Page 60 of Incubus

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Lilah

THE WOLVES HURTLED toward Roth,bowling him over onto his back. He was in trouble. Though he was a powerful immortal, even Roth couldn’t survive an attack from an entire pack of wolves.

He fought them off, sending two sailing through the air and crunching into the side of the club. The warlock had long since left, locking the doors to Red-Handed as club-goers gawked through the windows.

I didn’t have time to think. I only acted. Summoning my bow and reaching behind me, I dragged three arrows from my quiver and nocked them in one fluid movement. I kept my eye on Roth as he fought, now bloodied, and waited for the split second when there was an opening. When he fell under the sheer weight of the attack, I had a chance and loosed my arrows.

Each arrow hit a wolf, sharp cries erupting from the beasts as they fell to the pavement. Still got it. Not wasting another second, I nocked three more arrows, sending them sailing into the crowd. Three more pained cries erupted, but now I’d gotten the pack’s attention. They turned on me, leaving the bloodied Roth for later. He yelled with fury, trying to direct them back to where he lay. But they were on to a new target, lifting their noses into the air and scenting me as they growled with anticipation.

As they began circling, I reached back for more arrows, nocking two and loosing them into the nearest wolf. It yelped and rolled onto its side. I re-nocked the arrows, but the wolves were closing in. It was only a matter of time before I was overrun.

Roth was in bad shape, and I was outnumbered. I looked back toward the club door for any slight glimmer of hope but only saw the two drunken witches pointing behind me and dramatically mouthing Wolves!

Yeah, I see them, you morons.

No one was coming to our rescue. It was time to fight or die.

With a cry of rage, Roth was on his feet again. It was as if he sensed my fear. Though huge gashes marred his flesh, he still fought, attacking the nearest wolves with reckless abandon. Thuds reverberated as the wolves hit the ground, yelping in pain but quickly regaining their feet and rushing into the fray again. The smell of blood permeated the air, an iron sting to my nose that reminded me of the horrors I’d witnessed in Ares’s lair.

“Lilah, run!” Roth stumbled against the onslaught, wolf after wolf pouncing on him, clawing and biting his powerful body. His blood painted the street. He didn’t stop coming for me, even though he must have known he wouldn’t live through the ordeal. And then I realized he would never stop coming for me. The determined look on his bloody face told me as much. I was no longer afraid of losing my life, but of the loss of something else. Something I’d locked away a long time ago and sworn never to give up again—my heart.

As two wolves broke off to attack me, I readied my shot. I gave one more look to Roth, knowing it would be my last. His eyes burned into mine, not letting me go for an instant despite the teeth and claws that sank into him and marked his doom. Mine. The word ricocheted through my mind like an errant bullet.

The wolves reached me and poised to pounce. I was ready to send a final volley of arrows into them. But then I heard Farrow’s voice, uncharacteristically strong with authority, say something in a language I didn’t recognize. Almost instantly, the pack backed away from both Roth and me. Farrow was standing behind them, continuing on in the strange language. The wolves’ ears were cocked at attention. When Farrow’s speech was done, the pack retreated to the shadows, the wounded limping along with the rest. They were gone as suddenly as they came, only ghosts in the night.

I couldn’t believe it. Of all the twists of fate—Farrow had ruined my life a century ago, yet had turned around and given it back to me now.

Farrow had already healed from Roth’s onslaught, his fair features still a mix of handsome man and mischievous boy. His eyes were sober now, evincing that clear blue that had so enthralled me those years ago in the Forgotten Forest.

With a shrug and what I realized was the most genuine feeling I’d ever heard in his voice, he said, “Lilah, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But if anyone could have, it would’ve been you.”

I stood speechless as he took off toward the Champs-Élysées, never looking back as he disappeared into the dark.

* * *

“I’ll helpye load him in yer car.” The warlock’s thick Irish accent went perfectly with his bright red hair. He and the rest of the gawkers had opened the doors once the wolf pack disappeared. They stared in disbelief at the blood and bits of fur and flesh that littered the street in front of Red-Handed.

I ignored them and helped Roth to his feet. Immediately, I felt his warm blood seeping through my shirt; he was still bleeding, not healing quickly enough for my tastes. A twinge of worry ate at me, but I tried to focus on just getting him back home. I took the warlock’s offer, and together we lowered Roth into the passenger side of his sports car.

“I can drive.” Roth struggled to get out of the bucket seat but didn’t quite make it. The worry became more than a twinge. Blood flowed from the deep wounds in his neck, soaking through his shirt.

“Sit down.” I slid behind the wheel and pressed the ignition button. The engine roared to life, and I eyed the gearshift with apprehension. It had been a long time since I’d driven a stick, but I would make it work.

Shifting tentatively into first gear, I managed to get going, the engine only sputtering a little as I let off the clutch. “We’ll be home in no time.” I made my best effort to keep the concern from my voice.

I gunned it through the alleyways and backstreets of Montmartre, Roth groaning every time I accidentally ground the gears.

“I’m in pain.” His dark eyes barely made an appearance beneath his lowered lids.

“I know. I’m going as fast as I can.” His power was fading, and I was trying not to panic.

“That’s the problem. Your driving…is what’s hurting me.”

“On the verge of death and making jokes.” I put some extra elbow grease into the next gear shift, wincing at the metal-on-metal sound that drowned out Roth’s agonized moan.

When I pulled up to the courtyard, I honked the horn continuously until Bart ran out. Upon seeing Roth, he rushed to the car.

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