The Wolf's Witch (book 1)

61. Flying Heads

Magic hummed against our skin and threaded into the air around us. The open chamber was as thick with it as it was with darkness. 

"He's here." Adonis warned, "Be careful." 

I almost asked, he who? but some of the pitch black darkness gave as my eyes grew used to it. The magic had an uncanny resemblance to the type of magic I partook in when I was part of the Gemini coven, except this felt uncertain.The wielders were either new to this amount of power or hesitant about their goal. 

I saw the shifter that Samhain spoke of first. His coat was an array of colours and patterns that left me at loss at identifying his type. His right left held the stripe of a tiger, his right shoulder and back was that of a leopard, but his neck, the fur there hung longer like a lion. Blood clung to him in other areas in the form of dry patches that definitely didn't help. I couldn't quite see his face or tail either as it was tucked out of view. But it didn't matter what he was. 

He was being held captive against his will. 

I surveyed the dark hoods that lined the chalk circle drawn around the shifter, the design faintly familiar. I became aware of the light consistent chanting. The small coven was working on keeping the creature from exiting the circle, evident by the sway in each step of his that fell too short. 

White flashed in the corner of my eye, I turned. "I'm afraid that's as far as you enter." 

Lab coat, was this the doctor?

"Where is he?"

His gaze fixed on me to assess if I was a threat, "Who does my fair lady refer to?" He raised a brow as I bared my teeth, he wasn't impressed. Must've been the lack of fangs. "The werewolf or the vampire?" 

I said nothing. I hadn't been worried about Roman till now. He had a knack for being able to take care of himself no matter the circumstances. 

The doctor continued, "If it's the wolf, he's a bit," he paused, "tied up at the moment. As for the vampire," his expression darkened, "If you see him, let me know. Maybe we could work out a deal."

Above. Samhain spoke. When shit went sideways because Sethan freed that feral beast, that bastard floated up.

By bastard, Samahin meant Roman. I fought to keep my eyes on the doctor. I'd already gotten permission to kill Augustus. It was only a matter of time. I'm sure they wouldn't care about whatever nut job this was. What's another? 

Kate, don't get consumed again. Samhain warned. 

I inhaled, "What kind of deal?"

"I'll let you and your pals turn around and head home." He didn't say it, but it was clear.

"We are not leaving without Sethan."

His lips peeled back from his white teeth again, "I'm afraid we worked all too hard to get our hands on him." He glanced at the blood splattered on the corner his white coat, fiddling with the ends, and sighed at the trivialness of doing laundry, or getting his hands dirty. I didn't know which. "We need him. You see," He pointed at the shifter stuck in the circle, "D stage 27 has been suffering from depression. He needs a friend to keep strong. A reason to stay alive." The doctor shrugged, "Magic is interesting that way."

Strength in pack. Except Sethan, as far as I knew, wasn't his pack but the shifter was likely lonely. I wondered how long they must've kept him. What they must've done to him. Samhain had said that the shifter had been trying to destroy the place. The poor thing needed a reason to live. The prick wanted to give him hope so he continued to live and suffer from whatever they were doing to him. Witches couldn't contain him endlessly in that trap. That would take too much magic. Injuring him and taking a hostage was straight out of the villainous handbook, if there was one.