EWAN

Me and Vee walk around the back of the farmhouse and walk the perimeter. I look at the upstairs windows, but there's no light. As we reach the far end of the house, I kick weeds to one side with my boots. Stones move, but there's nothing to find.

“Ewan.” Vee beckons me over and points to the ground in front of her. “Is that a door?”

I pull overgrown plants to one side and reveal a sloped door. “Coal chute. I bet there hasn't been much coal delivered here recently.”

The door is hinged at the top, and I pull the small handle at the bottom, my nails catching the flaking black paint. It won't budge. Swearing, I pull harder. Vee wraps her arms around herself as she watches me.

“Can you hear anything inside?” she asks.

I shake my head.

A loud snarl interrupts our conversation as a dark shape charges around the corner from the direction we walked and launches itself at me. Huge paws hit my shoulders, and the large dog we saw inside the house sends me sprawling onto my back and onto the stony ground. I grab the dog's head and push back against it to keep the bared teeth away from my face.

I might not have Xander's strength, but I'm strong enough to take on this. Keeping my grip on the dog's head, I twist my body and lift my knees to shove them hard into the creature's chest. The animal falls backwards and yelps as it lands awkwardly on one side. Seconds later, the dog scrambles to its feet.

I jump up to; muscles coiled to attack. Is this a dog? If not, it's unlike any shifter I've come across. Shifters rarely attack us, and never travel alone.

Shit.

“Are there any more?” I call to Vee.

The dog pounces forward again, and is knocked to one side by a cracking blow from Vee; the strength from the War she contains coming through her. This time the yelp becomes a howl of pain and the dog limps backwards. He shakes his head, then flattens his ears. With bared teeth, the dog lowers his belly and faces Vee. Neither move as they size each other up.

Where are the other guys?

I crouch down. Bacteria surrounds me on the ground in the muddied grass; amongst the stones and in the air around. As Vee and the dog continue their standoff, I run my fingers along the dirt and wipe the tips across my palm.

I don't often use my offensive powers, but I'm unsure Vee's strong enough to finish this creature off alone. The invisible disease grows between my fingers and across my skin, spreading along my arms. If I touch anything, they'll become infected, and the decay will take hold at an accelerated rate.

I glance up as in the corner of my eye I see the dog lunge at Vee. She holds out her hands, and the creature bounces off her as if hitting a barrier.

I laugh and the creature turns it's head. Orange eyes glint in the dog's face and, as his chest expands, and legs lengthen, I've no doubt this is a shifter and not a large dog.

I rush at the creature and slam my shoulders into the dog’s side. The stunned animal staggers, and I follow with a punch to the side of its head. “Vee! Hold him down!”

The dog thrashes from side to side as Vee sits across the body, her strength pinning it to the floor.

“Shifter?” she asks, hands dug into its fur.

“The bloody thing wants to rip our throats out; I'd say yes.”

I squeeze my fingers against my palm, as the bacteria morphs into something unseen and deadly, combining with the power emanating from my skin. I lean forward, and teeth gnash at me as the dog's stinking breath heats my hand. Gritting my teeth, I grip it's muzzle together in one hand and hold tight. The creature continues to thrash, but the disease leaves my skin and covers the face in an invisible coating of death.

The animal stops moving and whimpers; Vee loosens her grip. The creature stumbles to its feet, not steady enough to attack, and throws back it's huge head. His howl lifts hairs on my neck and pierces through the night with a noise unlike any I've heard before. This isn't a shifter from any Pack I've encountered—this is something else.

The dog collapses to the ground, body jerking as he moves toward death. I sit on my haunches, breath coming in fast bursts. As my adrenaline drops, I'm aware of a pain in my shoulder. I look down at my torn jacket and the blood seeping through.

“Shit,” I mutter.

Vee stands and frowns. “It won't turn you into a werewolf, will it?”

Her words amuse me, despite the shitty situation. “No, Vee.”

“A horse shifter?” she says and snickers.

I scowl at her.

“Sorry, are you okay?” She curls a hand around the back of my head and places soft lips on mine in a brief kiss.

I inhale and draw in her warm scent mingled with the smell of the damp earth on our clothes. Her touch soothes and an imperceptible energy passes between us.

“I’m fine, Vee.”

“If the guys didn't come when the dog attacked, they must be in struggling,” she says. “Let’s get back to the house.”

We rush back along the side of the house; shouting from inside growing louder as we approach the door. We may have defeated the dog, but Xander and Joss need help. I skid on the ground as we round the corner. The house's door is open, and the shouting louder.

Only Xander is in the room, and he's struggling to defend himself against the woman. Apart from she's no longer a woman. This creature revealed its true self – the palest white, now a foot taller than Xander, the angular face has morphed into an inhuman length, and wild black hair surrounds her face. Her eyes match the shifter we injured and hopefully killed.

Amber flames crackle around her fingertips, and each time Xander slams into her, she falls back. But when the fiery fingers touch him, he's knocked back in return. Unable to fully hurt each other, the fight is at stalemate. Xander's stronger physically, but her magic is too great.

