Andreas appeared at Ari’s shoulder. “What’s the problem?”
“Lilith’s missing, apparently miffed because I insisted she go home.” Ari filled in the rest. “Shall we send out a search party?”
“If Russell can’t find her, I doubt if we can, but let’s do a quick search and see if anyone picks up her scent.”
“I can’t believe she’d pull something like this. Not for this long.” Ari’s forehead wrinkled. She knew Lilith was upset, but this just didn’t seem in character.
The search was a bust. Wherever Lilith was, they’d have to wait for her to come back on her own. Ari hoped she didn’t get into trouble—although coming back to the battle ahead was probably worse.
* * *
By nine o’clock that night, Ari had to get away for a few minutes by herself. Still no Steffan, no Lilith, and Kyra hadn’t answered when she called to say good-bye to Rayne. Ari slipped out of the headquarters, went to her cabin, and sank to the floor in the dark. Silent tears streamed down her face.
She wasn’t afraid to die, but she never imagined it would happen like this. Her best girlfriend and her cop partner were thousands of miles away, Lilith was angry with her, Steffan was MIA, and she couldn’t reach the nanny to whisper “I love you” to her precious daughter. On top of that, she hated the thought of the O-Seven winning.
Andreas opened the door, his tall frame silhouetted against the moon. “Can anyone join this wake?” His rich magic flowed over her, surrounding her with warmth and security.
“I’d tell you to knock off the glamour, but it feels too good right now.” But she wasn’t fooling herself. It wasn’t just the vampire magic. It was him. He made her feel safe.
He sat beside her, leaned against the wall, and pulled her into his lap, his dark head resting against her own blonde strands. “I’ve always loved the scent of your hair,” he said.
“It must be my shampoo. Minty tea leaves or something like that.”
He chuckled softly. After a moment, he said, “I feel your sadness. What are you thinking?”
“All kinds of bad things. And I can’t find Rayne to say good-bye.” Her voice broke, and Andreas tightened his arms.
“I can help you with that. Call again. I know they’re at home. I just spoke with Kyra.”
“You did?” She grabbed her phone and thumbed speed dial. The nanny answered immediately. “Oh, Kyra, you’re there.”
“Of course, where else would I be? Andreas told me you’d be calling. Rayne is wide awake and waiting to talk with her mama.” Kyra gave small laugh. “At least she’s making cute noises.”
“Please put her on.” The next thing Ari heard was the baby’s happy gurgling.
Ari started crying again, Andreas reached over and put the phone on speaker. He held her, occasionally talking with Kyra, until the infant wound down and dozed off a few minutes later. “Thank you, Kyra. Tell Rayne we love her. We’ll be home in a few days.”
“Sure thing, Andreas, I’ll do that. See you soon, Ari.
Andreas cut the connection, and Ari sagged against him. “This is hard,” she murmured. “Harder than I ever imagined.” She sighed and reached up a hand to caress his cheek. “Andreas?”
“Yes, love.”
“Do you know how much you mean to me?”
“I think I have an inkling.” There was a smile in his voice.
She scooted around on her knees, curled her fingers into his black locks, and covered his lips with hers. Softly, almost tentatively. She lifted them long enough to whisper in his ear. “Make love to me, Andreas. If we don’t make it through tonight, I want loving you to be one of the last things I do.”
Without speaking, he gathered her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. As he kicked the door shut, he said softly, “My pleasure, cara mia.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Ari, Andreas, and the leaders of their assault teams stood on the mountain road overlooking Castle Verdammung. The elders’ stone fortress should have been less threatening bathed in moonlight with its sharp edges smoothed by darkness. Yet there was no mistaking the menace, the forbidding mist, and the black clouds of dark magic that hung so low they shrouded the highest ramparts. The evil that emanated from the castle’s cold walls sent a chill across Ari’s arms.
“Gloomy place, isn’t it?” Sophie said. “Good thing we have the wizards to light it up. We’d never see the enemy until they were on top of us.”
