Chapter 65: Escape

I gasp a breath as the door to the cage opens. But not in fear. Viveca has given me a gift, scattered the child in me, driven her back.

The rest of the shielding around me breaks. The fool, he's bundled his protections around my magic into the seal on the door, failing to create a ward around me personally. So arrogant, forgetting he can no longer order me to do what he wants, the controls of the sorcery that created me, the dark magic of the Black Souls long gone. He's more a fool than I thought.

The girl in me whispers her disbelief while my wolf chuffs in satisfaction. The fear in my heart breaks at last, the child seeing the truth, the pathetic creature Andre is, preying on one so young and without the ability to fight back. She understands this is her chance, a chance she never had. And turns utterly savage.

His power reaches for me, too late. I see the terror on his face, the tables turned, as I lunge from the cage, my own magic surging forward and into him, carrying him back to the ground. He lands hard, crying out, my werewolf shape leaping forward, landing lightly on his chest.

"Andre," I breathe into his face, the magic I control filling me with savage joy as I realize the hold he's had over me is broken forever. No matter what he does to me, no matter if I'm ever in this position again, I will never fear him. The girl in me screams her defiance and sobs her victory.

He gasps for breath, eyes huge. "Please, Charlotte, have mercy." The coward. I've feared him for so long, that fear ingrained in my every cell. And now, here we are, and I can finally put an end to him forever, ensure he never, ever, touches another little girl. I can feel his power worming its way around me, trying to break through mine. He might be a coven leader, but I have the power Syd gave me and enough determination to crush his heart.

"Mercy," I say, bending close so my teeth hover over his throat. "One bite, Andre. One is all it will take and you'll be hunted for the rest of your pathetic little life."

He croaks in fear, magic faltering. "I'm a witch," he squeaks. "I can't be a revenant."

"So the legends say," I whisper huskily, a drop of saliva falling from one canine to pool in the hollow of his neck. "But I'd like to experiment first hand. Just to be certain."

Andre quivers, moaning in fear. "I beg you!"

"Like I begged you?" I lean back, fury so powerful I can barely contain it. "No, wait. I never once begged, did I? No matter what you did to me. Never once." His hate is in his eyes, enough I know he's still fighting for a way to free himself. Like that will happen. Not now I have him here, in my control. "And that's why you want me, isn't it? Because you couldn't break me. And it drives you mad."

Andre hits me hard with energy, but I'm ready for him, absorbing what I can, deflecting the rest. My claw lashes out, catches his handsome, aristocrat's face along the line of his cheekbone, through the soft flesh of his cheek, under the line of his jaw. Four parallel slices, deep enough to scar, fed with magic to make sure they never, ever heal.

He howls in agony, an animal struggling under me. My wolf pants, sensing prey, wanting to kill him, to end this hunt, but I push her down. Not yet. I will have my pleasure from him first.

Something rumbles overhead, pulling me out of my attention to his pain. Andre collapses under me, passed out from the agony, but I'm not focused on him anymore. Not when another rumble shakes the stone above, dropping a fine mist of dust over us. I climb from his silent body, werewolf shape carrying me silently to the door. It's locked, but my magic is enough to open it, now Andre's magic no longer binds it closed. The moment I touch it, another massive thud echoes down from upstairs, the ground under my feet vibrating from the power.

A battle goes on above me. But who is fighting? I glance back at Andre, passed out, bleeding, and make a choice to leave him behind. He's not going anywhere, not worth further effort or consideration. Not when I have a fight to investigate.

The door opens into a stone corridor, ending in a blank wall on one end, a set of stairs on the other. I glance through a partially open space, see a wine cellar. So I was right, this is a basement. My paws are silent on the stone as I climb, turning to wooden stairs and a finely wrought handrail of black-painted iron. I reach the top, the main floor, in a giant kitchen. This has to be an estate of some kind, perhaps a winery, the kitchen appearing industrial. My power reaches out, seeking those who fight, and encounters a familiar dose of magic.

