THIRTY-ONE

VICTORIA STEPPED IN FRONT of Aden and kissed him, just as he had done to her. She was there, in his arms, exactly where he liked her, and with the touch of her hot, soft lips, his senses snapped back into place, Caleb’s pleading drowned out, the witch’s hold on him broken. Before he could thank her, however, she jumped away from him—flying toward Marie.

“What are you—”

The two clashed together and rolled to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

Victoria’s skin couldn’t be cut, so Aden didn’t worry about her. Yet. He approached the beast, who had positioned himself back in the doorway, keeping everyone inside, and raised his hands, as if he meant to pet. The beast—he needed a name. Chomper, maybe—huffed and puffed through his nostrils, clearly agitated by all the violence.

“Can you place the witches along the wall for me?” Aden asked.

There was a moment of suspended silence, where no one moved or breathed, everyone waiting to see what would happen. Finally the beast dipped his head and began gathering the witches with his mouth, sometimes several at a time, and tossing them along the wall. The ones still conscious tried to dart away, but he snarled in their faces, and they settled against the wall willingly.

Finally, only Marie was left. Her fight with Victoria hadn’t slowed. Or gentled. Nails slashed, teeth bit, fists punched and legs kicked.

When the beast moved for her, Aden said, “Not her. Not until I remove the vampire. Okay?”

Chomper snorted as he nodded.

“Good boy,” Aden said. “There’ll be lots of pets for you when this is over.”

Chomper’s tongue rolled out, red and wet, and his tail actually wagged.

Aden turned to the still-fighting girls. They were rolling on the ground, their punches more concentrated—nose, throats, stomachs—and their kicks more vicious. There was no hair-pulling or slapping. This was knockdown-drag-out, and to the death. Without a single drop of blood spilled, since neither was bleeding.

What was the best way to break up a witch and a vampire?

Caleb babbled, and Aden tried not to allow himself to become distracted. “Victoria. Separate. Please.”

A moment passed before she reacted. Then she flung herself away and pinned herself to the wall, arms splayed, nails digging into rock, as if they were the only thing holding her in place.

Marie spun, facing Aden. “Not much time left,” she taunted.

He raised his chin, refusing to back down. “There’s not much time for either of us, then, because I’m taking you to the grave with me.”

“You’ll try.”

“I’ll succeed.”

“Really? What about her?” Grinning, Marie held out her hand and wiggled her fingers, revealing a ring very much like the one Victoria always wore.

Aden realized what was about to happen, and his stomach twisted.

Victoria threw herself to the right, away from the witch, even as Aden leapt forward, intending to block, forcing the liquid to splash him instead. But he was too late, and Marie moved too quickly. Every poisonous drop hit Victoria’s profile. Her face, her neck, her arm and side. Immediately she dropped, screaming her pain, clothes and flesh sizzling.

Aden changed his direction and slammed into Marie; they rolled until he was on top, straddling her and holding her down. He was so angry, he almost hit her. Almost. But he’d never hit a girl before, and didn’t want to start now. Instead, he hopped to his feet and moved out of the way.

“Get her,” he pushed through gritted teeth.

Chomper grabbed the witch and once again threw her against the wall. A gust of air left her on a pained moan.

“Hold her down.”

The beast went back for her, pinning her to the ground as Aden had, using his teeth instead of legs.

She struggled against the hold. “Let me go!”

Aden raced to Victoria. He gathered her trembling body in his arms and held his wrist over her mouth. She immediately bit down, sucking his blood. “Call the meeting to order,” he told the witch.

“Why don’t you come over here and request that to my face,” Marie sputtered.

So she could ensnare him again? Ha!

Do what she says, Caleb beseeched. We have to do what she says.

Caleb! Dude. It’s not gonna happen. Leave the boy alone. She’s bad news. Julian.

No. She isn’t!

Julian cursed at him.

He’s ensnared, Elijah explained, just like Aden was. Only Caleb hasn’t snapped out of it yet. You won’t be able to talk any sense into him until he does.

Victoria’s trembling eased and her teeth loosened on Aden’s wrist. With his free hand, he smoothed the hair from her face. His trembling increased, making him a little lightheaded.

