“Looks like the gang’s all here,” Virgil said.
22
VERONICA
The sanctimonious smirk on Virgil’s face when he spoke set me off. Heedless of the fact that we were outnumbered, I pulled deep from within my stores of magical power and focused all I could to make sure I did this right.
“Run!”I screamed as I cast a portal spell on the wall beside us, opening a hole into the hallway.
Declan scooped Wendy up and bolted with me right behind them. The sizzling crack of magic spells sounded behind us, slamming into the bed.
“After them,” Virgil shouted.
I leapt through the portal. Behind me, the snarling growl of the wolf told me he was right on my heels. With a sweep of my hand, I closed the portal and glanced back. The circle slammed shut like an iris, catching the leaping wolf shifter around the neck and severing his head. I grimaced as it bounced across the ground, becoming a human head as it rolled.
“Gross,” Wendy cried.
Virgil and his men came running out the doorway.
“Move,” Declan shouted, putting Wendy down so she could run alongside us.
I flinched as a chunk of the concrete wall beside me vaporized beneath a spell, then rushed forward to grab Declan’s hand. Before he could grab hold of me, though, a large figure leaped out of a side corridor, crashing into him. Wendy and I sent spells slamming into the attacker. The combination of my concussion and whatever Wendy had done sent the man pinwheeling down the hall toward Virgil and his men. When he struck their group, they all went down like bowling pins.
We helped Declan up, then continued running, Declan leading us to wherever the exit was. The shouts, growls, andsnap-popof magic echoed down the hallway behind us.
Wendy and I blindly threw spells behind us, trying to strike them and give us a better lead. My breath came in ragged, heaving gasps as we sprinted. Down an alcove to our right came a deep, rumbling growl. Without breaking stride, Declan pulled his gun and fired into the darkness. A yelp and thud was the only thing that came out of those shadows as we ran past.
Finally, blessedly, a set of stairs appeared in front of us. Icy cold winter air and faint sunlight from outside drifted down toward us. Declan stopped at the base, waving us on.
“I’ll cover your rear,” he cried.
I was too worried for Wendy’s safety to question it, but I still didn’t want him hurt. I grabbed his shirt as I passed and dragged him up behind us.
At the top of the stairs, a new and terrible sight met us. A group of ten men and women surrounded the building, which I now realized was a mausoleum. They blocked our exit. Rather than bowing up to a stop like Wendy and I did, Declan came sprinting past us, gun raised, and fired at the first man he saw. The witch threw up a forcefield, blocking the bullet. I shoved Wendy aside as a bolt of lightning shot past her. Virgil and his men came pouring up from the mausoleum. What came next was the most chaotic battle I’d ever seen, been a part of, or even read about.
Wendy, small as she was, still had a huge amount of natural talent and moved to Declan’s side, throwing out offensive spells, while also using defensive magic to keep him safe as he fired his guns.
The panther shifter from downstairs leapt at me, arms wide, claws stretched. I threw a spell toward him and immediately shifted, rolling aside and swiping at the legs of a witch, dropping them to the ground, I shifted back once more, threw out a quick defensive bubble to block both Wendy and Declan from a spell Virgil cast at them while they were turned, then quickly shifted back to my wolf form to pounce on the injured panther shifter.
Shifting rapidly like that hurt like hell, but it was the best way to keep from getting attacked. Most of my spells were working better than usual, but I was still a better fighter as a wolf with my enhanced speed and strength.
The panther rolled to his feet and lashed out at me with his claws. Rather than ducking away, I jolted forward and clamped my jaws on him, sinking my teeth deep into the fur and flesh. He yowled and yanked at his leg, trying to free it. When he tried to slash at me with his other set of claws, I jerked my head down, bringing him with me. He hit the ground hard, and when I twisted my head, thesnapof bone shook my teeth. He criedout again, this time even more bloodcurdling, but those sounds were cut off as I pounced on him, crushing his throat between my teeth.
A rush of searing heat blasted against my back, sending me rolling across the grass. When I came to a rest, I looked up to find Declan on the ground, his face shoved into the grass and a massive witch kneeling on his shoulders. Wendy was trying to cast a spell at the bigger man, but there was a forcefield between him and her. The sight of Declan struggling on the ground made my heart lurch.
I dug my claws into the ground and rushed toward him, desperate to save him and get us all out of here. There was no way I’d allow Virgil to win. Not when we were this close to getting away. Wendy spotted me but never had a chance to do more than turn her head. A huge winding and glowing rope of magic slithered through the air faster than she could react and wrapped around her. She yelped as the rope cinched tight and flipped her upside down. She hung there like some trophy fish struggling and cursing.
No. No, not like this. Please.
“I think it’s time you give up, Veronica,” Virgil said, panting as he stepped forward. “This struggle is over.”
I spun, teeth bared and growling—the wolf version of “fuck you”.
Virgil smirked and nodded to someone behind me. “Clark, take care of this little bitch.”
Before I could turn, an icy sensation washed across me, freezing my limbs in place. My body grew cold, and I couldn’t move. The frigid spell worked its way up my legs, across my stomach and chest.
“Don’t worry, Veronica,” Virgil said. “It won’t kill you. We’ll save that for the big show tonight.”
