Giselle’s cry rang over the clash of battle as she tore through an abomination. Her guns long discarded, she fought with fist and blade against the horde. Another lunged at her, and she cleaved the knife into its exposed skull. There, a gap formed, and she dug her fingers into it. Her muscles strained as she ripped the creature apart. Blood splattered her, but it had already soaked her clothes.

Behind her, explosions went off. Though the grenadier hid among the banyan’s canopy, her aim was true as chemical bombs pelted the thickest patches of enemies. Her hand wavered when she saw an uncorrupted face. But it was only for a moment as she threw the explosive.

Corrosive liquid splattered everywhere, covering not just the mage but the surrounding monsters who withered and howled beneath the spray. However, when a few drops hit Giselle, nothing happened. Why? Shelly could not tell you. These chemicals were the odd leftovers of a high school chemistry lab and a cleaning closet. There was no reason for them to be this strong and selective. She guessed something magical was to blame, especially since they glowed green. But she was not complaining. At least she could help. Though for how long, she did not know as her supply rapidly depleted.

While Shelly and Giselle held one side, the Kitts defended the other. Blood marred their golden fur as they slashed through another set of monsters. Trisha tossed a creature, pinning it to the ground before ripping its head off. The action left her unguarded against an approaching mage who readied a fireball. But before he fired, Neil sprung forward. With bared teeth, he tore out his throat before tossing the corpse at a charging beast.

Together they covered each other’s blind spots. But the horde forced them to give ground as more monsters pressed down upon them. No matter how many they broke, the corpses would rise again. It was an actual self-replenishing army.

Trisha’s yellow eyes burned green as she caught her breath. Something was supporting her, a nameless benefactor who strengthened her limbs and steadied her hand. She should question who they were, but as a fresh wave of enemies crashed down on her, she left the thought for another time. Either way, this supernatural benefactor was not what really bolstered her. No, what kept her on her feet was her family. It was her children and her mate. It was her pack. All of them. She did not know what the rest of the world looked like, but she was damn sure going to get back home. Even if it meant crushing every monster that stood in her way. Her kids needed her, and that was enough to drive her.

Still, she was no trained combatant, and after so many waves, her attacks slowed. It was under the assault of a massive beast that her knee buckled. But before she fell, Neil flew in, supporting her while clawing at the abomination.

Noticing the wereleopards’ distress, Shelly threw two round containers in front of them. As they broke, a thick layer of green smoke rolled out and blocked the enemy’s view.

“Come on, Trish, I know you’re not gonna fall before me,” Neil laughed, but fear flickered in his green eyes.

“There’s,” Trisha panted, “There’s too many.”

“No, no. I’m sure there’s less than before,” he said.

How many had they killed? He had lost track. It did not matter. It appeared a failing battle, but they could not give up hope. They did not have that luxury.

“Only a few more, and then we can all head home—”

Neil lurched away to avoid the swing of the mage who revived beneath him. Her strike slashed through his already torn fur, running a deep cut across his torso. The wound festered on the spot, but a green glow slowed the rot. A growl left him as the horde forced the cousins back into the fray.

Giselle’s beasts stuck close to her as their territory shrunk to a few feet around the banyan’s trunk. Though her animals would not die from their wounds, their attacks grew weaker. Eventually, she sent them away and focused her magic.

In desperation, she rushed out a curse. A burst of silver exploded from her arched palm as the dagger vaporized under the pressure of the spell. The hot metal splattered onto the monsters, sending them reeling and giving her a fragment of space. Though this respite came at a price.

She could not breathe. Even as she opened her mouth, the muscles in her throat spasmed as her body twitched and fell. She gripped at her throat, struggling to pull in a sliver of air as magical backlash ravaged her. The spell had been too strong and her magic reserves too low. The breathlessness was brief, but the effects lingered as she coughed up blood. Her vision doubled.

She knew her time was short.

“Fuck,” she hoarsely shouted as she slammed her fist into the tree, “Fuck!”

An opportunistic beast noticed this distress and lunged at her.

At that moment, she saw her death and only thought of Alma. She had failed. She had failed herself, her family, her girlfriend. All of them. The vengeance she had sworn years ago was about to end in her death. And even then, the thing her frantic mind focused on was the fact she forgot to give Alma a kiss before leaving for her false hunt. She had always thought it was a silly superstition of her girlfriend---a good luck charm for a woman who had also lost everything. But now… now she knew. She knew her mistake and could not make up for it.

Closing her eyes, she waited for the strike. Yet, it never came as the creature collapsed under the weight of another.

Shelly stuck the landing as she buried her heels into the monster’s head. Its skull gave way, and she used the momentum to lunge for Giselle.

Swiftly, she supported the mage. “Come on, we don’t have time to rest,” Shelly said. “I’ve still got a lot of things to do.”

The rescue stunned Giselle as she stared at the insane human before stumbling out, “There’s just no end.”

“Oh, there has to be an end,” Shelly fired back. “Mama said that we’ll make it through this if we stick together. I’ve got you so long as you’ve got me, you know?”

