Mirabelle

Gideon laughed through Felix’s mouth. “Felix picked the nastiest beast in Abernathy’s collection.” Magic surged through Felix’s chest as they transformed into the Kodiak bear.

“Ah. That is a nice choice,” Sebastian said.

Archer lifted his sword. “Bad for us.”

Panic overtook Felix at the sight of Archer’s blade pointed his way, enough for him to pull himself back into a human form. “Wait! Don’t kill me!”

“We aren’t going to hurt you, Felix.” Sebastian held up his hands. “But Gideon—”

Ernest laughed from where he lay on the ground. “Gideon’s going to free me, and we’re going to kill you.”

Felix’s head snapped toward Ernest. Gideon spoke. “Really? After you were so ready to kill him and send me to whatever’s next?”

“I didn’t think you were coming back!” Ernest protested. “Besides, I’ve done so much for you. Hell, how many of my hunting trophies did I let you raid for parts?”

“It’s going to take a lot more than that—” Gideon started.

Archer grabbed the back of Felix’s jacket and held his blade to the side of his face. Felix wrestled control back from Gideon and shoved him down, out of his mind. “I’ve got him under control!”

“No, you don’t.”

Felix’s jaw clenched. He couldn’t bring himself to protest. Gideon was already clawing his way back up.

“Listen, Felix.” Sebastian’s voice was calm, though there was genuine distress at its edges. He took a cautious step forward. “Let us take you back to the castle and put you somewhere Gideon won’t be able to hurt anyone. Just long enough for us to sort us out. I know you’re strong enough to beat him, but right now you’re exhausted.”

Felix dropped to his knees. Archer’s blade followed, keeping within a few inches of his face.

Arisa watched with wide eyes. “Don’t hurt him!”

“We’d all be dead without him,” Mason added.

“That means nothing if Gideon takes control,” Archer said. “Felix, Gideon’s much stronger than you.”

The demons Sebastian had warned them about entered the lawn and started toward them. They were slow, injured, but persistent. They’d reach Felix and the others in a minute, tops.

“I’m in control,” Felix insisted. “Archer, you can go fight.”

“I’m not leaving your side,” Archer replied. Felix wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be reassuring or threatening. Probably the latter.

“Sebastian?” Kendra asked. “Do you have enough energy left to handle the demons?”

Sebastian pressed his hands together and cracked his knuckles. “I think so. But Archer might have to carry me back to the castle.”

“I’m not carrying you anywhere.”

Felix took a deep breath. His fingers dug into the dirt.

Dirt.

How could he have forgotten?

Felix chuckled. “Sorry, Ezra,” he said under his breath.

“What was that?” Archer asked.

Ezra must have heard him. His presence slid into Felix’s head. Me and the others were busy trying to pull Gideon back. Otherwise, I would have reminded you.

“Nah, that’s on me. I think I neglected your abilities a bit.” Felix paused. “And your cactus. How often should I be watering it again?”

A new presence slammed into Felix. Enough talk. I’ve almost got you, kid, Gideon hissed.

“Sebastian, we have to do something,” Archer said. “Felix is losing.”

“Do you or do you not want me to handle these demons?” Sebastian asked. He gestured toward the demons that were halfway to them.

Felix looked up. “Look, Archer is right. Gideon is stronger than me alone. But I’m not alone.” He pushed himself to his feet. “My family and I have Gideon outnumbered.”

I’ve got you, Felix, Ezra said.

Felix let go and allowed Ezra to take control. The others are here too, aren’t they? he asked.

Ezra spoke aloud with Felix’s mouth. “They’re going to drag Gideon back down into your soul and keep him there as long as they can. I’ll join them once I’m done here.” He raised Felix’s hands. “Lawns like this are awful for the environment. Let’s try a little biodiversity.”

If Felix could use his mouth, he would have grinned. Okay, nerd.

Vines burst from the ground at the demons’ feet as they ran, grabbing them and slamming them against the earth. After one last glance at Felix, Archer darted forward, sword spinning in his hand.

Sebastian stepped back. “I’ll watch Ernest,” he said to Kendra. “You two go.”

Kendra nodded, grabbed Hana’s hand, and pulled her forward. They joined Archer in cutting down the demons Ezra’s vines pinned to the ground.

Can we try the tree thing again? Felix asked.

“I think it would kill you if I tried that right now,” Ezra told him.

What about what Ernest did to summon more energy? By fracturing his channeling material? There’s plenty of dirt around!

“That’s an advanced technique and it takes a lot of practice,” Ezra said. “Again, I’d like to avoid killing you.”

Some of the more distant demons managed to avoid Ezra’s vines. While Kendra and Hana killed the rest that were trapped against the earth, the last few darted past them and continued their approach toward Felix and the others.

Felix was back in control of his body. He dropped back to his knees, dimly thinking he was going to be bruised to hell and back tomorrow.

That’s all I got, Ezra said. Good luck. He vanished, leaving Felix’s mind empty.

Archer, who’d stayed close, rejoined the group. “You didn’t get all of them,” he warned.

“Yeah, I’m done,” Felix said. “Sorry.”

“No worries. We’ll take it from here,” Sebastian said. “And by that, I mean that I’ll take it from here.”

“No need for overkill,” Archer told him. “There’s five left.”

“Six, actually, but I’ll leave that guy trying to sneak up on us to you.”

While Archer walked off, Sebastian lifted his hands and wiggled his fingers, grinning at the approaching demons. “Any last words?”

