20Peace out, motherfuckers
I stoodthere for a long moment, nervous for this final shift and the responsibility it would bring.Nine-tailed kitsune, closing the gate. This was a moment I’d been working toward for months.
“Evie! We can’t hold them long,” Brock shouted as he fired his shotgun.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled forward my kitsune magic and let the transformation wash over me. This wasn’t like the other shifts. There was something extra powerful in this final one. The ground shook a little as I slammed down onto all fours. My muscles lengthened and pulled faster than usual, and a shockwave of purple snapped outward away from my body before it dissipated.
On all fours, I peered behind me and counted my tails one by one. Nine tails. I’d done it. I’d completed my final shift and was now a nine-tailed kitsune.
As I turned my head, I discovered what my new and final power was. I now had the ability to automatically know which direction I was facing. I was like a human compass, which was a good thing for a woman who’d always had a shitty sense of direction.
“Okay, Evie. Do you see the gate?” My father had wheeled right up to me and was hopefully going to direct me on how to close it.
I glanced up from where I stood and saw that the gate was slowly … opening.
‘It’s opening!’I shouted to Cass.
He relayed the message to my father. Fucking Calista was doing some witchy shit and I needed to counteract it. NOW.
“Now shift back,” my dad urged me.
What? I just went through all this to become an all-powerful, nine-tailed kitsune!
“Your power will remain with your human body,” he assured me. “You need the katana to close the gate.”
Wasting no time, I started to shift back.
Sounds of a scuffle seeped through the gate, and I knew I had little time to seal it before Calista, her sister, and an army of demons invaded Brock’s land.
A woman once more, I slipped on the sundress Sabine handed me and grabbed my katana.
My father navigated his wheelchair over the forest floor, following me toward the commotion at the gate. “You should be able to see the gate in human form now.”
I looked up. Sure enough, my father was right. I could see the gate to the underworld perfectly, and it was wide open. Calista and her sister stood in front of it. The sister wasn’t as injured as I’d hoped; Brock’s bullet appeared to have pierced her side instead of her gut.
Behind the sirens, demons crawled up the cliff-side to invade Earth. The green symbols on the gate were swirling now, in a fast, dizzying circle. Cho and Tianna held the front line, magically projecting a shield to keep the sirens from breaking through, but it wouldn’t last. Already, cracks were forming around the edges of their protection, suggesting it would soon break.
“What do I do?” I screamed, hating feeling this helpless.
My father took a steadying breath, and I struggled to latch on to the sense of calm he was trying to project. “There are symbols on the front of the gate. One of the symbols is a lock, and the katana is the corresponding key. Now that you have all nine tails, you can place the katana in the lock. Before now, the power would have ripped you apart.”
Oh great. Now he comes out with the truth bomb.
Stepping closer to the backside of the open gate, I studied it more carefully. “The locks are spinning like crazy,” I called out. It was as if a bank vault had been opened, revealing the complicated wiring and bolts—if said bolts were twirling and flashing with bright green light.
“That’s because of the sirens’ magic. You need to try to slow them down.” My father’s voice was steady, but high-pitched in such a way that gave away his nervousness.
“I won’t be able to hold them much longer!” Cho screamed.
“How the fuck do I slow them?” I shouted at my dad, all manners flying out the window.
“Use your kitsune magic and just grab the gate! Physically grab onto the symbols. It’s magic, and you’re magical. You have the control, daughter. Now just use it. Remember your power.”
“Be careful,” Brock warned.
God. I felt like I was cutting the wire to defuse a bomb! Without knowing which wire to cut. Shit!
Chaos erupted at the mouth of the gate. Figures blurred past me, streaks of long-haired green.
