The Amulet (33 page)

She threw her arms around him and kissed him briefly. "I promise we can finish this later, but right now we have to go. Jessie and Nevar are still there."

"Then we should go. Are you ready?" He was looking at her pale skin and naked body. She looked like death. He knew she was not at full strength, and how vulnerable she felt out of her clothes.

"I'm ready," she answered. "I assure you I feel better than I probably look. Anyway, there's no time to get cleaned up or dressed. This may feel strange, Xander."

Before he could speak, he felt his body breaking apart into a million different pieces. He was weightless. It was an extraordinary feeling, but he felt a little queasy. The landscape flew by in a blur. He wanted to close his eyes, but had none to close.

Concentrate on me, Xander.

He heard her voice and it soothed the sick feeling that should have been in his stomach. After a moment, he felt her presence surrounding him and he was more than soothed. She wound her way in and around him in a way that was so intimate and erotic that he thought he could begin to like traveling this way.

We're nearly there.

Jessie tore through the halls, knocking over anything in her way. The scent was growing stronger. The wolf growled in anticipation. Gabriel was about to learn just who he was dealing with and this time, she was prepared. She planned to catch him off-guard, as he had done to her. the trail led to a winding stairwell. It would have been plenty roomy for her human body, but the wolf grazed against both walls. She would be unable to turn around should she need to escape. It made her cautious.

Three turns up the stairs led her to a heavy stone door. She recognized the engraving in the center. She scowled silently realizing the door was locked. This put a bit of a damper on her smash and grab technique. She drew herself up on her hind legs and threw herself into the door with all the strength she had. The stone creaked under the pressure and the mortar holding the stones together crumbled. The door fell apart and she crashed into the room behind it. Obviously, time had taken a toll on the castle and Gabriel had neglected its upkeep. Fortune had finally smiled on her, or else she had underestimated her strength.

Gabriel spun to face her, his eyes wide with dismay. She gave him a toothy smile, stepping fully into the room where she had room to maneuver. His eyes darted up suddenly and she followed his gaze. The sunlight was pouring into the room through a window on the eastern side of the tower. The rays were almost touching the nearest mirror. She would have to destroy them before the light was reflected and magnified.

Her luck had never been very good to begin with, but she was about to have a lot of bad luck and plenty of years to endure it. So be it, she thought. She lunged directly for Gabriel, who dodged out of the way in the nick of time. Jessie had been expecting this. She smashed into the mirror closest to the sunbeam and it fell into shards against the stone floor.

Nevar looked relieved when he caught her eye. He was struggling to free himself, but the shackles held tight. She would have to break him out, but she didn't dare turn her back on Gabriel. She growled and drew herself into a crouch, waiting to pounce again.

"I'll admit you are a clever beast," he said. "But you have not been properly housebroken. Let us remedy that."

She snarled, curling her lips to reveal gleaming white canines. Without a second thought, she charged towards Gabriel. This time, he wasn't fast enough. She caught his leg in her massive jaws. Gabriel let out an ear-shattering screech, but Jessie held on. When she could take it no more, she hurled him against the wall, shattering two more mirrors.

She ran to Nevar's side and grabbed his chains in her teeth and tried to free him, but the chain only hurt her mouth. She whined softly at him and he stroked her fur with his bound hands. Jessie turned back to Gabriel and stood between him and Nevar.

"Perhaps I have mistaken you, Nicholas. Your pet makes quite the guard dog. Maybe I should have one of my own."

Gabriel fumbled in the shards of broken glass, struggling to move his mauled leg. In the moment it took him to clear his head, a thick fog rolled into the room. Jessie made a heckling noise as the fog thickened and solidified into Xander and Alyssa.

No sooner had Alyssa set foot on the floor than Gabriel screamed in agony. The amulet around his neck was glowing with an eerie red light. Jessie wrinkled her nose at the acrid smell of burnt flesh and hair. Alyssa held out her hand and, faster than her eyes could follow, the amulet landed squarely in her palm.

