Howl of the Wolf

Chapter Fourteen

“I would have been here sooner, but I was…unavoidably detained.” Hades tugged the cuffs of his shirt down to align with his jacket. “I hope the wait wasn’t too hard on you.”

By the Lady. Arand’s enemy was finally before him and he wished him back to Hell. Anywhere but so close to Sabrina. “Feel free to leave us waiting longer if you wish.” He narrowed his gaze, watching the god carefully. But he kept all his senses open in case any demons tried to sneak up on them.

Sabrina stood on the porch with the shotgun cradled in her arms. The weapon was useless against the god. He willed her to go inside, but she stubbornly stayed where she was.

Hades cocked his head to one side, studying him. “Family came to visit. You know how family is, Arand. You can always depend on them to muck up the best laid plans.”

“Why are you here?”

“So eager to die, wolf.” Hades shook his head in mock sorrow. “So antagonistic. All of you so ready to die.” He paused. “Or at least most of you were.”

Arand didn’t say anything, letting the silence stand between them. He could hear Sabrina’s breathing, light and fast, her heart racing. She had to be scared out of her mind, but she stood her ground. He almost wished she weren’t quite so brave.

Impatience snapped in Hades’ eyes. “I suppose I should make the standard offer. Are you willing to join with me?” Calculation entered the devil’s gaze and the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. “I’ll even let the woman live.”

Arand was torn. He tightened his fingers around the hilt of the sword that had reappeared in his hand the moment Hades appeared. Would the god honor his promise?

“No, Arand.” Sabrina’s voice was barely a whisper, but he heard it as if it were as loud as a shout. “You can’t bargain with the devil.”

“Silence, woman.” Hades threw his hand out and sparks flew from his fingertips, jumped through the air and slammed into Sabrina’s chest. She fell backward with a pained cry.

“Sabrina.” Arand raced toward her and fell to his knees by her side. Her eyes were closed and her heartbeat was erratic, and Hades had barely put any power behind the strike. Worry tore at him and his wolf howled in anger, demanding vengeance against the wrong done to his woman. She was still alive, but barely. She wouldn’t survive another hit by Hades.

“Make your decision, wolf. If you’re not going to join me then I have to kill you.”

Arand slowly stood and turned toward the god. Raw fury pumped through his veins, feeding his growing power. His senses, already amplified, grew even sharper. He knew there were other people approaching, but all his focus was on Hades.

He snarled at the god in challenge but didn’t attack. He was smarter than that. Hades would not make him lose his cool and attack mindlessly. He would use the best of man and beast to defeat the god and end the curse once and for all.

“Hurry.” Jessica motioned to Tilly to move faster. Even though the mechanic at the garage had been quick, it had seemed to take forever to have their tire changed and get back on the road. The clock was ticking and every minute counted. Jessica had a very bad feeling.

A downed cypress tree blocked the road into Sabrina’s place and they’d been forced to walk the rest of the way. Jessica couldn’t help but feel it was deliberate, just as the car accident and the flat tire had been. It was as though something was trying to keep them from reaching Sabrina to help her, something evil.

Tilly was on the phone to her granny, who was chanting and praying for them. “Granny says to beware.”

Oh yeah, this creepy feeling she had wasn’t simply her imagination. She gripped her amulet tight and said a brief prayer for safety.

Tilly ended the call and hurried to catch up. “What do you think is happening?”

“I think he’s here.” No need to say who he was. Jessica had her circle of witch friends lending their energy of protection to them, but she didn’t know if it would be enough.

A female cry pierced the air and they looked at one another in growing fear. Sabrina. They hurried down the dirt path, trying not to make any noise, but Jessica figured it didn’t matter how much noise they made as they ran. Both Arand and Hades would know they were here.

Arand tried not to look toward the woods to his left, but he wanted to swear aloud. Sabrina’s friends were close and getting closer by the second. They meant well but would only be two more people he had to protect, making it more difficult for him to battle the god.

He spared a quick glance back toward Sabrina. She wasn’t moving but was still breathing. Barely.

Arand needed to end this. Now.

He raised his sword to engage Hades in battle, but the devil didn’t even move. Instead, the god smiled, calculation in his gaze.

“I think I’ll let you fight the captain of my army in my stead.”

Arand didn’t even blink when Mordecai strode from the woods, sword in hand. He looked the same as he had all those years ago. The same black hair and eyes, same lethal air surrounding him. They’d been friends once. Brothers. Now they were mortal enemies.

