“I’m trying,” Lilly said. “But I can see it. I can see the drop and I can feel the wind on my face. I’m getting vertigo for crying out loud.”
“You’re not the only one, Lilly,” Crina spoke up. “I can’t get my mind around it either.”
Lilly backed up until she was against the cliff wall and sunk to the ground. Elle sat down next to her and the others found seats as well.
“I guess we wait,” Thalion said.
Lorelle appeared suddenly, just at the edge. Peri’s eyes landed on her and, in a second, she was standing less than a foot from her sister.
“Why are you doing this Lorelle?” she asked. “When did you become so cruel?”
“I’ve told you my reasons and I won’t justify myself to you any longer.” Lorelle tried to side step her sister but Peri reached out her hand and slammed it into Lorelle’s chest. The fae flew back into the cliff wall just to the left of where Elle and Lilly sat.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you right here?” Peri snarled into her sister’s face.
“Because I will kill every single being on this cliff.”
“THERE IS NO CLIFF!” Peri screamed.
“Then tell one of them to walk off the side,” Lorelle taunted. “If there is no cliff, then they will just be walking into the forest.”
Skender stood and made his way over to the edge.
“Skender don’t,” Peri ordered.
“I have no mate, Perizada. If I perish, it will be no great loss,” he told her simply.
“Every single one of you is of great importance, Skender. Mateless or not, you are no less valuable. Do not take another step.”
“Skender, do not,” Vasile’s eyes glowed as he gave the command. Skender stepped back, unable to disobey his Alpha’s orders.
“If you are quite finished, Perizada, I came to tell you something rather important.” Lorelle gave her sister a pointed look.
Peri slammed her sister into the wall one more time before releasing her. “Deliver your news and then go.”
“You might not want to wait too long for this whole it isn’t really a cliff bit. Jen has gone into labor and I’m not real sure just how long until the baby is born.” She turned her eyes on Decebel. “I would think you would want to see your child before she’s taken.”
Decebel began to lunge for the fae but was stopped by Alston’s magic. The fae held out his arm holding the enraged Alpha in place.
“I’ll kill you for this, Lorelle. I don’t care how long it takes; I will rip your head from you neck and feed it to the wolves.” Peri’s body shook with her fury and the air around her grew electric.
Lorelle gave her sister one last look before she vanished.
The group was silent as they took in the news Lorelle had delivered. No one moved, as if by doing so they would somehow seal their fate.
Decebel’s mind was working overtime and his wolf was raging inside of him, fighting to get free, and needing to get to Jennifer. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He was supposed to be with her when she went into labor. He was supposed to hold her hand and support her. Yet he was here, stuck on a cliff that wasn’t a cliff. And the moment his baby girl was born, his life would be over and he would never have the chance to touch either of his girls again.
Decebel felt the ground beneath his feet begin to shift and rumble. He quickly drew himself from his thoughts and looked around to see if everyone else was feeling the same thing. Sure enough, they were all looking at the ground curiously and attempting to balance themselves as it shook beneath them.
“Awe crap,” Peri huffed. “He’s going to bring down the cliff that doesn’t even bloody hell exist except in our minds.”
Lilly gripped the rock wall trying to balance herself as the trembling grew stronger. “He’s going to bring this thing down and kill us all unless Elle or I give in.”
“NO!” Cypher thundered. “Neither of you is sacrificing yourself. I’ve had enough death for one day. We are getting out of this, all of us.” He looked over at Peri who had her arms out as she tried to balance herself. “Whatever it is that makes you so powerful that the wolves tremble before you, now would be the time to whip it out.”
Peri raised an eyebrow at him. “Damn I wish Jen was here to take that one; she would totally run with it. Whip it out, that’s classic.” She shook her head with a smirk still plastered on her lips and then looked over to Alston. “This is going to take blood magic,” she told him.
