“Casey! We’re almost to the border with the Indies. Can we drive through the barrier that just went up?”
“Savy, damn it! Yeah, it only keeps the Dark God’s scourge out, but anything else has free crossing. But we have physical barricades, too—piled-up dumpsters and shit. Cross at the intersection of 73rd and Ironwood. Get your ass over here. We’re being bombarded by crazy-ass wolves.”
“Be careful,” Savy warned. “And don’t get bitten. We’ll be there in five minutes.”
“Fuck! Where’ve you been for the last three days? I was afraid you were dead!”
“Only sort of. I’m back now and ready to kick some ass. Keep the drawbridge down.”
She hung up and dragged a hand through her hair. “I still can’t believe we were gone for three whole days.”
I tightened my grip. “The loremaster told us time was different in the Deadlands. We’ve lost any chance to prep.”
Savy shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. We trusted Sam and Regina, and it sounds like they did their job. We’re alive and moving, so that’s good, but we need a plan. We’ve got to find a way to close that rift.”
I grunted with dark amusement. “A plan to close the rift? Right now, I’m just trying to keep us alive and get us out of Dockside. Let’s hope the Order—or hell, your aunt—has a plan to shut it.”
Swerving onto Ironwood Ave, I immediately slowed. The translucent magical barrier along the border to the Indies was nearly blinding. It rose into the heavens, emitting a brilliant white glow.
But the strange, flickering mist crept around the buildings, drawing nearer.
The closer we got to the magical barrier, the more blinding it became. I could barely keep my eyes open as we roared through the wall of light.
As soon as we were through, I slammed on the brakes.
The truck fishtailed and screeched to a stop just in front of a makeshift barricade of overturned dumpsters and a shipping container.
I parked on the shoulder and climbed out, and Savannah scrambled after me.
Casey’s head peeked over the barrier. “Get your asses over here, now!”
Claws scraped on asphalt behind us, and I spun.
Three rabid-looking wolves lunged toward us, but before I could extend my claws, magic ripped through the air.
Wind and electricity whipped around us, and a fireball grazed my head. It blasted into the lead wolf just as he leapt for Savy and drove him howling into the ground.
I grabbed Savannah’s hand and pulled her with me to the barricade. We jumped over, and the barrage overwhelmed the attacking wolves. They retreated, leaving one unconscious. Or dead.
Savannah flew into the arms of her cousin. “Casey!”
“Holy crap, you made it,” he said, squeezing her. “Thank the gods. Mom’s about to have a stroke.”
Sam stormed over and pulled Savy from his arms to hug her, too, then turned toward Casey, her face a mask of rage. “How many times do I have to tell you to knock that shit off? Get your people under control! No fireballs. No lethal magic. Those are our people! They’re just not in their right mind!”
Casey threw his hands in the air. “What do you expect me to do? Those furry bastards are vicious and were going to take a bite out of my cousin. I don’t care who they were.”
Sam locked him with a steely gaze, and he took a step back. “No fireballs,” she snarled.
The sorcerers and wolves guarding the perimeter watched them with held breath.
Casey let out a big sigh. “Fine. But we can’t take any more losses—I’ve already got two of my boys bit and infected. We’re doing this my way.” He twirled his finger in the air, signaling to one his cronies, who was parked beside a series of black crates. “Wolfsbane it is.”
Had he lost his damn mind?
Two of the crates were full of black cannisters of wolfsbane, while a third was stacked with gas masks. Casey grabbed three masks, tossed one to Sam, then strolled over to Savy and me and handed us each one.
“Casey, you’re kidding right? You know that wolfsbane hurts us,” Savy said. “Half the people here are werewolves.”
“No shit. But unless you have a better idea, this is how we keep them out.”
Sam looked at me expectantly. They all did—werewolves and sorcerers alike.
Casey’s people were bruised and battered, and even our wolves—who could heal—had tattered clothes and seemed exhausted. By the looks of it, they’d been holding this position for a long time, and shit wasn’t going to ease up.
“Do it,” I growled. “But don’t kill anyone.”
“You got it, boss.” Casey spun and waved his buddies over.
Sam touched my arm. “Things are bad here, Jax. There’s a mist that turns our people crazy—or, more accurately, puts them under his control. And anyone bitten becomes…a hybrid. Half human, half wolf, and completely mad.”
I nodded. “We’ve seen the transformation happen, but we didn’t know how it worked, exactly.”
Sam looked at Savy. “Whatever you do, don’t go into the mist. He tries to take control. It’s…horrible. We can’t be anywhere near it.”
Laurel LaSalle’s shout cut through our conversation. “Savy!”