Hot Blooded

But instead of using rocks and earth as its weapon of choice, it grabbed on to a huge fir tree with its massive fist and plucked it straight out of the ground, roots and all. In the next motion it swung the tree at Danny. Even though Danny was already running, the top branches caught him, knocking him deep into the woods.

Naomi landed in front of me. “I’ll catch his attention once again. You need to jump on its back.”

“And what do I do once I’m there? I can try to tear its head off, but won’t it just find another one?”

She looked at me with exasperation. “I heard everything Eamon just told you about the sorcerer. If there’s enough power in your blood to disintegrate venom from the Underworld then there is enough to control this beast. Now go!” She launched herself into the sky.

The monster gave a howl and turned. Naomi put herself right in front of it, waving her hands, but the thing ignored her. It turned back toward my brother. It had a single-minded intention. And its intention was to kill Tyler.

No more time.

Here we go. I took a running leap, infusing myself with power, absorbing it greedily from my wolf.

She howled along in a rush. My muscles coalesced quickly, fusing together under my skin, growing three times their size in a single heartbeat. Fur erupted along my arms and I let out a fierce snarl. I flew through the air and caught the thing squarely in the back, digging my claws deeply into the stone.

My nails penetrated easily, providing me with a good grip. The thing bucked immediately, trying to shake me off, but I scrambled up like I was rock climbing—which technically I was. It wasn’t particularly flexible, which worked in my favor, and as it tried to bat at me with its clumsy fists, it succeeded only in smashing the surrounding trees to pieces.

“Go for its head,” Naomi shouted.

“Then what?” I muttered. “That’s the real question.”

I wrapped my hands around its neck, which was a wide, square rock, with both hands, digging my nails in again. I gave an experimental squeeze to see if I could wrest the block out and hopefully dislocate the head from the body. It didn’t move. Not even a millimeter. It was stuck in place with some kind of crazy supernatural cement.

The Mahrac continued to twist us in a circle. It wouldn’t be long until it smashed me into a tree.

There’s nothing for me to grab. What do I do? My wolf barked and began to uncover the box she’d showed me, right as the monster started spinning quicker, trying to dislodge me. If it was smart enough to do that, it had a brain. “You’re not getting rid of me,” I hissed at the back of its head. “This ride isn’t over until you are.”

It slowed, almost like it’d understood me.

“That’s right. You heard me,” I growled. “I’m not getting off until you agree to stop all this. Care to give me any insight?”

The thing let out a gravelly howl and spun in a slow circle, like it was pondering its options. Then it took off through the trees. For a moment I wasn’t sure which direction it was heading in, and then it burst through the tree line, making its way straight to the edge of the mountain it had just climbed up.

The Mahrac was going to take me over the side.

Like hell it was.

“Jess, it’s going over!” Danny yelled behind me. “You have to jump. Jump! ”

Naomi was in the air at the edge of my peripheral vision, coming at me quickly, covered in winged devils. For some reason they hadn’t gotten to me yet. “Naomi,” I screamed. “Get back! I’ve got this.”

I had no more time to think. We were almost to the end of the road. In one solid motion, I arched my arm back and struck my fist into the back of its head. A portion at the base exploded into pieces,

leaving a gaping hole. The thing didn’t slow for a second. I rocked my fist back one more time, using supernatural speed, and plunged it into the opening with a snarl. This time I kept it lodged in there.

The Mahrac faltered for a moment as I opened my hand inside the hole, feeling and searching for what made this thing tick. It slid to a stop, shaking its head, and it took everything I had to keep my hand inside.

My wolf started to bark frantically. What? What do I do now? My wolf gave an impatient growl.

Show me! I don’t get it. She leaned down and nosed the box open. The lid fell back and a blinding light rushed out, racing through all my senses like someone had plugged me in. My first instinct was to shut my eyes against it—it was too much. But I knew I had to absorb it as fast as I could. As I took it in, my consciousness flooded totally to white. Power flushed through me like someone had finally pulled the master switch.

My hand started to tingle inside the Mahrac.

A low pulse in the middle of my fist wound up my arm. I could almost taste the essence of the

Mahrac now. It tasted of sorrow. I shivered. The monster had stopped right at the precipice of the cliff.

One false move and we would go over. I closed my eyes and focused on its Otherness. It was dense and heavy, and extremely strong.

I edged a single finger in farther, prodding its essence with my nail. It cried out.

Then I felt something else.

It was layered on top like a thick coat of sticky slime. In my mind it manifested as dark red,

throbbing with menace. It was choking the Mahrac, forcing it do to its bidding. Selene. Her power was here, inserted like a sickness where it didn’t belong.

Something reared up in my psyche so strongly I almost let go. Everything in me wanted to crush the evil thing inside this being. It made me angry beyond measure—beyond any words. Going only on instinct, I twisted my hand quickly, scooping up as much of its essence as I could in my palm. And with everything I had, I threw all the blinding power I’d gathered from inside the box and sent it hurling at the ball of life in my hands.

I needed to purify it. I needed to set it free.

The monster arched its back and flung its arms out, letting out a sound of echoing thunder. My light encapsulated it completely. Then a shock wave of power ran though my body like a tremor,

ending with a huge burst of power that snapped my head back and forced my eyes and jaw to snap shut.

Everything went still.

The light in my mind broke apart and dissipated.

Without any warning, the Mahrac tossed me backward, catching me by surprise. I let go, releasing my hold on it from the inside of its head. I landed on the ground hard, not thinking to right myself,

just thankful I was off the beast.

The Mahrac gave me one look before it turned and launched itself off the cliff.

I didn’t have time to be relieved or exhilarated. I was drenched in sweat and completely spent.

And covered in winged devils.

13

They tore at my flesh, their greedy mouths lapping at my blood. My limbs felt heavy and I was so tired. I shook myself, but none of them dislodged. My wolf snarled and barked, trying to force me to move. I know. I know. Adrenaline hit my system in a rush, exiting my nerve endings, and I managed to stand.

I was still in my Lycan from, and surprisingly I didn’t feel much pain from their bites. From what

Danny and Naomi had gone through, I’d thought there’d be more agony. Why doesn’t it hurt?

One of the devils feasting on my arm suddenly fell to the ground.

In the next moment it disintegrated, leaving a thick smear in its place.

Did you see that?

A few more dropped. They each made sizzling sounds as they died.