With the amulet in hand, she put the heavy chain around her neck and summoned the wolf. She expected the chain to tighten around her neck, but it seemed to expand with her, anticipating her changing form. It hung beside her mother's necklace as if the two belonged together. Xander left her side for Nevar's. He grabbed the chains and broke the iron shackles. Once Nevar was free, Xander shifted into lupine form and closed ranks on Gabriel.

The odds had shifted in their favor and it showed on Gabriel's worried expression. Yet, there was determination in the way he stared at Alyssa and the necklace hanging around her collar. She felt the dragon surge with power. It was not pleased that it had been fooled yet again. The anger translated into Alyssa and fed the wolf's vindictive appetite. Her haunches propelled her forward before she could reason with the wolf.

It was too late to stop now. Her attack was on target and Gabriel did not attempt to dodge, but he was expecting her move. He struck her hard in the chest. She felt the ribs shatter under the impact. She collapsed heavily on top of him. The pain was excruciating even as the amulet began to accelerate her healing, but she was happy to see Gabriel's fist contorted and bleeding where bone fragments pierced his skin. His hand had been broken by the force of his punch. He had been aiming for her heart, and he had nearly succeeded. The strength of her ribs had been enough to prevent him from stopping her vulnerable heart.

Her ribs healed enough for her to catch her breath and she snapped and clawed at him through the torture of mending bones and flesh. He used his good leg as leverage and kicked her off of him. She landed on her back a few feet away. Struggling to her feet, she smiled at him. His strength was weakening. He was using too much energy to heal and it had been hours since his last meal.

Don't let him bite you!
She warned them.
He may be looking to make another meal out of us. He's using all of his energy to heal.

Then, let's give him plenty of reason to heal,
Jessie growled.

Xander echoed her with a roll of thunder from his chest. Gabriel looked wary under the gaze of the pack surrounding him. Even Nevar seemed to find some hidden reserve of strength to stand against him. Alyssa stood at the head, closest to Gabriel. Xander had taken position to her right and Nevar was slightly behind her to the left. Jessie stood between Gabriel and the door.

Alyssa thought she saw his body shimmer in the light, like a hologram, but then Nevar shot past her and collided with him before Gabriel could escape in a cloud of smoke. She bolted after him, knowing Nevar could not hold him alone for long. As they struggled, she feared injuring Nevar in her attempt to stop Gabriel. Nevar seemed to understand her thoughts and turned his body away leaving her an opening. She was able to catch him around his waist. The tender flesh gave way beneath her powerful jaws.

He howled in pain and reacted with an elbow to her temple. Her world seemed to rock on its axis and she fell to the floor. Her head felt like it was full of cotton. She saw the hulking form of Xander take her place and the sounds of ensuing struggle, but they seemed far away. The wolf slipped quietly into the shadows and left her as she succumbed to the darkness.

When she awoke, it was to silence. Her eyes opened wearily. It was dark, but she knew this place. She was on the grid. With a little effort, she got to her feet. Her body was healed, but there were still a few cobwebs clouding her head. Trying to get her bearings, she knew she had to find her way back to her body.

"Or," she thought aloud, "it might be easier to bring them to me." She looked down at the golden dragon nestled contentedly around her neck. "So much trouble for a necklace that I never really wanted in the first place. Why did you choose me?" She didn't expect it to answer, not really, but it would be a lie to say she wasn't hoping.

She wrapped her hand around the dragon and scanned the expanse of the grid. It all made sense to her now. The lines represented places and times. To reach a specific place at a certain time, she only had to find the right intersection.

Xander saw Alyssa fall and charged Gabriel before he could deliver a fatal hit. He caught his arm in his mouth and thrashed his head, tearing the flesh and tendons. His sharp teeth caused massive bleeding and damage along with excruciating pain. Between himself and Nevar, he thought they had Gabriel sufficiently detained.

Alyssa?

