Coven of Wolves (32 page)

Following the other's example, Damon tries saying, "Plurimus immunda, reverto."

Uttering the spell causes Damon to feel light headed. Likewise, the demon flies into the air, jerking left and right. Seeing the situation, Mika properly says, "Plurimus immunda, reverto." As soon as she does, the demon flies straight into the ripple above.

Holding Damon by his shoulders, Mika asks, "Are you alright?"

Blushing, Damon says, "Yeah. Just wanted to see if I could do it."

Mika answers back, "The fact that anything happened at all says that you definitely have the gift." Seeing another demon approaching, Mika projects white daggers at it. She then finishes her thought with Damon, saying, "Maybe when all this is through we can see just how far you can go."

Still blushing, Damon says, "I'd like that."

Ahead of me, I can see Zack leering in my direction. Fenrus growls in response. Zack flings his hand at Fenrus, sending him flying towards a tree. Fenrus howls in pain upon impact. Through our connection I feel his pain as well.

"Fenrus!", I shout.

I run over to him, inspecting him for any wounds. I mentally ask him if he's okay. With a twinge in his voice, I hear him mentally answer, "I'll be okay."

Angered, I hurl a powerful hex at Zack. Malik sees what I have done and counter acts my magics with his own. My spell dissipates in mid-air before it can reach Zack. He laughs in response. Zack then hovers toward my mother, still encased in Tobias' earth dome. The two remaining earth golems see Zack near them, and swing their arms at him in response. Zack and Malik wave their arms, reverting the golems back into inanimate piles of earth.

Now fingering the crevices of the earth dome, Malik says, "What do we have here? Is this the bitch responsible for bringing little Devin into the world?"

I yell, "Stay away from her!"

I then send another hex at both Malik and Zack. Malik easily reduces it to nothing again. I look at Fenrus and know he's too hurt to merge with me. The demon claw marks on my back are also beginning to take their toll. Using my interaction with Malik to his advantage, my father silently flies at the two of them from behind, using his swords to slice at their backs.

Malik and Zack wince in pain. Once my father lands on his feet, he takes out two small daggers and throws them at Malik and Zack. Zack sends the daggers back at my father, but he easily blocks them both with his sword.

Angered, Malik points at my father and says, "Demons! Kill this one!"

On cue, the remaining demons stop their battles with the other wolves and witches. They turn their attention solely towards my father, drifting towards him to better exact their fury.

"No!", I yell. There's no way my father will be able to survive such an attack.

Suddenly, various new werewolves fly out of the shadows. They bite and claw at the remaining demons. One by one each demon is pulled down to the ground and killed. Looking at their coloring, I can see that not just one clan of wolves has joined in on our battle, but all of them. Red colored werewolves, grey, black, brown... Each one savagely attacks the remaining demons until their bodies are nothing but piles of ash. In unison, Luke, Tobias, Mika and I say the words necessary to send the now emerging demons back into the ripple. The night sky is filled with demon screams as the dark imps return to their own realm, where they belong. Looking around, I can see that the only ones left are Malik and Zack.

Surprisingly, a young woman materializes behind Malik. She looks to be about 25 years old and is wearing long flowing white priestess robes. Around her neck I see she is wearing the Eye of Bastet, and on her hand is a matching bracelet and ring. Her shining green eyes tell me that this is somehow Anna in a new more youthful form.

Expectedly, I hear Mika ask aloud, "Grandmamma?"

The young Anna waves her hand, sending both Malik and Zack to the ground. They land in black soot, their once demonic allies. Anna then extends her hand toward Malik. Magically, the devotional amulets around his neck fly into her hand.

Anna then says, "You've killed my daughter and have warped the Craft's purpose and teachings to service your own selfish desires. No more. You will meet your end on a level playing field."

Anna mutters an incantation in ancient Egyptian. Soon after the devotional amulets in her hand rust over and turn black. Then, just as the demon hosts before them, the amulets turn to dust, blowing away into the night air.

Malik screams, "No!!!"