“I think I’ll stay here,” Aden said. Victoria’s eyes were closed, and she was breathing heavily. She radiated tension, but she wasn’t screaming. “Now call the meeting to order, Marie, or I let the beast have you. And if you’re warded against death, you’ll get to live in his stomach, probably melting from the bile and acid there. Always in pain, never allowing death to relieve you.”

“I don’t care! Do you hear me? I don’t care. I could call the meeting to order, you’re right about that. I don’t need the elders. But your friends need to die, and so they will. At midnight. They’re dangerous. They’re evil. They will die.”

She wasn’t going to relent, and if she was telling the truth, they would die in just a few minutes. He was just going to have to force her to do what he wanted. And there was only one way to do that.

He settled Victoria gently on the ground and stood, then closed the distance between him and Chomper. “Whatever happens, keep holding her,” he said, patting the beast’s side.

A slight nod.

What are you doing? Caleb demanded. Don’t hurt her. Please don’t hurt her. We love her.

“There’s only one way for this to end happily for everyone, Caleb.” He hoped.

Possess her?

“Yes.” He would force her to call the meeting to order. He only prayed it counted. “And while we’re in there, you can search her memories for bits of your past. Sound good?” If he had to bargain with the soul, he would bargain.

You won’t force her to do anything to harm herself?

“I didn’t punch her when I had the chance, did I?”

All right, then. Yes.

“What are you doing?” Marie’s struggles increased. “Stop. Don’t come any closer!”

“I thought you wanted me to approach you.” Aden crouched down, grabbed her wrist and closed his eyes so that he wouldn’t accidentally be ensnared. He shouted as he turned to mist and tried to push his way inside her, but there was some type of block around her, keeping him out.

A ward.

Damn this! He solidified again. “Looks like we will have to hurt her,” he said on a sigh, “but it’s only to save her, Caleb,” he added before the soul could protest.

No!

Undaunted, desperate, he searched every one of the witches. He confiscated every ring he found—only four—and returned to Marie. “Tell me which ward to burn away or I’ll destroy all of them.” A vow. “And it will hurt, Marie. You know it will.”

Aden…

She saw the rings in his hand and stilled, panic filling her eyes. Panic and fear. He would do it; she had to realize that. He didn’t want to, but he would do it.

“No,” she said. “I—I won’t. I can’t! Try to understand.”

There was a ward tattooed on her wrist. “I don’t have time to understand.” He latched on to her arm and poured several drops of je la nune on the ink. She screamed, her body bowing as the pain slammed through her. The scent of burning flesh rose.

He tried again to possess her, but met the same block. Steady. “One more chance, Marie, then I’m not stopping until they’re all gone.”

“If I…call the meeting…will you vow to release us? Alive.”

“Yes,” he and Caleb said at the same time. Though Aden didn’t dare to hope. Yet. “If you will vow not to cast any spells on your way out.”

“I do,” she gritted out.

Thank God. Thank God, thank God, thank God. This might work. This might happen. “Then call the meeting, and I vow upon my life—and death—that you and your coven will have free passage from this cave.”

“No one can follow us.”

“I vow that no one will follow you.”

She pushed out a breath as her head fell to the ground. She stared up at the ceiling, tears leaking from her eyes. If she meant to waste time, to wait until it was too late…

“Do it now! Or I start pouring.” He took hold of her other arm, revealing the ward tattooed there.

She squeezed her eyes shut. “This meeting is…called to…. order.”

He waited several seconds, but nothing happened. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but this certainly wasn’t it. “That’s it? That’s all you have to do? All you have to say?”

“Yes.”

“My friends are saved?”

“Yes, damn you!”

His knees gave out. Thank God. His friends were safe. They were finally safe, free of their curse. He stayed just as he was for an eternity, shaking, basking, relieved, shocked, numb then excited, numb then sick—how close they’d come to losing—then, finally, blessedly, accepting.

Another battle, another victory. Only, this one was so much sweeter. They. Were. Safe.

“You can release her now,” he told Chomper, and the beast instantly obeyed. “Will you please guard the vampire while I take care of the witches?”

Another nod, and the beast was clomping off to hover over Victoria, teeth bared at all the witches in warning.

“Carry the ones who can’t walk on their own and follow me,” Aden told the women who’d almost destroyed all he’d come to love. Without waiting for a reply, he stood and stumbled his way to the cavern’s opening. Footsteps soon echoed behind him, some dragging, most heavy. He snaked left and right through a long hallway, but finally reached the outside.