Pruitt
Though it screeched and crackled, the stadium speaker rose above the sounds of war.
“We’re live by air now at the Crescent Mystic Match-up, where what appears to be two violent gangs viciously battle it out on the turf of Mystic Hollow University’s once great sports complex! Folks at home, I know you’ll have trouble believing an old radio jockey like myself, but there appears to be some kind of cyclone floating above the field while a young gentleman uses a flamethrower to stop his attackers.”
panted as he rolled off of Quinn, shocked to see the professor’s entire left side was horribly charred.
“T-talk about a bad sunburn,” Quinn moaned, coughing as he clutched his blackened arm. “Don’t worry about me, . Get Uriah before Luna or Darcy do.”
?Haven, resist what she says,? replied to Haven’s telepathic cries as he ran at full speed toward Uriah and Luna. ?She wants you to kill yourself. Don’t do it. Stop Darcy.?
“Your turn to burn,” Luna teased as she pinned Uriah to the ground. The blinding sunlight beam illuminated the sky above them as Darcy waved his hands across the field.
reached into Griff’s mind. ?G! Baby! You have to get to Haven. Get to Haven now.?
He heard his lover’s frantic telepathic voice. ?Haven? What about Darcy?!? From ’s vantage point, Griff appeared frozen in fear as he looked from one new suitor to the other. ?, Darcy’s spell will kill Riah.?
?I know, Griffin, but Haven’s about to complete the first step of the prophecy.? Unaware of his surroundings, was suddenly knocked to the ground by Dachre’s wolf form.
“Haven!” Griff shouted. “ Don’t!”
As Dachre pinned him against the turf, snapped his right arm like a twig. He lifted his attacker into the air, his hand at his throat. His lycanthropy told him to snap it; his humanity convinced him to toss the wolf aside. “Uriah!” howled, jumping to his feet in a single movement and charging ahead.
Haven’s unsteady voice echoed through ’s head. ?I c-c-can control my actions. I can save you guys.?
As rushed toward Uriah, he noticed a growing group of werewolves struggling to their feet—some limping, some bloodied, and some in human form. The chorus of lycans was singing— no, chanting —something. He was in disbelief until he heard their words: “At full moon’s time, a witch’s magic will complete the rite. Lycaon’s dagger for the Wolf with Two Powers.”
stopped dead in his tracks, watching as the scene before him unfolded in slow motion. Before Griff could make it to him, Haven lunged forward and slammed the blade into Darcy’s back.
The thick beam of sunlight shook violently as Darcy’s body writhed, the concentrated heat melting the base of the nearest goalpost, sending the forty-five-foot tall structure tumbling down. One peak of the slingshot-shaped goalpost crushed Luna’s arm, trapping her.
“Bloody hell!” Uriah cursed, the post landing just inches from his face.
Darcy’s spiraling sun spell blasted into the bleachers, lighting posters and support siding afire before a final ball of light shot across the field, erupting in an explosion that shook the ten-block radius.
“Darcy, listen!” Luna commanded.
“No!” Darcy hollered, falling back into Haven’s arms as he realized what had happened.
Haven’s eyes welled with tears as he looked from Darcy to Griff. “I’m so sorry.”
“Do as your queen says!” Luna howled.
Gathering the last of his strength to redirect the spinning circle of arrows in the sky, Darcy sent the flying arsenal right into Luna’s face. “ Fuck you, your majesty, ” Darcy muttered as his eyes rolled back into his head.
The sound of Luna’s werewolf form screaming was enough to unsettle every survivor at the stadium.
Luna fell forward, her lifeless, arrow-ridden body collapsing atop of Uriah.
made it to Uriah just as Luna breathed her last breath. “Holy fuck, you’re safe,” he exclaimed, a big smile on his face as he leaned forward and kissed Uriah’s forehead. “I would’ve killed you if you died.”
“Same to you.” Uriah chuckled nervously before returning the kiss, pushing the limp corpse on top of him to the side. “Really romantic moment, eh?”
pulled the vampire to his feet, the weight of what just happened finally hitting them. In the blink of an eye, Uriah grabbed ’s hand and sped to Griff’s side.
“You can heal a wolf, can’t you?” Uriah asked.
Haven laid Darcy’s body on the ground before backing away from the group. “N-not a dead one.”
motioned Uriah to stay close to Griff, who wept as he clutched Darcy’s stiff hands, before giving follow to Haven. The blonde werewolf moved to the edge of the field, a large fire raging mere feet away.
“Hey!” reached for Haven’s shoulder. “You did the right thing.”
“Why does the right thing feel so wrong?” the younger werewolf asked, his voice filled with anger and sadness.
“You can’t help everyone, Haven,” spoke softly.
Haven hung his head. stepped closer, the sounds of the roaring flames barely covering the heartbreaking sobs of Griff in the distance.
Touching his shoulder, could feel the pain and anguish inside of Haven’s heart. It reminded him of how he felt seeing Theodulf die in his arms; how he felt after a hundred other misdeeds and misfortunes throughout his life, whether he remembered every detail or not: helpless.
looked back to see Uriah cradling Griff in his arms, and—further in the distance—Magnus, Julian, and Kale gathered around a wounded Quinn.
Haven’s thoughts were louder now, like he was screaming in ’s ears. ?I should’ve never approached Griff that day in the forest. It was stupid to think that I could get involved here without hurting someone. After all, I’m a monster.?
“I used to think I was a monster, too, Haven. An evil creature with no humanity left. But that’s just not true— not true for either of us . What you did saved Uriah, Quinn, Griff, Magnus, me, the whole town,” said . “Not only that, but you stopped the ritual.”
As though on cue, the sound of a lone wolf crying to the moon rang out. spotted a Dark Moon werewolf on the other side of the center-field blaze, alone at first but then joined by three others. Soon, dozens of werewolves gathered around the fire, all of them howling at the moon.
“ That’s the thing, ,” began Haven as he shook his head. “I didn’t stop it.”
“Wh-what do you mean?” grew uneasy. “We’re still here.”
Sweat dripped down Haven’s face as he looked at . “I thought the parasite would die when she did, but you can still feel it, too, can’t you?”
“Wh-what do you mean?” asked, his voice shaky.
Haven wiped away tears from his face. “None of us could have known.”
“Known what?”
The sounds of someone shouting in the distance drew ’s attention. “Griff! !”
The blaze grew more ferocious as the wolves continued to howl, prompting both and Haven to take a step back. The flames engulfed the base of a nearby stadium-quality light stand, tipping the light forward so that it nearly blinded and Haven.
“Is that…” turned, using his hands to shield his eyes as he focused on a figure running toward them. “Is that Fen?”
And indeed it was.
“My visions all make sense now!” an out of breath Fen shouted. His next line was mostly inaudible to as the light post screeched and warped in the fire next to him. “ … is the Wolf with Two Powers! ”