Behind him, Sabrina stirred. He prayed she played dead until the battle was done.

“Mordecai.” He inclined his head to his former comrade.

“Arand,” Mordecai returned. There was no emotion in the serpent’s eyes, only deadly intent and determination.

So be it.

Arand raised his sword as Mordecai rushed toward him.

Her chest hurt like a sonofabitch, but at least she was alive. Sabrina couldn’t remember a time in her life when she’d felt worse. Her entire body ached and the scent of scorched flesh and cloth surrounded her.

Metal crashed against metal and the sound struck fear into her heart. Who was Arand fighting? She forced her eyes open and blinked to focus her vision. Her wolf was fighting a man she’d never seen before. He had dark, shoulder-length hair, swarthy skin and was dressed in a black T-shirt, khakis and combat boots. This one wasn’t a demon. He was definitely a skilled warrior.

She wondered who he was, and then she heard Arand call his opponent by name. Mordecai. This was the warrior who’d betrayed them all to join Hades.

And speaking of the devil…

Sabrina turned her head slightly and found the god leaning against a tree watching the fight between the two former friends. She pushed herself upright and looked around for the shogun. Thankfully, it was right beside her. She wrapped her fingers around the weapon and cradled it against her aching chest. Maybe it wouldn’t work against Hades, but it might slow down Mordecai. She’d watch for her chance and take it.

Watching the two men fight was like watching master swordsmen battle. Their movements were fluid, almost like a dance as they weaved and bobbed to avoid being struck before countering with another attack. They jumped and whirled, both silent and utterly deadly, their bodies ultimate fighting machines. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, the only real sign of exertion. She had a feeling they could go on like this for hours, maybe even days.

She steadied herself against the railing post and raised the shotgun. Sabrina wasn’t sure Hades had seen her, but she was keeping one eye on him, not wanting to take any chances. She was ready to dive out of the way if he threw another one of those deadly lightning bolts, or whatever they were, at her. Whether she could get out of the way in time to avoid being hit again was the real question. She prayed she could, but she wasn’t hopeful.

The sound of pounding feet made her stomach drop. Were there more demons? No, it was worse than that. It was her friends and they were walking right into the line of fire. “Go back,” she cried, not caring that it would bring Hades’ attention her way. Better directed toward her than her friends.

Both women took in the scene and bolted off in different directions, taking to the cover of the swamp. And just in time as Hades released another one of those deadly lightning bolts. It hit the ground where her friends had been standing only seconds before, scorching the ground and setting the grass on fire.

“Kill him,” Hades ordered Mordecai. “Kill them both now.”

Arand jumped away from his adversary and blocked Mordecai’s view of her. The tattoo on his back stared at her, the wolf’s face solemn. The beast’s expression was one of determination. Her own back itched where her tattoo rested. She would stand by her wolf and fight to the bitter end. She only prayed her friends would survive the coming onslaught. The thought of their deaths being on her was more than she could bear.

“Now!” Hades yelled, his patience obviously at an end.

Mordecai stalked toward them, death on two feet. Sabrina looked at his face and then wished she hadn’t. His eyes were empty. Every muscle in his body tensed for the coming blow.

In front of her, Arand tensed, ready to kill his former friend to protect her. But could he defend them against the might of both Mordecai and Hades? For Sabrina had no doubt the devil would not allow them to live.

She’d thought a lot about that, and it made sense for Hades to kill the warriors if they wouldn’t join him. They were powerful in their own right. Honorable too. Hades couldn’t risk them trying to save mankind, to counter his attempt at taking over the world. If they weren’t on his side, they were powerful enemies, especially considering Hades’ history with the Lady of the Beasts.

A few feet from them, Mordecai raised his sword. He opened his mouth and the battle roar that came out of him was unlike anything she’d ever heard before, somewhere between the cry of a hawk and the roar of a lion.

Heart pounding, she raised her shotgun, ready to defend them against attack. Arand was steady as a rock in front of her, the muscles in his arms and back rippling in preparation.

In a move so fast it was a blur, Mordecai spun and released his sword. The deadly blade flew through the air like an arrow and slammed into Hades’ upper chest, just below his shoulder. The god yelled and threw a deadly bolt of power winging toward where they all stood. Unlike the one that had hit her, which was little more than a spark, this one looked like an actual bolt of lightning.

