Chapter 16
Sam launched himself forward, bones cracking and reforming as he shifted mid-leap. His clothes tore away as black fur erupted across his body. The transformation completed before his paws hit the ground, his wolf form larger than any natural canine had a right to be.
A shadow creature lunged at him, its formless body stretching like liquid darkness. Sam ducked beneath it, teeth bared in a snarl that rumbled through the clearing. He needed to draw attention away from Delilah and Zelda, who were working furiously at the edge of the ritual circle.
Mac's voice cut through the chaos. "Alpha pattern! Surround and isolate!"
Shifters moved with military precision, some in half-forms with extended claws and glowing eyes, others fully transformed into their animal aspects. They encircled the outer ring of shadow creatures, creating a barrier between the witch and potential escape routes.
Sam caught glimpses of Delilah through the mayhem.
Her hands moved in intricate patterns, purple energy crackling between her fingertips as she and Zelda worked to disrupt the ritual.
The artifacts continued to pulse with increasing intensity, their connections forming a web of light above the clearing.
"Behind you!" Delilah shouted.
Sam spun, narrowly avoiding a tendril of darkness that whipped past his ear. He snapped his jaws, catching the shadow substance. It tasted like ice and electricity, making his teeth ache.
Across the clearing, Vic danced between three shadow creatures, wielding a cane that had transformed into an elegant, sharp sword. His movements were fluid, almost bored, as he sliced through the darkness.
"I charge extra for apocalypse prevention!" Vic called out, parrying a strike with theatrical flair. "This is coming out of your tip, Wolfe!"
A shadow creature dissolved under his blade, reforming seconds later. Vic sighed dramatically. "And resurrection fees are double!"
Sam growled in response, unable to form words in his wolf form.
He circled back toward Morgana, who stood at the center of the ritual, her silver hair floating around her like mercury in zero gravity.
The shadow behind her had grown larger, occasionally merging with her outline before separating again.
"The Convergence cannot be stopped!" Morgana's voice echoed with dual tones. "The Collector has waited centuries for this moment!"
Zelda's familiars darted between combatants, Fat Bastard somehow managing to trip three shadow creatures despite his size. Boba Fett and Jango Fett worked in tandem, carrying small pouches of magical herbs that exploded on contact with the shadows.
"Left flank's collapsing!" Mac shouted, his body shifting between human and wolf so rapidly he appeared to be both at once. "Need backup!"
Sam changed direction, bounding toward the struggling shifters. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mayor Grimble free himself from the scroll-cocoon, his miniaturized hat somehow producing a tiny fire extinguisher that he aimed at the nearest shadow.
At the center of the chaos, the ritual was reaching its climax. The artifacts had begun to spin, forming a vortex of light that tore at the fabric of reality. A portal began to form—a jagged black tear in the air itself.
"It's happening!" Zelda shouted, her hands glowing with counterspell energy. "Delilah, now!"
Delilah's eyes glowed with the same purple light that surrounded her hands. "I can see it—I can see through!"
Through the widening tear, Sam glimpsed a figure standing in darkness. Its features shifted constantly, faces forming and dissolving like clay under invisible hands. One moment it wore the face of an elderly man, the next a young woman, then something inhuman and ancient.
The Collector.
Sam howled, the sound cutting through the magical cacophony. He charged toward Morgana, determined to break her concentration before the portal could fully open.
A wall of shadow slammed into him, sending him tumbling across the clearing. He crashed into a tree, the impact forcing a partial shift back to human form. His mouth filled with the copper taste of blood.
"Sam!" Delilah's voice reached him through the pain.
He struggled to his feet, body caught between forms. The portal continued to widen, the Collector's ever-changing face becoming clearer with each passing second.
They were running out of time.
* * *
The world around Delilah fractured into a kaleidoscope of possible futures. A shadow creature slammed into Zelda, throwing her backward and leaving Delilah alone at the edge of the ritual circle. The magical artifacts pulsed with sickening energy, their light casting Morgana's face in sharp relief.
Delilah clutched the map tightly, its edges cutting into her palms. It vibrated against her skin, almost alive.
"It's just you and me now, little seer." Morgana's silver hair whipped around her face like living mercury. "How does it feel to see the end coming and be powerless to stop it?"
