Riot Girls: Seven Books With Girls Who Don't Need A Hero Read online

  Tree shadows played tricks on me, making me see hidden attackers at every angle. What if Lela had lied? Who knew how many wolves Dan had actually gathered? Suddenly, I was on the ground. A thrill of pain shot from my arm through my body. I raised my unhurt arm in weak defense as I waited for my unseen attacker to deal their next blow, but the blow never came. I struggled to sit up, looking for what had taken me down. There was a gnarled tree root sticking up in the middle of the trail. We had bad guys aplenty, and I was taken down by a tree root. I was afraid to look at my arm. I had a feeling it was broken.

  There was a sound from within the trees to my left. I stayed sitting in the dirt and tried to calm the noise of my ragged breathing. I peered into the shadows in the direction that the noise had come from. “Lucy?” I whispered hoarsely through gritted teeth.

  I heard the sound again, it was a soft whimper. I folded my arm gingerly against my chest, clenching my teeth against the pain. I struggled to my feet and followed the sound of the whimper, abandoning my poker in the dirt where it had fallen. I looked down to find that the underbrush had been trampled on one side of the trail. I ventured farther away from the hiking trail, following the trampled path. I stumbled through the vegetation, wincing each time a hidden root or rock jarred my arm, until I noticed a dark figure huddled on the ground.

  I clumsily ran to the figure, keeping my hurt arm pressed against my chest with my good arm. Lucy was tied and gagged. Her restraints were only rope, not silver chains. I knelt beside her and she started whimpering again, eyes shut tight. She was still in the jeans and tennis shoes that she had been wearing earlier that night. Smartly, she hadn’t dressed for bed, else she’d be out here shoeless and in pajamas.

  “Lucy, Lucy it’s me,” I whispered.

  “Oe?” she asked through her cloth gag.

  “It’s okay Lucy, you’re safe.”

  I crouched next to Lucy and used my knees to keep my hurt arm pinned across my chest so I could use my good arm to untie her hands. I struggled with the ropes for several minutes, but was finally able to free her arms. Lucy rolled into a sitting position, ripping off her gag. She started working on the rope around her ankles.

  “Where is everybody? Where’s Dan?” she whispered frantically. “We have to get out of here!”

  “I know,” I whispered back. “We need to be quiet okay? Can you walk?”

  “Yeah, I think so. I don’t think I’m hurt.” Lucy slowly rose to her feet. I carefully got up, bracing my bad arm against my stomach with my good arm again.

  “What happened to your arm?” Lucy gasped.

  “I fell. Can you help me tie it in place?” I glanced down at the rope that had bound Lucy.

  Lucy nodded, pulling off her hoodie. The she picked up the rope and managed to Macgyver a makeshift sling for my arm. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth together as she slipped the contraption over my arm. I had to squat down so she could reach behind my neck to gingerly tie the rope in place. As her wrists passed my face, I noticed raw rope burns around them. A pang of anger at Dan stabbed my stomach. I took a deep breath and managed to contain it, not wanting to lose my temper again.

  “Is that okay?” Lucy asked. Then, before I could answer she added, “Where’s Dan?”

  I let all of the worry I was feeling fill my face. “I was hoping you could answer that. I thought he’d be with you.”

  Lucy shook her head. “The two guys that took me brought me straight here. I haven’t even seen Dan.”

  I nodded. The two guys Lucy was referring to had to be the two that attacked us: the one that knocked down Max and Lela, and the bald man. That left Dan completely unaccounted for. “We have to go.”

  I crept back towards the ranger’s station with Lucy following closely behind me. I tried to make as little noise as possible, but I felt dizzy and clumsy with pain. We stopped a short distance away from the dark building.

  I turned to Lucy. “Allison is waiting down the road in Jason’s car. Go wait with her.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I have to find Max and Jason.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  I gave her a worried look, but I knew the stubborn set to her jaw. It was a look that she, Allison, and I had in common, and Jason and Max for that matter. It was a wonder that our group functioned at all. Here’s hoping we could all stay alive and continue to function.