As silly as it sounded, the boldness in Shelly’s declaration gave Giselle a glimmer of hope. A warmth grew within her, slowly restoring her... Until a cold laugh washed it away. It was a taunting noise that rose the hairs on the back of the defenders’ neck as they turned towards its source.

“How touching,” Brody smirked, his red eyes cutting through them. “So hopeful. It makes me almost sad to tell you this. But I’m afraid Penelope’s future sight is not as perfect as you think.”

These insulting words did not shake Shelly as she glared at him and forced a mocking smile. “Last I checked, we’re all still breathing. Still fighting.” Her brown eyes flashed green as her hand snuck from Giselle’s waist to her satchel. “I think it’s a little early to call it, don’t you?”

Dropping Giselle, Shelly chucked her remaining bomb. The throw was accurate, but her target disappeared. She had not even recovered from her pitch when a tight grip took her wrist. A nauseating crunch followed.

Shelly bit her tongue to muffle her cry, but it still slipped out as Brody forced her to kneel.

“I’m calling it,” he said as he produced a dagger in his other hand. It glistened in the dying light of the banyan tree. But before he struck, a pair of hairy feet smashed into the side of his face, sending him flying.

A cacophony of roars and gunfire followed. But what stuck out among them was a howl. Trisha’s head snapped in its direction as her stomach churned. Tears burned in her eyes as she responded with a loud roar. The sound was raw, and the world stopped around her as she waited for a reply.

It soon came, louder than before and growing in volume. Reinvigorated, Trisha sprinted on all four, vaulting over various monsters until she saw her mate.

She sprang off a large abomination and raced towards the massive red werewolf who was hacking his way through the masses towards her. The horde crumbled before his assault. Before they reached each other, a hulking hybrid of an antelope and bear squared up against Rusty. It stood a head taller, but that did not stop him. Fueled by the rage that this thing dared to stand between him and his woman, he attacked it. It tried to bite him, tear at him, but the moment Rusty got his claws on it, he tore in two.

As the beast fell, Trisha dove at him, and he caught her. In the arms of her partner, she finally relaxed as she buried her face against his chest.

“Trish, I’m sorry I’m late,” Rusty drawled out. His voice quivered as he held her close.

“It’s fine. You’re here now,” she breathed. “The kids?”

“They’re safe with the Pack.”

“Thank god.”

“Don’t worry, we brought the entire cavalry.”

At that, Trisha pulled her head away to look at the surrounding battle. From all available organizations, they had gathered volunteers. The combat-able supernaturals fought valiantly against the undead horde. Still, the monsters did not diminish.

“I hope it’s enough,” she said.

In this stressful moment, Shelly experienced unexpected confusion as she stood face to face with the oddest creature. Like her wrist broken and she should run. But when faced with the squat man-ape, she chortled. It did not help that this magnificent creature was standing on Brody’s head.

“Miss,” the ape said, “please step back.”

Shelly faintly nodded before moving. It was just in time as Brody sent the man-ape flying with a spell. Brought back to reality, she ducked and grabbed the collapsed Giselle. She dragged the hunter off as he stood. His glasses fell broken as his once pristine hair stuck out in all directions. On the side of his face, a large red mark formed, then healed.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Brody growled.

“A pissed off neighbor,” the creature responded as a portal opened above it. In one motion, the ape jumped in, and Ellen flew out. Armed with two guns and enough ammo to put a private militia to shame, she was ready for some payback.

Without hesitation, she shot the bastard, unloading the entire clip into him. However, Brody was faster as a shield of blood absorbed the bullets. The attack still forced him back.

“Get back here, you motherfucker!” Ellen shouted, leaping after him. She was not about to let this bloodfucker get away without giving him a piece of her mind and several of her bullets.

Unfortunately, Brody was a slippery bastard. Every attack she threw at him failed to do anything, as the injuries dissipated into red mist. In a rage, she gathered a lash of wind and water and cut into his head. His flesh peeled away under the hit, exposing bone and sinew like a macabre diagram. But his expression did not change. That unshakeable contemptuous cockiness only increased as he pushed his face back together.

“You’re wasting your time,” Brody chuckled as shadows sprang from him, reaching for Ellen. “My master’s work is done. We have triumphed. You can’t kill me. You can’t kill us.”

A sense of death radiated from the shadows as Ellen dodged the weaponized darkness. But for every miss, they grew more powerful. Eventually, they forced her out of the plane just to keep from being hit.

Behind Brody, a slight shimmer gleamed in the air before Ellen reappeared and planted her muzzle against the back of his head. Without hesitation, she fired.

The bullet cut through, sending chunks of brain and skull spewing out the other end. But this was not her victory. No, the shot did nothing as the injury healed itself.

“Didn’t I just say you couldn’t kill me?” Brody said as the shadows flew around him and ensnared Ellen. She tried to teleport away, but the freezing binds stopped her.

He looked down with a sense of superiority as his red eyes flooded black. The sky curled with a new blackness that swallowed everything.

“Now accept your death.”

Snap

Brody shuddered at the sound. Before he even understood what happened, he gagged and collapsed.