Delilah steadied her breathing. The visions threatened to overwhelm her—thousands of possible outcomes flickering through her mind like a film reel on fast-forward. She forced herself to focus on the map in her hands.
"You know what's funny about being clairvoyant?" Delilah took a step forward, ignoring the pain as the ritual's energy lashed at her skin. "Everyone thinks I just see what's coming. They never consider that seeing possibilities means I can choose which one happens."
The map began to warm in her hands, its surface rippling like water. The markers representing the stolen artifacts glowed in response to their physical counterparts floating in the ritual circle.
Morgana laughed, the sound echoing with that strange dual tone. "You see possible futures, girl. I create them! Your power is nothing compared to what I'm about to unleash!"
"Maybe." Delilah's fingers traced the pattern on the map, connecting points of light. "But I've got something you don't."
"And what's that? A pet wolf? A sentient map?" Morgana's eyes flicked toward the portal, where the Collector's shifting face grew more distinct. "My master has waited centuries for this moment!"
The map suddenly flared with brilliant light, transforming in Delilah's hands. It expanded, its surface showing not just Assjacket but neighboring towns, then entire states. Points of light appeared across the map—dozens of them, all connected in a vast pattern.
"I have context," Delilah said, her voice stronger now. "Your ritual isn't isolated. It's part of something bigger. And I can see the whole picture."
A shadow creature lunged at her back. Before it could strike, Mac appeared, his claws tearing through the darkness. He positioned himself behind Delilah, his breathing heavy.
"Thought you could use some backup." He glanced at the transformed map. "That's new."
"Thanks for the assist." Delilah didn't take her eyes off Morgana. "Can you hold them off a little longer?"
Mac's lips curved into a grim smile. "For the woman who found my lucky fishing lure last summer? I'll give you all the time I've got."
A shadow creature shrieked as Mac's claws connected, the sound like nails on a chalkboard. He moved with practiced efficiency, creating a protective barrier around Delilah.
The map continued to transform, lines of energy connecting the artifact points. They formed a pattern that matched the one Delilah had glimpsed in her vision—a vast ritual circle with Assjacket at its center.
"It's not just about the artifacts," Delilah called out, loud enough for Sam to hear. "It's about the pairs! Ivy and Rafe, Sam and me—we're part of the ritual too!"
Morgana's confident expression faltered. "How could you possibly—"
"Know that?" Delilah stepped closer to the ritual circle. "I told you—I see possibilities. Including the one where your master discards you once you've served your purpose."
The shadow behind Morgana seemed to pulse with anger. The witch's eyes widened in momentary fear before hardening again.
"Lies won't save you," Morgana snarled, but uncertainty had crept into her voice.
The map in Delilah's hands pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat. She could feel its magic merging with her own, amplifying her clairvoyance. Visions flooded her mind, but instead of overwhelming her, they crystallized into clarity.
"You want to see real power?" Delilah raised the map high. "Let me show you what a fortune-teller can really do when she stops holding back."
* * *
The map shimmered in Delilah's hands, its surface rippling like disturbed water. Magical energy crackled around her, raising the fine hairs on her arms as the ritual circle's power reached its crescendo. Behind her, Mac's growls mixed with the unearthly shrieks of shadow creatures.
"Your problem," Delilah said, stepping closer to Morgana, "is that you're so focused on your master's promises that you never bothered to look at what comes after."
The map's surface suddenly went mirror-smooth, reflecting not the chaos around them but something else entirely—something only Delilah and Morgana could see.
"What are you doing?" Morgana's confident smirk faltered. Silver tendrils of her hair writhed like agitated snakes.
"Just a little fortune-telling." Delilah held the mirror-map higher. "Free of charge. Consider it a professional courtesy."
The mirror's surface rippled again, and an image formed—Morgana, but not as she was now. This Morgana was diminished, her silver hair dulled to gray, her elegant robes replaced with tattered rags. She huddled alone in darkness, magical energy being siphoned from her body by an unseen force.
"That's not possible," Morgana whispered, her violet eyes wide with horror. "I've accounted for every variable! Every possibility!" Her voice rose to a shriek. "No! He promised immortality, not this!"