Page 57 of Revenge of the Blood Pack

“It’s nothing,” I tell him, tilting my chin up to challenge him, even though I kind of wish I’d said something different.

“Just perfect,” Max mumbles, then his gaze locks with mine. “Fine, just get us inside.”

I nod, feeling some regret. I’m angry at myself for ruining the one truly good moment I’ve had in years. But I remind myself, if I can save my pack members, I’ll have many more happy moments in my life.

Marching back toward the spider web of dark magic I pray. I pray that, somehow, I’ll be able to do this. And that I didn’t just completely fuck up my relationship with Braxton and Max. Because regardless of how this ends, I suspect I’ll need them.

Especially if it ends badly.

NINETEEN

Asha

Power cracklesthrough me and my entire body shakes. I feel the blood within me humming with energy and I move toward the web of dark magic that encircles the town. It’s strange… this magic. It isn’t like something I need to know how to use. It feels like something that simply wants me totellit what to do.

That’s not how witches work. That’s not how any creature I’ve ever heard of works. But instinctually, I know that’s what’s happening now.

As my hand hovers above the web, I tell my powers to part it. To let us through. To make a doorway for us. The web hisses as if it wants to fight me, to fight back against my order, but it untangle slowly, creepily, like a living thing, and then a doorway stands in front of us.

“Okay,” I tell them. “We can get through. But go carefully. Walk exactly where I walk.”

I feel Braxton and Max draw closer to my back. They can’t see the web, and I have no idea what will happen if they touch it, soI move slowly through, inching underneath it like this all might just be a trap. A trap I need to protect the two men with me from.

When we get far enough inside, I turn back and watch the web close behind us once more, sealing off our exit, although I’m pretty sure that I can command it to open again, if I want to.

Hopefully.

Looking forward once more, I take two steps into the town, and everything changes. It’s like someone snaps their fingers and destroys the small-town vision I had just a moment before. Everything grows shockingly dark, dark as night, only there’s no bright moon or stars to light the way. Instead, blood glows off every surface. I know it’s blood, not just because I smell it, but it’s literally splattered on walls and doors in a way few things could splatter. Pools illuminate the streets, most accompanied by a body nearby.

Which is weird. Blood Mages kill for blood.So, if blood is everywhere, what is this one doing?

“You guys see the glowing blood too, right?” Braxton whispers nearly into my ear.

I nod.

“And it’s darker?”

“Yes,” Max says, and he sounds worried. “This is some serious magic.”

“We should stick together,” I say.

“Agreed.” Max’s voice is almost a growl, and I look back to see he’s elongated his claws.

My gaze meets with Braxton’s and we both let our nails grow into sharp claws before continuing.

The place is fucking eerie. No one is out. There are no sounds, not even the chirping of crickets. It truly is like we’ve stepped into another world seeped with evil.

I try not to think about which pack member did this, but I know deep in my heart that this isn’t the work of Simon. Mybrother might be twisted by the dark magic. I’m prepared for that. But this… this is on a whole other level. None of this are the actions of a scared, confused Blood Mage. This is some serious shit. And as hard as it is to accept that this means I need to keep looking for my brother, for once, I can live with this not being a lead to him.

We’re all heading for the center of town, at least I think we are, when something changes in the air. Slowly, a heavy fog rolls through the city, but the fog is darker than any fog I’ve seen before. It keeps growing until I can barely see through it. I start to breathe deeper to make up for the loss of sight, to rely more on my other senses, but it’s hard to smell anything except for blood.

“What the hell is in this fog?” Braxton sounds panicked.

“It’s just weird. Heavy and dark,” I tell him reassuringly.

“No,” Max says, his voice off. “There’s something wrong with it.”

“Just stay close together. Rely on your other senses.” I don’t know when I became the one in charge, but it seems I am. Although it feels strange to me. There’s something going on with Max and Braxton. Yes, this is weird, but not as weird as they seem to think.

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