  Lucy was coming, and I had to admit I was glad for the company. We crept around the side of the station to the front door where I had left Jason to face off with the bald man. The moon cast empty, still shadows all around. A chill crept up my spine. Something had gone terribly wrong. I should never have left them to fight alone. I crept to where Max had fallen into the bushes. Empty. That left the ranger’s station.

  I had a fleeting urge to run back to the car and Allison, drive away, and pretend like none of this had ever happened. But Jason and Max were here somewhere, hurt or maybe worse. I tried to swallow the lump that had formed in my throat. Please don’t let it be worse. They were here because of us. They came to save Lucy, to protect Allison and me. We couldn’t leave them.

  Taking a deep breath, I crept back towards Lucy and the ranger’s station. Realizing my intent, she turned to walk into the building ahead of me. I saw movement on the other side of the door. “No!” I shouted, just as arms reached out and pulled Lucy inside. She let out a small scream that was cut off as soon as she disappeared into the darkness.

  It was just like the stupid people that get killed in the horror movies. The whole time, you’re shouting at the screen, telling them to run and call the cops. Whatever you do, you should never go back into the creepy dark building. Well, I was going in at full speed. I skidded into the building and came to a halt. I spun around just as the door slammed behind me. I was face-to-face with more features I didn’t know. Dan’s third pack member.

  The man was tall and dark. He leered down at me with nearly black eyes, holding Lucy tightly against his chest with one hand clamped over her mouth. He didn’t seem to notice her struggling and kicking against him. He smiled at me, revealing large, square teeth. Dan’s voice behind me brought my attention back to the room.

  Max was lying in the back left corner with the tarps and gas cans that I had mistaken for Lucy earlier. He was lying very still. What I could see of Max’s face was covered in purple and black bruises, his mouth swollen and bloody. Jason was in the opposite corner with his back to the room. What I assumed were Lela’s cuffs were now around his wrists. I had no idea how they had unlocked them given we’d left the key at my house. Jason was just as still as Max. I looked around the room for Lela, and noticed a wolf peeking out from behind the counter. It had to be Lela. I hoped it was Lela, and not the bald man. Either way, we were missing one person. The wolf looked terrified, if a wolf could look terrified.

  I turned to Dan, who was still dressed in his black outfit. “What do you want?”

  “Well,” he replied. “I originally wanted to just take Lucy and be on my merry way. I had no intention of hurting you or your company, but you left me little choice. Now, because of all of the trouble you and your little friends have caused me, I want more. Your vampire killed David, and you managed to turn one of my pack members against me. Lela shifted and fought against Brent when we attacked. She seemed to think that you and yours would save her. I had to show her how very wrong she was.”

  I guessed Brent was the man holding Lucy, and David had to have been the bald man. Dan started pacing with his arms clutched behind his back, chuckling to himself, like the mad scientist in a horror movie. He had totally lost it. He asked me, “Would you like to hear my new plan?”

  I glared at him.

  “I will no longer simply take my dear Lucy and leave the rest of you alone. I will still take her of course, but now I will take you as well. There’s more to you than you’ve led us all to believe. I’ve come to my own conclusions on what that is, but we’ll have plenty of time to prove my theories true o
r false once we get out of town. As for the rest of your party, they will all have to die. And little Lela? Do you wonder why she is still in wolf form? We’ll have to dispose of the bodies somehow.” Dan walked closer and got in my face. Sweat was beaded on his brow and began to drip down around his crazed features.

  I turned my nose up and peered at him with prideful eyes.

  “Ah,” Dan said. “I see I’ve sparked your temper. Don’t want to do that ‘till I’ve got you on a leash. Are you surprised that I know? It really wasn’t all that hard to figure out.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said coldly.

  “Tsk, tsk,” Dan went on. “No more playing dumb Xoe. I’ve figured it out, that elusive smell. You smell like demon.”

  “And how would you know?” I asked, fear leaking into my voice.

  “Oh, I know all about demons, all about dealing with them too. Part of the draw of Shelby is its graveyard, perfect for calling on demons. You see, it’s not only the size of a graveyard that makes it a proper catalyst for magic, but the age as well. Shelby cemetery has both size and age, but that’s a story for another time. We’ll have plenty of time for that later. If you’re a good girl, I’ll give you any answers you might want.”