Zack winces in pain. Having his devotional amulet now destroyed, a part of his soul is now destroyed as well. The experience leaves him weak. I use what is left of my strength to send another powerful hex towards him. Zack screams out once the spell takes hold. His body begins writhing in pain. Tobias sends his own hex at Zack, now sending his body into convulsions. Luke creates a hex as well. The third magic entry makes Zack's body stop moving. A few moments later Zack's body begins to shrivel into itself. Once the demon inside him rips through the husk that once was Zack, Mika steps forward and sends the last of the demons through the ripple above.

Seeing that he is now left alone, and with a good portion of his magical strength destroyed, Malik tries to teleport into nearby shadows. Before he can do so, I lock onto that part of his magical self and hold onto it with all my might. I'm not yet strong enough to bind Malik's magics though. I can feel my hold loosening. In only a few moments Malik will be able to teleport again, thus allowing him to escape judgment. Suddenly I can feel the others trying to help me. One by one I can feel Tobias, Mika, Luke and Anna adding their strength to my own. We gradually suppress that part of Malik, making him helpless to magically leave us.

Sensing what we've done, Malik panics and tries to run. Several werewolves block his path. He backs up to where he once stood. Luke surprises me. He walks over to Malik and strikes him across the face with his cane. Malik puts the back of his hand to his cheek, feeling the emergence of blood from where Luke's cane has broken through the skin.

Luke says, "You really thought you were gonna get away with it, didn't you? You just had to prove how powerful you are. Well look at you know. You're gonna die and I'm going to stand on the sidelines laughing. In the end you're nothing but a joke. My gods will see to it that you suffer long after you die for what you've done."

Malik reaches into one of the sleeves of his robe and pulls out a long slender dagger. Before he has a chance of reacting, Malik uses it to stab Luke upwards in the stomach. Luke immediately spits up blood then falls onto Malik's shoulder.

With a look of triumph, Malik says, "Who's laughing now?"

• • •

As Tobias and I yell out in protest, Malik throws Luke off of him, then grabs Luke's cane with his free hand. He draws a ring around himself in the dirt using Luke's cane as a writing instrument. Malik then says aloud, "With blood I have taken and with blood I have myself spilt, circle of protection guard me!"

Instantly a red tinted protection circle forms around Malik, cutting off the small magical hold we have on Malik's ability to teleport. I run over to Luke and hold him in my arms. There is too much blood. I know I'll never be able to save him in time.

Grief stricken, I tell him, "I'm so sorry."

Luke gives me a weak smile and says, "Don't worry about it. It's you who I should be apologizing to." Luke gives a brief look at Malik, safely standing in his protection circle. "That bastard's circle was half made with my blood and magic. He won't be able to leave it until I pass over. I don't have a lot of time. You need to do something quick before...he escapes."

Luke winces in pain. I also notice his breathing has become labored. Clenching his fist tightly in front of him, I can see that Luke is holding on to something. I open his quivering fist. Inside I find Malik's devotional amulet. Upon seeing it, Malik screams out in anger.

I lift Luke, carrying him in my arms over to Fenrus. I gently lay him beside my familiar, careful not to cause him any more added pain. Tobias, Mika, and Damon join me. I look over to the now young Anna, but she stays her distance. Mika notices also, but doesn't say a word. Looking at the three near me, I say, "Whatever happens, protect Luke and Fenrus."

I can see Tobias' eyes watering over. I try to hold back my own tears, turning to Malik with a fierce determination in mind. Holding his devotional amulet in the air, I address Malik loudly enough so that everyone present can hear me.

"You want this? Come and get it. Just you and me. No one else is to help me in any way. Whatever happens, this ends tonight."

Malik is seething with anger. He knows I have him cornered. Once Luke dies, his protection circle will disappear and he'll be able to teleport to safety. My having his devotional amulet, however, changes things. Inside of the amulet are pieces of many of his ancestor's souls. They augment his power and strengthen him. It's the one thing Malik could never live without. I stare steely into his eyes. This is it. Our final fight.

Malik mulls over the options, taking in his surroundings and sizing up his opposition. I take advantage of the moment, teleporting into Tobias' earth dome. I extend my hand to my mother. Still frightened by the whole ordeal, she takes it with a trembling hand of her own. I pull her close to me, holding her tight.

"I'm so sorry for all of this.", I tell her. "I love you mom."

Holding me back just as strongly, she says, "I love you too."

