Triumph Read online

  “I'll be down shortly.”

  “Take your time,” he said. “You should conserve your strength.”

  “The time for rest is over. We are in a fight for our lives and our world. And I am the one meant to deliver us all.”

  “That may be the case, but you still need to take care of yourself.”

  She glanced out the window and saw that Jagger had saddled Lightning. “We all need our strength for this.”

  Sid kissed her again and left the room. Kayla sat on the bed, contemplating the coming mission. Bane nuzzled against her leg. She closed her eyes and felt for the source of her angelic power. The tingle of her wings grew on her back, and she smiled in satisfaction, knowing that she was gaining control of her new power. A moment later, there was a knock at the door.

  “Come in,” Kayla said.

  “There is food ready in the kitchen,” Quinn said, stepping through the door.

  “I’ll be down in a minute.” Bane stretched and strolled out the door, her nails clicking the hard wood floor.

  “Are you ready for this?” He sat beside her.

  “More prepared than I expected to be. And you?”

  “I don’t know if it is possible to be prepared,” he admitted, hooking his arm around her waist.

  “That makes two of us.” She looked down at her hands. “But I am learning to control my angelic power. Whether or not I can even use it in hell remains to be seen.”

  “Wolf Mother assured me that she will be with me.” Quinn’s voice was resolute.

  “I wish I had the same confidence.” She sighed, staring out the window.

  “There must be a reason for your power. If it could not enter the kingdom of darkness, then why would you even have it?”

  “I have no answers,” she said, “only questions and doubt.”

  “Then let me be your assurance, Kayla Redclaw.”

  Quinn had the kind of faith Kayla could only imagine possessing. Sometimes she wondered why he hadn’t been given the gifts, rather than her. But as Quinn was fond of saying, everything happened for a reason.

  “Come,” Quinn said, taking her hand.

  He walked with her downstairs, and they met the others in the kitchen, where a massive breakfast had been set out. Bane had already been given a large bowl of meat. The witches had pulled out all the stops, and there were delicacies from around the world prepared for them. Sid and Jagger had returned, and they all sat down together to enjoy the meal. Kayla watched her mates as they partook in the feast. She didn’t know what would happen to any of them, but she would remain strong.

  After breakfast, everyone went outside to prepare to leave. The horses were saddled and waiting. As always, Felix was struggling to find room in his saddlebags for all his research materials. Sid finally offered to carry his books. Mackenzie and Willa saddled up, silently eyeing each other as the sky opened and snow began to pour into the courtyard. Malik mounted his horse, preparing to walk beside Gloria into the unknown. The last to join them was Riddick, who had not been at breakfast. Kayla was relieved to see him mount his horse and join the procession.

  Gloria opened a portal, and Kayla was the first to enter, with Bane right beside her. She stepped through, leaving the snowy mountain to arrive in a wet and rainy valley. It had only been a few days since the battle with Veronica, but it seemed like a lifetime. When the final member of the party was through the portal, Gloria closed it behind them, sealing their fate.

  The rift was only a few miles away, and the energy of the group seemed to move between excitement and terror. Kayla wanted to say something to reassure them, but she was at a loss for words. How could she ask all these people to risk life and limb for the soul of one tiny baby? They all assured her they believed it was the right thing to do, but in the back of her mind, Kayla still wondered.

  They walked slowly in the downpour and the chill wind, the drops stinging her skin. As their horses’ hooves clomped through the muddy soil, Kayla tried and failed to protect her face from the driving rain.

  A growing buzz filled the air. At first, she thought it was just the sound of the rain on the soil. But when she peered through the mist, she realized what it really was. Large black figures hovered on the horizon, drawing closer with each breath. She grabbed her binoculars out of her pack, riding up beside Jagger.

  “Look,” she said, nodding at the approaching threat.

  Jagger took out his own binoculars and followed her lead. “We have incoming,” he said, handing the binoculars to Felix. “What are those things?”

