Now they were all gathered in a clearing near the base of a cliff, waiting for the sun to go down. Destiny had given Mason a message that Felix and his crew were close, but it was still at least an hour until dark.
Adira looked to the sky.
And worse, it felt like a storm was rolling in. Dark clouds built in the sky, stacking up like piles of discolored marshmallows, and in the distance, thunder could be heard.
“What if we can’t reach the mystics?” Nastia murmured.
Adira looked at the werecats surrounding the circle she’d made with her sisters. Several had taken their animal form. Others stayed human. She could see them, but a glamour spell kept them from seeing her and the sisters. The glamour was necessary to hide the Sorcera from the Alley Cats. Otherwise they would’ve been target number one. Easy prey, and simple to take out. But it left the animals increasingly uncomfortable, their senses essentially blind.
They were depending on the Sorcera, had put their faith in light magic.
She couldn’t fail them.
“Then we shall draw our magic from another source. We will find a way,” Adira insisted.
The other two nodded.
“We’ll find a way,” Mirana repeated.
The wind picked up, whipping Adira’s hair into a tangle around her shoulders. The front was pinned tightly in rolls to keep it out of her face but the force of the wind threatened to pull it loose..
“They’re close,” Nastia called. “I can feel them. The shadow clan is very dark, sisters. Very dark.”
Adira looked again to the sky. The stars weren’t alive yet, but it didn’t matter. The clouds were going to hinder them.
Gash paced nearby, brushing his palm through his hair. He’d stayed human and so had his mate, Bailey, who stood several feet away. He’d wanted her away from the scene of the battle, safe from his brother, but she’d have none of it. Nastia had brokered a compromise: Bailey would stay between the Sorcera’s mystics circle and the outer ring of shifters. She’d be the second layer in the bullseye, protecting the center in case any foes made it past the outer ring.
And then Gash had threatened the others within an inch of their lives if they let anyone through. But Bailey hadn’t heard that part.
“Very… close. Very close. Close. Very close. One, two, three, four…”
Adira twisted around to find Nastia, eyes focused on the ground, head shaking from side to side. They’d cleared the area of rocks, but apparently she’d found something her curse deemed worthy of numerating.
“Five, six, seven…”
Felines began pouring into the clearing, slinking like phantoms, leaping gracefully from high tree branches to land on the ground with barely a noise. Mostly mountain cats but there were a few more exotic shifter types. Still, no tigers.
“Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen. Oh, so many. Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen…”
The ring Ouachita had made around the Sorcera was surrounded by werecats now. They were nearly doubled in numbers, and no doubt the Alley Cats had them beat on brutality too.
A low, strange whistle brought Adira’s attention to the trees directly to her left. A towering man stepped out from the shadows the fading light created against the cliff side. His dark hair slicked straight back from this forehead revealing classically handsome features. A straight, regal nose and full lips, cradled in a jaw that looked cut from stone.
If this was the wicked Felix, great leader of the shadow clan, she’d expected him to appear a bit more rugged. But then, hadn’t their trainers taught them ofttimes evil came in pretty packages. Sparkly paper and beautiful bows, only to cut your finger when you tried to open it.
Candy coated razors.
Poison apple.
A pretty demon with an angel face.
The whistling didn’t stop as he strolled forward, unworried. It had no tune to it. Just a combination of notes that sounded off when put together. It landed on Adira’s ears with the smoothness of sandpaper, grating her nerves raw.
And still there wasn’t a single heavenly light to be seen. No moon, no stars. Only wind and sickly green clouds.
“Brother,” Felix drawled, giving some relief from the whistling. He stared at Gash with shrewd eyes. “What is this? I thought we’d come to an understanding.”
His gaze took in the entire ring, assessing the gathering. To him and the other shifters, it would simply look like Ouachita had circled ranks to guard Gash and Bailey. He wouldn’t see that they were protecting something even more powerful. And if they could hold him off until the clouds gave way, it just might be his downfall.
“I see you brought the entire clan,” Gash said, eyeing the prowling cats.
Felix smiled but it wasn’t friendly. It was more like a shark that knows he’s found a school to feast on.