My chest and belly quivered with each terrified breath I took, but I nodded. I can do this. I inhaled slowly, evenly. My eyes closed for a brief moment as I relaxed my fingers. The familiar energy of my magic thrummed through my body.
I am a machine. Fear isn’t real.
Something foul and decayed tickled my nose. Blood. Corpse.
“Vampire,” I whispered.
The athame swung from my grip as if it had a mind of its own. It embedded itself into the throat of a vampire behind me. My legs surged forward, carrying the rest of my body with them. I kicked the chest of the vampire, and he crumpled. Wrenching the athame from his neck, I flung it over Elena’s head and into another approaching vampire.
Elena’s jaw hit the ground in surprise. She stared at me, wide-eyed. She recovered quickly as a shapeshifter materialized right next to her. With a shout, she sliced into its arm, but it faded back into invisibility.
Adrenaline coursed through me, and a wicked smile spread across my face. The euphoria of battle sharpened my mind and my senses. It was invigorating. Addicting. Powerful.
I Pushed a werewolf into the air and spun it around until it howled and whined. Then I flexed my fingers, feeling the pull of energy shift through me. My hands glowed blue, and the werewolf yelped before I banished it.
Fatigue pulled at my legs, but I couldn’t stop. I was powerful. Unbeatable.
Mist poured into the street, an ethereal fog churning with dark magic. A mangy animal smell reached my nose, and I stiffened.
As the fog obscured my view, I heard Elena slicing through demons in front of me.
“Elena, stop!” I shouted.
Her blade cut through flesh once more. A demon choked and gagged and then fell silent.
I groped forward blindly until I found Elena’s arms. She flinched at my touch, but I pulled her closer and whispered, “Wendigo.”
Chapter 23
ELENA GASPED. “NO! It can’t be.”
“Can we fight it?”
Though I couldn’t make out her face, her braids flopped as she shook her head vigorously. “I’ve never even seen one let alone fought one.”
A low hiss pierced the air. Heavy footfalls padded nearby.
My heart jumped in my throat. The adrenaline from earlier flickered and died, leaving nothing but cold fear in its place. Exhaustion pulled at my arms and legs, begging me to rest, but the battle had just begun.
“Come on,” I said.
I tugged Elena by the elbow, and we stumbled toward the building closest to us. I fumbled with the door until it pushed open, the mist pouring in behind us. I glanced around what appeared to be a small print shop. My eyes frantically raked over every corner until I found light filtering through a window. I rushed toward it and drew back the curtains, bathing the room in sunlight. My hands shaking, I pushed the window open. More mist poured inside, and the Wendigo’s stench filled my nose. A deep growl resonated from the street.
I grabbed Elena’s hand again and muttered,
“Magic above, I summon thee,
To obscure us from this enemy.”
A faint, blue light engulfed us and then faded. I pulled Elena toward the window and threw the curtain over us. We coughed as dust and cobwebs filled the air. We pressed our backs against the wall and waited, the silence punctuated only by our heavy breaths. The curtain sent whiffs of mold as it rippled with the wind outside.
Elena still clutched my hand, her fingers shaking. We looked at each other as we heard the unmistakable sound of paws creeping along the tiled floor.
It’s inside. My heart lurched in my throat. I pressed my lips together and clamped my eyes shut, though I couldn’t see through the curtain anyway.
The Wendigo crept closer. Its stench strengthened as it drew nearer. Another hiss sliced through the air.
My eyes opened and dropped to the small chink of light near my feet. A dark shadow fell, obscuring the light. A long, jagged claw slid under the curtain next to my shoe.
Panic rose in my throat. I held my breath, and my heartbeat screamed in my ears.
Another hiss. A growl. Heavy, putrid breaths blew against the curtain.
Elena’s fingernails dug into my palm. Her fingers gripped mine so tightly that I swore I felt my bones crack.
The Wendigo withdrew its paws and crept away from the curtain. The sound of its movements diminished until I couldn’t hear it anymore.
“Is it gone?” Elena whispered.
I shook my head, too afraid to answer.
We waited. The silence blared against my ears as I waited for something to assault us.
More silence.
I let out a breath and whipped the curtains back.
My heart stopped. The mist still surrounded us.
And there, right in front of us, sat the most hideous creature I had ever seen. It had no eyes but it had a huge, wide mouth like a shark and fangs that were covered in saliva and blood. Thick, black fur covered its body, and long, clawed fingers stretched from its arms, part human and part beast. The lower half of its body was reptilian like the tail of an alligator. Its belly rested on the floor like a snake.
The monster hissed in triumph as it stomped toward us, its mouth opening wider. I couldn’t tell if it was smiling or preparing to feast. Maybe both.
Elena pulled at my arm and dragged me toward the open window. Together we scrambled out just as the Wendigo snapped its jaws. The curtain stuck between its teeth, and the beast violently shook its head to pull free.
Elena and I tore down the street. Our breaths turned into panicked wheezes. Feral grunts behind us indicated that the Wendigo was on our tails. We couldn’t outrun it for long.
“What do we do?” I shrieked as we rounded a corner. The Wendigo’s paws shuffled as it scurried after us.
“Back . . . to the restaurant!” Elena gasped.
“Are you . . . insane?” I cried.
“Cloaked . . . from First Tier demons,” Elena said. “It can’t . . . enter.”
“Too far!”
“It’s closer . . . than the coven!”
The Wendigo roared so close
