Revenge of the Witch Read online

“What are you going to do?” Wiggles asked. “You can’t save them both.”

  “You make an excellent point, my hellhound,” Frank said as his energy slid back over me, and he took control again. “Who do you want to save, Tempest, Axel or Rhett?”

  Chapter 17

  Despite Frank being in charge, I still felt panic throbbing inside me. I didn’t want to choose between Rhett and Axel. Whatever decision I made, a friend would die.

  “We’ll go back and get the angels,” I said.

  “We’re not involving those buffoons,” Frank said, forcing me to remain on the spot. “When they realize I’m in charge, they won’t pay attention. They will probably attack.”

  “The gang then,” I said. “They won’t care if I’m controlled by a demon.”

  “By the time you go back and lead them to the bodies, the curse will be complete, and your friends will be dead. You will have lost them both.”

  I was glad Frank had control of my body; otherwise, my knees would be shaking. “Where is Axel?”

  “He’s closest to us. I sense his half-demon ability. Rhett is on the opposite side of the swamp. His power has a different flavor.”

  I had no way to send a message to Dazielle to let her know what was going on and direct her to one of the victims. There was no one who could help.

  “Tempest, you’re at a crossroads. You must make your decision. Who do you want to save?” Frank sounded like he was enjoying this.

  “I want to save both of them.” It wasn’t fair. What did the curse killer want with Axel and Rhett?

  “If you do not decide, I will make the decision. Perhaps I will choose to save neither and go play with your sister instead.”

  “No! You made a deal with me.”

  “Then make your choice. Your anxiety is making me sweat.”

  I looked down at Wiggles. “Who would you choose?”

  “You need to ask? Axel is a jerk.”

  “He’s not a jerk who deserves to die.”

  “Rhett is your guy. He’s on the shady side, but he’s generally sound.”

  “But Axel is vulnerable and alone. Rhett has his gang to look out for him.”

  “Axel is a trust fund baby. He has all the luxuries a half-demon desires. He wants for nothing.”

  I groaned. “Fine. I’ve made my decision. I choose Rhett.”

  “I am disappointed,” Frank said. “I always favor the demons. Fallen angels are so intense and emotional.”

  “Where is Axel?” I asked.

  “You’ll find his body two miles east of the broken bridge leading out of Willow Tree Falls,” Frank said.

  “I’ll tell the angels.” Wiggles raced away, his tiny legs a blur as he shot through the trees.

  “Let’s rescue Rhett,” I said. “Don’t be slow about it.”

  My head jerked back as Frank blasted into action. Demons can move fast when motivated. My heart felt like it would burst out of my chest as he flew past trees and bounded over rocks.

  “We’re almost out of time,” Frank cautioned. “Your dithering could have killed him.”

  “Keep going.”

  “You’re overheating. I can sense it.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Don’t slow down.”

  Frank grunted and pushed on. The ground underfoot grew damp, and we soon squelched through ankle high muck.

  “This can’t be the place,” I said. “It’s too swampy. You can’t bury a body here.”

  “But you can here.” Frank made a huge leap, grabbed hold of a tree and swung around it. We landed on the other side, my knees protesting as I thudded to the ground.

  “Where is Rhett?”

  “Under this mound of earth.” Frank was on the move again before I was dropped to the ground beside a pile of recently turned mud.

  I shoveled sticky, foul smelling mud behind me as Frank’s energy ebbed back, and I felt my control slip back into place.

  “I should warn you, Axel is about to perish. He only has a moment of air left.”

  I blinked tears out of my eyes. “Frank, please, is there anything you can do to save him? Are the angels on their way?”

  “Our hellhound has just reached them. They don’t believe what he’s saying. It appears they have trust issues when it comes to Wiggles. By the time he convinces them, it will be too late, and your friend will be dead.”

  “Axel can’t die.” I dug faster. If I could get Rhett out quickly, maybe I could get back to Axel.

  “You’ve made your decision. You picked Rhett.”

