Then they narrowed in hatred before she disappeared altogether.

“NO!!” Caia screamed in frustration. She wasn’t getting away from her that easily! This had to end, it had to end now! And Caia no longer cared how.

In an instinct that should have cost her, her life, she made the decision to travel somewhere she had never been before… a feat that could only be performed by a Traveller, a magik with Vil’s particular gifts. Marion had told Caia that Marita was most probably staying at this inn, a condemned building in a small village in Central Scotland.

Take me there, she whispered to her energy, squeezing her eyes shut and drawing on every ounce of magik that belonged to her. The travel seemed to take forever, moving through a black tunnel at warp speed, flashes of colored lights exploding in her eyes as a raw sickening pain bubbled under every inch of her skin. With a thud, she collapsed on gritty ground, pebbles piercing her skin as she heaved forward, the contents of her stomach decorating what looked like a short driveway. She shuddered and convulsed, her flesh and insides so raw it was as if a butcher had taken a meat hammer to her. When at last she stilled, lying prone on the stoned driveway, Caia looked up through her hair to see a gothic looking inn perched on top of a small hill. Breathing deeply, she pulled herself to her feet, swaying a little, and gave her surroundings a fleeting look. A road ran up the side of the inn leading to a residential area and below the hill was what appeared to be a main road with another road branching off of it leading to the houses that were stacked behind a tall wooden fence some yards down from the inn itself. It was pitch dark and there was not another soul around.

Thank goddess Eliza’s family lived in England or Caia might not have survived a longer distance to travel. She examined the inn carefully. It was old, all of its windows and doors boarded up with DANGEROUS KEEP OUT sprayed across the main door in red spray paint. She almost snorted at that. These people had no idea just how dangerous the contents of the inn were. The thought of what she had to do next made her want to throw up again, but Caia braced herself. It was now or never. With another forceful push of her energy as she transported herself to the inside of the inn, a sharp pain exploding in her upper thigh. She bit back a yelp, but her efforts were in vain as she tumbled against the obstacle that had thrust into her leg and undone her, sending her crashing to the floor with a muffled ‘oomph’. Damn table.

See, this was why Travelling was for the professionals.

Flipping herself over, Caia lay on her back panting and let her eyes drink in her surroundings. The inside of the inn was like a palace, every inch of it decorated exactly to Marita’s Renaissance-style taste.

She wanted to burn it to the ground!

The sound of shuffling to her left seized hold of her heart and she stiffened. A painful heat gripped her entire length and pinned her to the floor. She struggled against the magikal hold but there was no budging, and every time she tried to pierce it with her own magik she got nowhere. As five faces popped into view above her, Caia realized why. Five magiks, one of which was Marita, had combined their powers to keep her trapped. She sneered at that, feeling a little smug that it had taken the five of them to best her.

But best you they have, you idiot.

Frantically, she began to struggle again as the import of the situation sunk in. She was going to die here. She was going to die right here in this spot any minute now.

“Caia,” Marita snapped, “Stop struggling. The least you can do is die with a little dignity.”

Caia tried to speak, to curse the evil witch for all eternity but nothing came out.

Marita snickered. “Cat got your tongue, Caia. I can’t believe you and my sister deceived me so well. After I kill you, I’m going to have to leave this place and then I’m going to have to hunt down my deceitful, wicked shrew of a sister and kill her too.”

At the thought of Marita hurting Marion her struggles grew more intense.

“Tut tut, Caia, you’re only wasting your energy. I like the fact that my killing Marion distresses you so. In fact, I’m not going to stop there. I’m going to kill everyone you care about. Your pack. That little Midnight bitch and her boyfriend Traveller. As for your best friend, Jaeden, well… I’m going to give her a little taste of what your Uncle Ethan gave to her before I cut her open to see how she acquired telekinesis. It’s the damndest thing you know. Oh, you don’t like that at all do you.”

A flicker of white heat licked across Caia’s calves and she pleaded inwardly for Marita to make her madder.

“It was Rose who told me where to find Eliza-”

Oh my gods! I will kill her! If I get out of here I will rip that tramp apart!

“-she thinks I’ll grant Lucien and the pack pardon and she can live happily ever after with your mate.” She snorted. “Delusional little fool. I’ll let her live, but I’m going to kill the pack slowly. Mutilate them like I did to the others… Dimitri and Yvana-”

The white heat stroked up towards her stomach.

“-Dana and Daniel. Morgan and Natalia. I didn’t get to finish them off properly. But when I get to Irini and Ella and all those others you love… I’ll make sure to take my time-”

It gripped her stomach and crawled up through her chest, her throat closing under its blaring fire.

