The remaining wolves snapped their heads toward us, fangs bared and saliva dripping from their mouths.
Fear pulsed in my veins. My breaths became heavy and frantic. I’m going to hyperventilate. No, I’m going to puke. I can’t do this.
Oliver shot a jet of water at one of the wolves, knocking it backward. He tugged at my elbow and ushered me forward. We sprinted for the door, but two other wolves blocked our path, their teeth gnashing together hungrily.
One wolf pounced, tackling Oliver to the ground. Oliver’s body erupted in flames, but the wolf was undeterred. It snarled and chomped its teeth, its snout mere inches from Oliver’s face.
“Oliver!” I screamed, but the remaining wolves pressed in on me, blocking me.
Oliver shouted, but I couldn’t tell if it was in pain or frustration. Had he been bitten? I couldn’t see anything—it was just a blur of Oliver’s arms and the wolf’s mangy fur.
Another wolf lunged forward, snapping at my leg, but I kicked it in the face. I concentrated on my breathing. In and out. In and out. Focus. Fight. I inhaled sharply three times and screamed at the wolves to get my blood going—a battle cry. Then I dived forward.
I sliced the athame across the snout of the nearest wolf. It roared in agony. Blood poured from the wound. Another wolf leapt for me, but I slid to the floor, my legs stretching to form splits as my torso arced backward to avoid its attack.
The wolf soared just over my head, its foul breath blowing on my face. It tumbled to the side and squealed in pain. I glanced at the other wolves and Pushed them away to buy myself more time.
I rose to my feet. Power pulsed through me, strong and unencumbered. The electricity of my magic rushed from my toes to my scalp, filling me with control I never knew I had.
A different wolf sprang toward me. I ducked and sliced up and into its belly, spraying my face with its blood. I whirled as another wolf clawed at my face. Razor-sharp agony pierced my cheek. I screamed again, but a euphoric energy took over. With one hand, I Pushed, freezing the wolf in place before it could attack again. With the other hand, I stuck the athame into its all-black eye and gouged the eyeball out.
The wolf slumped sideways, inky blood pooling from its head. I glanced at Oliver, who still grappled with his wolf, and I Pushed his werewolf away and up against the wall.
Exhaustion tugged at my body, and I fell to my knees, but Oliver took over. A thick rock formed around his fist as he slammed it against the wolf’s head, knocking the demon unconscious. Oliver stood, his face covered in blood and sweat, and raised both hands at the two remaining wolves.
Realizing what he was doing, I stood and raised my hands as well, though my legs wobbled from exertion. Together, we chanted,
“Vile demon of unholy crimes,
I banish you ‘til the end of time.”
Our hands glowed a deep blue, and the remaining wolves hovered in the air. The glow of our magic encompassed them, brightening until I had to close my eyes against the light. Then with one last howl, the wolves vanished.
Pain and fatigue rippled through my body, and I slumped sideways. Oliver caught me around the arms.
“I’ve got you,” he muttered. “Come on, we need to leave before the others heal and wake up.”
A furious growl froze us in our tracks. The wolf Oliver had punched stumbled to its feet and bared its long, sharp fangs at us. Several loud barks erupted from its snout as it approached us.
I swayed, and Oliver held onto my elbow. Lights danced in front of my eyes. “I can’t,” I whispered.
Oliver took the athame from my hand and pointed it threateningly toward the advancing wolf. His face red and covered in sweat, Oliver’s heavy breathing indicated he was just as weak as I was.
A loud shout echoed from the entrance. A blast of blue light assaulted the wolf, enlarging until it blinded us. When the light vanished, it still burned through my eyelids, and I blinked to see clearly again.
The wolf vanished, and when my eyes adjusted, I saw Ramón standing there. His hands were raised, and anger burned in his eyes.
I sagged against Oliver’s shoulder, relief overwhelming me. “Thank Lilith,” I muttered.
“You two need to stay with me from now on,” Ramón growled, his eyebrows lowering in frustration. He impatiently waved a hand. “Hurry.”
Oliver and I shuffled clumsily to the door and followed Ramón. A few blocks later, we reached the red door. When we passed through, an eerie silence suffocated me.
My mouth fell open, and I looked around. Moonlight bathed the empty street in a spooky white glow.
“What happened?” I asked in a hushed voice, afraid I would disturb the silence. “Where’s the gunfire? And the civilians?”
Ramón pressed a finger to his lips and ushered us forward through the backdoor we’d entered earlier. Inside, more than twenty people were crammed together, some snoring, some weeping quietly.
A hot lump of guilt rose in my throat. How long had these people been waiting for us to deliver them to safety? All because I was too incompetent to handle a couple of demons.
Oliver exhaled through his teeth and rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes darting to me as we shared grimaces of embarrassment. I knew he was thinking the same thing.
Perhaps we did the wrong thing, waiting for the full moon. Why had it seemed like such a good idea?
“Oliver, you stay with the refugees,” Ramón said. “We’ll alternate taking them back to the restaurant. You rest first, then Desi will swap with you.”
Oliver nodded, pressing his lips together. His cheeks reddened, and his nostrils flared. Without meeting my gaze, he slapped the handle of the athame into my hand. I could tell he was angry, but as his fingers clenched into fists and he sank to