“It’ll be like turning on stadium lights. The moment the wizards’ energy arcs cross over the castle, the entire area will glow. That’ll be your signal, Sophie, to raise the barrier and seal the perimeter. Our fighting forces will then engage anyone who breaks through.”
Prince Daron spoke from behind her. “It’s a lot of territory to cover. Even closing our perimeter to a half mile from the castle still leaves six or seven miles for a few dozen people to patrol and protect.”
Ari nodded. “Yeah, but before the latest arrivals we didn’t even have enough to try.” Ryan’s ingenuity had brought in four dozen of their best American vampires and shifters about thirty minutes ago. Desperate for planes, he’d contacted her friend Horatio Jones at the CIA and obtained the loan of a C-130 military transport jet.
“Our lines are still spotty.” Gabriel stared at the scene below. His expression was as grim as Ari had ever seen it. “In that dense forest, our perimeter will be like a leaky sieve. I knew this would be tough, but I’ve never seen the castle and surrounding area from this perspective before.”
“It’s a daunting sight,” Andreas admitted.
“The raptors will break through first,” Ari said, trying to stay focused on the battle details. “They’ll be hard to contain, but we can use every second you can give us. The assault rifles will be the most effective.”
“We’ll handle them.” Daron’s voice was brusque. “I swear we’ll give you the time you need.”
“What about the werebears on our rear flanks?” Sophie asked. “There’s nothing to stop them.”
“If we just had more time…but we don’t. So the best we can hope for is the bears decide to ignore the fight as long as it’s concentrated on the castle and not their precious forest. If not, try to get your hands on one of the flamethrowers.” Ari turned toward the other leaders. “Are you ready to take your positions? You’ll have ten minutes before Andreas and I call the elders.”
“Ready,” several voices called. They started to move away.
“Wait. What’s that?” Ari scanned the forest behind them. “Does anyone else feel that?” The ground trembled slightly, a minor but distinct vibration.
“I do,” Sophie said. “But I don’t know what it is.”
A few others nodded agreement.
Tall shadows emerged from the woods, then halted. The vibrations stopped. Two figures moved toward them, one tall, the other much smaller.
“Ari, it’s me.”
“Lilith! I’m over here.” Ari waved. “Where have you been?” She took a tentative step forward, recognized the lioness’s companion, and motioned for her husband to join her. “Andreas, I want you to meet Grogan.”
The tree troll’s square face broke into a wide grin when he spotted Ari. A few long strides of his elephantine legs, and the three hundred and fifty pound, seven and a half foot tree troll was beaming down at her. He carried a large object that looked like a gigantic tusk.
She grinned back. “Welcome, troll leader. This is my husband, Andreas.”
Andreas bowed his head briefly, acknowledging the troll’s position as head of his clan.
“Good to see you, witch.” Grogan’s focus moved to Andreas, and he nodded. “I see why you rescued him. Pretty.”
Ari laughed. “Yes, I think so.”
Andreas didn’t bat an eye. “I am in your debt for saving Arianna from the cave-in.”
Grogan tilted his massive head to one side and seemed to consider it. “Hmm, maybe.” He looked back at Ari. “Now you need Grogan’s help again.”
“Yes, but I thought you intended to stay out of the fight.”
“That was before.”
“Before what?”
He showed her a toothy grin, as if her question was foolish. “Before you need us.”
Ari looked a question at Lilith.
The lioness shrugged. “I told him the whole story, that our people couldn’t get here in time and we were outnumbered.”
“Not want friends to die.” Grogan’s face was serious now. “Trolls no like fight, but we keep bears away.”
Ari widened her eyes. “You can do that?”
“Ha. Ha.” Grogan’s deep voice rumbled. “Bears afraid of angry trolls. Not get past us.”
“He brought a hundred trolls with him,” Lilith said, her voice filled with awe. “They’re already spreading out in the forest to guard our rear flanks.”
Ari trembled with excitement. That explained the vibrations—a hundred pairs of enormous troll feet.