His face was solemn as he answered. “It will be overlooked this one time, for this one instance. There is no other option that I can see, unless we allow one of the females to give her life.”
“Not an option,” Peri said firmly. She pulled a dagger from seemingly nowhere and then looked at Cypher. “My blood is powerful, and to shed it willingly for a sacrifice is honorable, but it is also something that the fae never do lightly. I do not know if it will work, and if it does, I do not know what the consequences will be, but I have to try.”
Cypher and the others stared at Peri, waiting for her to continue.
She took the blade and ran it along her palm, slashing deep into her flesh. The blood welled up from the wound and began to drip to the ground. With the earth around them attempting to crumble beneath them, Peri knelt down and touched the ground with the slashed palm and pressed it to the dirt. She closed her eyes and called on the magic that lived inside her as she spoke. “Ancient power that flows through my veins, I willingly shed my blood to spare the life required by the black magic that fills this place. Let my blood cleanse this place and open our eyes to the truth behind the lies. Break the binding, rip through the ties, and cast out the evil that has taken root.”
The ground continued to tremble and the wind began to whip around them. Peri’s hair was like a wild mane dancing around her as she let her blood flow into the dirt. She willed it to delve deep into the earth and to seek out the black magic that held their minds captive.
“Peri, it’s still a cliff,” Adam yelled through the roar of the storm brewing in the air. Dark clouds gathered above them and lightning flashed across the sky.
Peri heard the rumble of laughter that began to grow louder as the storm grew more and more vicious. “You cannot win, Perizada,” the voice that was Reyaz told her. “The magic calls for a sacrifice and it will demand the price be paid.”
Peri’s eyes narrowed. She felt her wrath building and willed even more blood to flow from her vein. She would not lose another to this evil, twisted warlock. She refused to accept defeat, refused to believe that she, as old and powerful as she was, could not break the spell. Her body began to shake with the effort to stay upright, her vision began to blur and she felt weak from blood loss, but she would not give in.
“You cannot have them,” Peri answered the voice. She knew none of the others would be able to hear her over the storm. Rain now pelted them painfully and the temperature dropped, making the drops even more excruciating as they sliced against their flesh. She could feel the magic Reyaz spoke of, could feel the darkness in it, and the intent behind it. And she realized that there was no way around it, not this kind of magic. It demanded a sacrifice and it would not relent its hold until it got it. “So be it,” she whispered into the raging storm. She stood slowly, careful to steady her weak legs and turned to look at Vasile. The rain made it difficult to see him clearly and she hoped that he could hear her with his wolf ears. “This is my sacrifice to make. It has been an honor, Vasile, Alpha, friend.” She flashed herself to the edge of the cliff and with one final glance back at the wolves she had grown to love so deeply she leapt.
Chapter 24
“There’s a song that I listen to when I need to know that it’s okay to fall apart. The chorus says to let it hurt, let it bleed, let it take you right down to your knees. I’m there. I’m on my knees hurting, bleeding, burning, from the inside out. What if it doesn’t stop? What if it’s just too much? How long do I let it hurt? How long do I let it bleed and what if I can neve
r get up off my knees?” ~Jacque
Decebel looked around at the others and saw that they were all as shocked as he was. The rain stopped, and the wind died down. The ground around them was just a forest floor. Peri’s sacrifice had broken the magic. Peri’s death had saved their lives. Decebel gritted his teeth together as the anguish continued to build inside of him. He wanted to grieve for Peri. He wanted to show her the respect she deserved and he would, whether it be in this life or the next. But first he had to get to his mate.
He heard the sobs of the females and the murmuring voices of the males attempting to comfort them, but they would find no comfort, not here in a place that continued to take from them and to rip lives that completed their family from them.
“Where did she go?” Elle asked as she looked around the forest for any sign of Peri’s body. “Why isn’t her body here?” Tears stained her face and her hair, wild from the storm fell loosely around her shoulders.
