Cloaked in Sorcery Page 7

  “Oh, shit.”

  Axe lurched ahead of me and slid to his knees, his posture curled forward next to his friend. Nothing prepared one for the pain of such a farewell. I still cried some nights over losing my sister.

  Two of Axe’s team had been killed; enemy or no, this was wrong.

  Lenuţa!

  I dashed to the wall and peered over the edge. There was no sign of her on the ground below. “Where are you?” If she’d moved, she must have survived. I released a strangled cry. I’d failed to keep her safe.

  A howl shattered the night, and I spun to find Axe, still bent over his friend. “He was only twenty,” Axe mumbled. “I insisted he remain home, but no one listened.”

  A human raised a stick above his head and approached Axe, and I yelled, “Get the fuck out of here before we rip you apart! Scram, or you’ll die here!”

  The man froze in place, his cheeks white. His friend pulled him back by a shoulder, and the group retreated into the castle, leaving us completely alone on the terrace.

  Choked up, I sidled up next to Axe, our sides touching, letting him know I was there for him. His skin was cold, and he’d lost so much blood.

  “I never wanted either of them to die,” he whispered.

  In the distance, the music of the violins began again, along with cheers and laughter. The party should not have been continuing, not when two wulfkin had lost their lives because of a stupid spell and ridiculous game.

  Fuzziness streamed through my mind, blurring my thoughts, and dissipated once again. The earlier bang to the head had left me with a constant buzz in my ears. “What will you do?”

  “Titus was the alpha’s nephew.” He climbed to his feet and lifted Titus into his arms, stumbling on the spot.

  I hurried to his side and helped support the dead weight, well aware what the death of an alpha’s relative meant: death to anyone who hadn’t prevented it.

  “Sunrise is coming, and Natalya’s enchantment will wear off,” Axe continued in a flat tone. “The humans will be confused and frightened. We don’t need police finding out about us. I’ll bury Leo and Titus in the woods.”

  Together, we carried Titus to the wall overlooking the woods. Axe pushed the wulfkin over, and his body dropped outside the castle with a loud thud.

  Despite his breaths coming heavy and raspy, Axe staggered toward Leo. He heaved the wulfkin into his arms, and I helped toss Leo over the wall, too.

  “So you’re not taking them back to Russia?”

  Axe turned and stared at me. Devastation painted his expression, and his eyes darkened. “I no longer have a home. The Varlac Tsar doesn’t forgive or allow second chances. He’ll send wulfkin after wulfkin to find me. I need to collect Natalya. She will return to prevent her daughter being killed, and I want to make sure she lies to the alpha to buy me time while I escape.” His voice deepened. “We should all leave now, before dawn. I’ll help you get out of the castle and find your friend.”

  I moved closer and laid my hand on his forearm, dried blood cracking beneath my touch. “Axe, I’m sorry about your loss. I lost my sister when I was young, and I was alone in the world. But a good leader accepted me into his pack. I’m sure my alpha will welcome you if you plead your case.”

  Axe’s nose scrunched, and he scoffed, sliding his arm out from under my hand. “Yeah, right. I’m sure he’ll accept the army commander of the Russian pack about to invade his territory.”

  “Then I’m coming with you wherever you go.”

  Axe’s gaze fell. “I’ve never connected with anyone as I have with you, but what if it’s just that damn witch’s spell? Once we leave the castle, reality will sink in, and you’ll run from me. Besides, my alpha will hunt me down, and I won’t endanger you.”

  The agony of losing Axe strangled my lungs, and tears prickled my eyes. Bullshit. Even during those wavering moments of clarity, my wolf had claimed him. I adored Axe, and my pulse was a tsunami. He couldn’t leave without me.

  “Axe, you said earlier that you’re claiming me as yours. You made a promise.”

  He pulled away from me, and emptiness enveloped me in its chill. “I’m going to collect Natalya. Wait here.” With a last longing glance, he hurried into a hallway, and I was alone. Just as I’d been when my sister was butchered, when my parents died. Maybe that was my destiny, to never hold on to love.

  The wind picked up, and goose bumps coated my skin. I hugged myself, unable to keep warm. The whole night I’d fought my attraction to Axe, telling myself it seemed strange. So, what if Axe was right? What if he’d look at me with disgust once we left the castle? Had I been fooling myself, believing something between Axe and me was even possible?

