Danny whined, nosing toward me. “Stay back, Danny.”
Instead of listening, he got up on shaky paws and stumbled toward Marcy, knowing my intent was to reach the phone. I hadn’t seen what took Marcy down, but I assumed it was a spell from the bokor or something Marinette did. She couldn’t have been bitten, right? I asked my wolf, my voice filled with anxiety. I hadn’t thought of that. If Marcy had been bitten, it would be dire. I was to her leg when I heard a soft moan. “Thank goodness,” I muttered. Once I got to her, she lifted her head up. “I thought you might’ve been cursed.”
“What happened?” Marcy said slowly, still fully waking. “I had the advantage. I was sure of it—”
The bokor hit her with another spell and Marcy’s body lifted with the impact and collapsed back down, out cold.
I was furious, but there was nothing I could do to retaliate. “Was that really necessary in the scope of things? She was barely conscious.”
“Keeping her incapacitated is easy,” the bokor crooned. “I will not allow her to aid you again.”
The phone was still beeping, bless its heart. But now it was facing the ground, since Marcy had flipped over. I had to roll her. Danny tried to help, whining as he pushed his muzzle into Marcy. I slid my hand under her to reach it when something grabbed my ankles, yanking me sharply back.
I kicked my legs as I turned.
A rabid wolf snarled over me. I saw the sorceress’s careful attention in its eyes. I peered over at her and she was smiling a gruesome, broken-toothed smile.
“I will not allow her to help you.”
Danny snarled and started toward the wolf. He was going to protect me or die trying. His growl was ferocious, and he was huge. Much bigger than the wolf hovering over me. Another wolf sidled over to stand next to it, but the one who had been over my body stepped back. The bokor wasn’t going to take any chances. She had only these two left, as far as I could tell. We’d killed all her others.
“Daniel Walker, stand down,” I ordered. “This is not worth getting your neck torn out over. Plus, I’m getting out of this myself.” With a little help from Juanita.
He ignored me in favor of half stumbling, half walking to stand guard over my shoulder. Instead of moving him out of the way, which I could have done, I brought a hand up to his fur, letting him know my intent. I pressed him lightly, indicating where I wanted him to go with my fingers. He obliged and moved, and I casually rolled with him, reaching under Marcy to get the phone that was still beeping with Danny as my shield. My fingertips plucked the side of it right as the loa entered the bokor in front of me.
The change in the sorceress was immediate.
Her eyes flickered as the loa began to speak through her. The earth around us began to vibrate and the temperature dropped yet again, which seemed impossible since it was already so cold. “You cannot escape your fate. I will inhabit you and finally seek my resurrection.”
The ground began to shake in earnest, and I watched in horror as the bokor’s body began to convulse. Her eyes rolled back into her head, leaving only the whites, and she collapsed to her knees, her arms held wide.
There was another gurgling sound, and the two rabid wolves fell at my feet.
“Danny!” I yelled. “Get over to Naomi! I think this is Marinette’s last hurrah. She’s gathering power—”
A horrid scream pierced the air as the bokor keened, her body withering before my eyes as Marinette sucked every last drop from her.
Danny dove for Naomi, sensing the danger. The temperature was so cold my fingers were numb. I pulled myself up on my knees, ignoring the searing pain in my thigh, and I picked Marcy up under the arms, dragging her backward away from the spectacle.
The priestess’s cheeks hollowed out, her fingers began to shrivel, and then one by one her teeth fell out. Marinette was greedy in her taking, and once she was finished, she would be even more powerful.
And I was her next target.
I had to get my friends out of the way. “Danny, follow me. Pull Naomi out of the circle, but be careful not to prick her with your teeth. When Marinette is done, she’s coming after me.” If I was overtaken, she wouldn’t spare them. “Once they are out of the circle, I need you to go try to find help!” Danny began to tug Naomi along, whining as he went, fearful he would hurt her.
My wolf was still focused on making sure the yellow masses couldn’t enter the rest of my body. So far it had been working, but I was going to need my magic to battle Marinette. It couldn’t be tied up fixing my leg. There’s no doubt she’s coming after us, I told my wolf. This is it. We’re going to need our magic to battle her. Do you think we can we do both? Fight and keep the yellow from spreading? My wolf growled. I took that as a no. Well, we have no other choice.
The bokor gave one last moan and collapsed on the ground, face-first.
She was nothing more than a skeleton. Marcy was outside the circle, tucked behind a totem pole. She was beginning to groan and that was a good sign. With the sorceress dead, she should be able to break the spell. Danny was right behind me with Naomi. “Stay back here with them until you see the loa enter me,” I told him. “Do not go out there, whatever happens. Once Marinette is occupied with me, go for help. Try and find your way out of this realm. The Pack is right outside searching for us.”
Danny snapped his muzzle and gave me a low, disapproving bark.
“It doesn’t matter what you think,” I countered. “I won’t be able to keep Marinette out of me. I don’t have any more spells, and nothing you can do will stop her. She’ll just kill you once and for all. Now, focus on finding the Pack and leading them here. Ray is the only one who can save you. Don’t you dare give up. Do you hear me, Daniel Walker?”
Danny leaned over and rubbed his flank against me. He was hanging on because he was a strong wolf. I pointedly ignored his yellowing eyes and the missing fur. He had to be okay, and in order for me to make sure he was, I had to fight this loa and win. I just wish I knew how.
There was a snapping noise. It was the sound of bones breaking.