Chapter Sixteen
When they arrived at Savannah’s apothecary shop, several wolves waited.
Alpha Jericho, Beta Ledger, Emmett Brice, and Miles Kenneally kept a reasonable distance, but they watched with sharp gazes, zeroing in on the small bottle that held the blood.
Asher came around to her side and once more lifted her into his arms. She could walk, but truthfully, she liked his protective side.
“Alpha,” she addressed Jericho, and Asher halted. “Can someone check in on Clover? She’s alone at home.”
“Of course,” he said.
“Thank you.”
Inside the apothecary, Savannah and Niall waited. Undulating next to him was a transparent woman. Juni blinked, realizing she stared at a ghost. Truthfully, things were so weird she wasn’t even surprised.
“Hello, Juniper,” Savannah greeted.
“Hi,” she greeted.
“You can place her on the chair,” the warlock instructed. “Then you can go.”
“I’m not leaving her,” Asher said.
“It may be hard for you to watch,” the spirit said in an echoey voice. “The purge isn’t going to be pretty.”
Asher blinked. “How does a ghost talk?”
“It’s harder than you would think,” Elspeth replied.
Asher’s brows rose, but he didn’t reply. Instead, he sat down next to Juni and gripped her hand. “I said I’m not leaving her.”
“Very well.”
The two living people, plus one obviously dead one, worked around a table.
They chanted, lit things, and burned things in a large pestle.
An awful smell rose and Juni wrinkled her nose.
The warlock picked up the vial of blood and slowly poured the thick liquid into the stone bowl.
Whatever herb was at the bottom sizzled, and symbols rose in the steam.
Runes, by the look of it. The ghost floated above, moving around in a circle, funneling the runes together.
Then the ghost dove down, straight into the potion, and the sound crackled through the shop.
Savannah picked up the pestle and poured the contents into a cup. The warlock picked up the cup and handed it to Juni.
She studied the contents. “Am I drinking the spirit?”
Savannah smiled. “No. All she did was heat it up.”
“Here I am,” the ghost said and Juni glanced up at the ceiling. She gave the spirit a little wave.
“When you drink this, you will have convulsions,” Niall explained. He glanced at Asher. “You can cradle her, but don’t interfere. This is the infection breaking apart. Then, it’ll rise out of your mouth and nose as a black mist, much like when you were first infected. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Asher squatted beside her. “Don’t be scared. I’m going to stay with you.”
“I’m not scared,” she said.
Juni took the cup and stared into the swirling silvery depths.
It almost looked like a spiraling galaxy.
Then she drank it down. It tasted awful and her nose wrinkled.
Almost immediately, her body shook. Each second that passed, the shaking grew worse.
The cup clattered to the ground and Asher wrapped his arms around her.
The warmth of his body helped. All of a sudden, she had a violent need to vomit, but when she opened her mouth, the only thing that came out was a heavy, dark mist. It spewed forth and little sparks ignited through the cloud.
It went on and on, then suddenly, it was gone and she collapsed against Asher.
Sweat dotted her upper lip, and she barely clung to consciousness.
“Is she cured?” Asher asked.
“Yes,” the ghost replied, sounding relieved. “My spell worked.”
He kissed Juni’s head. It was hard to keep her eyes open, and in the next instant everything went dark.
****
“It’s a success,” Savannah told Jericho. The news made him, and the other three, sigh in relief. “And the best news is that I can perform this ritual now without Niall and Elspeth.”
“So, no more red death?” Miles asked to clarify.
“Correct,” Niall replied. “Hopefully, this was contained and we won’t see any other cases in any other packs.”
“If you do, call us,” Ledger told them.
The witch’s ghost appeared, hovering around them. Niall turned to face her.
“Elspeth, I met a necromancer named Mathias, who might be able to get your spirit in a body, if you wish to resume life. Or I can help you cross over.”
“My body is already gone, but I don’t want to cross over, either.”
“Well, we’ll see if he has come up with a solution for you.”
“That would be...” She trailed off, and then whipped around to stare down the street. “Something is off.”
Niall turned as well, cocking his head. Savannah took a few steps forward, twirling her fingers in the air.
“What is it?” Jericho demanded.
“Witches,” Niall growled.
“My coven,” Elspeth added. “They must have felt their magic break.”
“What do they want?” Ledger asked.
“They want to know what happened to their plan,” Miles answered.
“They’ll want the unicorn,” Elspeth said.
“They’re the ones who started this, right?” Jericho demanded. It wasn’t a question that needed answering. “They’re the reason why members of my pack are dead.”
“Yes.” Elspeth bowed her head. “I’m sorry, Alpha. I didn’t think they could track me.”
He looked at Niall. “How do we stop them?”
“We need to break their combined powers,” he said. “Suppress their magic with wards and break their bonds. Without magic, they’re just like you and me.”
“With Brinnah’s help I can brew some potions—”
“None of that will work,” Elspeth said. They all turned toward her. “They’re powerful. Perhaps one of most powerful covens on the planet, and I used to be one of them. Wards and potions ... none of it will be strong enough.”
“Then what do we do?”
Elspeth looked at Niall. “We need to drain their magic. Once we do that, they can be destroyed.”
“Okay, but how do we do that?” Jericho asked.
Niall hesitated. “I ... I’m not sure.”
“Yes, you are,” Elspeth said as she floated in front of him. “Only like magic can defeat like magic.”
“What does that mean?” Everett asked as he looked from Elspeth to Niall and back.