  Living another second without knowing the truth killed me. Daybreak was in an hour—too long to wait. If Axe was my soul mate, I’d fight to keep him; if not, leaving and never seeing him again was the answer. The latter option was a knife to my gut.

  I took a deep breath and approached the edge of the battlement overlooking the Transylvanian woods. Directly below lay the two wulfkin. Three stories wasn’t too terribly high, not with help from Axe, yet my insides still trembled at how many bones I might break. Using the bodies as cushioning might help; plus, I’d seen several tiny arched windows on this side of the castle when we’d first arrived. Maybe I could use those to get halfway down the wall, then I’d jump from a lower height.

  I took one last glance at the spot where I’d first met Axe, where we’d experienced our first kiss, where I’d fallen madly for him. I needed to believe those emotions weren’t a result of the spell but our soulful connection, before I lost him forever. And finding out the truth terrified me more than leaping out of the castle.

  Chapter Ten

  Axe

  I hobbled through the castle’s halls, my wounded foot throbbing. With Leo and Titus dead, I’d not only failed to protect them, but in the process, I’d lost my home. Back on the terrace, in a flash of anger, I’d contemplated finishing off Leo and Titus myself, but now that memory sat like a boulder in my thoughts—painful to relive, and making me struggle to summon more strength.

  The only reason I’d remained in Russia all this time was to stop more killings and get through to the alpha, to end his tyranny. So now, my years of working up the ranks lay wasted. I’d become the Varlac Tsar’s target. And a lone wulfkin never survived for long, especially one with the Russian wulfkin insignia inked on the side of his neck. My days were numbered.

  But none of that compared to the struggle of walking away from Kalin. Her pleading on the terrace had shredded my heart. While the spell was likely responsible, there was the off chance our connection was real. I had a desperate urge to return to her and offer her the world. Except there was no way in hell I would drag her into my troubles while I remained on the run. Even if we were soul mates, I had to leave her behind for her own safety. I’d seen the Tsar Varlac hunt down those who wronged him. He was relentless and vicious.

  I was doing Kalin a favor. She didn’t need a loose cannon in her life. Leo’s and Titus’s deaths were already on my hands, and I would rather die before adding Kalin to the list of dead. Better that she hated me, and maybe one day she’d forgive my actions.

  Time to get Natalya, and together with Kalin, we’d leave the castle. The witch and I would also part ways. I suspected since her daughter and talisman were held captive back in Russia, she’d return to the Siberian wulfkin compound. If I were a braver wulfkin, I would have taken her to the alpha’s doorstep, but I wasn’t ready to die yet.

  In the distance, the cacophony of laughter and music danced on the air, but the sounds left me sick to my stomach. I hurried along the verandah, wincing whenever I placed weight on my wounded foot. My left arm dangled at a strange angle. Broken, stabbing pain intensified. I gritted my teeth. Ignore the agony and keep moving.

  Down in the courtyard, most guests were embroiled in groping and kissing a partner or three, even having sex out in the open. Others watched. They’d have a rude a
wakening in under an hour, when the spell faded.

  Once I reached the room where I’d left Natalya, I found her crawling to her feet, stumbling about. She faced me, blood smeared across her chin. She’d landed in this crappy situation with the rest of us. All because the pack leader had insisted on his delusional idea. But if there was a silver lining, at least I’d warned Kalin of the Russians’ plan to attack her pack. If her alpha was smart, he’d get the European packs banded together and prepare for war. The Varlac Tsar did nothing half-assed. He’d demolish anyone in his way with the full force of his army . . . the military I’d trained and built. Perhaps I shouldn’t have worked them so hard or made them tougher than tanks. Hindsight was a bitch.

  “We need to leave the castle!” I told Natalya.

  She wiped her chin with the back of her hand. “I feel different, clearheaded. The spell is close to completing its course.” She glanced up at me, her cheeks blushing. “I acted like an idiot. I want to make it clear I have zero interest in you.”

  “Good to hear.” Not that I’d had any doubt.

  “Now, where’s that dickhead? Leo attacked me, and I promised myself I’d get him back.”