Grogan held out the curved tusk. “Also brought mountain horn. When trolls go to battle, we use horn.”
“What a great idea,” she said, her eyes lighting up. “If I’m not mistaken, the sound will carry all across the valley, and we’d be able to hear it inside the castle. We can coordinate the start of everything by blowing the horn.”
“You hear horn all right.” Grogan looked at it proudly.
She would have kissed him if she could reach his cheek, but she settled for hugging Lilith. “Thank you for bringing him,” she whispered. “You may have saved the day. So you weren’t really mad at me?”
“No! Well, not for long. I went for a walk to cool off. And it occurred to me that Grogan might be able to help. I didn’t think it would take this long.”
Ari stepped back and looked at them both. “Grogan, you and your people are most welcome here. Thank you. You’re the best news we’ve had all day.”
“Is Steffan here yet?” Lilith asked.
“No, we haven’t seen him since—” Excited shouts made her turn to look at the road leading up from the valley behind them.
“I was going to tell you he wasn’t far behind us, but I guess he just arrived.” Lilith broke off as Ari hurried toward the gathering crowd. Steffan raced up the mountain pass leading dozens of German wolves, about half in furry form, the others carrying clubs, axes, and rifles. They filled the road and streamed back around the first curve.
Andreas caught up with her and grabbed her hand. They exchanged a swift grin at the change of fortune within the last hour.
After an emotional greeting—Ari hugging Steffan, Andreas and Steffan slapping each other on the back—the wolves were quickly deployed, armed with the flamethrowers that were too risky for vampires to use. While raptors were resistant to fire, they couldn’t withstand a concentrated barrage. They’d no longer find it an easy task to run over the assault lines. And the vampires that poured out of the castle might wish they’d stayed inside.
Unless, of course, the castle fell.
Ari and Andreas finally stood alone on the mountain road. Her heart was lighter than it had been. It would no longer be a one-sided bloodbath. With the werebears kept at bay by the trolls, the reinforced and armed shifters and vampires from home had a fighting chance.
She gripped both of Andreas’s hands and smiled at him. “I guess it’s time.”
“It seems so.” For a moment he did nothing except look at her. Then he released her hands, took out his phone, and called Bastian. “Arianna and I are ready to surrender to the will of the elders’ council.”
Silence. “Where are you?”
“Just outside the castle walls. We also brought our daughter, so the elders may see for themselves that she is not a vampire.”
“I don’t understand. What caused this change of heart?”
“We want a peaceful life for our child. We’re willing to give up our own freedom for hers. We’ll join you or submit to whatever the council decrees. But the elders must guarantee her safety and that she will be released once they are satisfied of her status.”
Ari held her breath. Would Bastian question that preposterous lie?
The elder seemed to take it in stride. “If she is truly a witch, she would be of no further interest to us.”
“Then obtain the council’s assurances, and we’ll meet you at the front gate.”
“I’ll call you back directly.” Bastian cut off the connection.
“What do you think?” Ari looked at Andreas anxiously.
“He didn’t believe a word of it, but after his initial surprise, he went along as if he’d been expecting this.”
“Maybe he has. The prophecy, a hunch, or maybe he’s just smart enough to have figured it out. But what happens now? Will the elders fall into our scheme, or is Bastian planning one of his own?”
“We’ll know soon enough.” Andreas tucked her against his side, and they waited quietly for the phone to ring.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Ari’s skin prickled from the icy breath of the raptors standing on each side of them. The eight-foot tall, prehistoric creatures were feared for their savagery even by other supernaturals. She fought to calm herself. Suddenly the castle doors opened.
Bastian’s sneering face greeted them, his assessing eyes cold, calculating. He was flanked by two werebears and three vampire guards. He sharpened his gaze on Andreas. “It has taken you long enough to come to your senses. Are you prepared to honor the pledge of fealty you gave when you were last here?”
Andreas inclined his head. “I am.”
“Where is the child?”
