Shadow of the Wolf

Chapter Twelve

“So what’s the plan? Has he contacted you yet with a location? A date, a time?”

Lana watched the Beckett boys get serious in Chris’s workroom. Gareth was busy thumbing through Chris’s spell books, awkwardly leaving little sticky tabs to mark pages with his good hand. Daniel was polishing Chris’s Athame, a magical knife used by all three types of magic users. Spells could be channeled through that knife much like a wand. Edward, their father, was quietly consulting with someone on the phone about binding spells. Zachary was muttering to himself, closing his eyes and running words around in his head. She could hear the beginnings of rhymes, chants that might possibly help Chris protect himself. Every now and then he would stop and scribble something down, his full lip caught between his teeth. Sometimes his hand would reach out absently and snag something, running it around and around his fingers before either adding it to his pile or setting it aside. Whenever he reached for something, his brothers would watch him with various degrees of amusement and wonder. She didn’t have the heart to tell Zach that a witch’s spells wouldn’t work very well for a wizard.

Then again, considering everything else he’d accomplished, perhaps his would. It was something to think about, anyway.

She, on the other hand, had been relegated to kitchen help. She was bringing the men coffee and sandwiches while they worked, and while it rankled she sort of understood.

Just watching the precise way they worked, the way Christopher would lay out different things, study them, put most of them away and set one aside, showed her she wouldn’t have much to contribute. It was like he was building a beautiful mosaic, once piece at a time, and she wouldn’t be able to see his vision until after he’d finished.

It was so god-damn sexy. It was the same focus he had when they made love, the fierce concentration making her think wicked thoughts.

Made love. Lana smiled. She didn’t know what it was about the arrogant wolf and his family, but she felt like she’d come home.

She handed him his sandwich and coffee, returning the absent smile he gave her. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and bent to study the talisman currently sitting on his desk, runes etched on its surface that had absolutely no meaning for her. “What is that?”

“Protection amulet,” he responded absently. “Need it for a shielding spell.”

She stroked it, feeling the dormant magic within it. “Groovy.”

His lips twitched. He looked up at her over the top of his glasses. “Groovy?”

She shrugged. “Isn’t that what Shaggy always says?”

He shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose under his glasses, but she could see the way his mouth trembled from trying to hold back the laugh.

Next thing she knew Chris tumbled her into his lap. She squeaked, grabbing hold of his shoulders. He nipped her chin. “Who gets to be Thelma?”

“Not me!” Zach held up his hand, grinning, still writing scribbles on pieces of paper.

Lana tapped her lips with her fingernail, getting into the game. She could sense some of the tension leaving their shoulders. “You’re more Danger-Prone Daphne, I think.”

Zach sputtered indignantly while his brothers laughed.

Chris leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. “That would make Daniel Thelma, wouldn’t it?”

“And Gareth Fred?”

Chris grinned. “He has pulled Zachary’s ass out of the fire more than once.”

Lana nodded, her own lips turning up. “And Zach does have a real fondness for the color purple.”

Gareth was leaning against a bookcase, face buried in his arm, his shoulders shaking.

Daniel was openly grinning at his brother Zach.

“Oh fuck you all.” Zach stood up and stretched. “I’m going to get some chips.” He strode out, but not before flipping his brothers off.

“I knew you were trouble.” Chris gave her a soft kiss. “Thank you for the sandwiches.”

“You’re welcome.” She climbed off his lap. “I’ll let you boring types get back to work.” She sauntered out of the office, grinning. She found Zach in the kitchen. “Hey, Daphne.”

“Hey, Shaggy.”

“Are those barbeque?” She reached for the bag.

He held it over his head. “Get your own.”

Lana stuck her tongue out at him. “You know there isn’t much we can do to help them, right?”

He lowered the bag to the counter with a sigh. “Yeah, I know.”

“There’s still stuff we can do.”

He crinkled the top of the bag. “Like bring them chips?” He looked so lost, like a kicked puppy. She just wanted to cuddle him, but she didn’t think Chris would appreciate finding her stroking his brother’s head.

“Do you really think Cole is going to fight fair?”

He paused. “He has to. There are certain rules to wizard duels that must be adhered to. If they aren’t, the duel is automatically won by the wizard who did follow the rules.”

She settled onto one of the counter stools and propped her chin in her hand. “But Cole isn’t a wizard.”