  I flung mud in all directions, using my arms as scoops, despite the muscles burning with the effort. “There must be something you can do. You’re a powerful demon.”

  “I am that.” He was silent for a second. “Perhaps for another weekend in control of what we do.”

  “You are a hateful demon,” I growled. “You’re bargaining when a person is dying.”

  “As you just said, I’m a demon. My morals are on the wonky side.”

  “What morals?”

  Frank chuckled. “The same conditions. I promise not to debauch, kill, or maim too badly. One more weekend, and I will help Axel.”

  I had no time to negotiate. “Do it. Anything to save him.”

  “As you wish.”

  I struck something warm. I slowed my frantic digging as I discovered a hand underneath the mud. I slid my hands up and dug carefully until I revealed Rhett’s face.

  A sob choked out of me. “He looks dead.”

  “He’s very close to death, but he’s still breathing,” Frank said.

  “Give me back full control,” I said. “I can use my magic to heal him.”

  “Make sure you keep your promise. And be careful. What I have summoned to assist Axel will not go quietly. One false move, and it will be your funeral everyone is attending.”

  I continued to scrape mud from Rhett’s eyes and mouth as Frank’s power faded. “What did you summon?”

  “You told me to do anything, and that’s what I’ve done. I hope you can live with the consequences.” Frank’s energy slid down my spine, and I no longer heard him in my head.

  I leaned over Rhett and let out a relieved sigh when I heard quiet breaths coming out of him. I pressed my hands against his chest and pumped him full of healing magic, focusing on connecting with the power of nature around us and filling him with life.

  As I touched Rhett, I felt the sticky residue of dark curse flicker across my skin.

  The curse was fading. The magic had achieved what it needed to do. The curse killer must assume Rhett had suffocated as he was held in place by the dark magic.

  Rhett’s eyes flickered open, and he sucked in a huge breath.

  I kept my hands pressed to his chest, keeping the magic flowing until color returned to his cheeks.

  His eyes struggled to focus, but his gaze finally locked with mine. “Tempest?”

  “I’m here. The curse didn’t get you. Lie still. You’ve taken quite a magical beating.”

  “It isn’t safe.” He coughed, and his eyes closed again.

  I shook my head. “Don’t worry about anything. The magic user isn’t around.”

  “You’re not hurt?” His voice sounded hoarse.

  “No, I’m fine. I got here in time. Everything will be okay.”

  “Your bar!” His eyes blinked open, panic clear in his dazed expression.

  “Cloven Hoof? What about it?”

  “It’s dangerous.”

  My brows lowered. My bar wasn’t dangerous. Other than the occasional crazy night, it was one of the safest places to be. “I don’t understand.”

  Rhett faded for a moment before gasping in a breath. “The curse killer is in your bar.”

  My heart stuttered in my chest. “Are you talking about Izzie?”

  Rhett coughed again, and his eyes fluttered closed, his head dropping to the side.

  I checked his pulse, which was strong and regular. It seemed that the effort of talking had knocked him out.

&nb
sp; I sat back on my heels and tried to puzzle through what he meant. Was he warning me that Izzie was dangerous?

  My gut twisted, and my vision went blurry. Had I made a huge mistake? Had I overlooked the real killer because she was a friend?

  The smell of sulfurous gas filled the air, followed by an ear-piercing explosion that rocked the ground beneath me.

  I recalled Frank’s words about watching my back when help arrived for Axel. What or who had Frank summoned?

  Another explosion filled the air, and I saw a spray of fire blast through the treetops.

  I did one final check on Rhett. He seemed stable, and there was nothing more I could do to help him right now.

  I raced away. I had to find out what was going on. What had Frank done to keep Axel safe? Maybe the bargain I’d made to save him would be too high of a price to pay.

  Chapter 18

  I sped toward the site of the explosion. As I grew nearer, my pulse raced. The angels and the biker gang had joined forces and faced down a ten-foot mass of writhing red smoke.

  As the smoke solidified, long twisted horns, talons, and a bulky flame-red giant of a demon stepped forward.

