Amanda Carlson - Cold Blooded

She looked eons younger and tough as hell.

Relief flooded through me.

You knew things were at a breaking point when witches broke into a Vampire Coterie with spelled AK-47s strapped across their chests.

“That thing is cursed,” I yelled, pointing to Rourke and the struggling wolf, “and if it gets loose and bites one of your witches, they die. We need to take it out. Magic may be our only chance.”

Rourke had one hand around its middle and one around its neck. Its head was at a funny angle, but it was still struggling. Rourke was stronger, thank goodness. My father circled, waiting for a chance to help.

“This thing won’t die. I broke its neck twice,” Rourke ground.

“Toss it into the yard and we’ll take it from there,” Tally called.

In an instant her flock spread out along the top of the wall, legs splayed as they cocked their guns at their shoulders. “Don’t be shy,” she said. “The ammo in these guns is spelled. We will either kill it or maim it, but it will be down long enough to find a way to take it out permanently. I don’t care if the most powerful priestess in the world cursed that thing. My magic is stronger.”

Rourke nodded once. He twisted at the waist, and with a huge roar sent the abomination flying into the yard.

It hit the ground once and the witches let loose.

They all fired at once and bullets poured into the beast. “Cease-fire.” Tally raised her hand and they stopped like clockwork. We all waited a few seconds. The thing was riddled with holes as big as softballs.

It convulsed once.

“Stand back,” Tally ordered. “Things are about to get messy.” It started to quiver, and foam began leaking out of the holes. “I take that back—run!”

“What’s happening?” I shouted as I took off.

“It’s going to blow that curse all over the yard. I never know how a supe is going to react to my spells until I see it. My ‘kill’ spell is killing the wolf, but the only way to truly kill it is to rid it of the curse, so that’s what it’s doing.”

Her witches had no need of a second warning. They were already gone. I glanced around me as I raced along the wall. Rourke was too far the other way. “I’m going through a hole in the stone,” I called.

“I’ll follow you when I can. Go now before that thing explodes,” he yelled.

The thing started to gurgle.

“Go!” he shouted.

I dove through a small opening right as the beast exploded, raining a curse around the yard. It sounded juicy, like a gigantic water balloon splattering. I rolled twice without looking and crashed into something solid.

My head smacked it cleanly.

I sprawled on the ground, my arms at my sides. My wolf yipped at me to get up. I’m going, I’m going. I think I just cracked my skull open. Give me a second. Adrenaline coursed through me, trying to heal me quickly, but I was still fuzzy. I brought a hand up to my forehead.

“Hiya,” the most welcome voice ever said from above me. “Whatcha doing on the ground? Don’t you know there are demons running around all over the place? Didn’t you learn a single thing while I was gone? Safety first.”

I rolled over and stumbled to my feet, crushing her in a big hug. “Marcy! You’re here and you’re alive! I knew you would be, but I’m so incredibly happy to see you.”

“I can see that, because you’re squeezing the ever-loving life out of me. Time to ease up before your superstrong wolf power breaks me in half.” She chuckled and I let her go reluctantly. “Seriously, though, what are you doing out here? You were much safer back in there.” She gestured over the wall. “Once they find you’re out here, they’ll swarm us.”

“I had to come out so I didn’t get cursed. It was either hightail it through the wall or die a horrid, painful death. And the ward just crumbled anyway, so I imagine the demons will be everywhere soon.”

“Come on, then.” She waved me to follow. “James has all the wolves worked up into a frenzy back here. They’re barking and jumping all over the place. No demons or sorcerers have messed with us yet, but that’s because Nick—”

“Nick!” I yelled as I ran ahead and embraced him. After a big hug, I brought him back at arm’s length. I had so many questions. “Great work out here. When did the wolves arrive? And how in the world did you coax the witches here?”

“They came on their own,” he said. “I had nothing to do with that. But Marcy and James are the ones to be thanked. They arrived shortly after I jumped the wall. James shifted and finally contacted Callum. He’s been rallying the Pack out here since they started showing up. We have a good contingency assembled now.”

I turned to Marcy. “How did you guys find us?”

“We were trailing the sorcerers who kidnapped me. We knew they were going after you, because I’d overhead them scheming, so when they abruptly headed south, we followed. We ended up here, and once we saw Nick, we knew there was big trouble—which was no surprise, since trouble follows you like a horde of angry bees to honey.” She grinned. “So we adopted a new, sparkly agenda that included saving you from the bad sorcerers and the evil demons.”

I glanced around me for the first time. “What is this place?” We stood in the middle of a large barricade made up of what appeared to be car parts. “Marcy, did you make a fort?”

“Yes, and it’s spelled,” Marcy said proudly. “James ripped the cars apart to protect me and I spelled it. That’s why it hurt your head. It’s meant to stun anyone who touches it. But when I saw it was you, I snapped my fingers and, voilà, you were cured. No more massive head injury.”

“We’ve secured the perimeter around this entire area,” Nick said, gesturing to a wider arc. I didn’t see any Pack wolves. I could only hear them, so the contained area had to be a lot bigger. “The Pack has managed to keep the fracture wolves back, except the one who just snuck through. I also found I can use my persuasion to some degree on the younger sorcerers and the low-level imps. I’ve managed to convince a few to abandon their plans, but it won’t hold for long. The High Priests are starting to show up and that means they will call up Demon Lords. Things are about to get heavy.”

We heard some commotion to the left and James came into view. He strode up. “Hello, Jessica, it’s good to see you are well.”

I reached out to give him a hug.

“Don’t even think about it, missy.” Marcy’s voice held an order. “He’s mine. A simple handshake will do. No touching anymore. Like ever.”

I stifled a laugh and reached out to shake his hand. “James, it’s such a relief to see you here. My father will be happy to hear you’ve coordinated things on this side.”

“I don’t know if ‘happy’ is the correct word,” James said. “But we have spoken and he has been … amiable. It was by chance I shifted when I did and called out to him. He wouldn’t tell me what was wrong, but I told him you were here and he changed his course.”

“If you hadn’t done that, he would’ve died,” I said firmly. “We owe you and I’m certain he will welcome you back when he understands the scope of what went on. And I can see I was right in thinking you’d gone after your mate.” I addressed Marcy. “Congrats, by the way. He’s quite a catch.”

“Thank you. I’m keeping him.” She preened as she glanced at him with adoration and genuine happiness.

James nodded once.

As always, he was a man of few words.

For the first time I noted their appearances. They were both dirty, clothes ripped. Marcy’s stellar red hair, which always looked impeccably styled, hung loosely around her shoulders. It was clear whatever they’d been through had been rough.