Charlotte! Tallah's mind grasps onto mine. You're all right!

I'm here. I feel the pressure of black emptiness as Piers latches onto me.

I'm going to kill whoever did this, he snarls, then resurrect them and kill them again.

It's fine, I send. I'm okay. It's the Dumonts and Caine's pack.

We know. Tallah's mind shows me the fight, the pack now in retreat through what looks like a vineyard, into the hills beyond. Where are you?

In the main house, I'm guessing, I send. I'm coming to you. Andre is below. You might want to send someone to make sure he doesn't bleed to death.

Tallah's hesitation ends abruptly. If you say so, she sends.

I slip past the huge island with the stovetop and giant sinks, most of me with Tallah and Piers. It's not until I hear a soft chuff of air I realize my mistake, the scent of her reaching me an instant before Viveca's claws whistle over my head.

I roll, tucking myself forward, sweeping out my own claws toward her legs. She howls her fury, leaping for me, jaws open, her werewolf form foaming at the mouth. I hit her hard in the breast bone as she tries to land on me, power taking her full in the chest, sending her back to crash into the island, sliding across the slick surface of the stove and over the other side.

My paws scramble over the ceramic tile floor, seeking purchase as I crouch, preparing to leap. She beats me to it, surging up and over the island, both clawed hands out, her own magic formed into a shimmering hammer before her. I dodge to the right, spinning to grasp her hips and increase her momentum, shoving her forward into the heavy wooden table and chairs at the other end of the room. She crashes headfirst into the old oak, collapsing, shaking her head from the stunning blow.

The door to the room bursts open, Piers flying through, face frantic. "Charlotte!" I glance up, startled by his appearance. Viveca lurches to her feet and lunges for him.

"Piers!" I cover him with power, shoving him to the side as she flees out the door and is gone. "Damn it!" I have to go after her, finish the fight. But as I try to pass, Piers grabs me, pulls me back, his sorcery quieting my wolf, reverting me to human shape. I snarl at him for his presumption, but he pulls me to him and hugs me before I can give him hell.

"I'm so glad you're okay." His voice chokes in fear. "We thought..." He doesn't finish, leaning back to stroke hair from my face.

"You idiot," I say, though the force of my anger is gone, partly because I'm so scantily clad and aware of Piers's attention. "I could have finished Viveca."

"No time," he says, turning and gesturing, a black tunnel opening beside him. Only then do I feel the pressure of Enforcer magic coming toward me. "Tallah's holding them off, but we have to go."

We're about to step through when the mind I love touches mine.

Charlotte-

Sage! I reach back, resisting Piers who shakes his head, fear returning.

"We need to leave now." He tries to force me toward the tunnel, but I let him feel Sage.

"He's close." Very close. And, from the wavering feeling of him, the way my wolf reacts to him, he's changing. Sage is finally changing and I'm not there to help him.

Piers grits his teeth, then nods. "Show me where."

The tunnel wavers, the blackness rippling as I connect the touch of Sage with Piers. This time I go eagerly, leading my friend toward the man I love. I stumble out of the tunnel into the dark night, in the California hills, to the feeling of Sage and his wolf becoming one.

"This will draw the Enforcers," Piers says. "I'll lock him down as best I can, but no promises, Charlotte."

I'm running already, following Sage's touch, reaching for him with my heart, my mind. He embraces me, his soul altered, flickering between man and wolf.

Charlotte! Tallah's voice reaches me, but it's faint. Piers is doing his job. I can't hold them off forever. The Enforcers are coming, then. Let Piers take him somewhere.

No, not this time. This is my job. I stop abruptly, Piers running into my back. I ignore him, my magic gathering, reaching for the veil. Sage is close, but not close enough, I won't reach him by foot before the Enforcers track us down. There's only one way.

I reach behind me and take Piers's hand. "Hang on," I say. And tear open the veil.



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