“True.” He popped a chip in his mouth, but she could practically hear him thinking things through.

She kicked her foot back and forth, fighting the urge to pace. “What are the odds he’ll cheat somehow?”

“Not sure. I don’t know him the way Christopher does.”

She had to know. The thought of it was driving her insane. “Is this a duel to the death?”

Zach stopped popping chips in his mouth. “Death?” He swallowed. “I’ve heard of very few wizard duels that ended in death.”

“Yeah, but Cole wants Christopher to hurt, remember? So would he make it a duel to the death?”

Zach frowned, and she caught a glimpse in his determined expression of the kind of witch he would be when his training was over. Man, the court is going to have an interesting time with him. “No. Damn it, he wouldn’t.” He grabbed her hand and dragged her back into the workroom. “Chris, we need an extra protection amulet.”

“Why?”

“Do you really think he’ll leave Lana out of this?”

Chris froze. “The duel is between him and me. Lana will have no part in it. Besides, she’s already wearing a protection amulet.”

“Your strongest amulet? Besides, who said it would have anything to do with the duel?”

Chris’s head rose. Zach just stood there, clenching Lana’s hand in one of his own, the other held out for the amulet he’d demanded. “Zach?”

“I have a very bad feeling, Chris. Give me the amulet.”

Lana’s eyes widened. “Give him the amulet.” If Zach’s instincts were screaming at him that loudly then she knew she’d need whatever it was he was planning on doing.

Chris held out the amulet. “If he goes after her, he’ll be expecting wizard’s magic.”

“And witch’s, for that matter.” Daniel propped his butt on the edge of Chris’s desk.

Zach smiled. It was feral, cold, and nothing Lana would have thought him capable of. From the looks on his brothers’ faces, they never would have either. “But he won’t be expecting me.”

Chris stared at his brother for the longest moment before an identical smile crossed his face. Lana shivered. “Good.”

Zach turned, dragging Lana out of the room behind him. “Zach?”

“Trust me.”

She blew her hair out of her eyes. What are you planning, Zach? She watched him frantically lay out items on the kitchen counter, his expression hard and his movements precise and controlled. He knew exactly what he wanted and where to find it. The more she watched, the more it made sense. And the more it made sense, the more frightened she became. He needed to get to court and he needed to get there soon.

If Zach is capable of this, what else is he capable of?

The chamber door clanged shut with an ominous sound. How Cole had managed to obtain a dueling chamber on such short notice Christopher didn’t know. He had the feeling he’d used his family connections to cut through the red tape.

The Godwins sat on Cole’s side of the chamber, glaring at the Becketts through cold eyes. In particular Lana and Annabelle Evans seemed to be garnering the most attention.

Arthur Godwin’s expression was particularly vile when he saw the mark on Lana’s neck, the unmistakable stamp of a Beckett mate.

It was a typical dueling ring, a simple white ring like you’d see in a circus, perhaps.

But where the circle of a circus ring would be plain white bags or pavers, this white ring was etched with arcane symbols in all sorts of colors, the markings necessary not only for the shielding spell that would encase them once the duel started but full of protection spells designed to make sure that those outside the ring would suffer no ill effects from whatever magic the duelists utilized. Instead of grandstands there were comfortable padded chairs opposite one another, enough to hold the members of each family plus a few extras. Since neither Cole nor Christopher had called anyone but family, some of those chairs on each side remained empty. The floor of the circle itself was simple dirt, earth necessary to ground certain spells or to be used against your opponent in whatever way you could. A water fountain gurgled nearby. A chimenea already had a fire burning merrily inside. Incense scented the air directly above the dueling ring, the burner hanging by a golden chain. These items allowed elemental magic to be used once the shields snapped into place.

Christopher stared at his opponent, mentally checking each and every one of his preparations. Two amulets, a piece of paper with a specific rune in gold lettering, a silver lighter, a stick figure, black ribbon, three round silver links attached to each other, and his Athame. Not much on the surface, but each one had a purpose. He couldn’t, wouldn’t turn and look at his family or his mate until after this little fight was over. He needed to concentrate solely on kicking Cole’s ass so hard he’d feel it in the afterlife. This stupid rivalry had to end.

He planned on ending it tonight.