The demons slowed. “Sebastian Armitage,” one of them hissed. “Your death approaches—”

“Boring!” Beams of light burst from Sebastian’s palms. The first carved a hole through the head of the demon that tried to speak. The second ripped through another’s chest. He fired off two more through the next two demon’s abdomens.

“I don’t suppose you’ll be any more interesting,” Sebastian said to the last one.

The green demon let its leathery wings stretch out to its sides.

“Oh, fun!” Sebastian blasted a hole in each wing. While the demon howled in pain, he unleashed a final beam to pierce its neck.

Archer returned and threw the sixth demon down on the ground in front of Sebastian. Blood spilled from a gaping wound in its chest. “We’ve got one more incoming, according to this one.” Gaze lifting to Sebastian’s, he added, “She wants to talk to you.”

Apparently, that was all Sebastian needed to know who Archer was talking about. He sighed and walked up to the demon. Kendra and Hana returned and stopped next to Archer.

“Another demon coming?” Arisa asked.

“No,” Archer replied. “Something worse.”

The demon tried to scramble to its feet, but Sebastian knocked it back to the ground with one solid kick. He rested his foot on its chest and spoke.

“Why are you helping her?” Sebastian asked. “Mira and the Brightlands don’t see eye to eye, but she’s still interested in killing monsters like you, last I heard.”

“Oh, no, not at all.” The demon’s tone was frantic. “Mira’s on our side now.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Ask her yourself, then. She’s one of us. And she could be all of us.”

Sebastian’s expression darkened. He held a hand over the demon’s face.

“No, wait, please—”

The ray of light obliterated the demon’s head entirely. Afterward, the air echoed with a faint trace of the odd tone that accompanied the light.

Archer walked between the bodies of the demons Sebastian had killed. With each swing of his sword, he cut off another head.

“What, you don’t like my work?” Sebastian asked as he turned around.

“I’m making sure they don’t regenerate,” Archer replied.

“These are weak ones,” Sebastian said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Not the big nasty guys that can stitch their heads back to their necks—oh, here she is.”

Something moved at the edge of the lawn.

“I’m getting real sick of watching monsters walk out of that forest,” Mason muttered.

Arisa let out an exasperated sigh. “Right?”

Felix frowned as the massive wolf approached, silver fur glinting in the light of the moon that was definitely not full. “A werewolf? How is that possible?”

“I don’t know, but we can kill a werewolf,” Arisa said. “Easy.”

Sebastian held up a hand. “Not this one. Not when we’re this exhausted. And if she’s brave enough to walk up to us alone, more of her army must be nearby.” He threw a quick glance up at the sky.

The wolf stopped twenty feet in front of Sebastian.

“Why are you here?” Sebastian called to her. “Battle’s over. The traitors ran off and the monsters are dead.”

The wolf tipped her head back and laughed. “I just wanted to say hello before I left.”

Sebastian folded his arms. “You always had a way with words, but how the hell did you get all of these monsters on your side? You swore you’d destroy them.”

“I was wrong when I was young.” The wolf’s head cocked to the side. “But now I can see my path forward.”

“You don’t care about protecting people anymore?”

“Oh, I do, but there are far better ways to do it than dancing around under the council’s rules.”

“Is this—Mira?” Felix whispered. Kendra nodded.

“The thing about monsters is that they’re hungry,” Mira continued. “As long as you keep them occupied with food, they’ll do whatever you want.”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “Do I want to know what you’re feeding them with?”

Mira responded with cold laughter. “I know it doesn’t seem like it from your pathetically small perspective,” she said. “But everything I’m doing will save human lives in the long run.”

“Too many people are going to get killed in your fight for power,” Sebastian told her. “Far more than you could ever hope to save by changing a few rules.” He sighed. “I know the council hurt you, but this isn’t—”

“Oh, I don’t give a damn about what the council did to me anymore. This is so much bigger than that,” Mira said. “In a way, though, I’m grateful. If they hadn’t acted the way they did, I never would have had my eyes opened.” She turned around. “We’ll meet again soon, Seb.”

“Wait, Mira!” Ernest shouted. “Help me—”

“Sorry, Ernest.” Mira looked back. “But this is your own fault. I’m not risking my life to save you here.”

A frantic expression overtook Ernest’s face. “Gideon possessed the boy. Only for a minute, but he spoke.”

Mira’s gaze shifted. Her cold, blue eyes moved to Felix. A chill ran down his spine.

“Why did Gideon kill the Carvers?” Ernest asked.

“Gideon had his job, just as you had yours,” Mira replied. “And now you’re done.”

“Wait—!”

Sebastian moved his foot to Ernest’s neck and pressed down, cutting him off. “Shut up, old man.”

Mira walked toward the edge of the lawn.

“Shouldn’t we go after her?” Mason asked.

Sebastian shook his head. “We’re all drained. And—” He glanced up again as a flock of bats raced by overhead. “—the only reason she’s leaving is because she knows a fight right now would be close. It’s not worth the risk. For either of us.”

Halfway to the tree line, Mira looked back one last time. “Goodbye, brother.” She flashed sharp teeth as her lips drew back in an expression that could have been a grin or a snarl.

“Brother?” Felix nearly choked on the word.

The wolf sprinted into the shadows and vanished.

“Well, you’ve met the leader of the Moonlit Army,” Sebastian said, watching her go with a distant look in his eyes. “Mirabelle Armitage. My sister.”