Chapter 212

Chapter 212: Chapter 212

Heather

The little demons had stopped pouring out, but inside the pit a giant demon was clawing its way to the top. It looked like it was made of molten lava, scarring the rock with fire as it climbed. It spotted me and roared, moving faster.

I didn’t want to have to jump, but I had to throw Luciana in. Her magic had to be stopped.

As the demon inside Luciana died, her eyes turned back to her normal brown. Her skin wasn’t quite so green. Confusion crossed her face as she glanced around the church.

"I’m sorry for what I’m about to do." My voice sounded much stronger than I felt.

Her life was slipping away. It’d been only moments, and I wasn’t sure she could understand me, but Luciana’s face relaxed like she was giving me the okay.

"Lord, save us from what she’s done. Help us stop the death." I pushed her body into the pit. "Send these monsters back to hell."

Luciana’s body tumbled as it fell. The demon roared as she passed it.

I waited, watching it fall, hoping that the portal would start to close, but nothing happened.

Oh shit. The portal wasn’t closing. The demon was moving fast.

A howl echoed through the church. Not a demon.

Brent!

I felt his pain through the bond. Claws scored his back as demons surrounded him.

Closing the portal would kill off the demons that pinned my friends down everywhere I looked.

I had to close it. Now.

In my vision, it was me jumping with Luciana that had stopped everything. Sacrificing myself would work. But as I stood there, gazing into hell...

I didn’t want to die. Not now. Not yet.

I had to try to close it with magic first. If I couldn’t, then I’d jump before Brent or anyone else had to die.

I raised my hands in the air, mimicking Luciana. "Close." I focused on the pit and pushed all the magic I had at it.

It stayed open.

Brent’s whimper of pain hit me as another demon got its claws in him. I didn’t need to see him to know what was going on. The bond was wide open.

But if I could see, then I could draw power, too.

I pulled from our bond, taking as much power as I could get. "Close!" I drew the word out, screaming until my voice broke. My skin tingled from the magic.

I pulled again—more this time. From the pack. I felt all the ties that held us together, and yanked on their magic as I screamed the word.

It still wasn’t enough.

Shit. A tear rolled down my check. I stepped to the edge, and took a breath.

Looking down, I nearly threw up. I couldn’t believe I was doing this. I felt empty. Broken. I didn’t want to die, but the lava demon was almost to the top and I wasn’t sure any of us would be able to stop that one if it got free.

Three other wolves howled. I glanced around the room one last time. Claudia’s shirt was torn, her hair coming free from her braid. Lucas was beside her fighting as Claudia moved her hands in a spell.

Raphael stood with Xander, fighting to keep their own between two minor demons and a major one across the room.

Serena and Donovan were guarding the door—stopping any demons from escaping.

Cosette and Van were fighting their way to Brent, but most of the last demons were swarming them.

Brent was surrounded by five demons. A little rat sized one was on his bloody back, biting into his neck. The fey couldn’t get there in time.

I didn’t have a choice.

This was it.

I’m sorry. I tried. But I have to stop this. I love you. Please be strong for me.

His rage and denial beat against me, but I closed my eyes and took a breath.

I had to be strong. I could do this.

Just before I jumped, a furry head butted against my legs, knocking me away from the pit.

Donovan was next to me, and I gripped his fur. "I have to jump. It’s the only way."

Before I could take the last step forward, his command rolled over me.

The power of the Seven slammed into me, and only my grip on Donovan’s fur kept me from falling into the pit.

Within a second, I was pulling power from him. From every wolf alive.

Through him, I could feel the Cazadores approaching.

They were too late to fight, but they’d be here to help clean up.

I could feel the people who’d left the pack. Callista. Leslie.

Leslie sent an apology back, and opened up completely, giving me everything she had. Stopping Luciana was bigger than our petty differences.

Power poured through me—from every Were alive—until I thought it was too much. I was burning up, but I held it inside.

And then I felt Lucas. He had a lot of power, but through him—I could feel my cousin. Claudia’s ability seeped into me, amplifying all the magic I held. Multiplying it.

It was too much. I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

"Close now!" I screamed the words, letting all the built-up power out in one huge blast.

An explosion hit and I was blasted back, slamming into one of the fallen pews.

The light was so bright, I couldn’t see. I squeezed my eyes shut.

The demons cried out as one, and then there was nothing but silence.

No more hissing. No more scuttling of nails. I could hear my own gasping breaths as I waited for something to happen.

Soft wisps brushed my face, and I opened my eyes.

It was raining ashes.

My heart raced as the last of the magic faded from my system, making every part of me—my skin, my teeth, my nails—tingle.

I sat up, and the pit was gone. The floor was there—blackened in a ragged circle—but the portal to hell had disappeared. The demons were gone. Dead. All of them.

A series of wolf howls broke the silence, and I started laughing.

I was so exhausted—my head was pounding, every

muscle in my body ached, and that wasn’t the worst of it. My leg was both throbbing and on fire. I wasn’t sure I could put any weight on it. But every pain was worth it. The demons were back where they belonged. Luciana was dead. The portal was closed.

And Brent and I were alive.

It was okay. I fell back against the ground, crying tears of relief.