“I don’t know,” Vasile answered. “What she has done for us will not be forgotten, and we will give her the burial she deserves once this is finished.”
The others nodded and mumbled agreements as they attempted to pull themselves together.
Lilly buried her face in Cypher’s chest as he enveloped her in his large arms. He whispered to her gently, “I’m sorry little one; we will make it out of this.”
Lilly wanted to believe him, but then part of her wanted to curl into a ball and let the sorrow swallow her.
“Vasile, we must hurry,” Decebel told him. He turned in the direction where the cliff edge had appeared to be and walked a few steps, taking a deep breath. There, he thought, there is my Jennifer. He took off at a dead run, not caring if anyone followed him. His one thought, his only thought, to get to his mate, to see his child, and then to die telling the woman he loved how precious she was to him.
“It’s been a long time,” the Great Luna told the white wolf.
Lucian phased back into his human form and stood beside Alina’s body. He looked at his creator and felt the warmth and love flowing off of her and into him.
“Why did you let me live?” he asked her, thinking of the long centuries he had spent wandering the dark forest, aching for companionship, and at times, longing for death.
“Because you have a purpose still in this life and it is an important one.”
He looked down at Alina and felt the sorrow from her death and remembered the pain in his brother’s eyes. “Was her purpose done?” he motioned to Alina.
The Great Luna shook her head as her lips tightened into a thin line. “No, it was not.” She frowned at the still body of the Alpha female and walked over to her. She knelt down and eased her arms under her and picked her up effortlessly.
“Come, Lucian. I will not leave a child of mine out in the dark.”
Lucian followed her without hesitation. He heard weeping up ahead and then he and the Luna emerged into a tiny clearing where one of the girls from the circle, Jacque, he recalled her name, sat with the brunette, Sally, lying in her lap. She looked up at them and her tears fell harder and she began to rock back and forth.
“Why?” she asked the Great Luna. “Please tell me why?”
She turned and carefully handed Alina to Lucian and then went over and knelt by the two girls. She murmured something he couldn’t hear and then Jacque nodded her head and then slumped forward until her forehead rested on the Luna’s shoulder. He watched as the goddess caressed the female, calming her.
“Let us go,” she finally said as she picked up Sally in her arms and motioned for the other to follow.
“Where are we going?” Jacque asked.
The Great Luna smiled at her as a proud parent smiles at their child. “There will be no more death today, not of my children. It is time that I interfered.”
Jen felt sweat sliding down her back and matting her hair to her face. The warm air felt cool against her damp skin and she welcomed that small relief. She squeezed her eyes closed as she embraced the pain of labor, knowing that she was bringing a precious life into the world, a life she and Decebel had created. She bit her lip as she fought back the urge to scream, as the contractions
became more painful and closer together. Cynthia told her to find a focal point, to grab onto a thought and hold it in her mind, and to see it with clarity. She had no problem picking a focal point because he had been her focus since the day he had growled at her in that hospital room. He had claimed her and even when there were no signs other than what he felt, he had made it clear that she was his.
She pictured his face in her mind, his amber eyes, and the secrets they held. She envisioned his high cheek bones, straight nose, and firm lips that often stayed in a permanent scowl aimed at her, but could quirk up in an amused smile at a moment’s notice. She pushed all of her focus into that picture of him and finally the pain subsided from the contraction. She knew she wouldn’t have a respite for very long.
“Okay,” Cynthia said as she pushed the blanket over Jen’s knees so she could see how far dilated she was, “that was a strong one.”
“No offense doc, but you stating the obvious isn’t really an indication that you know what you’re doing.”
Cynthia chuckled. “Yes well, between the two of us, I think I’m just a tad more qualified.” Cynthia felt what she was looking for as she did her exam on Jen, “Okay it’s time to start pushing.”
Jen went still. “What?”
“Jen, I know you didn’t really get a chance to take the classes you needed to for giving birth, but surely you knew that this was the way she would come into the world.”