  “He’s no longer a problem.” In any other circumstances, Leo’s death would have been dangerous to me—giving the alpha reason to take my head. But it didn’t matter now. Either way, I was as good as dead.

  For a few seconds, Natalya looked lost, as if she’d found herself in a maze, unsure where to turn next. I gave her a summary of what had gone down, excluding the part where I’d pushed Kalin away. I still hadn’t accepted that myself.

  Natalya gasped. “They’re dead? You’re sure?” Her voice held no sympathy, but why would it? Leo and Titus had prodded and taunted her the whole way to the castle, and Leo had attacked her in wolf form. In her eyes, a lesser evil had been vanquished. She paused, her gaze momentarily falling. “It’s just you and me returning to Russia, then.”

  “Nope. If I go back, they’ll kill me for failing the mission. You’re free. I won’t stop you from going wherever you want.”

  Her face paled, and she squared her shoulders. “Free? My daughter and talisman are with your insane monster of an alpha. If I don’t reach the Russian border by sundown today, he’ll kill my baby.” Natalya paced across the room, arms tight around her stomach. The dejected tone in her voice struck a chord. I might have run the Varlac Tsar’s army, but every wulfkin under his command, including me, was a prisoner.

  “I’ll accompany you as far as the Romanian border.” Wulfkin guarded Russia, scouting for intruders, and a small group was waiting there to transport us back to Siberia. The moment they picked up my scent, I’d be forced back to the alpha to report on my mission, which would end in my death once he discovered I’d failed, and that Titus and Leo were dead. So, I’d take Natalya as far as was safe for me.

  “I can do this alone without detection,” she insisted. “But thank you.”

  There was no time to argue. “We have to leave now.” I guided her out of the room by an elbow and turned down the corridor. “When you return to Siberia, please tell the alpha we were attacked by the Romanian pack, we were killed, and you barely escaped with your life.” The Varlac Tsar would ambush Transylvania anyway, so it made no difference if we used the local pack as our scapegoat. And the scars on Natalya’s face from Leo’s attack would aid her story.

  “Would he believe that?”

  “No reason he shouldn’t. Besides, he won’t harm you; he needs your magic.”

  She nodded, and her shoulders deflated. “You have a good heart, Axe, and I’ll never forget your help. I hope you end up with your wulfkin girl.”

  Words jammed in my throat, and I was unsure how to respond. I didn’t feel as if I had a good heart, otherwise I would have done more to save Leo and Titus, done more to save my parents from the Varlac Tsar, done more to kill the alpha when I’d been in Russia. Instead, I’d believed I could change him and everyone else by being an example. What a waste of time. Look where it had landed me . . .

  On our way to escape, I grabbed several ropes used as barricades to various rooms we passed. On the terrace, the wind slammed into me, pulling at my clothes and hair. The worsening weather only added to the crappy night, promising a storm.

  Kalin stood in a corner, arms wrapped around her stomach, shadows beneath her eyes. My heart felt heavy, as if it pumped thick mud, and struggled to keep a steady beat.

  When Kalin glanced our way, a wide smile split her gorgeous lips, and her radiance carved out my soul. For those few seconds, I memorized the curved lips, milky skin, and her sexy grin, noting how she closed the distance between us as her hands reached out for me. My throat thickened. I was unsure if I was ready to walk away from her.

  “I was worried you wouldn’t come back.” Her hand clasped my forearm, and I guided a loose strand of hair away from her eyelashes.

  “I’ll always keep my word to you.” Every inch of me begged to embrace Kalin.

  She eyed Natalya, who strolled across the terrace and stared out into the dark woods, her hair fluttering against her back. Kalin approached the witch.

  I tied the ropes together, crafting a longer piece, tightening them to take our weight. I stepped closer to the wall, staring down at Leo and Titus. Their lives had been wasted.

  “Hi, my name’s Kalin. You’re the witch, right?”

  Natalya didn’t turn around as she responded, “I’ve always wanted to visit Transylvania. There are myths back home that a secret sect of charodeykas lives deep in these woods. Some legends say they are hidden in the Hoia Baciu forest, and that’s why those three kilometers of woodland are considered haunted. But I think the land is cursed by the family who resides inside to keep themselves safe. Maybe one day, I’ll get a chance to visit them and see if the stories are real.”