She spins in alarm as we step through the door, giving Xander the opportunity to seize her arm. His strength overcomes any enemy eventually, and he spins her around, gripping his arm around her neck until she chokes and the flickering fire dissipates from her hands.

“Where's Joss?” asks Vee.

“Upstairs. Looking for the boys.”

The demon's eyes change from glowing orange to black as she mutters something beneath her breath, words in a demonic language.

Her skin takes on a red hue, heating, and Xander drops his grip and yells before sinking to the floor. I stare in disbelief. How are demons becoming stronger in recent months?

Vee grabs my coat sleeve and drags me over to where Xander lies on the floor. The demon continues to laugh between muttered words, and a force builds in the room, forcing the blood to pump harder around my body and pressure builds in my head.

Already weak from my battle with the shifter, I sink to the floor, against the wall and struggle against the pain. This is why we use weapons. This is why we can't always use full powers; mine are too weak after my battle outside.

I glance at Xander; he's fought her alone for several minutes and is weakened too.

Vee shouts out to the demon who reaches a flickering hand in her direction. Light pulses from Vee and fills the room, before creating a barrier around us. The woman sways backwards and attempts to cover her eyes, screaming in pain as the power she uses against us reflects back. She drags at her face as it reddens beneath the pressure.

Xander stands and moves, ready to step through the barrier and finish her, but Vee seizes his hand to hold him back. He jolts with her energy, and they stand together, fingers laced in an unbreakable grip. Vee extends her other hand, palm outwards and the Death she carries, her part of Heath, crackles in her palm before launching through the barrier at the cowering demon's chest. The woman crumples lifelessly to the floor.

Heath's death bolts are strong, but Vee connected to Xander's War heightens the power. When the three are together, Vee's power reaches a frightening level. A level I'm sure could injure any of us.

The barrier surrounds us, held by Vee until the demon's body remains prone for a minute. The light drops, and Xander and Vee unlace their fingers. He drags both hands through his hair and draws in panting breaths. Vee remains still, pulled tall and head tipped. The light fades around her, reabsorbed into her body, along with the strength she created with Xander.

Xander glances at me. We both know how that energy will be released tonight if she succumbs and wants one of us.

“Fucking hell,” breathes Xander.

“Why didn't you get Joss to help?” I ask.

“Because I didn't know where the dog went. I heard the kids upstairs yelling for help and thought it might be up there.”

Vee shakes out her hands as if shaking some of the energy away. “Everybody is okay now.”

“I hope so. Where did the dog go?”

I snort. “He found Vee and me. He wasn't very friendly.”

“Did it bite you?” Xander waves a hand at my shoulder.

“Yeah. Not badly. Shifter not a dog.”

Xander nods, unsurprised. “Dead?”

“Yeah, or the bacteria will be working its way through his system and he soon will be.”

Joss appears on the stairs with three boys half-hidden behind him, eyes wide. Xander grabs a grey blanket from the armchair and chucks it over the demon's body.

“How do you explain what's in the room to the boys?” Vee asks in a low voice.

“Never mind that. Where are those dolls?” asks Joss.

I point to where they fell on the floor when Xander picked up the blanket. “There. Why?”

“She put our blood on them,” says one of the boys in a small voice. “Is she a witch?”

“Holy shit.” I reach down and grab the effigies, then toss them into the fire. The shapes burn brightly, spitting blue sparks before burning away.

“What was she going to do?” asks Vee.

Xander glances at the boys then says in a low voice, “I'm not sure. Changelings maybe.”

Vee's mouth parts and I close my eyes. It's not that she doesn't totally understand the situation in her new life at times, but that she knows little about the extent of what lies beneath society's fabric.

“Clever trick with the sweets,” says Joss to the boys and I smile at his attempt to distract them. “Whose idea was that?”

One nudges the other. “Ed's. He's smart.”

“Wasn't very smart coming out here though, was it?” asks Xander.

They tense and Vee shoves him. “They weren't to know what would happen.”

“Yeah, but this gives us a bloody big headache,” he mutters. “Do you know how hard it is explaining this shit to people. What do we say to their parents?”

“No! Don't tell my mum!” protests one of the boys. “She told me not to go far from home tonight! Mum will take my phone and laptop away.”

Joss laughs under his breath. “Fate worse than death, hey, Ewan?”

I pull a face. Yeah, the only thing I own that I value more than my laptop is my bike, but nobody would ever have a chance to take either from me.

Joss steps down the stairs to allow the boys past. “Okay, let me take you home, and we'll think of an excuse on the way there.”

Xander watches them leave and stares down at the covered body, rubbing his mouth. “Why can't memory wiping be one of our powers? That would make these situations a hell of a lot easier.”

I shrug. “Maybe someone with those powers will be our Sixth Horseman?”

Xander's look is the evilest thing I've seen tonight. “Don't even joke about that.”