  I slowed, and my eyes bugged. What was most amazing about this scene was that Axel lay on the ground, covered in sticky mud, and the demon appeared to be protecting him.

  An angel screamed as the demon threw her against a tree before lunging at Dazielle.

  Dazielle’s wings were fully extended, and she hovered three feet off the ground to match the height of the demon.

  “This is help?” I muttered to Frank.

  Frank chuckled. “I knew he would come to assist in this little problem.”

  “Why? Who is he?” I flinched as a gout of flames shot from the demon’s mouth.

  “Don’t you see the family resemblance? That’s Axel’s father.”

  “That’s Kroni!” My jaw dropped, and my mouth went dry. Of course, it made sense. He’d want to protect his son when he realized he was in mortal danger. My brain froze for a second. Kroni was the right-hand demon to the ruler of the underworld. He was powerful, dangerous, and had a terrible temper.

  “And he’s in the blackened flesh he enjoys so much.” Frank snorted. “I do not see the appeal. Too theatrical for my taste. Typical Kroni.”

  “Axel’s father is a soul collector.”

  “Correct.”

  I swallowed my fear. Not many demons made my knees shake, but soul collectors were the stuff of nightmares. They used to be all about collecting damned souls and tossing them into fiery pits. But they’d diversified and now used their powers so anyone could bargain with them. If you had a pure soul, you could sell it to a soul collector and get your hands on a lot of power. Soul collectors didn’t care who they did business with, so long as the price was right.

  Another angel was downed along with a gang member as I stared open-mouthed at the fight.

  Wiggles raced over. “This is great. People would pay money to see a fight like this.”

  I shook myself to dislodge some of the horror I felt. “Maybe they would, but it’s time for it to stop.”

  “I don’t recommend you go up against Kroni,” Frank whispered in my head. “He’s not known for his benevolent behavior. He does not like witches.”

  I watched Kroni slam dunk an angel like she was a basketball. “I don’t love the angels, and the gang is a massive pain in my backside, but I can’t watch them die.”

  “You could,” Frank said. “It will be entertaining. Your hellhound has the right idea.”

  “Tempest, we should sit this one out,” Wiggles said. “You’ve got magic skills, but this is a huge, raging mad demon who wants to kill everyone in sight.”

  “He’s also Axel’s father,” I said.

  “Huh! No way! Axel is nothing like him. This dude is seriously cool.” Wiggles studied Kroni. “Nope, that is not Axel’s dad.”

  “Fortunately for us, he is.” I inched closer as Kroni hurled an enormous fireball at the remaining gang members, and they scattered.

  I sucked in a breath. There was never a good time to approach a demon, but I handled demons almost every day. This one would be no different. Hopefully, maybe. Oh, bugger, what was I getting myself into?

  I rolled my shoulders and walked toward Kroni. “You don’t need to attack. I summoned you.”

  Kroni spun on his heel and stalked toward me. I backed up several steps and held my hands up. There were rules for handling angry demons. Rule number one: Don’t rile them any more than necessary. Rule number two: They do not enjoy being summoned. Rule number three: If you summon a demon, you’d better have an excellent reason for trying to control them. Rule number four: If you don’t have a good reason, you need to have your affairs in order, because they will destroy you.

  The air around me felt hot and murky as Kroni drew close. “I did not mean to cause offense, but your son was in mortal danger.”

  Kroni raised his chin and sniffed the air, his huge nostrils contracting and expanding several times. “A Crypt witch.” His voice was low and gravelly like he smoked unfiltered cigarettes.

  “Tempest Crypt. I’m friends with Axel.”

  His top lip curled, revealing a fine set of sharp teeth. “My son is friends with a witch. How disappointing.”

  “It’s not so hard to believe. Everyone in Willow Tree Falls gets along.”

  Kroni grunted. A flame shot out of his mouth and hit the ground. “Who placed my son in danger?”

  “I’m not certain. We have someone cursing people and burying them alive. I didn’t have enough time to save Axel and the other cursed victim, so I decided to get assistance from you.”

  “There is more than one victim?”