  Felix examined the mass of creatures moving swiftly toward them through the air. They hovered several feet above the ground, their bodies roughly human sized.

  “Insect-humanoid-hybrid demons,” Felix said matter-of-factly.

  “Is there anything that we should know?” Jagger asked.

  “They have a rather toxic poison that they use as a weapon.”

  Willa threw up a shield around the party, and they attempted to lie low and avoid the fight. But it was too late. They’d already been seen. The swarm flew in all around them, breaking through the barrier of the illusion. Quinn threw a shield around Kayla as she pulled her strength into her heart. She drew her bow and nocked an arrow, directing her power through the tip. It shot through the first insect, which fell to the ground with a shriek. Black blood oozed from its form, seeping into the muddy ground, filling the air with a rancid smell. Kayla recoiled, seeking her angelic power. She couldn’t find it.

  Jagger and Sid fought valiantly, hacking and bashing at the creatures with sword and hammer. Bane bit at the creatures, but they were too high for her to make contact. Mackenzie screamed as one of the insects spit poison at her that seeped through her clothing and into her arm. The smell of burning flesh filled Kayla’s nostrils. Quinn wheeled on his horse, sending up prayers to Wolf Mother. He cast a shield around the necromancer as he fought to heal her.

  Mackenzie had fallen from her horse and was writhing on the ground in pain. Willa jumped to the ground and knelt over her frantic girlfriend.

  “Do something,” Willa shouted, watching her beloved convulse on the muddy ground.

  “I’m trying,” Quinn said, pulling down the blessings of his goddess.

  Kayla nocked three arrows and shot three of the insects at once. They fell in a pool of black blood. The stink of their bodies filled the air and burned her nostrils.

  The group was in a panic, and Kayla could tell it was only going to get worse. She growled. Bane growled. Standing in her stirrups, Kayla focused deep within her, searching for the source of her angelic magic. Her wings extended from her back, and she ascended into the air above the battle. The clanging of weapons and Mackenzie’s screams fell into the background as she swept her arm across the field. Light swept over the demons, and they burned as it touched them. The demons disintegrated, falling to dust on the ground. Kayla slowly fluttered down to Lightning’s back. Mackenzie’s wails echoed over the field.

  “What took you so long?” Willa spat.

  “It’s still hard for me to control,” Kayla muttered.

  “Everyone, just settle down,” Jagger said.

  “This is bad,” Quinn said, kneeling over Mackenzie’s flailing body.

  “Was anyone else hurt?” Kayla asked as she checked Bane.

  No one answered.

  “We’ll have to take her back.” Quinn’s face was grim. “I’ve isolated the burn, but she won’t be able to use this arm.” He helped Mackenzie stand. “The witches at the keep can complete her healing, but it’s going to take time.”

  “I’m going with her.” Willa’s eyes were full of anger and tears.

  “I’ll open a portal.” Gloria waved her arms to begin her spell.

  Willa supported Mackenzie as she limped through, disappearing into the dark void.

  “There goes half our magic,” Riddick said.

  “Does anyone else want to go back?” Kayla asked, looking at each of them in turn.

  “
This isn’t just your fight. It is all of ours,” Malik said as Gloria closed the portal behind Willa and Mackenzie.

  Rain drove into the mud, and the smell of demon blood hung in the air. The party stood in silence, staring at each other, their hair plastered to their heads and faces. Mackenzie’s blood dripped from Quinn’s hands. Finally, Kayla mounted Lightning, turned him toward the rift, and walked into the storm.

  Chapter 9

  The group silently followed Kayla toward the rift. Sid watched her back, worried about her state of mind. Kayla and Willa had been friends since they first met in Dark Haven. Even through the worst of the worst, Willa had remained a loyal companion. It was strange to see them even slightly at odds. Sid hoped that the absence of Kayla’s friends would not leave a hole in the party or in his mate’s heart.

  The witches’ magic would have been instrumental in the journey into hell. Mackenzie was a necromancer, able to control the dead. Without her magic, the journey would be far more challenging. But no one wanted to turn back.

