Jenny barely heard. Taking advantage of the distraction she’d caused, she focused all her energy on culling her powers. The knife, the sweet song of the blade that delivered justice, not pain. The blade wielded in expert hands, slicing down evil and darkness.
The knife, oh, the knife that itched to be in her palm, free for her to slice this evil down before it created more evil…
Suddenly from her right, a swift blur of movement. Troy! He raced around the ring, tackling the acolytes, throwing them to the ground so fast she saw only a streak of clothing. Now!
Jenny threw all her magick at the chains holding her fast. They snapped as she pulled hard. The knife Perry abandoned flew into her hands as she slid off the stone slab.
Twirling it as she hopped on one foot, she glared at the astonished Perry.
“You look so different with your jaw hanging down like underwear that lost its elastic.”
He lunged forward. Dancing on her uninjured leg, she jabbed at the air, taunting him.
“Who’s afraid now, Perry? I can smell your fear. Or is that the stink of you wetting yourself, little guy?”
Perry didn’t respond. He whirled, and as the streak of movement moved by him, slashed with another, smaller blade he pulled from inside his cloak.
The blur collapsed, howling, holding his stomach. Troy doubled over, bright red blood leaking from between his hands.
Perry had gutted him.
Her heart dropped as she howled, acting without thought, lunging at Perry with the confiscated knife. She sank it straight into his stomach.
Grinning, he pulled it out, flinging it aside. Not a drop of blood.
“What are you?” she whispered, her pulse throbbing, her instinct raging to run far away from this thing.
“I am darkness.” He started for her. “And death.”
Now she knew her instincts were right and Perry was a demon, a being of tremendous power who had been invited onto the land by a pack member. She must destroy him.
But was she powerful enough?
Let her rip. Troy’s anguished gaze met hers. He mouthed words. This time she understood.
Jenny dove for the knife, reaching it before Perry. She called on all her powers, and sent them into the knife. She flung it at Perry.
Right into his heart, or where his heart should exist, had he one.
This time, no laughter. Perry screamed as the light from the glowing blade enveloped him in a net, squeezing tight. Like a lemon, she thought in stunned fascination.
Squeezing harder and harder, until he exploded. Black goo sprayed everywhere, over her, Troy, the altar and the prone acolytes lying close to their master. And then it evaporated, as if it were never there.
From the woods, dozens of wolves emerged, barking and snarling. They raced forward, tearing into the cult as a large, majestic wolf howled orders.
Aiden.
Soon it was over and Perry’s followers were all dead. Aiden and the other Lupines shifted back to Skin, clothed themselves by magick.
Ignoring them all, she scurried over to Troy and knelt on the ground beside him. He smiled weakly.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to hit the road on your own, sweetheart. Can’t be there for you this time.” He gasped for breath. “Made… up my mind. Was coming with you. We’re a team. Never leave you behind. Not like… your family did.”
So pale. Dying.
With all her powers, she could do nothing to save him. “Please don’t leave me,” she whispered. “You’re all I care about. More than my own life. Please Troy.”
He seemed to struggle to smile. Troy wheezed, breath sounds growing fainter. Damnit, she knew these signs. Knew what was happening, and was helpless to prevent it.
Don’t fall in love with me. I’ll break your heart.
Never imagined he would be the one breaking hers. Tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped onto his. Troy stared up at her, struggled to lift his hand. He wiped away a tear from her eye. Breath sounds grew more and more ragged, and the wheezing increased.
“Don’t cry over me, sweetheart. Death’s just another part of living. You’ll be fine. You always will. I regret… we never had the chance to be together for long, but those days I had with you were the best part of life. Thanks.”
Tears blurred her vision. Only one being could resolve this. Forget pride and her personal fear of the wizards.
Jenny flung back her head and screamed to the heavens. “Tristan! I call on you, Silver Wizard. Help him!”
“Hurry up,” Aiden barked. “He doesn’t have long.”
A flash of white light and the wizard appeared, his expression somber. He knelt by Troy’s side.
The wizard put a hand over the terrible wound on Troy’s stomach. Troy flinched and moaned, but to her shock, white light poured out of Tristan’s hands and the wound was sealed.
White light, like the kind of light that came from her hands at times… Jenny’s heart skipped a beat as she stared at the wizard.
Could it be?
She turned her attention to Troy, whose breathing evened out. Blue no longer tinged his mouth. She helped him to sit up.
Troy put a hand to his healed stomach. “Thanks wizard.”
Tristan shrugged. “No worries. I hate a mess, especially one created by darkness. Sticky and the stench…”
He wrinkled his nose.
“You’re so eloquent,” Aiden said dryly. “But thanks for healing him.”
“I’m selfish. We need every good Lupine in this battle against darkness,” Tristan said, standing up and helping Troy to his feet.
Aiden barked out an order for his Lupines to leave, but before they did, she thanked them for their help.
One shuffled his feet, looking ashamed. “I’m sorry we said those things and chased you away, Jenny. You freaked us out and life here has been freaky enough lately, with the dead cattle and this feeling something is wrong.”
Another nodded. “We thought it was you. Now we know it isn’t you. So if you want, you can have a home here with us.”
“Thanks,” she said softly.
The cowhands headed out.
She hooked a hand
