Page 87 of Rafe

Rafe raised a questioning eyebrow at Greyson as he caught sight of the attractive red-haired woman enter. Dressed in black leather pants with a black velvet blazer, her pearls brushed over her pale skin. He locked eyes with her, instantly recognizing Kade’s protegee, Dominique. Thorn followed behind her. Rafe classed the baby blue linen suit as restrained fashion for the otherwise flashy demon.

“Please welcome Dominique. Thorn. We must bring our minds together to fight the demonic forces that await.”

Rafe gave a tight smile and nodded at Dominique. Though he didn’t know her exceptionally well, her brush with Hell had been infamous. Like Ilsbeth, she, too, had grown stronger. Resilient.

Skylar glared at him, her jealousy too obvious to deny. Ilsbeth raised her glass over the table, but he didn’t move to toast. He reached for the goblet, swiftly downing the blood, never allowing it to touch his tongue. It was the last sustenance his vampire would ever require…he hoped.

“Despite our differences, of which there are many,” Ilsbeth began, making eye contact with each of them. “We must work together. We have all been touched by the curse of the demonic energy that lingers beyond. This is a fact of our world and the underworld. But to fight her, you must subject to the spell.”

“Don’t tell me we have to go back into Hell.” Greyson circled the pad of his finger over the rim of his glass.

“It’s not Hell,” she responded.

“It’s Hell adjacent,” Thorn replied, his demeanor cool as he sipped his wine.

“Technically it’s a dimension,” Dominique offered, her resting bitch face set in stone.

“A playground for the most diabolical witches and warlocks that can only be reached through a portal. But it’s not just witches,” Ilsbeth warned. “The fae are busy, oh yes they are. There are others like them who wander seamlessly between Hell and our world.”

Ilsbeth reached for her glass and brought her wine to her lips. “I’m afraid that this realm you shall enter will be fraught with peril, but I trust you are the one. You must get in and get out. You must retrieve the spell. We have less than twenty-four hours to complete your transformation.”

“Twenty-four hours?”

“The spell must be done during the eclipse tomorrow. This is fate. All of it. Every single thing. From Viktor saving you, to him finding me, asking for my help. We shall defeat my sister. But Rafe, you must be your true nature. Of this world a true Alpha shall no longer be encumbered by the curse of the vampire.”

“If I didn’t know you any better, I’d take that personally,” Greyson quipped.

“Then you should be aware of how it was intended.” Ilsbeth shot him a cool smile.

Rafe shook his head and looked to Skylar who happily accepted a second pouring from Henri. As he reached for his own wine, he considered this dysfunctional set of characters at the table, all joining together to plot the death of their enemies while two ex-lovers exchanged a deep seeded tension neither had fully resolved.

He’d sat through many a dinner with his own family, with his own pack. His mom and dad arguing about how they met. His sister informing the entire pack she’d made the decision to move to Spain. A raucous banter breaking out between pack members over the loss of a field goal during the finals. The occasional fight between wolves, testing their strength. The elders plotted against the enemy pack from the north over a nearby border.

As he looked at Greyson who blew Ilsbeth a kiss in response, this was entirely different yet the same. His chest tightened as he allowed himself a precious minute to miss his real family, knowing that once again, he’d face death. The premonition blanketed over him, a foreboding sense of darkness warning him of the danger to come.

“When you arrive you must search the perimeter of the dome until you see the crack. You must concentrate to find it. Go deep within the slot canyon,” Ilsbeth continued. “Rafe, are you paying attention?”

“Dome. Canyon. Hell. Got it. Blah, blah, blah. Might die. I’m cool with it. So why are Dominique and Thorn here?”

“Dominique and Thorn are here to check my memory and possibly contribute.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Greyson warned.

“I have a talisman you will carry. It will grant you invisibility within the underworld. The object you seek is hidden. Hidden by me. I tried many times to escape and I set the object. It is my spell only and the hell dust within it harbors the magick of the Goddess. After I misaligned the spell with Dimitri, which I deeply regret, I forced myself to hone the spell. It shall only bring the magick of change to reveal an individual’s true nature. Your truth. I expect with Rafe, his truth is wolf.”

“You must remain still. There will be others. The fae are less interested in what you’re doing. But the demons who attempt to break the seal? Or those like me?” Thorn rolled his eyes and brushed his lapel. “Well it depends on the mood really? There’re other types of creatures. You’ll just have to deal with them. Too many to explain. But if it has more than eight legs? Trust me, it’s going to bite you.”

Rafe sighed. “What am I looking for?”

“I can’t remember where I stored the spell exactly. It’s wrapped in purple silk. Call for Greyson when you find it. Then tomorrow afternoon during the eclipse, we commence the spell.”

“That’s it?”

“Don’t get caught,” Dominique warned. “You’re pretty. They’d like you.”

“Greyson.” Ilsbeth focused on the ancient vampire. “I expect you shall have the ability to use your powers to do reconnaissance of the dome. As long as you don’t linger, the others will not suspect you.”

“If the pathway becomes circular, don’t go further. They mine the steel to create their implements of torture. If you see the cauldrons of molten iron, you’ll know you’ve gone too far.” Dominique eyed Skylar and sniffed. “Your human smells delicious. You won’t be needing her as wolf. Would you consider allowing me to take her back to New Orleans? We are neighbors, after all.”