Page 17 of Cursed Magic (Rejected Fate Trilogy #2)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

A vise wrapped around my heart, and it seemed to stop beating. We were again being attacked by our enemy, and this time, there were only three of us to defend ourselves. Even if we linked with our packs, they wouldn’t get here in time to help.

Raven hissed and pressed harder on the gas. Gravel flew into the air and rattled under the car, leaving a huge dust trail behind us. “Fucking bastards. Can you tell how many?”

That was the problem. They all seemed to blend into one another before separating to reform into another sort of image. “A fuck ton is the only way I can describe it. Their bodies merge with one another in the shadows, so I can’t make out individuals.”

I rolled my neck, trying to release some of the compression. We’d be fighting within seconds. I couldn’t be glued to the car seat, and I needed my body to adjust to the new environment like it had when we’d saved Briar.

“Fucking hell,” Ryker snarled. “Go faster.”

Raven’s nostrils flared, and she stomped down even harder, causing the tires to skid on the gravel just as the shadows swarmed us.

“They’re—” Before I could finish that sentence, a high-pitched grating sound filled the vehicle, causing my eardrums to ache. They had to be running their claws against the windows, and the noise was more horrible than nails on a chalkboard. It was piercing to the point of being a screech while almost metallic.

When I thought it couldn’t get worse, I was proven wrong once again.

A mix of sharp shrieks, low groans, and the occasional threatening thump sounded as something tried to rip through the car like a predator clawing at its prey. This had to be the echo of a nightmare.

Soon the tires began to thud as they lost air, leaving us with two choices—keep pushing and hope the rims held up, or get out and fight. The latter didn’t seem like the best option.

Fate, being the bitch that she was, had the last laugh once again. If I’d had any doubts, this moment proved that she enjoyed watching me suffer.

The tires burst with deafening bangs, rubber tearing away in jagged strips that slapped against gravel. The vehicle hurtled into a frenzied skid, and the scenery blurred into obscurity as the shadows covered the windows.

The vehicle jerked violently to the left, and the seat belt dug into my shoulder as if the earth itself had tilted beneath us.

Raven’s hands gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles pale against the leather. Her gaze darted between the road and the rearview mirror. “Hold on!” she yelled as the vehicle fishtailed, the back end swinging dangerously close to the trees before she expertly corrected the skid. But it was too late. The shadows had found their mark.

The car lurched and dropped to the ground as it careened out of control. I hit the front dashboard, and Ryker grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back against the seat as the world outside became a sea of sparks.

And then we rammed into the trunk of a large oak. My eyes closed as a scream lodged in my throat, but oblivion overtook me.

My eyes fluttered open, and the stench of copper assaulted my nose. Something didn’t seem quite right, but I couldn’t remember what it was. My head throbbed, and the faint tang of blood lingered on my lips, adding to the scent. I fidgeted, and my warm skin stuck to leather, contrasting with the faint moisture that seeped into my clothes.

Reality slammed into me. I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my temple.

“Ryker,” I murmured despite my tongue feeling like sandpaper.

There was no response. I sensed the steady breathing and heartbeat of someone behind me and inhaled, trying like hell to smell him, but the stink of blood was too overpowering.

“I can’t believe—” Raven’s voice cut through the quiet.

“She’s awake,” a deep male voice cut her off.

I turned my head slowly, the huge oak trees casting long, ominous shadows across the clearing, but none that looked like the enemy.

Where had they all gone?

My door lay ripped off and crumpled about ten feet from me. My arm throbbed, and I glanced at it to find deep claw marks oozing with blood. Whatever had done it had hit bone.

“Ember,” Raven whispered, and my attention landed on her.

She stood in the center of the gravel road, blood streaking her usually flawless complexion. Her violet eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, and her clothes were torn and disheveled.

She was flanked by a pair of vampires, their faces pale and drawn, their eyes luminous in the night. Each of them bore signs of battle—cuts, scratches, and torn clothing that clung to their bodies. One of the vampires was leaning against a tree, their breathing shallow and labored, while the other knelt on the ground, a deep gash in their forearm that seemed to pulse with the faintest hint of crimson.

Behind them, a third vampire lay still, her body eerily pale and unresponsive. Her neck was slashed, and blood still oozed from the wound.

“Ryker?” I rasped, feeling as if knives were stabbing the back of my throat.

“He’s alive and behind you,” Raven answered as she and the two men hurried toward me. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

I unbuckled the seat belt and snorted at the irony. My hands shook, and I clutched the side of the doorframe, trying to climb out of the vehicle. My arm throbbed all the way up to my shoulder.

“Let me help you.” One of the new vampires, a caramel-haired man, rushed to my side. He slid his arm around my waist and helped me to my feet. I leaned all my weight on him because otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to stand .

I needed to get to Ryker. I pivoted, the caramel-haired vampire not missing a beat and moving along with me. My throat tightened as my gaze landed on Ryker’s unresponsive massive frame. Still, the slow rise and fall of his chest brought me comfort, though his face and arms had been clawed. One mark cut through the scab of his earlier wound as if done on purpose. Crimson covered one eye, and when he woke up, I had no doubt that it would feel as if it were on fire.

“What…what happened?” I coughed, the dryness in my throat unbearable. The way the caramel-haired man’s hand lingered on my waist made my skin crawl. I tried to step away from him, but as soon as I placed my full weight on my feet, my knees gave out.

“Whoa.” Caramel-haired guy grunted as he caught my waist again and pulled me tighter against him. “You need to be careful.”

My wolf howled in protest from both not being able to get to Ryker and having another man’s hands on me. Unfortunately, I knew better than to shove him away as my legs were shaking from holding so much of my weight, and the ground seemed to move underneath me.