He’d already hashed all of the details out with Gareth, who had agreed to be his second. Together they’d found a way a man could take the power of another being and bind it in such a way that the person could never again do harm to others. It was an old spell, rarely used by any but the council’s Enforcers, and could wind up costing Christopher more than it cost Cole. But if it meant keeping Lana safe, Christopher would risk it. Cole was a menace. He needed to be dealt with. Cole’s willingness to harm innocents in his little war with Christopher just cemented Chris’s resolve.

He risked one quick glance at Cole’s second, the man’s father, and wondered what he thought of the duel. Did he know why Cole was fighting Christopher? Did he approve of it? Did he know what his son had become? The cold gleam in the man’s eyes, the pure satisfaction and vindictiveness there, told him that Cole’s father was just as deeply into this madness as Cole was. He wished now that he’d looked the entire Godwin family up, just to see who else in this room was a warlock.

The Arbiter, the wizard responsible for ensuring a fair duel, paced off the length of the dueling area, surrounding them in a shimmering, barely visible shield that would effectively prevent either the Becketts or the Godwins from assisting their relatives. No outside interference would be allowed. Inside that shield, however, a wizard could use any means at his disposal to defeat his opponent. Only the seconds would be able to enter the ring, and only under specific circumstances. Zachary had made sure before anyone else had entered the arena that the Arbiter was informed that Chris was not dealing with a wizard, but with a warlock. The Arbiter had made the appropriate adjustments to the circle. Or so Chris hoped.

“Mr. Beckett. Mr. Godwin. Are you both intent on this duel?” The deep voice of the Arbiter startled him, breaking his thoughts.

“Yes,” Cole hissed.

“Yes.” Christopher shook his head. He had to be one hundred percent on his guard.

He couldn’t afford to be distracted, not even by his thoughts.

The shield closed, sealing them inside. Only the wizard who’d cast it, or that wizard’s death, could break it.

Now. Christopher pulled out his Athame and began his chant, fingering his protection charm. Cole, not surprisingly, mirrored his actions.

Yet something was off about the other man’s magic. Christopher could sense the forces coalescing but there was a taint to it that hadn’t been there the last time he’d faced Cole. He began his chant, hoping for the best.

“Lord and Lady, come to me.

Protect me from adversity.”

He pointed the Athame at Cole.

“Any ill you send to me

Will return to you times three.

As I will so mote it be!”

He finished his protection spell and felt it settle into his skin. It would be harder to hurt him now, but not impossible. Every protection spell had a weakness. All it would take would be for Cole to figure his weakness out and he’d be able to harm Christopher.

But it did buy him time. Christopher pulled out the second amulet, watching Cole closely. Cole pulled out a wand of dark wood, his gaze full of hate.

The tainted magic struck before Christopher could even start his chant. It struck him in the middle of his chest, pulling at the core of his being. He could feel it burning into him with icy-hot talons. He gasped, desperately trying to get his breath. He tossed the three silver links to the ground.

“Circle three I conjure thee.

Ground his spell so mote it be!”

He drew in a desperate breath, grateful when Cole’s spell was jerked into the rings, rings that expanded, digging into the earth of the dueling circle, grounding both Christopher and Cole’s spell. He touched the edge of the burn on his chest and hissed. He knew the throbbing pain would only grow worse, a distraction he didn’t need.

He needed to end this duel quickly, before the pain made him mess up one of his spells. If that happened, he would lose everything he was fighting for.

Cole ground his teeth and put his wand, now useless, away. “Clever, Christopher.

Try this one on for size.” He tossed a reddish gold circlet on the ground and leveled his Athame at it. The blade danced with a sickly green light.

“By Lucifer’s might and Lilith’s hate

I conjure thee, come through the gate.”

Christopher didn’t wait to hear more. He moved to counteract the spell. He took out the second amulet. He had intended to use it to hold off whatever elemental forces Cole had chosen to conjure. Instead, the man had chosen to conjure a demon. He tossed the amulet to the ground.

“Thrice around the circle’s bound

Sink all evil to the ground!”

He drew three circles around the amulet with his Athame and began pouring his power into it, hoping it would be enough to hold whatever would come through the slowly building gate.

Lana couldn’t believe what she was witnessing. “He’s summoning a fucking demon.” She turned to the Becketts. “Is that fucking legal?”

“No.” Edward Beckett stood, glaring at the Arbiter. “Open the damn shield.”

The Arbiter grimaced, his hands waving. “I can’t. I’m being blocked.”

