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7. Into the Woods i
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2024-10-29 19:42:56~ Dempsey was still missing. He was alive, but all they could find was blood. For two days from dusk till nightfall, they searched the Mountain. The working theory was that he had made it out, but no one could think of where he could have gone. The mystery of his disappearance continued.
“As long as he’s alive,” Bryan said. “He’ll come back.”
What Marx didn’t bother to point out was that just because he was alive, it didn’t mean that he was well. It didn’t mean that Dempsey was free to return to them. Sven was never one inclined to take hostages, but in this situation, he might be. Dempsey could provide him with the information he needed about the gathering on the Mountain. Information he wouldn’t be able to get with a scout. If he succeeded in extracting it. Dempsey wouldn’t give up any information willingly. Then Sven would know Marx was an Alpha.
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Enter the Shadows Into the Woods ii
~“Playing catch up sucks.” Shea was sitting around the dining table with the othersplaying with acrumpled piece of paper. Marx had called yet another meeting for them to hit their heads against a brick wall. He could tell Shea didn’t think they made a difference. Nothing new came out of them. All they did was point out how unprepared they had been to launch this imprompturebellion. In the attack’s aftermath, morale was down to an all-time low. “Sven has had years to plan all this,” Marx said. “All we can do now is to be a thorn in his side.” “Go afterthe portal,” Helick suggested. “Without it, he can’t go to Lansguard.” “He would have it heavily guarded,” Garrick pointed out. “And not just by werewo
Enter the Shadows Into the Woods iii
To say they were edgy about going into the woods was an understatement. When Marx called the gathering to announce the little expedition,he could see the dread on all their faces. The last time a group of them had gone out, two didn’t come back. They buried one, and the other was alive but missing. Their expressions saiddon't pick me.Some tried making themselves smaller by hiding behind taller members of the pack. Internally, Marx sighed. Their enthusiasmin the rebellion had certainly fallen along with their numbers. Pulling the short straws were Daniel, Helick, Bryan—who surprisingly volunteered—and two others who stepped forward like sacrificial lambs so that none of the others had to. Enrique and Yuri tried to square their shoulders, but Marx could still see their apprehension. He unders
Enter the Shadows Into the Woods iv
~Every rustle in the woods had them spooked. As instructed, they had built a massive fire in the middle of their camp. They made an outer ring of smaller fires. To Bryan's way of thinking, there could never be too much fire. If the plan had gone smoothly, they would have already been off the mountain. Daniel felt restless. "Who's up for a bonfire story?" Enrique asked. Yuri elbowed him. "We're already sitting in one." Not expecting to be stuck on a camping trip, they had only brought enough food to last the night. They sat around the fire eating and discussing their shaky alliance with Ava. "I don't trust that woman," Helick said. "She doesn't require you to trust her," Daniel stated flatly. "But if we tried to get
Enter the Shadows Into the Woods v
~They set up camp a short distance from the caves. Ava, like she had been doing the entire trip, stood off to the side in the shadows, watching the others. If they hadn't hated her before learning that she was not just part of the Order but the wife of the King would be a kicker. She hadn't meant to reveal so much. Especially not in front of Daniel. But, it was too late for regrets. She had meant what she said about not all shadows wanting to massacre the ones who made them. Her husband ruled with a heavy hand and a stony heart. She had come to this world for one reason. With her reason accomplished, she sent herself into a deep sleep. The presence of shadow magic woke her from her slumber. It had been a light touch, but she knew it was out there. She followed the trail that led her to the mountain. The threat of the portal being opened triggered fears
Enter the Shadows 8. Good Karma Bad Karma i
~Sven was tired of losing. He knew the second the first trap went off. In the daylight, however, his magic was not strong enough to bridge the distance. The unraveling of his trap cut his celebrations short, washing away the taste of sweet revenge from his mouth. He ground his teeth, raging as one by one his traps became undone. At night, their movements ceased. Sven had remained watching, hoping for one of them to slip, and so it happened. Now he had hours until sunrise. Sven was not aware that Marx had anyone who could match him. As far as he knew, he was the only one on earth who used or knew how to use shadow magic. Whoever it was, he needed them dead and out of the way. Littered about his feet were pieces of wood from his bed, the chairs, one nightstand, and half of his vanity. There were also th
Enter the Shadows Good Karma Bad Karma ii
~When Ava disappeared, Marx and the others lost their focus. One minute she was blasting the shadows that had floated out of the trap, and the next she vanished. Daniel’s lifeless body discarded at their feet. Helick roared his anger, feeling the betrayal as Marx did. Not an enemy, but not a friend, either. She had told them. Marx had hoped whatever was happening between her and Daniel would have swayed her towards being a friend. He was wrong. Or not... Ava was back again, her hands moving frantically as she continued to unravel the trap. The attacks trickled off; the creatures snapping back to themselves one by one. They looked confused, disoriented. That drove Marx’s guilt harder. Soon it was only them and the ca
Enter the Shadows Good Karma Bad Karma iii
~The girl kept looking at all of them nervously, especially Ava. All Ava did was scowl and mumbled to herself as she created an alternative path towards Native lands. The traps here, as Ava told them, did not show the same level of sophistication as the others. It was as if Sven had expected no one to come through. No werewolves, at least. "My father will have your heads." It was the first thing the girl had said in almost an hour. "Be grateful we're not sending him back yours." "Ava." "Every time she opens her mouth, it's another insult. The child needs to be taught manners." "Lopping off her head would not teach her that," Marx said. "The Natives hate us for good reason. Our ancestors' sins are our own."
