The tree shivered. The sickening grayish white of the trunk and branches dulled. Branislava took a deep breath and pushed more power at the first of the five points. Tiny sparks leapt around the tree like dancing fireflies. She was wrapped in fire. In passion. There was no way to contain what or who she was. She’d been lucky that Zev was as passionate as she was, was able to take her fierce heat and wild cravings. She poured that same fire into her spells, using her love, not allowing hatred or fear into her craft.

Alder protect me as I pass from one form to another,

Fire, I call your spirit,

Be mindful of my call,

She who bleeds feeds forth your fires of life.

As a spider spins her web,

I now unweave this charm.

That which was woven in darkness,

I bring forth light’s fire to encompass and disarm.

The tree’s bark went from a sickly white to a darker, more natural hue. Branches and leaves took on a normal tone and the fog receded from the tree, driven back away from it by the glowing fireflies. The sparks danced read and orange, leaping about joyously through the limbs of the tree, and flickering through the leaves, bringing back life.

Xaviero threw back his head and roared with rage. Roared. The ground shook. Nearly everyone fell hard. The mage’s arms shot out, encompassing the field. The air vibrated with his anger. Electricity crackled and snapped, sizzling like whips overhead. The fire leapt, flames roaring.

“Feast, my pets. Kill them. Kill them all. Tear apart the woman. Devour her and leave nothing behind. Feast. Kill. Devour.”

The hellhounds sprang on the Lycans between them and Branislava. The hellhounds leapt through the air to land on the Lycans and Carpathians nearest them, holding them down with great claws while razor-sharp teeth tore chunks out of flesh. Vipers sank teeth into ankles, regardless of having no venom. The Sange rau launched themselves at Branislava, determined to get past her guards and kill her as their master desired.

Zev actually used three hellhounds as a springboard, hitting the Sange rau closest to Branislava squarely in the chest with both feet. He used his mixed blood strength and speed as well as his momentum of flying forward and the Sange rau’s momentum of blurring speed. The two crashed so hard together Zev felt every bone in his opponent’s chest smash under his assault. The shock ran up his legs, but he dropped harmlessly to the ground in a crouch.

A hellhound knocked him flat, but he sliced open the beast’s belly as he went down. When it lifted its muzzle to scream, he slit its throat. Rolling, he came up and slammed one arrow into its right eye and left it for Fen to finish off as he raced to protect Branislava.

Fen used a hellhound to leapfrog, rolling over its back to slam a silver stake deep into the chest of the Sange rau Zev had taken to the ground. As he rushed past the thrashing hellhound with one arrow in its eye and burned coat, he thrust a second arrow deep into the left eye and kept running.

Dimitri came after him, using the silver sword, slashing downward in a long arc to sever the head of the Sange rau both Fen and Zev had wounded. The hellhound was down, but the one Fen had rolled over, burning its back with the hyssop oil, was snarling and ready for him, its great jaws wide open, displaying the wicked set of teeth. A chunk of flesh hung from the side of one jaw, along with strings of venom mixed with blood.

Dimitri didn’t bother to slow down—he shoved the long blade of his sword coated with hyssop oil right down the gruesome throat and out the back of the massive head. They stood together, Fen, Dimitri and Zev, Razvan fighting his way to them, so the four stood back-to-back, prepared to keep everything and anything off of Branislava.

Dimitri’s eyes narrowed. Where is Skyler? he demanded, trying to see everything on the fierce battlefield.

Tatijana is missing as well, Fen added, his heart in his throat.

Razvan indicated the huge hole in the center of the field where the three women had disappeared.

Xaviero sent a worm for them. He backed away from the hole, although it was the hardest thing he’d ever done. We have to guard Branislava. Without her, we’re lost, and now both mages can work to kill her. Trust Ivory. She’s dealt with these worms and will bring them back safely.

He closed his eyes briefly. Ivory, be safe. Come back to me.

21

Ivory bit back an exclamation of pain as the worm’s teeth closed around her. It’s going to take us down into the hole. Don’t fight it. The more you fight, the more venom it will inject into your body. No matter how much it hurts, or how frightened you are, stay very still, she warned the others.

It’s taking us up, not down, straight to that foul fog, Skyler hissed, trying to keep still when she felt as if the thing was sawing her in half.

It’s rising fast, but it will go straight down again. Just hold on. Ivory injected calm into her voice. She’d seen the worms before, fought them, taken back Razvan from one.

Tatijana shuddered. It’s taking me back to the mage’s lair. I’d rather die than go back.

Don’t fight, Ivory reiterated. I know what to do. Just stay calm. Once we enter the hole, the worm can move fast underground. The tunnel is already dug and it just has to slide through. The ride will be much smoother. I’ve got some weapons we can use, but when it hits back to ground, it’s going to hurt like hell. I can’t risk losing them.

The worm shot up about thirty feet, just enough for them to feel the foulness of the fog overhead and hear the screams and wails of the spirits trapped in the black smoke. It paused there for a moment and then backtracked with tremendous speed, down into the earth where it was most comfortable.

I tried shifting, Tatijana said. It’s impossible.

The worm has a venom that prevents that from happening. I’ve milked these worms and used the venom along with my own chemicals to improve the solution. I dip my weapons into the compound before I go hunting to prevent vampires from shifting. Ivory did her best to sound matter-of-fact.

Now that they were sliding through the air at a dizzying rate of speed, the hold on them eased. For all its ferocity, the worm had a delicate touch when bringing prisoners to the mage. She knew what it cost both Skyler and Tatijana to stay so still within the grasp of the worm. When the teeth of the creature met flesh, it injected its venom to hold that form. Not only was it painful, it was terrifying to be dragged through a tunnel beneath the earth knowing the destination was far worse than the worm.

Skyler was very young and new to their world. Her lifemate had only just claimed her. She’d been human, living with Carpathian adopted parents who protected her from such things. Tatijana had been a prisoner nearly her entire existence in the mage laboratories. Of course she wouldn’t want to return. Still, neither struggled, using tremendous discipline to do as she told them.