9
The Witch

 

 

 

The white wolf, who had fought beside Gabriel, led his pack move ahead of us. Rocky, Kaara’s second-in-command, sent his men spread along the jungle.

We hadn’t spotted any vampires, cannibals, or other hostile clans.

Marrok was guarding Kaara in the tower with just a few wolves. No one could break my ward made of fire and darkness, so they would be safe while the majority of our force had accompanied me on this trip.

This time, it was different for me. I remembered all that had happened on Pandemonium, though nothing beyond that. I recalled my encounters with Akem and how he’d invaded my mind.

One time his darkness had almost drowned me. But now, with part of my memories back, I knew his powers and secret desires. My fire magic was ready for any confrontation. He would never have a chance to get into my mind again. But today, I might just let him in, and allow him a glimpse at what I wanted him to see.

I would enter the jungle alone.

I wore a blue cashmere top, a pair of black pants, and knee-high boots instead of my usual three-piece—breast plates, leather shorts, and boots, only because I wanted to hear no more of Gabriel’s grumbling about other males staring at my belly button.

Maybe he’d indeed mellowed me. I should take care not to let him change me too much and lose my identity.

He brushed back a lock of hair that had tumbled onto my face behind my ear.

“If you sense anything wrong, you’ll shout out loud.”

“You’ve said that a hundred times,” I said.

“I’m just worried.”

“I appreciate that you’re worried about me, but when you keep repeating every small instruction, you make my head spin.”

“I won’t repeat it, but we must put our mating bond into use. It’s a virtual connection between us. I’m better at getting a signal. Before anything goes wrong, you’ll shout—”

“Gabriel.”

“Fine, I was just saying—”

The dark jungle loomed in with pine trees lining up at the fringe. I knew not to be fooled by its normal appearance. Everything inside Akem’s forest was predatory. Lurking behind the pine trees were cannibal plants. Gabriel had had some fun experiences with them.

The wind sent the smell of bitter blossoms and sulfur our way from the jungle.

This was it. We were here.

I’d sensed Akem’s presence without entering the center of his domain. He knew I was coming, and he was waiting eagerly.

And this time, I wasn’t clueless.

I’d developed a strategy that even Gabriel wasn’t aware of. I couldn’t tell him, for fear that Akem’s ears were everywhere.

I’d analyzed the Furies’ every word.

We couldn’t beat Akem with our brute power. Then I must seek to trick him instead of hitting him directly.

If my portal couldn’t sustain a group of people walking through in files, and I had only one shot, then we should fly a spaceship through it. Gabriel’s shuttle was right there, near the original portal.

The Furies had also stressed that Akem was the only energy source on this planet.

If I set it up right, I could make Akem power up the Red Dragon—the only way to get everyone out of Pandemonium.

First, I needed to give Akem what he wanted or what he thought he wanted the most. 

The Furies’ shrieks reached us.

“I don’t like this,” Gabriel said. “I don’t like you going in there alone.”

“I know,” I said, tracing his jaw line with a spark of fire on my knuckles. “I’ll be fine.”

The Furies skimmed over the canopy of the rainforest, their sharp wings cleaving off leaves, twigs, and branches in their wake.

Wolves howled in fear and rage, and my soldiers shouted out warnings. Archers had their arrows nocked. Those arrowheads wouldn’t even scratch the Furies’ unbreakable scales.

The only one who could take them down was Gabriel.

He pulled me to him and kissed me hard on the lips, scorching me.

My chest tightened. Gods, I hope this won’t be the last kiss.

He fanned his wings and shot toward the Furies.

They crashed and battled into the high sky.

It was a show for Akem should he ever look, but the Archangel hadn’t drawn his lethal blade strapped behind his back between his massive wings.

I tore my gaze from the sky, took a deep breath, and entered the jungle alone.