Enter the Shadows Good Karma Bad Karma iv
~Dempsey woke up feeling like a wreck. He noticed the bandages around his torso and the fact that he was barefoot, wearing pants that were too loose to be his. Gingerly, he swung his foot off the side of the bed, attempting to sit up. His torso protested. He took in the gothic-style bedroom around him. Heavy gold drapes hung open at the double bay window, the black walls that absorbed the sunlight that washed over it. The only pop of color was the royal purple silk sheets he was sitting on. The door to the room opened, and he looked up to see who it was “Ah, you’re not dead. A miracle. Your—DNA perplexed our physician. We do not cater for werewolves here, so you can imagine it took quite a bit for him to figure out what was wrong and keep you from dying. Usually, you do that yourself—heal, I mean. Dying isn’t a choice.” “Mr. Vescovi.” Dempsey tried to s
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Enter the Shadows 27. Epilogue: After the Shadows
~ Marx stood looking at the carbonated lump that used to be four people he knew. Four people he loved. Ava, Lochlan, Zack, and Dempsey. Around him, the grass had grown again. The earth showed no signs of the battle that raged there. Mother earth had healed, but he had not. None of the others had. The world was safe, but a gap remained in their hearts that could never be filled. Around the base of the carbon memorial, laid fresh flowers. Every day for the past six months, Martha came with a new bouquet. Today was no different. He arrived as she did. “You came,” she had said to him when she saw him. In her hands, she had more than a dozen bulbs of tulips. Her summer dress fluttered in the breeze, strands of her now brown hair escaping her ponytail. The smile she gave him out shunned the sun, and Marx, for the life
Enter the Shadows The Last Stand iii
~Marx was leading the last assault; one meant to be a distraction. Ava moved her palm away from the wound on her side. Bleeding still felt strange to her. Martha was the only one with whom she could go into details about her plans. “Penny has the last rune. All she has to do is plant it on him. When she does, we have only a few minutes to get our part done,” she said to Martha. “What is our part?” “I’m going to use you like an amplifier. I know how it sounds and yes, it is dangerous. For me more than you.” “Then we can’t do it,” Martha said. “If you’re going to get hurt—” “I have a contingency for that as well.” “Ava—” She
Enter the Shadows The Last Stand ii
~Rea and Cale launched direct attacks on Kunz while Ava tried to unravel his protections. Each layer she pulled apart revealed another was more entrenched and more intricate than the one preceding it. She almost got another layer undone when she heard Cale shout— “Look out.” Ava had enough time to react, the death rune crackling through the air towards her. She split the force in half, saving herself by a hair. In the duel that ensued, Cale made the ultimate sacrifice. Rea tried to stop him as he ran straight for Kunz. Ava threw up a rune between Cale and the King; it was too late. Like dust, Cale disappeared. A self-satisfied smile lifted the side of Kunz’s lips. “Come now Avana. You cannot hope to defeat me. Even with all the knowledge at your disposal, I have spent years perfecting my craft.”