  They made it to the place where Kayla had defeated Veronica. Kayla stopped her horse, standing over the vacant spot. The bodies of the demons had all disintegrated, and the fallen shifters had been taken to be buried in their homelands. But Veronica’s body was gone. He didn’t know whether she'd disintegrated like a demon or wild beasts had taken her. Perhaps the king of hell himself had retrieved her. There was no way of knowing.

  Kayla turned and glanced over her shoulder at Sid. Their eyes met, but her expression didn't change. She mounted Lightning, turned back toward the road, and continued walking. When they made it to the fissure, she dropped from Lightning’s back and walked toward the entrance to hell. The fissure was a deep crack in the earth, descending into the darkness.

  Sid walked up beside her and scratched his chin. “How are we going to get down there?”

  “I can open a portal to the bottom,” Gloria said.

  “Even without seeing where it is?”

  “It’s possible we might all walk out into thin air and fall to our deaths. But it has worked for me before.”

  “Any other suggestions?” Kayla asked, looking around the group. “I could fly everyone down, but we all know how reliable my magic is.”

  “I’m afraid I have no magic that could get us to the bottom,” Malik said. “If Kelvyn were here, he could fly his carpet down there.”

  “Should we go get him?” Kayla asked.

  “He isn’t at the fortress. He’s gone with the shifters to help them against the vampires.”

  “We’ll have to use Gloria’s solution, then,” Kayla said.

  “We should send the horses back first,” Gloria said. “I can only keep one portal open at a time.”

  She started her spell, opening the portal for the horses. One after the next, they sent their mounts through the void. The portal disappeared, leaving the party stranded at the mouth of hell.

  “Here goes nothing,” she said, closing her eyes and casting her spell.

  A new portal opened right at the edge of the rift.

  “Any volunteers?” Jagger asked.

  “I’ll do it,” Sid said, slinging his hammer over his shoulder.

  Without waiting for any debate, Sid walked into the void. He was prepared for the worst, but when he walked out on the other side, he found purchase for his footing. He was surrounded by darkness, so he pulled out his flint and steel to light the small lantern hanging from his pack. Holding the lantern aloft, he found himself at the mouth of a cavern. High above was a pinprick of light from the top of the rift. He backed away from the portal, expecting someone else to come through. Moments ticked by, and he remained alone at the bottom of the chasm.

  “Are you coming?” he shouted up at the entrance. But all he heard in reply was an echo of his own voice.

  He looked at the entrance to the cavern and then back up at the top of the rift. The smell of sulfur was overpowering down there. He crinkled his nose, knowing he’d have to get used to it. Then the portal disappeared.

  Chapter 10

  “Welcome,” said a croaking voice.

  Kayla snapped her head around to find the reanimated body of the witch Veronica. She wore tattered clothes, had a bloodied face, and an open wound in her cheek that revealed her teeth. The sight was revolting. The rest of the party backed away, looks of confusion on their faces.

  “What is that?” Jagger said.

  “I would say a zombie, but zombies don’t speak,” Felix said.

  “Witches can’t become zombies,” Malik said.

  “I was given new life by the lord of darkness,” Veronica exclaimed, waving her bony arms around in the air. The rancid smell of death wafted off her body.

  “I’m afraid undead is not a good look for you,” Riddick said.

  Veronica growled, her dry lips curling over her rotting teeth. Bane growled back.

  “You’ve made her angry, Riddick,” Quinn said.

  “She’s already dead. How much worse can it get?” He shrugged.

  “You will pay for your insolence,” she snarled.

  “Now would be a good time to call on your magic, Kayla,” Jagger said as the witch moved on Riddick.

  “I’m trying.”

  “You should use the exact process you used previously,” Felix said, checking the bullets in his gun.

  “It doesn’t work like that.”

  “Why wouldn’t it work like that?”

  “Stop distracting her, Felix,” Quinn barked.

  “I’m trying to help.”

