Page 108 of Blood Sacrifice

“We end this once and for all,” she said.

“We end this,” I repeated. “Then we all get to live the lives we want and not hide in the darkness.”

Her gaze moved to the volcano. “Misti,” she said in nothing more than a whisper.

“You’ve started the process of opening the void,” I replied squeezing her hand with mine. “Let us complete what you came here to do.”

Personally, I didn’t think this world needed any more magic, but I would support Luna’s decision on her life’s pathway.

We moved forward together, Luna wielding magic, and me with my favourite gun that was faster than leaping through the air at an enemy. Some creatures liked old weapons crafted from metal and fire, but in recent years, I had learned to prefer modern weapons with high-velocity rounds that not even magic was fast enough to stop. A round to the head tended to stop any creature in their tracks, and all that mattered was surviving today.

Warlocks spun webs of spells, casting their dark magic. Over and over, I pulled the trigger, stopping their evil work. I used the claws of my left hand to lash out at anyone who got too close, stopping every so often to put a fresh magazine into my pistol.

Creatures emerged from the darkness, their fangs flashing and eyes glowing. Dominic implied he came here with a few men, when in reality he had flooded this place with his kind when he was scouting out the area. Only I was busy dealingwith the evil warlocks trying to kill us, or I would admire his leadership.

Wolves had strength, endurance, and a deadly fighting ability. Tonight, I bore witness to the feral nature of the vampires. They were fast, almost faster than what my eye could track, vicious, and deadly. They moved across the battlefield like a plague of locusts destroying a crop.

My claws tore the throat from a warlock uttering an incantation before I blew his brains out. I remembered his face from when the dire wolves were held in slavery by Balor and his goons, unable to defy them or we suffered from the crystals infused with spells implanted under our skin. Every one of those bastards were engrained in my memory, and I wouldn’t stop until they had all been punished and no longer existed.

Luna tripped beside me and I scooped her up. “Hold onto me, and watch my back,” I grated out, allowing her to cling to me like a koala bear, casting spells at whoever was behind us while I forged forward.

More and more creatures of darkness emerged from the shadows, all trying to kill us. My pack spread wide, refusing to stop. Jethro used two pistols, shooting anything that moved with sacred bullets. Beside him, Paulo wielded a sword like it was an extension of him. That sword had been a gift from his grandfather, and had been in every battle he fought.

Magic users from our side projected spells through the air that reminded me of bright, golden lightning, while the dark warlocks spells looked like shadows and mists spiralling across the battlefield. Where they intercepted, explosions painted the sky like fireworks.

A deadly aurora of magic danced across the night’s sky, illuminating the battlefield we moved across.

“We need to get to the volcano,” Luna shouted, her arm wrapping around me while she threw spells at those behindus. “Aisha’s death has opened the door, but I can feel what is contained trying to escape.”

I didn’t need to ask what was required. In our shadow world, blood was the currency. This land had been a focal point for bloodshed for longer than I could remember, and tonight, whatever creatures resided in the void were feasting on magical blood as my team continued to seek revenge for the atrocities of the past.

I caught sight of Jethro and Paulo forging forward together, their focus set on a group of warlocks protecting their master.

“Balor,” I muttered, hatred surging through my soul.

Every instinct inside me demanded that I join my pack to rid this world of his evil. My wolf demanded a sacrifice of flesh and bone, breaking him until there was nothing left but a bloody mess on the ground that I could dance on.

“He is spellbound,” Luna said against my ear, her cheek pressing to mine.

I halted in shock, my head spinning until our noses touched, my gaze questioning.

“I felt it earlier when he appeared, almost as if someone was speaking through him,” Luna continued. “A dark and malevolent force who has been operating in the shadows.”

Evil tended to foster in the darkness, hiding their true identity and manipulating others. I glanced toward my pack fighting their way to Balor through his warlocks who were unable to defend themselves against angry wolves they could no longer bring to heel.

“I made a promise to avenge the souls he took,” I replied, my gaze boring into hers.

“There is a bigger battle being fought here today, one that we need to win before whoever is in the shadows claims the power of the void. The gateway is open, what happens nextdecides the fate of the void magic.” Her words felt like iced water being poured over me.

I reluctantly dragged my attention away from my pack, and moved my focus to the volcano that had featured in my life for four centuries. My arms wrapped around Luna as the strength of my wolf infused into me, allowing me to run faster. I sped forward, no longer fighting our enemies, but avoiding them as I forged forward. Luna’s arms tightened around my neck, her legs gripping my waist as I ran in my hybrid form.

More smoke plumed from Misti, sparks of lava shooting up into the darkness. The ground rumbled beneath my feet, and the hairs on the back of my neck rose as it felt as if the ghosts of those long dead joined us.

A howl sounded in the distance, and a scream echoed somewhere to my right.

The dead only walked among us for one reason—to welcome the souls of their descendants.

Chapter Thirty-Five

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