No answer. Her body was there, but he felt as though her mind was very far away from him. She was alive, he knew that, but he was worried. The hit she had sustained was substantial and at a particularly vulnerable part of her skull. If the moon was not full, or she had not been wearing the amulet, or freshly fed, she may not have survived such a hit.

Come back to me, 'Lyss.

It had only been a second, but it had been too long. He faltered his hold for only a second, but Gabriel stole the chance and reclaimed his arm. He shoved Xander off and landed a swift kick to his ribs. He couldn't breathe. The bone had pierced his lung. He couldn't heal without resetting the bone. Cobalt retreated into his den, his fur became flesh, and he could feel the flow of hot blood from his chest.

Gabriel was fighting Nevar, but the two were hardly on equal ground. Nevar was weak. Xander admired the man for finding the strength to hold on for so long when it looked like there was nothing left to give. Xander worked to extract the bone from his lung, but he was no doctor and there was a reason for not operating on yourself. It hurt like hell.

Jessie rushed past him to aid Nevar. Xander saw the look in the vampire's eyes as she made her approach. It seemed to happen in slow motion, and yet so fast he had no time to react. Gabriel's eyes were narrowed and his mouth was slightly agape in a hungry smile. Nevar looked as panicked as Xander felt, but there was no time to warn her.

He threw Nevar like a rag doll, as if he could have any time he wanted. His arms caught Jessie by the throat and he wasted no time in biting her. Jessie fought and tried to claw him off of her, but she couldn't find any purchase. It became very clear that Gabriel had done this before. He was an expert at restraining and fighting Weres. Xander had little doubt that he was staring at the vampire who had taken his father's life.

She was close. Alyssa closed her eyes and reached for Xander. If she could find him, she could find her way back. A shock of pain hit her hard in her chest. It was hard to breathe. She could smell blood and fear, but also something else: rage. "Xander," she said aloud.

She opened her eyes and the grid opened a window for her. She stepped closer cautiously, not wanting to fall through. This battle would take place on her terms, on a playing field of her choosing. The room came into view and she saw Gabriel draining Jessie. She was losing the fight. Her thrashing was slowing as the will to fight left her body.

Alyssa was furious and she nearly released the wolf too soon. She reached for Gabriel and pulled him through the window and onto the grid. Her anger powered her abilities as she dragged Gabriel through the window. She could see pure shock on his face. His eyes were rimmed in white as he landed on the plane. He stumbled forward, then glanced around to his surroundings before he saw Alyssa.

"You," he said. "How are you still alive?"

"We are a stubborn breed, I suppose, and hardy. You are out-dated Gabriel. I am the future. Stronger, faster, and harder to kill, the marriage between werewolf and vampire yields exceptional stock."

"What you speak of is blasphemy! To speak it is a crime in itself, let alone your very existence!"

"What laws have been broken, Gabriel? I have yet to see a written law that says I cannot exist. Here I am, I exist, and have for a quarter century, with more in my future ahead, until someone finds a way to kill me. Since you're begging for the chance, I suggest you give it your best shot. You won't catch me alone like this very often."

She spoke with confidence she did not feel, but acting was her strong suit. He didn't have to know how her stomach quivered that he might call her bluff and see straight through her. Her shoulders were squared and her head was held high and proud. In her eyes was determination that wasn't an act. She was ready and waiting for Gabriel's next move, but he seemed to be weighing his options.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other as if she were bored, which wasn’t far from the truth. He angled his body to circle around and come up behind her. He was fast. By the time she spun around to meet him, he was in her face. His fangs struck her neck, aiming for the amulet, but finding her mother’s necklace instead. He released it and it fell to the floor, whatever substance held the plane together. The necklace shattered the gold and so did her control. The jewels were sent skittering like fallen marbles. The diamonds looked like so many tears glittering with a mysterious light. The wolf roared out of the depths and charged after Gabriel. With her powerful legs, she was much faster, but she still could not match him for speed. She suddenly wished Nevar was here to compete with Gabriel in the air.