Mordecai jumped and rolled to the side. Arand did the same, taking her down as he flew through the air. He rolled, protecting her head as he kept them moving until they came up solid against the side of the house.

“Are you okay?” Arand demanded.

She was shaking all over and not quite sure she could stand, but she was alive. “I think so. What just happened?”

“I don’t know.” Arand’s grim pronouncement made her heart race faster. “Stay down.”

He raised his head and she turned hers so she could see between the slats in the porch railing. Mordecai was trying to move toward Hades, but the god shot one of those deadly lightning bolts at Mordecai and he flew twenty feet back through the air, bouncing off a tree before landing hard on the ground. He didn’t move.

“I’ll kill you for that, you treacherous snake.” Hades ripped the sword from his chest and flung the blade aside as if it were no more than a splinter. He ripped open his shirt and swore. Sabrina watched in amazement as the blood stopped flowing and what would have been a mortal wound for her healed before her very eyes. Mordecai hadn’t really hurt Hades at all. He’d just pissed him off.

“You’ll all die,” Hades snarled. “And then you’ll be mine in Hell and you’ll pay for this slight for all eternity. I’ll take control of the world without your help. I don’t need any of you.”

The swirling portal grew larger. “Agmar,” Hades called.

A gigantic demon with a set of six-inch horns protruding from the top of his head stepped into the clearing. He was carrying a very large battleaxe and looked as though he knew how to use it. He was quickly followed by several more. There was an innate intelligence and cunning in the eyes of these demons that had been missing in the ones Arand had defeated earlier. These were true warrior demons.

Bile turned her stomach sour. They were so screwed. There was nothing anyone could do for them now. With Mordecai down, Arand was alone to face a rampaging god and these fierce fighting demons. Sabrina knew she was less than useless to him.

But there was one thing she could do. One thing she could tell him.

She caught Arand’s hand and squeezed it. “No matter what happens, I love you.”

For the first time in his long existence, Arand was unsure what to do. He still couldn’t believe that Mordecai had attacked Hades. He was on the devil’s side, wasn’t he? Seemed that nothing was certain.

Hades was beyond furious, his skin mottled red with his growing anger, and there was nothing more dangerous than a vengeful god on the rampage. There was no way he could protect Sabrina against that kind of fury. Then there was the not insignificant matter of the group of elite warriors currently surrounding Hades. He remembered Agmar from the war with the Lady. Arand had never come across a more vicious and skilled demon.

He and Sabrina were both going to die unless a miracle happened.

He felt her close her hand around his and squeeze it just before he heard her soft whisper. “No matter what happens, I love you.”

Her words struck him like a knife to the heart. Why would she tell him this now? Now, when there was no hope for them.

No, he wouldn’t accept there was no hope. That was Hades’ doing, swamping him with self-doubt and uncertainty. Sabrina loved him. His chest swelled and his wolf howled with pleasure. She’d accepted him as her mate, accepted both parts of him. Arand would not let her down. Her love filled him with a new sense of purpose and determination.

Maybe he was fated to die today. He did not fear his own death. But maybe he could find a way to save Sabrina. Knowing she was alive in the world was worth the cost of dying. He would show her he was worthy of her love.

Stepping forward, he met the devil without fear in his heart.

Arand caught something in his peripheral vision and prayed it wasn’t one of Sabrina’s friends. They were as good as dead if they showed their faces. Hades would not hesitate to strike them down and he would not be able to protect them.

But it wasn’t Jessica or Tilly who stepped out from between the thick trees. It was someone he hadn’t seen in more than five thousand years. She stood there, the ends of her long hair teasing the ground, her blue eyes as clear as a summer’s day. His heart skipped a beat before he automatically went down on one knee and lowered his head. “My Lady.”

“Arand.”

The sound of her voice, so much like music to his ears, filled him with a sense of peace and purpose. Totally stunned, he raised his head and stood. Where had she come from? He’d thought she was still imprisoned in Hell.

“So that’s how the serpent got here so fast.” Hades inclined his head ever so slightly toward the Lady. “I commend you for getting out of my domain, but as you can see, it was all for naught.”

“Was it?” Her soft voice taunted Hades. Arand wasn’t sure how smart that was, but he steadied himself, ready to fight. He glanced toward the porch and found Sabrina with her shotgun leveled at Agmar, ready to fire.

Pride and love threatened to swamp him. Was there ever another woman as courageous and beautiful as his Sabrina? He didn’t think so. Hope gave him newfound energy. Maybe with the Lady’s help, they could defeat Hades and his demons.