Enter the Shadows 26. The Last Stand i
~They came through using three portals. Cale and Rea helped Ava to create one large enough to transport all of their forces. On the other side, they emerged on the field of battle in Hedgewood. The ground was scarred black. Trees toppled over and uprooted. It looked like a nuclear weapon went off, turning black everything in its path. The familiarity of the scene had an itch running down Marx’s spine. This place was either where they would claim victory or where he would walk over the corpses of the people he loved. He brushed his somber thoughts aside. Victory was their only option. To Ava, who stood on his right, Marx said, “Your handy work?” “I may have caused a patch here and there.” She bobbed her head from side to side. It was such a human gesture Marx found he had an urge to smile. He allowed his amu
Enter the Shadows To Hell and Back xii
~ Storming Hedgewood had to wait. Ava’s ‘problem’ required a second’s more thought. So close to the end, Marx was growing impatient. They needed to strike while they could and delays after delays were shifting the advantage square into the enemy’s hands. He folded his arms across his chest, keeping his face void of his emotions as he listened to Ava. “He has layers of protection wrapped around him like a shawl,” she was telling them as they stood inside the lobby of Anax Corp. Having the conversation on the outside felt too open. While they conversed, the last of the civilians and the injured were being ushered to the safety of the Mountain. Those left behind were there to fight. Marx found he was itching to fight. Ava continued. “We got through three of them before we had to retreat.” “Kunz spent years perfectin
Enter the Shadows To Hell and Back xi
~The sky was a battlefield. Above Pentorium, spreading out for miles, the shadows fought amongst themselves. Those made from the spirits of dead vampires clashing against those created from werewolves. Marx had control of the latter. It was surreal watching it all unfold. Anabella came to stand by Marx as he stood gazing up at the result of his power. Power he would never have dreamed of having. Explaining to the others what he could do would have paled compared to the scene unfolding over their heads. “This is what Sven wanted from her,” Anabella said about Sven and his sister, Marx’s mate, Celeste. “And when he couldn’t take it, he planned to break the seal on the portal.” “I can’t imagine having that man’s thoughts inside my head,” Marx said. “I rather
Enter the Shadows To Hell and Back x
~Vescovi’s head throbbed as if a drummer band was marching across his forehead. Making his way through the tunnel with his men, a blast came out of nowhere, knocking them down and rendering them unconscious. He woke up in a crumpled heap with his men, all in various stages of recovery. It took him several tries to get to his feet and stay there, the drumming in his head growing louder with each movement. Walking straight was a task, but it was urgent that they get to Xavier and the others. They were delayed enough as it was getting the remaining civilians under Anax Corp ready for transport to the Mountain. Pentorium was under an evacuation order. He paused when he saw that the panel leading out of the tunnels was open. It was plausible that Xavier had left it like that since it was their way in and out, but Vescovi could not ignore the prickle at
Enter the Shadows To Hell and Back ix
~Martha moved to run to Nico as a shadow took possession of his body. Four steps in his direction, she stopped. Nico faced her direction, his eyes twin pools of swirling mist. The thing inside of him had his lips turn up in a smirk. With hot tears streaming unchecked down her cheeks, Martha clutched her fingers into tight fists. The words came from the pits of her stomach. The ground under her feet undulated, rippling with energy as she spoke them. Nico charged in her direction, his face twisted in rage. Martha held up her hand, palm open, continuing the chant, repeating it with fervor and a new understanding. Death fueled shadow magic. Hate. Anger. All the dark things that sullied the world. The spell was the most powerful she had ever attempted since Ava infused the revenant soul with hers. She had to release control to it. Allow the magic to ru
Enter the Shadows To Hell and Back viii
~Martha couldn’t breathe, her anxiety tightening her chest. Through her link with Nico, she could feel his growing distress. It urged her to move faster as she sprinted through the hidden tunnels leading down into the subway. Back at Anax Corp, Vescovi was assembling a team, a process that was taking longer than was comfortable with her. Nico and the others needed immediate help. Communications, already spotty, had gone dead. Not a single response, only the constant frying of static. Unable to stand around doing nothing while the man she loved probably laid gutted and dying, Martha snuck off when no one was looking. None of the others knew what she was planning to do. If they did, they would have tried to stop her. She was the passive one. The one who chose not to fight. For a werewolf, her reliance on that part of herself never went past her prim
