Using his finger he traced the geometric shape. “Their natural gifts would be the ability to call their wolf selves or to merge into the shadows. But look at the one that is similar for Shogun and Hunter… in fact, for all of the younger male wolves. Not only have they been blocked from properly calling their wolves, which was why Shogun’s shape-shift was botched earlier today as the spell took root, but there’s something even worse layered on top of that.”
Bradley sat back, his expression tight with repressed fury. “This is such bullshit… They are betting that the males will tear each other to shreds. Look at this!” he said, slapping his hand on the table and causing a mild stir in the otherwise quiet hospital cafeteria.
“Fill us in, dude. I might as well be looking at hieroglyphics or Greek,” Winters said in a quiet rush. He glanced around and waited until the few late night visitors having coffee went back to their own conversations. “And keep your voice down, man.”
“Bradley, whatever it is, we’ll get to the bottom of it,” Clarissa said, rubbing his back.
“But they’re out there with weapons, all together,” he said, his voice fracturing with rage and worry. He took a deep breath and composed himself. “This symbol is sexual in nature,” he said, his eyes holding an apology in them as he stared at Doc and then Silver Hawk. “It increases libido in all the younger wolves; plus, follow this line,” he added, tracing the symbol with his finger. “This one spikes jealousy and rage right over the top of it. I can go to any one of the grimoires and pull these sigils and I bet I’ll get an exact match on what they mean; I’m 99 percent sure.”
“This explains so much,” Doc said, rubbing his hands down his face with a weary sigh.
Silver Hawk nodded and closed his eyes. “I have sent prayers to the Great Spirit to guide our children in the way of unity.”
“I’m also praying for peace,” Bradley said quietly. He returned his attention to the napkins. “Go to Sasha’s… Her libido is being tampered with, too. But rather than jealousy or rage layered next to it, hers is entwined with indecision. Do I need to say more? Both Federation alphas are out there with machine guns and grenades!”
Clarissa whipped out her cell phone and began clicking photos and texting. “Screw the bad guys-we have technology.”
Sir Rodney met them at the castle gates just as Sasha’s cell phone started buzzing. Two valets rushed out, offering Shogun’s men clothes. Oddly, Sir Rodney greeted her with more than his normal Gaelic smile… He opened his arms and pulled her into an embrace.
“We were so worried,” he said, breathing into her hair.
Sasha pulled back, hoping that both alphas would take it as emotional relief and nothing more. “Thank you,” she said. “Were it not for your men, we’d have been left stranded in hostile territory.”
“We’re in your debt,” Hunter said, eyeing Sir Rodney.
“As are we,” Shogun said with a little extra bass in his voice.
“My human squad is at Tulane… I have to take this call,” she said and used the cell phone call to break the tension. But within seconds her shriek drew everyone in close. “Oh, shit! Look at this!”
Waving the cell phone, she showed Sir Rodney the pics that were transmitted, along with the text message-and then showed it to Hunter and Shogun. She dug in her pocket as though bees were in it and stinging her. She held out the crumpled pieces of paper for Sir Rodney to inspect.
“Sigils of darkness,” Sir Rodney said and spat. “But these are different than the ones we saw on Desidera and Penelope like Ethan had described, only maybe worse. Where did you find them?”
“They were under Desi’s body,” Sasha said. “I couldn’t capture the symbols exactly… They were in some foreign hieroglyphics that I couldn’t remember enough of to reproduce. But these were geometric shapes that vanished when the ashes were pushed aside.”
“Beneath the bodies?” Sir Rodney whispered, clearly revolted.
Rupert nodded. “Chaos magick is afoot, milord.”
“Our clan elder, a shaman, went on a spirit walk and discovered how they went after each person’s spirit with doppelgangers… That’s how they got the spell fused with each person’s etheric body,” Sasha said, spinning around and talking to the others in the group. “Each person’s weakness, they’ve exploited; each person’s natural gift or defense mechanism, they’ve tainted. That’s why we can’t go into the shadows or call our wolf.”
“This is important information, milord,” Rupert said, wringing his hands. “But we need to know how they’ve black-charmed an entire fortress and castle… or even Ethan McGregor’s bar.”
“They’ve blocked ye from the shadows, lassie?” Sir Rodney said, clearly appalled, and only focused on what Sasha had said.
“We were in a flreflght back there, ambushed by the Buchanan clan, and could not use the shadows or call our wolf.” Hunter received nods of assent from his men, but Sir Rodney frowned.
“What, for the love of God, would send you into that low-life brothel-tell me it was for the moonshine, man!” Sir Rodney walked back and forth for a moment. “I don’t understand. It was a clear ambush, or am I daft?”
Every man found a point on the castle wall to stare at, but no one spoke.
“I was following a scent,” Hunter said carefully. “The same feral trace that I picked up at the scene of the first crime, then at the young woman’s trailer.”
“That’s no doubt why Shogun went there, too,” Sasha said, trying to help Shogun save face.
“Vampires and some type of Were scent?” Sir Rodney said, his gaze narrowing. “How so? Can you be sure?”
“Vampires attacked Winters, the youngest, most vulnerable member of my human team, when he was running across the street to get help. Bradley had the old Dugan B &B fortified against Vampire attacks, since that’s where my team was making base camp. But they showed their hand by going after the kid… just like they’d gone after him before. Doc incinerated one of them, but the other got away.”
“Good for your da… I’ll have to remember he’s a man of action and a solid shot.” Sir Rodney smiled a smile that wasn’t wholly appropriate for the occasion. “Why don’t we go inside, eat, have some ale, and then figure out an anti-charm, shall we?”
“We only promised you access to them in a vulnerable state,” Kiagehul sneered, showing his pointed demon-like teeth and standing quickly. “You come into my hidden bayou coven battered, snarling, and reeking of canine sweat and then assail me with charges of reneging on a deal? I am offended! You knew what you were supposed to get out of this bargain. The trade was fair-I was to remove the wolves as a threat; you were to receive, in exchange, the revenge you seek against them. End of discussion.”
“The Bayou House is no more!” one Werewolf yelled, pounding his fist against his palm. “Our still, obliterated; our working girls, dead.”
“Butch is dead,” another argued, growling. “We demand recompense.”
A low growl filled the throat of Buchanan’s injured nephew. “This was not the outcome we paid for in the spell… Something went wrong and you need to pay for it!”
Several Unseelie Gnome bouncers circled the small group of Werewolves, causing a mild stir amongst the cauldrons. Kiagehul moved in closer to the disgruntled Werewolves only after the show of force was in place.
“Nothing went wrong with my spell,” he said, his eyes narrowing as his glamour faded. “Dark mist can show them the chain of events; we will use the war board and go back in time.