“If I didn’t need you right now, I just might knock you senseless,” Jen growled as she felt another contraction coming on.
“Okay here we go Jen,” Cynthia coached. As soon as you feel it hit, I want you to bear down and push, okay?”
Jen nodded and curled her fingers into the blanket as the contraction ripped through her. She tightened her stomach and pushed just as Cynthia told her.
“Picture your focal point, Jen. Breathe...okay, good job,” she patted her thigh gently.
The contraction passed and Jen was left breathless and dripping with even more sweat. She wanted to cry. She wanted her momma and she wanted her mate; hell, she just wanted someone to tell her she could do this, but there was no one and she was giving birth in a damn cave.
She felt a tear slide from her eye and she gritted her teeth to hold them back, but as another contraction built, she couldn’t contain them any longer. They poured from her eyes, blurring her vision, as she heard the doc’s voice once again telling her to push. She did. She pulled her legs up and pushed with all her might and when the contraction was gone, she knew it wasn’t enough.
“I can’t do this,” she said as she panted. She reached up to wipe away the tears but her arms were so weak that she couldn’t even do that. “Cynthia I can’t do this without him, I can’t.”
Cynthia looked up at Jen and her eyes were glowing. “You can do this and you will do this,” she said firmly. “This is your child, Jennifer. A miracle that you and Decebel created out of love and you will not let your mate or your little girl down. You are going to suck it up and do what needs to be done.”
Jen heard Cynthia; she felt the truth in her words and she tried to grab on to that truth. She had to do this. There was no out clause when in labor. She listened to the sound of the doctor’s voice as another contraction came and she pushed hard. She felt a stabbing pain and gasped. Immediately, she stopped pushing, and when she looked down at Cynthia’s face, she knew something was very wrong.
Cynthia’s eyes widened at the sight of the gush of blood that flowed from Jen’s body. The blood was bright red and there was so much. She flipped through her mind, quickly trying to remember all the things that could cause that much blood. She grabbed another blanket she had laid out and placed beneath Jen, attempting so soak up the fluid. Finally it hit her, an abruption, a placental abruption could cause this muc
h blood, and was also extremely dangerous.
“Jen we have to get her out, I need you to push as hard as you can when this next contraction comes, do you hear me?” Cynthia looked into Jen’s panicked eye. “You can do this.”
Jen knew from the sound of Cynthia’s voice and the fear in her eyes that something was seriously wrong. She tried to take some slow deep breaths to get herself under control. She needed to be strong and as much as she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry her eyes out, she couldn’t. Her child needed her and she would not let her down.
The contraction started and Jen took a deep breath. She pulled Decebel’s face up in her mind and imagined him there beside her telling her she was strong, telling her he wouldn’t leave her side and that everything would be alright. She pictured him so clearly that she swore she could hear his voice. Then he was saying Cynthia’s name. Why on earth would he be saying Cynthia’s name in her little illusion. She opened her eyes and turned her head to see him there at the entrance to the cave. She saw her mate, strong and tall, and by the look on his face, royally pissed off. He was pounding on the invisible barrier that kept him from her side and she wanted to tell him she would be okay, to somehow ease the panic in his eyes. But the contraction hit and she couldn’t think about that anymore.
“PUSH JEN!” Cynthia yelled. “Come on that’s it...breathe... okay, and push again! You’re doing great!” Cynthia could feel the baby’s head and knew they had to hurry, Jen was losing too much blood much too quickly. She heard Decebel yelling at them and asking her if Jen was okay. The anger and rage in his voice was tangible and sent chills down her spine. Another contraction followed immediately after that one ended, and she was yelling at Jen again. Her attention was divided though, and she finally answered Decebel. “She’s had a placental abruption. I don’t have time to explain what it is so don’t ask. The baby seems to be doing well. I hear her heart rate and it’s normal. Jen, however, has lost a lot of blood. We need Sally if you can get her.”