“Here.” Raven glided to my other side and placed her arm around me, allowing the caramel-haired man to release me.

As soon as he stepped away, my wolf calmed slightly, but the world kept spinning.

I’d lost too much blood, but I refused to sit down with Ryker unconscious and where the enemy could attack again at any second.

“When Queen Ambrosia learned Iskaria was missing, she called Lucinda to gather guards and follow us in case we ran into trouble.” Raven shivered. “If they hadn’t arrived…” Sh e trailed off, at a complete loss for words, which wasn’t like her at all.

The other new vampire, a dark-haired man, smiled, but it seemed forced. “We arrived just as one dragged Raven from the car and two more were removing your and the other wolf’s doors.” His nose wrinkled a bit, but he smoothed it out. “Good thing the queen warned us. You’re lucky—if that’s what you call it.”

Caramel-haired guy glanced at me with a furrowed brow. I smelled a brief waft of sweetness from the vampires before the strong stench and taste of blood overrode my senses again.

“The three of you managed to run them off?” I knew they were the queen’s guards and probably some of the best warriors the vampires had, but there had to have been more than twenty attackers coming at us, given how they’d blended together. It could’ve been fifty or a hundred, for all I knew.

“The fiends thought they had us for sure.” Raven shook her head. “Lucinda, Bella, and Martin have taken the other thirty guards that came with them to see if they can sense anything. They brought one of the relics a witch gave us to detect magic so they’ll know if any is being used nearby. However, Foster”—she pointed at the caramel-haired man—“and David wanted to stay behind and help get you two back to safety as quickly as possible.”

Vehicles. They had vehicles. Something we gravely needed.

“Where are the cars?” I blurted, my attention returning to Ryker. Once again, he was worse off than me, and he’d lost so much blood not even twenty-four hours ago. We had to leave now . “How far?” I scanned the area and saw a Suburban about fifty yards away with about eleven matching black SUVs parked behind it.

David removed a key fob from his pocket and dangled it from his fingers. “I’ll drive it down here. We stopped because we saw what was going on and we could reach you faster on foot.” He jogged toward the first Suburban, leaving me with Raven and Foster. I stared at Ryker, his bloodied face searing into my mind.

My chest throbbed, and I wished I could take all his pain and suffering away. I understood that he’d kept something from me and the others, but I also understood the anger that kept festering in my own soul for the same reason as his.

“They’re getting bolder.” Foster’s forehead creased with concern. “Attacking this close to vampire territory, taking a witch, and acting this close to another witch—they’re either desperate or crazy.”

I wished I could agree with that, but I didn’t. “They’re growing more confident.”

“Which will make them reckless.” Raven pressed her lips together. “We have to either determine how to track them or wait for them to make a mistake.”

The SUV’s engine started, and my gut hardened. The sound seemed to burst my eardrums, and a chill ran down my back. What if the attackers swung back around to finish us off?

No. I refused to become fearful. If I allowed them to influence my emotions, then they would win. No person, pack, or group would ever make me cower. I let out a sigh and pushed away the nagging fear that wanted to devour me. “But how many more people will die before that happens? And what if it doesn’t?”

The vehicle zooming toward us came to a screeching halt. David swung the door open and jumped out, leaving the engine running.

I scanned the area for any signs that something lurked nearby. Nothing seemed amiss, but the back of my neck prickled once again, signaling we were being watched.

The Blackwood witch had to be close. She was messing with my emotions right now. I bit the inside of my mouth, and more blood filled it, causing my stomach to roil in protest.

I moved toward Ryker and stumbled. I tried to catch myself, but my legs were jelly underneath me. Raven tried to catch me, but she, too, buckled under the pressure.

Moments before I would have hit the ground, Foster caught me. He pulled me to his chest, cradling me like a fucking princess, while David caught Raven by the arms. She whimpered, a sound I never expected to hear from her.

I tried to get out of Foster’s arms to check on her and Ryker, but he held me tighter. “Nope. That’s the second time you’ve almost fallen. Let me take you to the Suburban.”

I wanted to climb out of my skin. Being in his arms felt so wrong . “I appreciate the help, but I’m fine.”

Foster ignored me, tightening his hold even more. “You’re not fine. Let’s get you settled so we can get you three out of here.”

Swallowing loudly, I bit back my protests. I clearly couldn’t stand, and the world was spinning ever faster. Sitting down so I could rest and recover would be best and would allow them to focus on Ryker.

We had to stop his bleeding.

I shot a desperate look over Foster’s shoulder as David got Raven back on her feet. She was paler than usual, her face almost as white as a sheet .

“Are you going to be okay?” I despised that I’d allowed her to help me when she was also so injured. Had I known, I would’ve fallen to the ground instead.

“I’ll manage.” She winced and clutched her arms to her sides. No doubt her injuries were similar to mine.

“Do you need help?” David arched a brow.

When Raven shook her head, he went to Ryker’s side. He crouched and hesitated a moment before lifting him over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry.

Ryker didn’t stir, and fear gnawed at my insides. This was bad. Like he’d been the other day when he’d nearly died.

“See? They’ve got it covered.” Foster began moving toward the vehicle, and suddenly I couldn’t see Ryker any longer. Desperation froze my body.

I needed to watch to ensure a shadow didn’t try to attack Ryker again…not when he was in this state.

I thrashed weakly, panic suffocating me. “Let’s wait for them.”

Foster’s voice dripped with impatience. “You need to sit so you can start to heal.”

“No,” I yelled as my wolf surged forward, but I was too injured to shift. I had to watch to make sure Ryker wasn’t attacked again, but Foster continued toward the vehicle, ignoring my protests.

A crash sounded behind us, followed by David’s yelp of surprise.

Then a deep, guttural growl.

No. This couldn’t be happening again.