16
The Witch

 

 

 

He returned soon and gave us the go-ahead. We quickened our pace.

Marrok led the army. All the capable fighters were positioned at the outer layers of the formation, the logistic and medic teams stayed in the middle, and Antonio, Bella, and a few wolves brought the rear.

Gabriel landed on my left side, his wings brushing my shoulder with affection before they tucked back. Kaara strode at my right, an angelblade tight in her hand.

“You think we can do this, baby?” Gabriel asked. It wasn’t a real question. He just wanted to converse with me casually to reduce the tension in the air.

Marrok glanced back at Gabriel, unhappy that the Archangel hadn’t reported to him after the scout, but Gabriel wasn’t one who was used to briefing anyone who wasn’t his superior in his race. And there was only one above him—the High Prince of All Angels. And the High Prince was far away in another timeline.

“What?” Gabriel frowned at Marrok, but he swallowed back “What are you looking at?” as a courtesy to Kaara.

Kaara shook her head. I shared her sentiment. The good thing was that the two Alphas weren’t in a room alone.

“Any ambush ahead?” Marrok asked with irritation.

“If there were one, I’d have told you,” Gabriel said. “But the Furies are nowhere around, which is strange. The vampires, cannibals, or other clans aren’t in the neighborhood for now, but I can’t be sure if any will be inside the jungle. The forest is quieter than usual, which isn’t a positive sign. We need to be prepared for any nasty surprises, but I saw nothing we can’t handle, right?”

Marrok turned back before grinning at Kaara, and she smiled back.

We marched on.

When we reached the jungle, there were no Furies, just as Gabriel had reported. The army was thrilled at the absence of the creatures of nightmare, but I had a bad feeling about it. 

Our army entered the forest in a tight formation.

This time, I led them, with Gabriel beside me. His half-spread wings turned steel-hard. Marrok and Kaara, who flanked us, had to take care not to get in the range of the Angel’s wings.

Marrok asked him to tuck his wings in so that others could have more space, but Gabriel refused. “I need to shield my mate,” he said, kind enough to give them a reason.

“We’re protecting her as well,” Marrok said.

“Not as good as I,” Gabriel said dismissively.

Kaara looked at me, hoping I would put on my Wickedest Witch’s face and chide him, but I ignored her silent plead. I’d been cruel to my lover, and now all I wanted was to make up to him, especially when our time together was short.

The jungle was short of the usual birds’ creeping chirps and beasts’ unnerving yowls. The wind didn’t stir. Only an ominous feel crackled the air, along with pungent scent of blossom and thick sulfur.

The army and the wolf pack couldn’t see Akem, but everyone evidently felt his oppressive presence. They trod quieter. And anyone who stumbled on twigs would receive glares. The tension would break any coward’s nerves.

We all knew Akem was watching us, his monsters eager for carnage.

The soldiers gripped their weapons. The wolves bared their teeth but restrained from howling.

Someone yelped, caught by the extended vines of the cannibal plants that came out of nowhere, and others rushed to help him, only to be trapped as well. I sighed and let my ice magic shield the whole army. I was hoping to reserve my magic for the portal, or the final showdown with Akem if things went sour.

The cannibal plants retreated.

“Try your best to handle things yourselves,” Kaara said. “Do not make Lady Fiammetta consume any more of her energy before she opens the portal.”

The guards who were caught by the plants looked ashamed.

Kaara had brought her witch light—my gift to her, and the others had lit the oil lamps. Tiny fires leaped, shadows dancing all round them.

The army prowled on, huddling as closer together as they could.

Gabriel was the only one who wasn’t affected by the jungle’s menace, but he darted his eyes wildly around to search for any threat.

Then the jungle spun, and everything blurred in front of us.

“Halt!” Gabriel ordered. “The jungle is shifting. We wait until it fucking stills.”

The army stopped marching, staying on high alert for an attack. The soldiers and the wolf pack were disciplined—Marrok and Kaara had trained them well.

When the jungle stopped wheeling, we were no longer where we had been before.

The wolves howled furiously, and my guards shouted their horrified discovery. 

The rear half of our force was gone. A few seconds later, alarmed shouts and howls rose from the distance. The missing party had been transported to another part of the rainforest. 

Gabriel cursed, as did Marrok.

Then the jungle shifted again.

“Hold the hand of the one next to you!” Gabriel and the Wolf King shouted at the same time.

Gabriel wrapped me in his arms tightly, and I clung to him. Akem had torn us apart once. We wouldn’t let him separate us again.

Marrok grabbed Kaara to him, and Kaara seized Gabriel.

Everyone held onto the one next to them.

There was nothing we could do to stop Akem from toying with us but wait it out.

We were in his realm, at his mercy.

I called out icily, “Akem, I came to fulfill my part of the agreement. Now do yours. And return the other half of our party.”

The second shift stopped instantly, and we stood right before the powered ship, the Red Dragon.

Gabriel stared at it, as if he didn’t believe his eyes. 

I freed myself from the cocoon of his wings. “I told you he could power it.”

“He powers it, but he won’t pilot it,” Gabriel said. “I’m flying my ship.”

I didn’t think the entity knew how to fly a space cruiser anyway, but I didn’t say it out aloud so as not to offend him.

Our remaining army looked relieved to see the humming ship. They would have cheered if not for the thought of the missing soldiers.

Gabriel, Marrok, Kaara, and I traded a look.

“We’ll wait for the other team to reach us,” I said. “As long as the ship has power, we’ll have transportation to fly through the portal.”

Marrok nodded. He shifted to his warrior wolf form and howled, giving his missing pack—his general among them—instructions. His howling would lead them back to us.

A series of howls rose from the distance in response.

“It’s Antonio’s signature howling,” Gabriel said beside me. “They’re running back to us.”

I hoped Akem stopped being a nuisance, but I couldn’t scold him. We had to tread on eggshells when working with a temperamental elemental entity.

“I’ll go check the ship,” Gabriel said, then looked at me with uncertainty. He hated to leave me even for a second, but then he didn’t want to take me with him, should there be a trap.

“I go with you,” Marrok said.

“We’ll watch Fia,” Kaara said. 

“No, you all stay with my mate,” Gabriel said, brushing a kiss over my lips before jogging toward his shuttle.

Kaara grabbed my hand. “No matter what happens, we stick together.”

I smiled at her. But I knew she would leave me soon. It would break my heart to see her go, but she was the Wolf Queen now. She had a new future with her mate and his pack, and they’d return to Marrok’s former planet to take back his throne.

They would start a war.

Marrok had talked to Gabriel, and the Archangel had agreed to loan them a ship when we reached the ThunderSong. My subjects would go with Kaara as well. They loved her but feared me.

The only one who would go with me as my forever companion was Akem.

Holding his angelblade, Gabriel stepped into the Red Dragon.

And he roared, “What the fuck?”

My heart sank into ice. I thought Akem was done with his pranks, but it seemed trouble just kept coming.

I summoned my ice spear and sprang toward the ship, Kaara and Marrok racing beside me.

The army formed a battle configuration.

I entered the ship just before Gabriel raised his sword, ready to charge and strike down Akem’s force.

On the ship’s deck, Akem’s creatures had taken residency.