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I felt Wilder snarl at my side, anger rolling off him at Jay’s words.
“I knew we would eventually have the power to overcome the Hunters for good, especially by blindsiding them. And then we would take back control of this realm, with me at the helm. It was all falling into place and then they found you. The last Enchantress. The one who could ruin all my plans.”
Jay was directly in front of us now and with one small movement of his hand, the men and women at his back, raised their weapons, some shifting into their creature forms, ready for the attack. I felt the anger begin brimming beneath the surface of my skin, my power growing in my chest as I realized they wouldn’t just kill me, but the two men in front of me as well.
“You see, for the last decade, I’ve searched for the Sanctum Library, hoping to destroy the prophecy. Lenora had never told me where it was, no matter how much I pleaded. I could never find it, until one night ten years ago. Your mother was spotted and I knew it was here. Stupid of her really, coming to the one place she never wanted me to find.”
Looking down at my arms, I saw the black smoke began to swirl around my being, my power filled with rage at the man who took everything from me. Jay noticed the smoke as well, an eerie grin taking over his entire face.
“Your mother used to have that as well. I always knew she was powerful, especially when she was angry. And yet, what does power mean when you’re staring down the barrel of dozens of guns?”
Chuckling again, Jay pierced me with his gaze, his words spearing through my heart. “It’s amazing how much you look like her. Almost a replica of my beloved Lenora. And yet, that anger you cannot control? The need to kill those who stand in your way of greatness? I’m afraid that’s all me, dear daughter.”
I heard the audible gasps from the two men at my side, but I didn’t let the revelation falter me. I had seen it in his eyes. The same eyes that matched my own, that Mom had always gazed into with longing, love, and hurt. The eyes of the man who had helped give me life and yet took everything I lived for without a care.
“You killed your wife. And now you’ll really kill your daughter?” I questioned, hoping the answer I knew deep down wouldn’t be true.
Grinning at me, Jay shrugged. “I was the man with nothing once before and I won’t be him again. No matter the cost.”
As his sentence ended, the group behind him attacked. Bullets began spraying as two large wolves and one bear charged towards us, murder in their eyes. Jay’s smile never waned as he moved towards the back of the crowd, too much of a coward to face the threat head on. Without a second of thought, Wilder ran towards the attackers, flashing through them and ripping into their throats as quickly as possible. Another Drax met him halfway and I watched as they tumbled to the ground, the rest of the attackers facing Eli and me.
“Alert Madden. Now.” Eli uttered before turning towards the group, closing his eyes as he worked to inflict feelings of abhorrent pain on each of them.
Squeezing my own eyes shut, I prayed Madden was shifted, before sending out one word.
Help.
Chapter Forty-Two
Wilder
There were too many of them. Dozens of attackers streamed towards us, three lonely Divines against a skilled army ready to attack. The group not only outnumbered us, but with their powers and guns, they held the upper hand with weapons as well. Each gun going off sounded like a bomb in my ears, my enhanced hearing accentuating the noise until it was deafening.
Flashing amongst the Divines willing to kill their own, I ripped into their throats, avoiding the danger they shot my way as best I could. I wasn’t sure where Halley and Eli stood among the others, but I didn’t dare turn around to look, knowing that one misstep could result in my death.
Rushing towards a group of men aiming their weapons beyond me, a body smashed into mine, bringing me to the ground. Baring my fangs, I came face to face with another Drax, his own fangs bared in retaliation. Rolling around on the ground, both of us aimed to gain the upper hand, digging our fangs into each other and the smell of rust filling the air as our blood mixed.
Finally, I was able to flip the man onto his back, sinking my fangs into his flesh and tearing until he was bleeding out beneath me. Jumping back up, I took a quick moment to eye Halley and Eli, seeing the two facing off against too many Divines to count. Halley was doing her best to rip the guns from their hands, breaking their bones, but I could see her hesitation to kill. She didn’t want to be a murderer, not like her sadistic father.
Eli stood with his eyes closed, several men and women falling to their knees, their ear-splitting screams the only evidence of what he could do. Turning back towards the attackers, I growled, knowing that this would only end when one side was dead. And I refused to let it be the three of us.
Sprinting back through the crowd of weapons, I felt the bullets embed in my flesh, but ignored the pain, refusing to be taken out of this fight. The taste of blood filled my mouth as I let the monster inside of me take control, the death of others on the tip of my tongue.
Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks, stuck in a circle of attackers, their guns trained on me and no mercy in their eyes. Knowing I had no way out, I shut my eyes, hoping Eli and Halley could win this fight for us all. Hoping I took out enough Divines to turn the tide in our favor.
I felt the pain as each shot met their target, felt the warm blood oozing down my body as I weakened and fell to the dirt in a heap. And as I closed my eyes, the agony overbearing, I hoped that in this moment, I had made my dad proud. Sacrificing myself for others, as he did once before.
Lying motionless on the ground, I had no energy to open my eyes, but I heard the dull thud of dozens of bodies falling to the ground. I heard the silence as the gun shots disappeared. And then I felt the soft touch of warm hands and the twinkling voice of the woman who could save us all.
“You can’t die on me. Not today, Wilder.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Madden
Knox, Kalani, Maeve and I traipsed through the woods, nothing seeming out of place. If not for Knox promising that the library was here, I would have assumed that we were on a pointless trail. Knox led our group, following whatever he saw in his visions. Kalani and Maeve trailed behind him as I took up the rear, walking in my shifted form in case the others called to us.
With my next step, I felt my hackles rise as a noise sounded behind us, quiet steps I wouldn’t have heard outside of my wolf form. At the same instant the footsteps sounded; a single word entered my head.