  "It's okay," Kayla said, trying to defuse the situation. Now that she was mated with Felix, she understood his way of seeing the world. It was as valid as anyone else's. He was trying to help, but it wouldn't come across that way to Quinn.

  "Enough of this," Jagger said, pulling out his sword. He and Riddick approached the creature, ready to attack. Malik prepared to cast.

  Veronica screeched, raising her arms at the group. "Not so fast," she cackled. A spray of dark energy erupted from her palms, blowing the group back.

  They all landed hard in the mud. Kayla shot to her feet, trying to regroup. Bane growled in response.

  "Stand back," said Malik as he cast a spell at the malevolent witch. It hit her, and for several moments, she seemed stunned and confused.

  “Quickly, through the portal," Malik said.

  "What was that?" Kayla asked.

  “A confusion spell," Malik said. “But it won't last long.”

  "We have to go," Jagger shouted, standing near the portal.

  The party hurried through. As Kayla stepped to the other side, she knew there had been a serious mistake. They were in a dense tropical jungle, not at the bottom of a ravine.

  "Where are we?” Quinn asked.

  "I don't know," Gloria admitted.

  “You don’t know where we are?" Kayla asked Gloria.

  “Not really, but it does look familiar.”

  "This expedition is starting out well," Riddick said. Quinn shot him an annoyed look.

  "Let's try to stay calm," Kayla said. “Remember, we’re all on the same team.”

  "We should open a portal and return to the compound," Jagger suggested. “Then we can start out again once we have our bearings.”

  “That's probably a good idea," Gloria said, starting her spell to open a portal. Nothing happened.

  "Well?" Jagger asked.

  "I don't know what's wrong," Gloria said. “I've cast the spell a thousand times. There's no reason I shouldn't be able to cast it now.”

  “Unless my confusion spell backfired," Malik said, his voice verging on panic.

  “How could that happen?" Gloria barked.

  “It's possible it happened when I cast it at Veronica.”

  "How long will this effect last?" Kayla asked, hoping she could calm the worried party.

  "I don’t know, but I'm going to cast a location spell," Malik said. “At least we can try to figure out exactly where we are in the world.”
/>   "Good. I'll scout around." Kayla called to Bane and started into the forest.

  Quinn came running up beside her. "Are you sure you should leave right now? You don't know what this forest is or what kinds of creatures reside here.”

  "Why don't you come with me, then?" she said.

  Quinn took one last look at the group, growled, and followed Kayla into the forest. She stepped over broken branches and trees she'd never seen before, Bane right at her heels. The air was hot and humid, the sounds unfamiliar.

  Quinn trudged along behind her, voicing his concern with each step. Kayla tried to ignore his apprehension. She loved Quinn with all her heart, but he could sometimes be obnoxious when he got like this.

  “See if you can find any berries," Kayla said, trying to change the subject.

  "How would we know if they’re even edible?" he said, pulling his snagged robe off a tree limb.

  "There's only one way to find out."

  "You're taking this very lightly."

  "How else should I take it?" She looked over her shoulder at him and smirked. She felt so much more relaxed out in nature with her wolf by her side. It was like the fresh air made her brain work better.

  He sighed. “You’re right.”

  "I am concerned about Sid," Kayla said. “He stepped through the portal before Veronica arrived, and now he's down there by himself.”

  "If anyone can take care of himself, it’s Sid."

  Chapter 11

  Sid waited for at least an hour after the portal disappeared. Then he finally accepted that no one was coming. He wasn't sure what to do. They hadn’t made a contingency plan for something like this. Something must have gone horribly wrong.

  Out of the dark void came a sound so terrible and confusing that Sid didn't know how to react. Monsters poured from the cavern, demons of every shape and size, creatures both horrible and beautiful in appearance. Hundreds upon hundreds of them surged toward him.

  He drew his hammer, ready to fight and die. Sid might be a skilled warrior, but no man could stand against so many. They came at him in droves, and he swung his hammer. It smashed into a demonic body. Just as quickly as the army of demons had arrived, they disappeared.