Then the black hole began to swirl once again. The stench of sulfur polluted the air and then demons of all shapes and sizes began to pour out of the portal, all armed, all ready to die in the service of Hades.

The war for the world had begun.

Jessica crawled on her hands and knees over the spongy ground, praying there weren’t any snakes or bugs. She hated bugs. She moved slowly, not wanting to bring any unwanted attention her way. It was painstakingly slow, but each movement got her closer to the downed warrior.

She tried to block out the fact that the devil himself was only a few yards away. Thinking about it only made her sick to her stomach and eroded her courage. It would be easy to cut and run, and no one except herself would blame her.

Thankfully, Hades was distracted at the moment and hopefully paying her no attention whatsoever. And what a distraction it was—a real, honest-to-goodness goddess.

She had no idea where Tilly was but prayed her friend was safely hidden in the thick woods. Sabrina was still alive, perched on the back porch with only a shotgun for protection.

Three humans, one immortal warrior and a goddess against Hades and all his minions. Not good odds. But she was hoping to turn the tide a little in their favor.

She peeked through the tall grass and gasped as more hideous demons poured from the ominous black hole. She would have nightmares about this day for the rest of her life.

It was now or never.

Taking a deep breath, she scurried out of her precarious hiding place and fell to her knees beside Mordecai. This was the serpent, and she was here to help him. His shirt was gone, burnt off by the devil’s blast, and he wasn’t moving. He was lying on his stomach, his bare back exposed to her. A fierce dragon stared back at her, its dark eyes watching her every move.

She grabbed his shoulder and tugged, using all her strength. The guy was all muscle and weighed a ton. He landed on his back with a thud. Jessica yanked her grandmother’s amulet over her head and held it in her hands as a brief second of doubt assailed her. Shoring up her courage, she pressed the round pendant on the warrior’s chest just over his heart.

Closing her eyes to block out the bloody scene and the noise before her, Jessica repeated the words written in her grandmother’s journal. She’d read them over and over for years and knew them by heart. “You gave your soul to me to keep. You gave my life to me. I now return your soul to you and pay my debt, my fee.” Her hands began to burn, but she held on, not letting go of the amulet. “By the light of the Lady. By the light of the moon. Two halves are joined, renewed.” The warrior’s entire body jerked and his back arched as though he’d been struck by a live wire.

Black eyes snapped open and he gazed up at her. “Who are you?” His deep voice made her shiver.

“That doesn’t matter. Your friends need help.”

Mordecai rubbed his chest an expression of sheer wonder on his face. “You returned my other half to me.”

Jessica glanced up to find several demons had noticed them and were coming in their direction. She swallowed hard, finding it hard to breathe, let alone talk. “Um, you need to fight now and I really need to hide.” Turning, she climbed to her feet and raced to the woods. She’d climb a tree and hide and watch the battle unfold. She was no coward, but she wasn’t stupid either. Without a weapon, she’d be dead in no time. She’d done what she could. The rest was up to the serpent and the others.

“I paid our family debt, Grandmother,” she whispered. Her grandmother was dead, but the obligation had remained. Now it had been fulfilled.

An unholy roar filled the air as Jessica grabbed a low branch, pulled herself up into a rather large cypress tree and climbed until she found a spot with an unobstructed view.

“Holy crap.” She dug her fingers into the branch and tightened her thighs around it so she didn’t fall. Mordecai had fully shifted. The serpent really was exactly like the winged dragon tattoo on his back. About twenty feet long, he was more than a little intimidating. He opened his mouth and fire whipped out and engulfed several demons, setting them aflame. The demons’ cries pierced her eardrums, but she couldn’t look away from the fight. She pulled up the collar of her shirt and buried her nose in the cotton fabric when the nasty stench of burning demon flesh reached her.

The swamp suddenly came alive. A loud roar ripped through the air, quickly followed by another and another, all of them different. Jessica tried to sort out the sounds. Was one of them a tiger or was it a lion? And she was almost certain she heard a bear.

Hades froze where he stood and his demons ceased to fight. Both Mordecai and Arand looked toward the howls and roars. Sabrina was watching the woods too. The goddess seemed to be giving off a glow, which grew brighter with each passing second. The smile on her face was the most beautiful thing Jessica had ever seen.

It seemed, in that moment, the entire world held its breath and waited.