Chapter 5 #2
“Calamity,” Cindy said quietly. “Humans are changing into supernatural creatures because of the effect of Calamity, but then you died and everything went supernova. The changed mortals might have killed everyone around them. They were going mad, but the realms crashed together and the Academies merged.” Her eyes met mine and something akin to worship lit them.
Uncomfortable, I looked away.
Too many people wanted to worship me these days.
“You died for all of us,” Cindy continued. “It was surreal, everything that happened was almost incredible in a way.” She coughed and cleared her throat. “But you had to die and I’m glad you didn’t stay… Well, dead.”
“Thanks,” I said, because what else could I say?
My mates were all quietly grim and I felt the echo of their remembered loss through the bonds. Dante stood next to me but when I tried to look at him, he just looked away.
“But you’re back now!” Jess’s voice, overly cheerful, sliced through the tension and I could have hugged her. “You’re back and now we have to kick ass. Right?”
“Right.” I managed a smile that my friend saw right through—I could see it in her eyes.
“If we’re going to kick ass, then we need to get to it.”
That surly voice caught my attention and I swung my head around to see Aaron glaring at Yuri. She gave him a finger wave and batted her lashes.
He growled and shifted his attention to Kaito. “We’re supposed to be scouting. This is meant to be the elite squadron and you put Vampire Barbie on the team?” He jabbed a thumb at my friend, all the while his eyes bore into Kaito’s.
“Super Squad,” she corrected him.
He stopped and gave her a blank look.
She grinned. “It’s Super Squad, silly kitty.”
Aaron growled again, this time louder.
“She was pushing for Yuri Groupies,” Jess said, leaning in closer to faux whisper. It carried. And shifters had sensitive hearing, anyway.
Kaito, unaffected by any of the agitation or interplay, looked at Yuri. “You were supposed to be on a mission.”
“Yep.” She winked at him. “Already done. I don’t ignore the job, gorgeous. I was down checking out the tunnels before I had to head back. There’s a massive cave-in and there are witch spirits freaking everywhere.”
“I feel them,” Dante murmured, the glow in his eyes increasing. “And it’s sheer chaos. The strength…” His gaze slitting in thought, he cocked his head as if it he could see straight through earth and rock to the spirits. “Freya…”
That name sent fury ripping through me. “Freya?”
His gaze slammed into mine. “She’s not just part of the Blood Coven. She’s a Fate Witch. She has power over other covens and if she has a Blood Stone, she could even influence Hell.”
“That all sounds very bad,” Yuri said in a small voice.
My mother moved closer to us, a line forming between her brows. “It’s damn bad, and damning, if you’re right, Hunter. That kind of power would be very seductive, to both her and Lucifer. Clever bastard.”
I wasn’t following. “Meaning?”
It was Dante who answered. “She sold her soul to him for immortality. This kind of power, though, it comes at a huge cost. It will destroy her, bit by bit and in the end, Lucifer will have what he wants from her, regardless. He’ll be far more powerful, too, by the time it’s over. Maybe too powerful.”
His eyes bored into mine.
“I’m not letting that happen,” Yuri said, her voice fervent. She took my hand and squeezed. “That Freya bitch and Lucifer already took too much. Look at what they did to Olivia.”
“We,” Jess said, moving to join us. “We won’t let it happen.”
“We.” Cindy added her voice as well and it seemed to echo through those gathered around us.
“Then we need to get to Lucifer,” I said.
A soft noise that was becoming more familiar alerted me just a split-second before the Uni-Hare dropped his camouflage and sort of popped in to settle on my shoulder. I caught him as he tumbled down, chuckling at the irritated look he gave me. “You like my wings more, don’t you?”
He chuffed at me, eyes rolling back in pleasure as I scratched his ears.
“Isn’t that the thing we were supposed to catch for class?” Starling asked.
I’d only barely noticed her until then and gave her a dark look. “Not anymore. He’s under my protection now.”
As if in agreement, Uni bared his fangs, lifting his head to hiss at Starling.
“Hush, little guy,” I crooned.
He wiggled and I let him jump down, his claws scratching my wrist in the process. The small pain faded almost immediately as I crouched by Uni, frowning at the alert way he stared at the Forest.
“What is it?”
He gave me a look that seemed to say… People. Then he hopped a few feet and looked back at me.
“I guess he is leading,” Logan said dryly.
“We haven’t seen anybody enter the Enchanted Forest,” the Dean said, her voice somber. “We’ve been monitoring it with magic and with our scouts. But… It could be the only way to the lower levels of Hell at this point. The problem is we’ve yet to find a way in.”
We all looked at Uni, who seemed to be our ticket in.
“Lead the way,” I whispered to him, and he bounded off in the direction of the woods.