A low growl sounded from behind her. She turned to see Daniel, eyes glowing eerily, staring at the Godwin family across the barrier. Next to him his father, Edward Beckett, was beginning to remove his clothing. “Oh boy.” She couldn’t even appreciate the view of the male Becketts disrobing. Chris was in danger, and it was all she could focus on.

When Zach pulled her away from the Becketts she went willingly, especially since he was dragging her towards the barrier.

Cole grinned at Christopher. He pricked his finger with his burning Athame and allowed three drops to land in the dirt inside the reddish gold circlet. Fuck. A conjuration using blood? I am screwed.

“Bound by blood, obey my call

Holding demon’s might in thrall.”

And where was the Arbiter? Once Cole began conjuring a demon he should have taken down the shield and declared the duel null and void, since it was obvious Cole was cheating. No outside help was supposed to enter the circle. Only elemental spells were allowed, and not even summoning spells. No salamanders, no water sprites, none of them should be able to enter the circle. And how the fuck was he doing this, anyway?

Christopher could feel the tendrils of the summoning sinking into the earth, seeking to pull something twisted and dark into their realm.

He had to stop this before Cole finished his chant, or he wouldn’t be the only one to suffer. No demon would want to stop with just Christopher’s blood. It would want the entire family.

He pulled out the stick figure and the black ribbon, ignoring the vicious pain stabbing into him. It pulsed in time with the tendrils of the conjuring circle, scaring the crap out of him. He’d been injured by demonic magic. That meant it would take one hell of a spell to heal him completely, or he’d be in agony for the rest of his life. He stood, determined that once and for all Cole would never harm another being. He strode over to Cole’s conjuring circle and dipped the stick figure in the drop of blood. “Big mistake Cole. Huge.”

Cole licked his lips nervously. Christopher ignored the warlock and began to bind the stick figure with the black ribbon.

Cole continued his chant, his expression full of panicky determination.

“By the Compact take your toll

Feast upon this gifted soul.”

Cole pulled out his own doll. There, tied to its middle, was a small piece of fur.

Wolf fur.

Crap. I am definitely screwed.

Lana ignored the two wolves streaking past her. “Concentrate on the barrier. We have to take it down, have to get to Chris.”

“Right.” Zach took a deep breath and placed his palm against the barrier. “I have to figure out how it was cast. I… I have to find the grounding.”

Lana grabbed him. “Stop thinking like a wizard and start thinking like a witch!”

He turned to her, his eyes blank from shock. “Think like a witch.” He blinked, his eyes refocusing, his gaze centering on the shield. His expression became cold and certain.

“No. Not wizard, not witch.” He stepped back and raised his arms. Power arched between his hands, glowing above him, clean and pure, a powerful counterpoint to the rancid energies behind the barrier. “Me.”

Lana felt her jaw hit the floor as that pure white light blasted into the barrier. What.

The. Fuck? She’d never seen anything like that before.

This family was just full of surprises.

Christopher watched the swirling green and black mist widen in the golden circlet, a dark evil presence making itself felt in his very bones. Oh fuck. He began the binding chant, praying to the gods that he was in time. He wound the black ribbon around the Cole doll.

“I bind thee three times three.”

He wound the ribbon again.

“By this charm do no more harm.”

He wrapped the ribbon one last time, making sure to touch the tiny spot of Cole’s blood on the top of the figure.

“I bind you, Cole, your blood, your soul!”

But he was too late. Before he could tie off the ends of the ribbon and finish the spell, Cole screamed the last bit of his spell.

“By your oath you will obey.

Demon come forth and claim your prey!”

But Christopher didn’t stop. He couldn’t. If that thing got out, it would spell the end of himself, his family and Lana. He tied off the ends of the binding spell and finished the chant.

“By air and earth, water and fire

So be you bound with no more power.

Lord and Lady, hear my plea.

As I will so mote it be!”

Christopher tossed the Cole doll into the widening demonic circle and prayed.

The sudden silence was deafening. “No.” Cole’s horrified whisper matched his expression. The doll slowly sank into the inky darkness. “What have you done?”

“Oh shit.” Zach’s face clenched in pain, his hands closing. He pulled the power back into himself. The barrier was still intact, but there were signs of his assault. Some of the protection runes had dimmed. “He’s screwed.”

Lana turned and saw Christopher toss the doll into the black maw at his feet. She felt her heart stop beating. “Chris.” She dropped to her knees. She couldn’t lose him. How could she lose him? She’d just found him. “Chris!”

