Chapter 12
Down, down, down. It took a force of will to keep Evangeline’s speed at a reasonable pace, and not just run as fast as she could to get to Bran faster.
Every moment that passed, she moved closer to Bran. Still, the voice had been correct. Something dangerous lurked in the woods, and it wasn’t a ghost.
Menace followed her, chasing her down the slope. Her senses skyrocketed the farther she managed to descend. Darkness chased after her, pushing her faster.
Something let out a sound that could almost be a howl. She slid to a stop and spun to find darkness moving through the trees, toward her. The imposing man oozed shadows.
A chill traveled through her.
Use your gift, the voice from the cave whispered through her head.
Gift? What gift?
The voice laughed softly. Pull the blade from your thigh. Protect yourself, Evangeline. Images flashed through her head as a tall, slender, blond woman with sparkling green eyes unsheathed the glowing weapon from thin air at her thigh.
The pain. Was that the pain the second before she fell? She woke up with no blood anywhere, no slice in her clothing.
Following the suggestion, she drew the dagger and ignored the glowing symbols dancing over the blade, then up her arm.
Must be losing my mind. That thing did not just bind itself to me, she muttered in her head.
And the woman answered, It most certainly did.
The shadow man ran toward her, and Evangeline took a fighting stance. She had never trained with a blade, but she winged it.
That’s right. It’s yours, my gift to you, Evangeline. Protect it well.
The creature closed the distance, and Evangeline spun, slashing the dagger out, cutting into his arm. He let out a wail and circled Evangeline as she backed away.
Crimson dripped down the man’s arm, the shadows dripping away. The revealed skin was an inky, unhealthy color, yet strength flowed around him. Whatever he was, he wasn’t human.
“What are you?” Evangeline demanded.
A maniacal laugh echoed through the forest. “Nightmares incarnate.”
She snorted. “Oh, that so? I’m the queen of nightmares.” And she definitely had the ability to give anyone their deepest, darkest fear in a dream.
The creature lost form, falling to the ground, and rushed toward her with a roar.
Evangeline crouched and swept the blade out, drawing more blood, though there was no body, only a wave of shadow.
He fell back, rising back into his form. The shadows melted away from the fresh gash across his broad chest. His eyes glowed red. “I will have my blade.”
“Not yours,” Evangeline answered. She wasn’t sure what the hell to do with it, but it was definitely hers. It felt like an extension of her hand.
Wolves surrounded the creature as Bran stepped into the clearing and moved beside Evangeline with an arched brow at the blade.
Shrugging, Evangeline shot the shadow monster a glare.
Three of the wolves leaped, snapping their jaws, their teeth sinking onto the shadow monster. Howling, the shadow beast fell into a puddle of shadows and retreated up the mountain.
“What the hell was that?” Jay asked.
She flinched slightly and turned to offer a smile. She hadn’t noticed him there before. “Not a clue.” She turned back to Bran. “We should move. He was tracking me for hours.”
“Follow me.” Bran took her hand and started back the way he’d come. “There’s a cave I can ward. Should work, I hope. Though my wards aren’t nearly as impressive as my sister’s.”
“The blade seems to keep him at bay.” Evangeline hurried her pace, and Bran tugged her down another path.
“Where did you get that thing?” Jay asked.
“Not totally sure, honestly,” she answered, a squeak in her voice.
Jay scoffed. “You have a glowing fucking dagger, and you don’t know where you got it?”
Her nose scrunched as Bran pulled them into a cave and started chanting. Jay fortified the magic with his own, which left her leaning against the wall to catch her breath.
Something familiar was called forth at their spells, but she ignored it. There was no way she could add an ounce of magic to theirs. Her magic had died the day she became a werewolf. But Jay was a shaman before becoming a wolf, and Bran was part Sylvan Fae.
They were lucky. Evangeline wasn’t.
“Why here?” she asked.
“Saw it on the way. Nothing lives in it. And I can ward it so we can catch our breaths.”
“After the last cave, I’m not fond of the idea of being stuck in another.”
“Won’t be long. Tremaine is looking into the stone face and the artifact. I’m sure they’ll be interested in learning more.”
She lifted her hands, shaking her head. “I’m not handing it over to them.”
“Doubt they’d ask you to. That’s not why I called. That thing you encountered, it’s unlike anything I’ve seen. Tremaine said there are rumors of an ancient Fae guarding the dagger, and about a dark mystic or something keeping the Fae locked away.”
“How does he know about that?”
Jay snorted. “Your man mind-melded with the natural wolves’ alpha.”
“Yeah, I saw him through their eyes before finding you,” Bran answered. “Tremaine didn’t know offhand but knew who might. Then they’re supposed to find us.”
“Can they find us behind the wards?” Jay asked.
Bran nodded. “If he brings Preston, they can track us to the cave, even if they can’t get past. But we can bring the wards down long enough to get some damned answers.”
“Might not have to camp out in the creepy ass woods either,” Jay muttered.
Evangeline smirked. “You planned to find me so we could camp on this damned mountain?”
“Jay’s idea.” Bran shrugged. “Wasn’t sure how fast we could leave. Wasn’t sure where we’d find you. Shit, we probably ran a marathon to reach you as it is.”
Taking a seat against the wall, she took a moment to just breathe. She’d been moving nonstop for hours.
“We have food,” Jay offered.
“I’ll need that in a moment. First, could I use one of your phones? I need to find out where my sister is.”
“What’s going on with her?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Don’t know yet. I went with my father to give Neil a chance to take Genevieve away. I hope he made her a werelynx. If not, she’s probably dead by now.”
“Why?” Jay asked.