“It means only I have the power to break them.”
“No,” Niall whispered. “You’ve had your life stolen—”
“That doesn’t matter anymore.” Elspeth touched his face with her ghostly fingers. “Go get the necromancer. I have an idea and we’ll need his help.”
He nodded, swirled his hands, and a portal opened. He was gone in an instant.
“What can we do?” Jericho asked.
Savannah stepped forward. “Make sure everyone is away from downtown. Keep the people safe. I have an idea on how to temporarily strip their magic.”
“We can do that,” Ledger said. “Miles, Emmett, come on.”
They hurried away. Savannah turned to Jericho.
“This is going to work, Jericho. I promise.”
****
Like the world’s best parlor trick, the witches appeared one at a time.
Savannah and Jericho stood in front of them, the lone wall against the devastation they could wield.
The High Priestess walked with purpose, purple energy crackling over her fingers.
There were twelve of them, all just as powerful.
“Shifters,” the High Priestess sneered as her gaze landed on Jericho. The corner of her lips twisted, as if she was offended. “Interesting to see you’re still alive.”
“You’re not welcome here,” Jericho called out.
“We’ll be gone shortly,” she mocked. “As will you.”
All the witches ignited their powers, standing in an imposing V-formation.
As they continued their move forward, Savannah lifted a foot and stomped down on the ground.
Behind the witches, a rune flared to life on the asphalt, and the last line stumbled as the magic locked into place.
However, they marched on. Coming closer, power growing exponentially.
Savannah lifted her leg again and as she stepped down, another rune flared to life. The witches finally realized something was happening because they looked around in confusion. They stumbled to a halt, and the energy crackling around them fizzled out.
“You launched a plague that killed my pack members,” Jericho said, distracting the High Priestess. “You killed innocent women and children.”
“They killed my daughter!” the High Priestess snapped.
“Then, as a mother, how could you do that?”
“You can’t possibly understand.”
Jericho shook his head. “You know nothing about what I can understand. I was poisoned by wolfsbane. My father murdered. My pack stolen. I didn’t blame an entire species for what I lost. I blamed one man.”
“A father is not a child.”
“And yet you were willing to kill children. How are you any better?”
Her hands came up and energy sparked between them. “I will destroy every shifter I can.”
Savannah lifted her foot and when her foot struck the ground for the third time, the last rune clicked into place, and all the witches froze.
Including the High Priestess. Just then, a portal opened and Niall stepped through with a man who had power oozing off him.
He wore jeans and a t-shirt that read I’m great in bed, I can sleep for days.
Elspeth’s ghost appeared as well, and the High Priestess’s eyes widened when she saw her murdered coven member.
“I’m Mathias,” the man introduced himself.
“We tried reasoning with her, but she’s intent on her killing spree of innocent people,” Jericho said. “Women and children included.”
Mathias studied the High Priestess. “Is what they said true?”
“The only good shifter is a dead one,” the woman snarled.
“You killed children?”
“If I did, then good. They’ll only grow up into murdering shifters. The Earth will be a better place with them gone.”
“Did these particular shifters kill anyone?”
“Probably,” she replied disdainfully.
“Probably for them, but definitely for you. Correct?”
“Get away from me, necromancer. You’re nothing but an abomination. As soon as I deal with them, I’ll deal with you.”
He shook his head. “You do like digging your own grave, don’t you? Threatening a necromancer isn’t that bright of an idea. I’ll give you one more chance. Will you go home and never bother another shifter again?”
“When all of them are dead, no one will even miss them.”
Mathias stepped forward and started an incantation. All sound ceased as he locked eyes with the High Priestess. The woman was spitting mad, trying to summon her power, but it was locked within the runes.
“Are you willing to leave this pack alone?” Elspeth asked.
“I will burn every shifter to the ground,” she threated. “You’re a traitor to witches.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.” She looked at the other coven members. “Are you okay killing innocent people?”
No one said anything, and it was clear they were a little uneasy.
“So be it,” Elspeth said. “Continue, Mathias.”
The chanting escalated. Each layer spoken faster and faster.
From the High Priestess rose her soul, lifting out of the body, lifeless as it fell to the ground.
With his hand, he moved Elspeth across the barrier and set her into the now empty vessel.
Gasps were heard from the other witches as their leader’s ghost had exchanged places.
Then Mathias waved his hand, and the High Priestess’s spirit disappeared.
“She’s been moved on to the abyss of souls,” he reported.
“How did you do that?” Niall asked. “I didn’t know necromancers worked on living people.”
“I’m ... unique.”
Savannah stomped one more time and the runes disappeared.
The witches were freed and Elspeth glanced down at her new body with wide eyes. She patted herself before she turned to address the rest of the coven.
“If you agree with her, you can leave.”
None of the women moved.
“I am now the High Priestess,” Elspeth said. “We will be a coven of light and acceptance. Not vengeance. Those who harmed us have been dealt with. This pack is innocent and we will vow never to use bioweapons again. So mote it be.”
“So mote it be,” they repeated.
Elspeth turned back to Niall, Mathias, Savannah, and Jericho. “Thank you for sparing my coven. And thank you for giving me a second chance to live. It’s going to take some time to get used to this new body.”
“Thank you,” Jericho said. “You saved my people. If you ever need me, I’ll be there.”
Elspeth nodded, then with the wave of her hand, they disappeared. One moment they were there and the next, they had portaled themselves away. Jericho relaxed, suddenly very tired. It finally felt like the nightmare was over.