifting as they ran. Donahue became a brilliant golden wolf, while Lucy had deep red fur. They sprinted across the church with powerful strides, muscles bunching beneath their gleaming fur.
In tandem, they leapt upon two of the guards, sinking their fangs into exposed throats and tearing with a vicious jerk of their heads. Blood sprayed as they launched themselves off the chests of the falling bodies and bounded toward other prey.
Damn, they were quick.
More guards appeared, and the wolves turned toward them.
I caught sight of a half dozen sorcerers at the front of the church. No doubt they were there to do the spell that would steal the werewolves’ souls.
Not on my watch.
I pointed, and Drakon and I sprinted toward them.
Behind us, the witches began to chant their spell in a language I didn't recognize, their voices vibrating with power,
As we neared the sorcerers, they began to chant a counter curse. In response, the witches’ voices began to fade.
Drakon darted to the right, headed for the small cluster of sorcerers at the edge of the altar. He was so fast that it was nearly impossible to see him, his form a blur moving from sorcerer to sorcerer, snapping their necks before they could launch an attack.
I drew my sword from the ether, my focus narrowing on the sorcerer closest to me. He turned his dark gaze toward me, his mouth twisting with annoyance.
He raised a hand, and magic sparked around his fingertips.
No.
I tried to use my new power to control his movements without touching him, and he frowned, his hand jerking. The magic continued to spark around his palm, but he didn’t seem able to release it in my direction.
Holy fates, it was working.
As he struggled to access the spell he wanted to use against me, I lunged for him, swiping my blade across his throat in a smooth movement.
I ducked beneath the arc of blood and spun around, searching for another target.
In the distance, the four wolves attacked the guards around the perimeter of the church. Fangs flashed, and magic flew as the two forces collided.
The witches’ voices grew in strength and power, filling the church with new magic that sparked bright and bold. It zipped around the prone bodies like little sparks, slowly waking them from their slumber.
I spotted another sorcerer nearby and darted toward him, plunging my blade into his skinny chest. As he fell, rage and triumph glinted on his face.
A blast of fire hit my back, and I tumbled forward, pain driving me to the ground. Agony seared my skin as my shirt lit up in a blaze.
I rolled over, dousing the flame and making sparks of pain shoot through me. Aching, I gripped my sword and sat up.
Across the church, Genevieve clung to the face of a fire mage. He swatted at her with burning hands, but it didn’t seem to bother the badger as she chewed on his head. His screams echoed, and I winced.
He must have been the one who’d hit me with a firebomb, and Genevieve was vindictive. I grinned as I staggered to my feet and sought another target. My shirt flapped around my back, partially burned away. Thankfully, modesty wasn’t one of my primary concerns.
More guards appeared, but the wolves kept up the attack, buying the witches time to continue their chanting. Half the shifters were still unconscious, and the witches’ voices rose.
Still, we were winning.
We were going to do this.
But what about Ludovic?
Where was he?
Turning, I searched the church. Surely, he could hear the commotion?
I felt him before I saw him, the wave of his dark magic preceding him into the church. The main doors slammed open, crashing against the stone walls.
Ludovic stood in the opening, silhouetted against the moonlight. Dark magic rolled from him in a cloud, and he took in the scene with one quick glance.
Though I couldn't see his face well, I could sense his rage. He directed his hands toward the witches, power arcing toward them. It pierced them in the chest, raising their bodies up into the air as they screamed.
Shit.
Ludovic was all the way across the church from me, down the long aisle bordered by pews. He’d see me coming from a mile away.
Stop!
I screamed it with my mind, trying to force him to leave the witches alone.
It didn’t work. He was far too powerful. My gaze landed on the balcony above him. He stood right beneath it.
“Drakon,” I whispered, knowing that his incredible vampire hearing would pick up on my whisper.
I caught his attention, then nodded to the balcony. Understanding lit his eyes. We split up, each heading for an opposite side of the church. It was a symmetrical design, which meant there should be stairs to the balcony on both sides.
Fortunately, I found mine quickly. I had to jump over the bodies of fallen guards to reach the narrow spiral staircase, but I made it to the top in record time.
Drakon beat me, of course. By the time I reached the balcony, I saw him on the far side, already sprinting toward Ludovic.
I followed, reaching Drakon just as he launched himself over the side. I followed, sailing over the railing and landing in a crouch just in time to see Drakon lunge for Ludovic. He gripped him around the throat and threw him back against the wall.
Ludovic’s magic faded, and the witches dropped to the ground. They landed in a graceful crouch before rising, their faces twisted with anger. They turned toward Ludovic, murder clearly on their minds.
One of the werewolves—McCabe, I thought—lunged in front of them and growled, as if reminding them of their duty.
Scowling, the witches turned back to the remaining shifters who’d not woken, their chant filling the room once more.