A crackling filled the air as the very earth trembled. The vibration danced across the skin of the living. Was it fear? Exhilaration? They did not know. But a force urged them to turn towards the banyan tree. Before them, it glowed bright, brighter than ever had.

Even Brody could not take his eyes from it as he cried out in horror, “What… what is that?”

At his question, electricity arched off the tree like a massive conductor. It crashed around them, hitting every pocket of shadow, every group of abomination that stood nearby. Even the cultists were targets as the light vaporized them. Where their enemies vanished, the earth righted itself, erasing the previous damage.

“The Maiden,” Ellen said in amazement as the shadowy binds faded.

Almost in response, the sound of an electrical coil charging up reverberated off the tree as it glowed a blinding white. A pure beam of light erupted from it, cleaving the dark sky in two. The air thumped with an all-consuming energy that reinvigorated its allies and brought destruction to its enemies. Brody felt his newfound power escape him. He fought to keep his hold, but it slipped right through his hands.

Not even his greyhounds responded to his call as the tree’s lightning evaporated them in front of him. He stumbled back and plead for his master’s aid, but the words froze on his tongue as he fell. He looked up and watched helplessly as the black and red sky faded away into the natural night.

One last burst of desperation pushed him as he crawled towards the tree. With cracked fingers, he clawed into it, trying to extract something from it. Something that would give him back what they had taken. Instead, a glowing figure appeared before him.

Her green dress fluttered as she raised a hand at the pathetic man. In hope, he reached out to the Maiden only for her hand to move backward. With a resounding crack, a slap struck his cheek and sent him crashing to the floor. However, instead of soft ground, he met immovable soil. He only mustered a guttural, pained whine before passing out.

Ellen looked at the newly revived Banyan Maiden and saw a flicker of malice in her features. Though it melted away when they made eye contact. With a sweet laugh, the spirit waved at Ellen before vanishing back into her tree.

Up in the canopy, Hunter turned from the scene with a smile. The battle was over. They had survived. He let out a long-held breath, but it was a bittersweet victory.

“You were right, mom,” he hummed, resting his head against her shoulder. “You really were right…” his words trailed off as he looked at the gentle glowing tree. “Hey…” he started, then stopped himself. The words caught in his throat as he struggled to say them. He knew what needed to be said. He just… could not. After all, they had won. How could he ruin it?

Mama Clarke made an approving noise, but it faltered at the end as she wrapped an arm around her son’s waist. “Told you. You should never doubt your mama. Everyone’s safe. Now, we can wash our hands of this trouble.”

“Yup,” tears pricked at Hunter’s eyes. He tried to clear them away, but his arm remained around his mother. Instead, he looked down and fought to control his voice. “Everyone’s safe. Neil’s safe,” he whispered.

There was not much time left. His body was at its limits. Whatever force had allowed him to stay standing had left, and now a pool of blood grew on his stomach.

His throat tightened as Hunter tried to get out the words. With a shake of his head, his cry turned into a passible sniffle. He gathered himself and slowly exhaled. “Hey, mom, you know I love you? You really are the best mother I could have ever wished for, you know. The same with Shelly and Peter, I couldn’t ask for a better family. I truly am blessed.”

Mama cocked her head at him as he continued.

“Same with Neil. I love him more than I ever thought I could love someone.” Tears blurred his vision. “When I think about it, it’s almost impossible for me to remember what it was like before we met. He just…” his words failed him as he shook his head with a watery chuckle.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t want to worry anyone, but I failed. Tell them all I’m sorry.”

—

Richard tried to stop Neil as he rushed for the tree. But their success energized the wereleopard as he flew past the alpha and climbed up. All the while, he happily called out his lover’s name.

They had won! They had survived! He could hardly accept it, but this nightmare was over!

In the canopy, Hunter was right where he had left him.

“Hunter, did you see that? I can’t believe it, I just can’t!” Neil cried as tears of joy overwhelmed him. He reached out to grab his boyfriend, only for Goldie to block him with a growl.

Mama Clarke clung to her child’s body as she turned to look directly at Neil. Agony and panic filled her expression.

“Get a doctor,” her tone was soft. But when Neil did not move, it raised up into an unearthly howl. “Go get a doctor now!”

Faced with her distress, Neil did not dare to argue. His instincts drove him to reach out for his mate, but he fought against it and raced from the tree.

“No, Hunter, no,” Mama Clarke’s words came out a rattling cry as she cradled her son. “You can’t leave me. Please, you can’t leave your mama alone.”

Even as she said this, she felt her son’s heartbeat weaken as his breath grew fainter and fainter until she heard it no more.

This was her penance.

This was the payment for her lie.

She had lied. She had lied so boldly to her children. At the time, it seemed right. But now… now she knew the price fate would force her to pay.

In that classroom, she had not seen the future or any good path. No, she had seen nothing. Nothing but a blank expanse. No future, no hope, only emptiness. Even now, as she desperately scried for her son’s future, she found nothing.

 

A/N

Ayyy, double chapter update. Ha. Well see ya next week.