“No!”

Cole’s last word trailed off into a terrified scream. A dark, inhuman arm appeared out of the hole, grasping Cole’s ankle in a blackened grip. Cole gasped, his eyes going wide, his face strangely blanked.

Then the arm pulled, but it didn’t pull Cole. A stream of dark energy poured out from Cole, whisking away into the dark opening, draining away until the warlock collapsed. The arm pulled back, the demon hole closing behind it until no hint was left that it had ever been there. Other than the blackened, broken ring of gold and a small spot of darkness in the earth, nothing remained of the demon’s presence.

Cole didn’t move. Christopher knelt down and checked his pulse.

Cole’s body was burning cold. Christopher lifted his hand away rapidly, blowing on the tips of his fingers. He wasn’t certain but he might have left some flesh behind. He looked towards the Arbiter, who stood there in visible shock. “He’s dead.”

The Arbiter raised his arms. This time, the shields obeyed him and fell with nary a sound.

Once the shield was down, Lana was in the circle, running towards Christopher. He waited for her, pulling her to him carefully, ignoring the continuing battle between the remaining Godwins, the Becketts and the Arbiter. He focused instead on the shaking woman in his arms, holding her as tight to him as he dared, reassuring himself that she was unharmed. Her hands roamed over his chest, her tears falling on the burn marks.

Zach’s bad feeling had centered around Lana, not Christopher. How had things gone so horribly wrong?

“Chris! Look out!”

He turned at the sound of Zach’s voice. Davis Godwin, Cole’s father, held the blackened wand of his son in his hands. Green fire began pouring forth. He barely moved in time to keep Lana from taking the brunt of the spell. Weakened already by Cole’s previous blast, he fell, dragging her down with him, the pain boring into his side in unending, icy agony.

“You killed my son!” Davis stood over Christopher, ignoring the battle still raging behind him. He tried to finish the job Cole had started. His face was set in a rictus of hate.

Suddenly Zach was there, a glow around him Christopher had never seen before. The green fire met that glow and bounced back on Davis, striking the wand. With a shriek of rage, he dropped it just before it exploded.

Zach pointed his finger at Davis. “Back the fuck off, warlock.” He flicked his finger, and the man flew backwards, landing with a hard thud against the side of the building. He fell in a graceless heap and didn’t get back up.

Zach bent over Christopher, the glow still surrounding him. “You okay, bro?”

Christopher tried to stand but found he couldn’t. He hissed in pain, his side protesting the movement viciously. He was just too injured. “No.”

Lana pushed him over, ignoring his indrawn scream. She bent and examined his new wound. “It’s bad, Zach.”

Christopher looked down and saw the blackened flesh, the blisters already broken and wet. He could feel the taint under his skin and knew that this time the Godwins had won.

Christopher didn’t hear his brother’s response. All he saw was Lana bending over him, tears in those pretty eyes of hers. “Hey.”

She sniffled. “Hey yourself, wolfman.”

He could feel the darkness tugging at him. “Don’t go.”

She sobbed. “Not going anywhere. You hear me? Chris?”

His world turned black, his last sight the one he had hoped to see when he lay down in the dark forever.

“Chris?” She watched his golden eyes close, his breathing shallow and uneven. They needed to get him some help, more than she could provide. Blood was beginning to puddle beneath him. If he bled too much more it would take a miracle to save him.

“Help me.” She looked up to find Zach holding out his hand. His other pressed into the wound in Chris’s side. Tears filled his eyes. “One hand in mine, one on the ground.

Please, Lana. Trust me. Complete the circle.”

Complete the… Oh. Oh! This was what Zach had worked so hard on in the kitchen the day before. He’d done something to that protection amulet, something she barely grasped. She took out the amulet and held it in her hand, placing it between Zach’s palm and her own. She slapped the other against the earth and opened herself up to Zach’s magic and Chris’s life force. The mark of the wolf throbbed on her neck in response, pulsing in time to Chris’s weakening heartbeat. Her instincts told her that what Zach had planned was going to hurt like hell, but if it worked, it would be more than worth it. She focused on Chris’s face and waited for the pain to hit, knowing that the amulet would block at least some of it.

Zach closed his eyes and began to chant, the words lilting and strange. Agony seared through her, more than she’d thought a person could endure and live. She couldn’t hear the words Zach spoke.

After a more few minutes, she couldn’t even hear her own screams.