“She went into that same cave to try to find the dagger. Shit, maybe that’s what the trial was. She didn’t want to give it to someone who wanted it. I asked for a way out, told her I didn’t want it.” She turned to look into Bran’s brown eyes. “I told her I wanted to find you. Then she opened another cave, and I followed it out. I didn’t care about the dagger.”
“But she chose you anyway.” Bran slid down beside her and held out his cell. “Call. I know I’d be stressed if it were Savon.”
* * * *
Genevieve stared out the window, wondering where Evangeline was and if she was okay. Not to mention, who was Ty? Would he honestly help her? Or did he want the dagger too?
Her father had been wrong. Neil didn’t desire the relics her father sought. No, his only concern was her health, nothing more. The bond they shared proved how much Neil loved her. His emotion lived inside her now.
Why did she believe her father for all those years? He told her that Neil was working against him. Did he only want her healthy to get the dagger?
Her father was full of lies and had used her own weakness against her to do what he couldn’t. He used her stupidity so she’d go after that damned relic, which had been the cause of her failing health and loss of magic.
Evangeline was right. Dad didn’t give a damn about what happened to her. He was only worried about what he could gain. Neil was more concerned with her well-being.
He wanted to help Evangeline.
But who was this man she’d never heard of?
Neil’s phone rang, and she turned toward him. A smile lit his face as he answered. “Hello?”
“Hey, how’s my sister?” Evangeline asked.
He met Genevieve’s gaze. “She’s doing a thousand times better.”
“Can I talk to her?”
“Of course.” He sat down beside her, offering the phone.
She snatched it out of his hand. “Do you hate me, Evangeline?”
“No, and stop worrying. Dad can’t get the relic now.”
Genevieve’s brow creased. “Why not?”
“Um, that’s complicated. Look, how are you? Still ill? Did you go furry yet?”
A soft laugh escaped. “Yes, I let Neil change me. And, I’m doing far better. Thank you for getting me away from the condo.”
Evangeline sighed. “I think Dad had the place warded heavily enough it was fucking with your thoughts and feelings. He’s been fucking with your head all this time. He knew you’d give him the dagger, and then he would have been done with you.”
“Yeah, and until Neil drove me through the wards in this cabin, I was willing to give it to Dad. But what did he do to you?”
“Shot me with a tranquilizer gun and threw me into the cave. Don’t worry, I’m out.”
“How? Dad would have pushed you back in,” she insisted.
Evangeline was quiet a long moment. “Did he keep pushing you in?”
“No,” she whispered. “I would be too sick afterward to push me back in. But you’re stronger. I would collapse and fall back through the entrance.”
“I know the woman at the bottom wasn’t the one to drain your magic and energy. What was?” Evangeline asked.
“No. Something dark, shadowy. Something I encountered when I fell through time and space on my way out.”
“Time and space?” Evangeline prodded.
“The cave is another dimension. But the entrance and exit is a portal between the two worlds. And in there resides the demon made of shadows.”
“Okay,” Evangeline answered. “But you’re doing better since shifting?”
“Much. Now where are you so we can find you?”
Neil interrupted, “Probably better if she comes here if she’s still on the mountain.”
Genevieve chewed her bottom lip a moment, then relayed the information.
A man said something on the other side of the phone. “Do we really want to go to someone who worked with your father?”
“We need answers, and they know more about why we’re here than we do,” Evangeline explained.
“True,” the man said. “We need to be careful, though.”
“I know, but I’ve known Neil all my life. And my sister was brainwashed, but it seems that’s resolved itself,” Evangeline stated.
The man grumbled an agreement.
“Who’s that?” Genevieve asked.
“My mate, Bran. And we have another friend with us. Jay. I’ll explain when we meet up,” Evangeline said.
“You better. I’m curious about this mysterious mate. Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“You know I don’t share much about my life in Silvertail. You never seemed that interested.”
“Dad got in my head, warped my view. I mean, I miss the magic, but really, I haven’t had much in ages. You have to tell me everything.”
“I will,” Evangeline promised.
“Let me talk to her,” Neil said.
“Neil needs you a moment. Probably to tell you how to get here.”
“Sure,” she said.
After giving her directions, Neil handed back the phone.
Evangeline jumped right in. “We’ll be there as soon as we can be. Probably faster than you expect. We may or may not have a few mages with us.”
“Mages?” Genevieve squealed. “Mages? Why?”
Evangeline sighed. “They’re friends. We can trust them. Honest.”
“If you say so,” she muttered.
“Trust me, they already helped Nate’s mate with a huge mess. Look, I need to go. I’m glad you’re well.”
A smorgasbord of questions floated through Genevieve’s head, but life was different than it was the day before. She had to acclimate, and probably fast.
“Love you, Evangeline.”
“Love you too, Genie.” The phone clicked off.
Genevieve closed her eyes. “I didn’t know she was mated.”
“It’s new,” Neil offered. “In fact, it happened after I saw her in my dream the night before last.”
“You’re sure?”
He shrugged. “Believe so. Unless Evangeline lied, but she was annoyed that her father called her out before she had a chance to seal her bond.”
“Why didn’t she tell me about him?”
“Probably worried about what you’d think?” Neil offered.
“Probably. I’ve been a horrible sister, and yet she always comes out because of me.”
“Then let’s move near her town. Maybe even there, if they really are welcoming of other shifters, but Genevieve, not all weres want other types around.”
“Won’t know until we go out there.” She hoped they could move into the town. She wanted to be near Evangeline.
“Well, they should be here soon.”
“Maybe not until tomorrow.” Genevieve managed a smile.