I then teleport the both of us beside Fenrus and the others. Normally teleporting a second person even a few feet in a bruised and battered condition, such as I am, would have been near impossible. Fortunately the strength pulsing from Malik's devotional amulet supplies me with the extra strength needed. My father, Gabriella and Nicholas join us. Between them and the countless werewolves watching from a distance, I know my mother, Fenrus and Luke's body will be safe.

I return my attention to Malik. At that moment I notice the red protection sphere surrounding Malik ripples a bit. The color then dims and slowly disappears altogether. In the back of my mind I know that Luke has just passed away. I allow a single tear to fall from my cheek at his loss, but no more. I can't let Malik manipulate any weakness. I have to be strong, for myself and for the others.

Malik takes a few steps to his left, outside of his now gone protective circle, never dropping his gaze upon me. Likewise, I take in his full measure but stand my ground.

"Give me my amulet and maybe I'll just maim you." The look on Malik's face is dead serious.

Locking eyes with him, I reply, "You'll have to kill me first before I ever give this back to you."

Malik smiles wickedly. In a flash he flings his pointer finger at me. Out of it shoots an electric bolt. I rise my hand just in time and deflect it, sending his energies toward a high up tree branch. It catches fire, but quickly dies out. Malik releases another hex bolt at me, this time in the form of flame. His fire grows larger the closer it moves toward me. The heat is intense. I stop the flames before it fully reaches me and extinguish it in mid-air.

Furious, Malik says, "You're using my amulet's strength to your advantage!"

Leering at him, I say, "Just as you're using Luke's to your own."

Malik sheiks in rage, then disappears. The hair at the back of my neck rises. Instinctually, I turn in place, swinging my right leg into the air, producing a round house kick. A second later, Malik materializes behind me and is knocked in the stomach with the full force of my attack. Just before he strikes the ground, I bend my right arm and bring it down. My elbow strikes the middle of his back, sending Malik's body to the ground with greater impact. The werewolves watching the fight growl in approval, noticing one of their standard forms of attack being used.

Now on the ground, Malik swings his body in a circle, hoping to knock me off of my feet. Seeing his strategy, I leap sideways, avoiding him altogether. Once I land back on my feet, I see that Malik has disappeared again. I prepare myself in a defensive stance, waiting for his next move. The demon made scratches on my back sting with pain, but I suppress the feeling as best I can. Instead, I close my eyes and magically try to locate Malik.

Feeling he is now above me, I look up and see Malik squatting on an overhead tree branch. Rain-like balls of energy immediately begin to fall from above. I wave my hand in the air, making a make shift magical divider. Once Malik's energies hit my invisible creation, the destructive magic falls to either side of me in sparks, avoiding me altogether. Mika and Tobias use their own magics to make sure none of his energies strike any of the onlookers.

Disappearing from the branch, Malik materializes in front of me and places a solid kick to my chest. I'm immediately thrown backwards. Before I hit ground, I manifest an energy whip and fling it around Malik's neck. I immediately stop falling, allowing me a moment to gain stable footing. Malik grabs at his neck, choking on my magical tendril. Grasping it with both hands, Malik sends a pain hex through the energy whip. I'm instantly overcome with great pain and release my hold on Malik. He takes several deep breaths into his body as I try to extinguish the magic induced pain to my own.

I spot Tobias' now empty earth sphere. I send it hurling toward Malik. Seeing it in time, Malik waves his hand at it, causing millions of tiny fractures to appear on the dome. Once it reaches him, the sphere turns to dust. Now only small earth particles, the remains of the dome fall harmlessly to the ground. Malik then points Luke's cane at the dust. It immediately flies toward me. I will for the dust to solidify in place. It does several feet away from me, becoming a strange shaped wall of frozen earth. It's unusual shape causes it to fall to it's side, becoming a now harmless earth mound.

I run to the mound and leap off of it into the air towards Malik. Once I reach my highest point, I slash my fingers into the air. As I do, claw marks appear on Malik's face. He flinches in response and sends up a magical impact beam. Once it hits me, I'm thrown backward. I reach behind me with my hands until I grasp earth. I then swing my lower half over myself until I'm standing back on my feet again. I spit out a bit of blood and wipe my mouth with the backside of one of my hands. He might have got me, but I drew first blood. The wolves' excitement grows as they anxiously shift their weight from one foot to the other.