  I needed to keep him talking. I had to buy some time. Dan’s pack had to be here soon. I asked conversationally, “But graveyards aren’t evil are they? Why are they a good place to call demons?”

  Dan smiled. “They’re good for all sorts of stuff. Magic tends to collect in cemeteries, raw power. I don’t know the exact how and why, but the older and larger the cemetery, the more power that collects there.” Dan began to pace with his arms clutched behind his back again. “The ritual needed to call a demon requires quite a bit of power, and with no magical talents of my own, I must rely on cemeteries.”

  I nodded. “But why would you want to call a demon?” I saw Max shift position slightly, gaining consciousness. I kept my eyes on Dan, urging him to continue.

  Dan grinned like a teacher, proud that his pupil had asked a good question. “There is much to be gained in dealing with demons: strength, wealth, information, though there is much to lose as well. I’ve done pretty well so far. I may have even come across your father at some point. I’m guessing that he is your demon parent; your mom doesn’t have that particular smell. We’ll eventually find out who he is. I can only imagine what he would trade for you.”

  I smiled bitterly. “He left when I was born. He obviously doesn’t want me.”

  Dan chuckled again. “Well of course he didn’t want you then. You were useless. But I imagine you have at least begun to come into your powers, after what you did to Lela. That, makes you far more appealing. He’ll trade, and you will be reunited with dear old daddy.”

  Tempting as that offer was, I had no intention of meeting my dad. Dan’s pacing had taken him closer to Max, leaving his back to me. I had to act, but what could I do? Suddenly, the door swung open and a loud crack resounded behind me. I spun around to face Lucy and the man called Brent. Brent had dropped Lucy to the ground, where she crouched, surprised. Allison was standing behind Brent’s broad back, holding her baseball bat ready to swing again. Brent turned and grabbed for Allison, and Lucy jumped on his back. The three of them went tumbling out of the door.

  Arms grabbed me and threw me against the wall again. A new shock of pain shot through my arm as I fell to the floor. Bright splotches blurred my vision as I tried to catch my breath. I opened my eyes to see Dan’s red, hateful face inches from mine.

  He spat his words into my face. “I’m going kill all of your little friends while you watch. Even my dear Lucy. I’ve grown tired of her antics. And your vampire? His death will be special. Nice and slow. I may even make you help with that one. I won’t kill you though. I may even let you go. I’ll let you live out your sorry little life with the memory of watching your friends die. I’ll let you live with the knowledge that you did nothing to stop me. You are powerless. A worthless . . . little . . . nothing.” His anger had flipped a switch in his mind. It was like he had two different personalities . . . as if the situation could get any worse. Maybe it was something the demons had done to him.

  Brent came limping back in holding Lucy in his arms. I didn’t see Allison with them. I tried to struggle to a sitting position, but my body screamed pain. My arm felt like it was made of fire. To look on the bright side, at least I hadn’t been knocked unconscious from hitting the wall as hard as I did. Hoorah for superhuman strength.

  Dan stalked to the other side of the room and grabbed Jason by his cuffs. He dragged Jason across the floor and threw him next to me. Jason had apparently come to.

  He looked at me with defeated blue eyes. “I’m so sorry Xoe,” he whispered.

  “Shut up!” Dan shouted. He walked to Jason and kicked him in the stomach.

  Jason didn’t so much as grunt in response. He kept his eyes locked on mine.

  Dan sneered and got back in my face. “How shall we kill him?” Dan stood back up and kicked Jason in the face. Fresh blood poured from Jason’s nose to splatter on the floor.

  My vision went red. I felt my blood boil. Hot rage washed through my veins, numbing my pain. I welcomed it with open arms. I wasn’t afraid of my new temper anymore. Anything to wash away the image of Jason’s bloody face.

  I thought of Allison unconscious on my floor after Lela threw her. I thought of Lucy, screaming as her bones cracked and reformed her into a wolf. I thought of Max, his black and blue face against the floor. I thought of never seeing Jason again.

  I let the rage wash over me. I reveled in it. Gathering my strength I lunged for Dan, not sure of my intention. My hands had barely made contact with his chest when he erupted in blue-white flame. I threw myself backwards and fell back against the wall. The fire crept up his shirt and began to turn to orange as the clothing burned. Dan dropped to the ground and started rolling, grunting in pain. The flames began to go out. I closed my eyes in defeat, waiting for the next blow.