  That was news to me. Two dangerous witch families weren’t enough? There was another one in hiding? Well, if they stayed there and didn’t turn against wulfkin, it shouldn’t be a problem. But I made a mental note to steer clear from the Hoia Baciu woods.

  Kalin cleared her throat. “I have a friend who says a witch placed a spell on her ancestors. And now any twins born in the family have linked souls, so if one does so will the other. Do you—”

  Natalya turned around, her nose creased. “Sounds like an old wives’ tale, and you’re blaming charodeykas.”

  Kalin shook her head, and I was ready to get a move on. I’d heard many stories of families cursed by witches, so it wasn’t anything new.

  “My friend has this mark on her collarbone”—Kalin touched the silky skin just below her neck—“as does her brother. And now so do her twins. I’ve seen what happens when one twin gets hurt. They are cursed.”

  Natalya shrugged. “So?”

  “Well, I’m curious if . . . ” Kalin paused and rubbed a hand across her mouth. “If you know how to remove such a curse?”

  Natalya laughed, and it irked me. “No need to be rude,” I said.

  “Look, Kalin,” Natalya said and released a loud huff. “If this is a true curse, no one can remove it. For a spell to stay with a family line means death sorcery was used. And they are unfixable. A deal was done with a demonic force and probably paid with a soul.” She glanced down at her feet for a moment, and when she looked back up again, a softness captured her expression. “I’m sorry, as I know that’s not what you wanted to hear. But there is no way to undo such a curse.”

  Kalin nodded and retreated, her back bumping into me. I swept an arm across her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, unable to find the right words to comfort her. “Are you ready to leave the castle?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  “Wrap this around your waist, and I’ll lower you first.”

  Kalin turned to face me, her cheeks ashen, accepting the rope and tightening it around herself. “Let’s do this.”

  She took my hand as I drew her closer to the wall. I lifted her up and over the edge. She faced me, her hands grippi
ng the ledge, knuckles turning white. Farther below, I spotted Leo’s and Titus’s bodies slumped in twisted angles, and my gut churned.

  “Hold on to the rope.”

  She nodded and stared at me with glistening eyes. I thought she’d say something, tease me about dropping her . . . something. But she didn’t say a word.

  The cord in my hands tugged as Kalin let go of the wall. With my shoulder propped against the inside of the wall, I eased her down. When I reached the end of the rope, I wrapped it around my wrist. She still hung a good story above the ground.

  “Kalin, from here, you’ll have to drop down on your on.”

  She nodded. “Okay.” Kalin untied the herself from the rope and fell, landing on her side on top of Leo, her dress sprawled around her. She waved at me. “I’m fine!” she yelled. I hauled the cord back up and turned to Natalya. “Your turn.”

  In no time, I lowered her down the side of the castle, but halfway into her descent, the cord began to unravel in several spots. Shit. I lowered her quickly, but the rope tore. Natalya dropped free, yelping, hands flailing. She landed on her back on top of Titus, and Kalin was by her side in an instant. She’d survived.

  Okay, my turn. And I was doing this without rope. I climbed onto the wall, hopping to the right, where the ground below seemed lush and soft. Without another thought, I leaped down.

  Feet first, I hit the ground, and my knees bent beneath me, sending me into a forward roll. A shattering jolt tore up my body. Agony from my earlier injuries seared up my thigh, rocking through me. A cry fell from my mouth, and I loathed showing weakness, but right then, I swore I’d broken every bone in my body.

  Kalin kneeled beside me, her hand on my chest. “Are you okay?” The sweetness in her voice alone made me forget my pain.

  “Think I twisted an ankle.” I stumbled to my feet, wincing each time my foot touched the ground, and Kalin allowed me to lean against her. An agonizing ache swallowed my foot, the same one I’d injured in the castle. But I had to move. Natalya stood several feet away, studying us. When I stared at Kalin, the same fogginess clouded my head, my emotions a tangled jumble. We were too close to the castle for the spell to fade . . . but none of that mattered when death was looking for me. The Varlac Tsar was coming to claim Romania too . . . so maybe I could help buy the Romanian pack time to get ready for war. It was the least I could do since I’d brought this danger to their doorstep.