She wove her magic around his. It reacted to her, growing stronger and brighter, and began to shift, tearing the thorns apart to get to her. Kira gasped as the power swept through her. She felt lighter than she ever had, felt Joshua closer than she thought was possible. His magic stirred, flowing to her without effort.
The demon roared.
It charged at them, and she calmly lifted a hand. Their joined magic arced through the air. It slammed into the demon, hitting it square in the chest. The creature screamed, a terrible sound, and arched backward, clawing at its own chest; bits of flesh were flung through the air before it burst into flame.
Kira didn’t stop. She wove the protective barrier, sliding it in place over the inky black portal in the ocean. She felt a dangerous, deep cold emanating from the portal, but didn’t stop. Beneath her magic, it started to shrink. She wrapped layers of the barrier over it until the darkness was gone and all that was left was a light illuminating the ocean waters.
She released the magic and slumped over. Her head spun, and she closed her eyes, exhaustion seeping through her body.
Joshua’s arms wrapped around her. He pulled her in close, his face buried into her neck. They clung to each other as the special ops shifted around them, searching for any signs that there was another attack.
“It’s over,” Kira whispered. “And I think… I think the curse is broken, too.” She lifted her head. Joshua stared at her with wide, hopeful eyes. Goddess, he was beautiful. She stroked his hair from his face. “I think we did it, Joshua. I think we’ve freed you.”
He groaned as he kissed her. The magic sparked warm and clean between them. Kira grinned as she kissed him back.
Chapter 24 - Joshua
Joshua’s ribs back and ribs ached, but he insisted that Kira use the healing potions on the more injured members of the special ops team rather than him. They all remained tense and alert as they attended to the severe injuries and waited for other teams to arrive and assist them in returning to town. The demon’s bite on his back hurt like a motherfucker, but it wasn’t bleeding badly.
There were no further demon attacks. Rafael and Michael arrived with the rest of the special ops members, along with the most highly trained members of the pack. They loaded the injured wolves onto stretchers to take them back to town first. Then they turned their attention to the dead and prepared to take them back.
In the end, there had been three deaths. All had been killed in the initial attack. Joshua’s shoulders slumped as they got to the road. He should have seen the ambush coming.
“Let me put this on you now,” Kira said, drawing him out of his thoughts. She waved a bottle of potion at him.
He had a lot of work ahead of himself still. No use in wasting energy on an injury that would make it more difficult for him to take care of his responsibilities. Kira applied the potion, and a relaxing warmth knitted into his muscles. She was quiet as she worked, and when she was done, she applied the bandages over his wounds. Then, with a trembling sigh, she rested her forehead against the back of his neck.
“We both have a lot of work left to do,” Kira murmured. “I need to get back to the potions. Make more healing ointments for the injured wolves.”
“And I need to inform the families of the dead,” Joshua said.
Kira winced. “Wouldn’t that be better left to Michael?”
Joshua turned and pulled her into his arms. “Michael is better with people, yes, but I am their leader. They are my responsibility, and so I must be the one to tell their loved ones.”
There were other things, too. Their life insurance payments. Making arrangements for their funerals. Not to mention all the work they’d still have to do to get the island back into a settled state—the portal being positioned where it was could potentially cause trouble with Bael.
Joshua kissed her lightly, taking strength from her closeness, then straightened himself and reached for his shirt. “I have to go. I need to inform the families before they find out by other means.”
Kira nodded. “I’ll keep my phone on me if you need to call.”
He touched her cheek, his mind drifting to that feeling on the beach, where her magic seemed to surround him, flowing through him. It had been the brightest thing he’d ever felt. But could what she said be true? Could she have broken the curse of his bloodlines?And if she did, does that mean we can also break the curse that will be on our child?
The hope tugged at his heart, but it was a dull thing, quickly fading to the background.
The rest of the day passed by in a blur. Most of the special ops weren’t from the island originally, so he had to make some difficult phone calls. It was difficult, listening to the sobs, trying to answer questions honestly while also providing comfort. He spent the rest of his time taking care of the paperwork, hatingthat it was so difficult to make sure that everything was taken care of, that there wasn’t some slip-up that would cost the families even more.
Michael stopped by his office in the mid-afternoon. “Let me take over the paperwork. Alpha Bael is here to see Rafael, and he wants you with him.”
Joshua’s shoulders slumped. He nodded once and quickly explained where he was at. Michael slid into his chair and took over efficiently.
“Thank you,” Joshua said.
“Hmm?” Michael looked up. “What are you thanking me for?”
Joshua rolled his eyes. “Well, if you don’t want me to thank you, I won’t. But I appreciate it anyway.”
Michael’s cheeks turned pink. “Don’t think too much into it. Chelsey’s going to be part of the meeting.”