  I reopened my eyes to see a dark shape fly across the room, spewing liquid. It landed on Dan. I smelled gas. Max had opened one of the gas cans and thrown it when he saw the flames. Within seconds, Dan was engulfed in fire. He started screaming. He continued rolling on the ground, a few feet away from me, but he couldn’t put the flames out. The acrid smell of burning flesh began to fill the room. His screaming became something shrill, almost inhuman.

  I looked to the front door. Lucy and Brent had disappeared. I couldn’t make myself move to find them. A wolf’s face appeared around the writhing, flaming mass that was Dan. Lela crept up and laid her large wolf head in my lap. Jason had struggled closer to lean against me in a half-sitting position, blood still seeping from his nose. The room began to fill up with putrid smoke. Movement at the door caught my eye. Lucy stood holding Allison up, silhouetted by the moonlight and blurred by smoke, with Allison’s arm across her shoulders. I turned my attention back to the burning mass. Dan had stopped screaming. I should have been scared, I should have been horrified.

  I numbly looked past the flames to the faces of my friends and stroked the fur of the wolf that sat calmly at my side. Lucy and Allison looked horrified. Jason carefully avoided my gaze. I realized that I was smiling. I had set a man on fire. I wasn’t scared, I wasn’t horrified. I was glad. He had hurt my friends. Burn baby, burn.

  Chapter Nineteen

  MAX HAD DISAPPEARED. I looked away from the disbelieving faces of my friends towards the back door, wondering where he had gone. He came limping out of the small bathroom, carrying a fire extinguisher I hadn’t noticed earlier. He shuffled up to the burning mass formerly known as Dan. He sprayed it with the extinguisher, putting out the last of the flames.

  Lucy and Allison stumbled past me, to stand behind where I was sitting. I followed their eyes to the front door of the ranger’s station, to see a tall, dark man framed by the light of the moon. For a moment I thought it was Brent, but then the man stepped forward, revealing st
rong Hispanic features framed by dark straight hair reaching his shoulders. He had to be Dan’s old alpha.

  “Abel,” Jason said in greeting.

  The man, Abel, nodded his head in acknowledgment. His voice was a deep bass rumble. “I see that we were a bit late.”

  “You can say that again,” I mumbled, thinking that he wouldn’t hear me.

  He whipped his head in my direction. “Excuse me?”

  My eyes widened in surprise. Damn that supernatural hearing. It took me a moment to speak. “Nothing, um . . . sir.”

  He nodded and turned back to Jason. “I apologize for your troubles. You will be compensated fairly. As a favor, I will ignore the three living werewolves in this room that are not of a pack. But they should be warned, that three wolves constitute a pack. If they are all to remain in Shelby, they must file the proper forms.”

  I raised my eyebrows. I had imagined the forming of a werewolf pack as something mystical with loads of ritual and traditions. Filing forms just seemed so . . . mundane.

  Abel continued, “Now I suggest you all leave this place. We will dispose of the remains of Dan and the other dead wolf.”

  “Thank you,” Jason replied simply. His nose had stopped bleeding. He got to his feet and slowly lifted me in his arms.

  Max, Lucy, and Allison came to stand beside us. We made our progression outside, Max and Lucy trying very hard not to make any eye-contact with Abel. Lela followed at my heels, still in wolf form.

  The cool night air was refreshing after being in the smoky interior of the ranger’s station. “I can stand,” I told Jason.

  He slowly let me down from his arms, but kept a hold around my waist so I didn’t fall. The woods to either side of us were alive with the movement of the other wolves from Dan’s former pack. We limped and hobbled back down to the car where we took an assessment of our injuries. Miraculously, I seemed to be the only one with a broken bone, though everyone else had a lot more cuts and bruises than me. Jason, Max, and Lucy had already started to heal, though Lucy was healing at a slower rate. The bruises on Max and Jason’s faces were already fading into a sickly brown edged by yellow. Allison was not so lucky. Her entire back was a swollen purple mess and she had several gashes on her arms. Apparently Brent had thrown her into some bushes and decided the fight was over.