“-And then Lucien. Oh, I’ll leave him to last. I’m going to make his torture last for months. First I’ll play with that beautiful exterior, give him a few scars he’ll never forget. And then I’ll take his insides out bit by bit while he’s still conscious and-”

“ARRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!” The horrendous scream that ripped out of Caia was beyond her control, the white light blinding her as it exploded out of every cell in her body. Caia was no longer Caia but one with the greatest stream of energy she had ever known.

And all it wanted was the destruction of Marita and her people.

It seemed forever she ceased to exist.

But then… the bright white began to fade and a hush fell, her eyes slid closed of their own accord, silence pillowing her in her sleep.

26 –Solidarity

The beeping noise was starting to get annoying. It pulled her from her sleep and forced her into consciousness. Caia groaned, her head pounding so hard she was afraid to open her eyes. That was… if she could open her eyes. Her lids felt as if they had been stuck shut with hot glue. As for her mouth… she made a smacking sound with her lips, her mouth as dry as Irini’s victoria sponge cake. The irritating beeping got louder. What the…

“Miss…” a lilting voice said softly from above her.

Slowly, she peeled her lids open and then grunted at the harsh stream of light that stung her eyes. She tried again and as her eyes came into focus she saw a woman standing over her. A nurse. Caia’s heart kicked. Oh crap, where was she?

“It’s nice to see you awake.” The nurse smiled softly, her accent thick and sure… and very Scottish? Oh my goddess! Caia twisted her head around to see the heart monitor she was attached to was the source of the beeping. She glanced down to see herself tucked into a hospital bed, a tube plugged into her hand.

“Where am I?” She croaked.

The nurse frowned. “You don’t remember?”

“No.”

The woman’s eyes widened. “You’re no from hereabouts from the sound of that accent, are you? You dinnae remember what happened to you, at all?”

Yeah, that’s what she was telling her. She shook her head impatiently.

“You’re in the Western General… in Edinburgh. You were found in the rubble of an explosion in a village a little west of here twenty four hours ago. Do you remember how you got there?”

Marita! Caia sucked in a breath, the events of the night before whooshing into her body like a gust of wind. The inn… she had gone after Marita to the inn and… had she killed her? Had she been successful?

“Were there any other survivors?” She whispered frantically.

The nurse frowned again, shaking her head. “No, honey, you were the only person found in the debris. It was just a load of ash and rubble, they said. Why? Were you wi’ somebody? Can you tell me your name?”

Caia had to get out of here. She had to get back to the pack, and she had to get someone to come back and deal with all the people that had been at the sight of the inn, because clearly she had made quite a mess. Glancing around she was relieved to find herself in a private room.

“Can I speak with the doctor?” She asked.

The nurse pinched her lips. “I’ll have a wee look and see if I can find him for you. The police are waiting to question you, so I’ll hurry along eh.”

As soon as the door closed behind the woman Caia ripped at the tube in her hand and pulled off the heart monitor, silencing it with her magik. Hurriedly, she utilized magik to clothe herself in jeans and a t-shirt and then she felt herself swaying badly. She clutched a plastic chair in the corner and pushed herself upright. This was no time to be lacking energy.

Her nerve endings shaking Caia took a deep breath and pictured the dining hall in the hotel.

Everything was black, her aching body pressed against something cold. Then noise just exploded all around her.

“Caia-”

“Oh my goddess-”

“Caia! You’re back!”

She felt hands tugging at her and she realized she had landed prone on the hardwood floor of the dining hall. Someone gripped her under the arms and turned her gently and she looked up into the concerned silver eyes of her mate.

“Lucien.” She reached for him, and he hauled her up into his arms, his entire body shaking with emotion as they embraced.

“I thought you were dead,” he choked and squeezed her tighter. She was vaguely aware of weeping, and people patting and stroking her back as she lay comforted in her mate’s arms.

Eventually, Lucien pulled back a little. “Can you stand?” he asked hoarsely, his eyes washing over her face as if afraid to look away.

She nodded. There was still a lot to do and she didn’t have time to be playing the invalid. Slowly, but surely, Lucien helped her to her feet. She stood to face a wearied and worried pack, including Marion, Saffron, and Reuben. Caia was heartened to see Ryder, Jaeden and Vil all in good shape, so she guessed they had taken care of Marita’s lykans. As her eyes took them all in, a frown suddenly formed between her brows. Wait a minute…