  “There would have been four. I saved one guy, and you saved Axel. The others weren’t so lucky.”

  Kroni shook his head. “You lie. You did not summon me.”

  I shrugged. “Technically, it wasn’t me. Does that matter?”

  Kroni’s muscled arm shot out so fast I didn’t see him move. His talons wrapped around my neck, and he squeezed. I wished I had my demon catching bag. I did not want to try to swallow this big guy. He would give me a nasty case of acid reflux and most likely make me explode from the inside.

  He sniffed the air again. “I thought so. You are the witch who houses a demon inside her.”

  “You’ve heard of me?” I gasped as his talons scraped my skin.

  “Most demons have.” He snarled in my face. “You are an aberration.”

  “We all have to make a living.”

  “Dad, don’t hurt her.” Axel was on his knees, staring at us, his eyes wide and his face pale and mud-streaked.

  Kroni did not turn. “She means something to you?”

  “Tempest is telling the truth. We are friends.”

  Kroni’s gaze ran over me. “My son is an idiot.”

  “He has his moments,” I said.

  “Please, don’t kill her.” Axel staggered to his feet, made it two steps, and fell on his face. My hero.

  Kroni belched sulfur over me. “He seems fond of you. I shall spare your life.”

  Dazielle made the hideous mistake of jumping on Kroni’s back as he dropped me to the ground.

  He roared, spouting fire from his mouth as he reached around and flung her over his shoulder.

  I shook my head and groaned as I watched her collapse to the ground. Just when I was getting somewhere, the angels had to mess things up.

  As more angels charged Kroni, I ducked behind him and knelt next to Axel, turning him gently onto his back. “How are you doing?”

  “I think I died a couple of times.” Axel’s eyes rolled back in his head.

  I tapped his cheek. “Stay with me. It was a close call, but you’re breathing now.”

  Axel coughed and spat mud on the ground. “I can’t believe you summoned my father. I didn’t even know you could do that.”

  “It was Frank. They’re old acquaintances. It was the only way I could save yo
u and Rhett at the same time.”

  “Rhett was cursed too?” Axel forced his eyes open.

  “He was. Did you see who cursed you? I don’t think they’re going to stop, so we have to stop them.”

  A shriek echoed through the forest, followed by another explosion, as Kroni launched himself at the remaining gang members who had crept back after his last attack.

  We both cringed as the fight grew nearer and a blast of fire skimmed the ground by my feet.

  Axel feebly brushed at a burning bush next to us before giving up and flopping to the ground. “I remember some of what happened.”

  “You saw who cursed you?”

  Axel ran a hand down his face, smearing sticky mud across his cheeks. “The memory is hazy. I don’t remember anything after being cursed, other than feeling sick and a little terrified. I definitely don’t remember coming here.”

  I grabbed his shoulders. “Axel, think really carefully. Other peoples’ lives depend on this. Who cursed you?”

  Axel’s gaze widened as he stared at me. “Oh, no! Tempest, you’re not safe. You have to stay away from Cloven Hoof.”

  I frowned. That was the exact same thing Rhett had said. “Is it one of my bar staff? Is it Izzie?”

  An angel was thrown through the air and slammed into Axel, sending them both flying into a tree.

  I jumped up and hurried over. I yanked the unconscious angel off Axel, but I was too late to get an answer to my question. He was out cold.

  “No! That was my chance to find out who cursed Axel.” I glared at Kroni.

  “My son is injured, again?” The demon strode over and scooped Axel up with one hand, peering into his slack face and giving him a shake.

  I looked behind Kroni and saw the carnage he’d left. Trees were burnt, angels were down, and there were no signs of any gang members, other than a crumpled, blood-stained leather jacket.

  I returned my attention to Kroni. “What do you expect? You threw an angel at him. Those things are heavy.”

  “It’s the wings. Axel is simply a casualty of war.” Kroni sniffed Axel. “He won’t die.”

  “This isn’t a war. If you’d bothered to talk to the angels or the gang members, they’d have told you what was happening.”