I turned to Ludovic and Drakon just in time to see Ludovic heave Drakon away with a great burst of magic. The vampire flew twenty feet through the air, slamming into one of the stone columns. He hit it so hard that a crack raced down the middle, following him to the ground.
Worry gripped my throat, but I turned toward Ludovic. Drakon was immortal—my concern was stupid.
And I couldn’t let Ludovic out of my sight.
The man’s gaze met mine and narrowed. I raised my sword, stalking toward him. My heart pounded and my skin chilled. It felt like I was approaching the devil, and there was something horribly familiar about him.
As I neared him, he threw out a hand and directed a bolt of power at me. I dodged right, but not quickly enough. His magic slammed into me, plowing me back into one of the pews.
Agony exploded in my spine, and I dropped to the ground. Gasping through tears, I watched Ludovic smile. “Come and get me.”
Then he turned and ran.
Bastard.
He knew we’d come for him. He was just trying to draw us away from our backup. The shifters were waking, and soon, Ludovic’s forces would be outnumbered.
Aching, I struggled to stand.
Drakon knelt at my side, concern on his face. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah.” Drakon helped me stand, and I was grateful to find that I could still walk. “Just hit myself wrong. Come on. I think the shifters can handle it from here.”
I ran toward the door, ignoring the pain in my back as I sprinted out into the dark night with Drakon at my side.
In the distance, I could see Ludovic disappear down a side street. He seemed to hesitate right before turning the corner, as if waiting for us to follow. We sprinted toward him, and I shoved Drakon ahead.
“Go, you’re faster. You might be able to take him by surprise.” Nothing could beat vampire speed, and we couldn’t lose Ludovic amongst this warren of abandoned houses.
Drakon gave me one last worried look and sprinted forward, moving so fast that I could barely follow him. I pushed myself harder, joined by Genevieve.
You’re slower than an old nag.
“Fates, you’re harsh,” I panted, lungs burning.
I speak the truth. But at least you’re attractive. Life is easier for pretty people.
That wouldn’t help me now, but I appreciated the irreverent badger’s attempts at humor.
Finally, we turned down the street where Drakon and Ludovic had disappeared. They were nowhere to be seen, and a curse escaped my lips.
“Can you smell them?”
What do I look like, a bloodhound?
“No. Can you?”
Maybe. I’ll try.
I followed her down the small side street, passing darkened window after darkened window. Occasionally, a shaft of moonlight gleamed on the glass, revealing an ancient display of shop goods covered in dust.
Finally, Genevieve stopped in front of a simple building with a dark green wooden door. The door handle was shiny in the dim light, clearly well used, and she pointed to it. I can’t smell anything, but that’s as good a clue as any.
Indeed, it was.
“Let’s try it.” Panting slightly, I twisted it open.
The door gave way silently, not a single creak from the old hinges. I shot Genevieve a glance, my eyebrows raised.
He’s got to be up there.
“Agreed.” We crept toward the narrow stairs, and I heard a scuffle from above.
Drakon and Ludovic.
Screw subtlety.
I raced toward the stairs and thundered up. A long hallway led down to the end, and I headed toward it, passing room after room filled with books and flickering candles.
It was a creepy place—clearly well-lived in and used. Yet, evil echoed everywhere, and I shuddered at the feeling.
As much as I wanted to explore—surely there were answers here—the sound of the fight drew me forward.
I entered an office at the far end of the hall, immediately spotting Drakon and Ludovic. They were locked in a death grip, hands around each other’s throats, burning eyes fastened on one another. Magic seemed to bind them, locking them in a tangle that would not be undone until one of them ran out of air.
I launched myself at Ludovic, hitting him in the middle with my shoulder. The tackle broke his hold, and I drove him to the ground.
All around, candles flickered. I straddled him, gripping his throat with my hands as I forced my magic into him.
“Tell me about my past.” I demanded.
It was nearly a repeat of our confrontation in the church at the secret society headquarters, but it didn’t work quite as well this time.
Instead of answering me, he slammed a hand into my chest and forced me off him. His magic tore through me, pain exploding throughout my entire body.
Gasping, I fell back and rolled on the ground. As I staggered to my feet, Ludovic rose gracefully to his.
Whatever he was, he was damned strong. Stronger than when I’d first met him. Or maybe I was weaker. I’d used a hell of a lot of magic lately.
In fact, I could barely walk. Every inch of me ached from burns and blasts and bruises. It took everything I had to demand, “What are you?”
“What are you?” he asked. “You’re certainly not what I thought you to be, that’s certain. But perhaps your mother knew and never told me.”
His words stole the ground from beneath my feet, and I staggered. The world around me spun, and I stared at him. “What?”
He smiled coldly. “I didn’t mention it before, but perhaps I should have. MacKenna Carraday, you are my daughter.”