“With Prince Daron on the ridge.” Andreas waved a hand toward the mountain pass behind them. “We wanted to hear in person that no harm would come to her.”
Ari stepped forward. “If you hurt my child, you’d better run—”
“Yes, yes,” Bastian interrupted. “You will try to kill me or some such drivel. Spare me the empty threats.” His gaze moved back to Andreas. “Signal them to bring her.”
“Not yet. Daron wishes to meet with his sire in private to discuss his own return to the elders’ court.”
Bastian lifted a brow, but he didn’t miss a beat. “Then by all means I will talk with him…and bring the infant when I return. Guards, take them to the council. Tell the elders I will join them shortly.” He pushed between Ari and Andreas, and then stopped to look back at the guards. “You won’t find weapons on her. They are in her fingers. Bind her. She is a fire witch.”
Ari glared at him as if she’d been betrayed. But he’d had no reason to tell the guards something they should already know. By focusing on her witch fire, he’d forestalled a body search, allowing her to keep any weapons she might have hidden. Unfortunately, all she had was her dagger, which wouldn’t be much help unless the enemy was closer than she intended.
What the exchange told her was Bastian had acknowledged her debt was paid. In Toronto he’d asked for the opportunity to remove himself from the battle he was certain was coming. They’d just done that, and he’d attempted to return the favor. It showed Bastian had some honor left. Perhaps Daron could build on that.
One of the werebear guards wrapped chains around her wrists and pulled them tight. He gave her a hard shove. “The elders are eager to see you, witch.”
Andreas’s eyes darkened at the rough treatment. Then his expression went blank, and Ari breathed a silent sigh of relief. They couldn’t afford to give themselves away…yet.
The corridors were as cold and barren as Ari remembered them. A fitting, dreary world for the heinous creatures who lived here. The hallways had been cleared; the loudest sound was the scraping of the bears’ claws on the stone floor.
The walk seemed to take forever as they wound through the massive structure and climbed two sets of wide stone stairs. Ari took a steadying breath when she spotted the massive doors to the elders’ audience chambers. She glanced sideways at Andreas. A tightening of his jaw was the only sign of tension.
The guards th
rew open the chamber doors.
Andreas turned his head to look at her, and their eyes locked for a long moment. Ari’s heart leaped into her throat. He nodded once, and they stepped inside.
The guards hustled Ari and Andreas to the center of the room, then retired to the sidelines. The O-Seven had taken their seats and insolently assessed the new arrivals. Her skin crawled from the eerie scrutiny of a half dozen predators.
Refusing to be intimidated, Ari stared back.
Nothing had changed since last year. The elders sat on a large stage with a gleaming gold railing and a long table draped in crimson silk. A gold goblet sat at each of the seven places, and four large torches lit the table with magical flames.
There was little uniformity among the O-Seven in size or coloring, not even in their expressions—bored, angry, triumphant. The only distinctions they shared were the vampiric powers that electrified the room and their brutal views on the rest of the world. Along with Bastian, these six creatures of the night had ruled unopposed for thousands of years. Not because of their leadership qualities, but due to their cruelty.
The raw power levels in the chambers triggered alarms throughout her sensory system…and a flash of doubt. How could she and Andreas hope to— She mentally kicked herself.
“Where is Bastian?” The question came from Porbius. “Is he not with you?”
“No, my lord. He will join you shortly,” one of the vampire guards reported.
While the guard explained Bastian’s delay, Ari took her measure of the castle structure. Just as she remembered—high ceilings, a viewing balcony, staircases to higher levels. Everything had been built in stone, impervious to fire, invulnerable. Oh, yeah? Her lips twitched. The O-Seven had no idea what two motivated witches could do. Not yet, they didn’t.
“Is this some kind of trick?” Porbius asked suspiciously, standing abruptly and walking toward them. “I find it hard to believe that you, Andreas, or Daron have had a change of heart.”
“Your methods have been most persuasive. Neither of us would choose death for mere principles.” Andreas bowed deeply toward the elders.