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“Hello, asshat,” I growled. They dropped me on the floor in front of him, and I dusted off my hands on Sera’s jeans as I got back to my feet. The rest of the warehouse fell into an eerie silence, all eyes boring into me. “Have you shown them your real face, Heath? Do you think they’d be so easy to manipulate if they knew what kind of a monster you are?”
He cocked his head to the side, amused. “Do you think they’d still consider you their savior if they saw what kind of monster you are?”
Not amused. “I honestly don’t care what they think of me, as long as they’re safe and away from you.”
“Lies don’t become us, little witch.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. “You must really hate looking at yourself in the mirror every morning.”
He chuckled. “Clever, but clever doesn’t save your sister’s life.”
He tugged on the thread of magick between us, and then we were there, our back pressed up against his chest, one of his arms snaked around our waist, the other along the line of our jaw, tilting our head forward and to the side.
“Are you fast enough? Strong enough?” he whispered in our ear. “Let’s find out.”
Sera screamed as fangs broke skin. The venom ran like liquid fire through her bloodstream, and amid all the pain, my sister let go of the line between us, and....
I tumbled to the ground at Jareth’s feet. I could still hear her in my head, faint, like an echo. “Son of a bitch!”
He offered a hand up, and I took it. “What happened?”
I shook my head. “It’s too much. Suffice it to say that we won’t be calling the cops. Take me to the warehouse.”
***
The inside of the warehouse felt like a held breath. No one had moved in the fifteen minutes it took us to navigate the maze of buildings and connexes, and my sister lay quiet at Heath’s feet—breathing, but still.
He’d painted the entryways with wards and left no one outside to meet us.
I didn’t like tests, but this sure as hell felt like one. What I wouldn’t give to have Jacob with me to bust these suckers out. Jareth... well, he might not be as strong without the extra power Heath had been feeding him, but he was no slouch.
The conversation on our short trip had included that unexpected discovery, and while he was disappointed, having thought the increased ability and reach was a gift from his God for loyal service, we’d taken a minute breather to check his actual power levels. Yeah, no slouch. Hell, he was a touch stronger than me, and his ability was far more focused. Not Jacob, but a solid ally.
“Can you take out the wards?” I whispered as we leaned against the building.
“I can. What’s the plan?”
“Um, let’s go with you break the wards and I kick some ass.”
He had the courtesy to look only slightly unamused.
“Fine. I’m going to call the cops, and the good doctor with the anti-venom. We’re going to need them both. Then you’re going to break the wards, and I’m going to go in and do my thing. You’re welcome to back me up—I’d be very appreciative—but I make no guarantees for your safety. Are we good?”
He nodded before opening the satchel he’d packed in the car. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one with a magickal go-bag.
I snagged the phone out of my back pocket. Luce had given me Dr. Seth’s card for safekeeping when I’d changed clothes at the hospital, which meant I didn’t have to call her or listen to her try to talk me out of the impending insanity. I tapped the on-screen numbers and pushed send.
He answered two rings in. “Hello, this is Dr. Northman.”
“Seth.”
“Ms. Delante.”
“I need your help.”
“Of course you do.”
I ignored the not-so-subtle sarcasm in his tone. “You have more of that anti-venom?”
“You go and get yourself bit again?”
“No, it was my sister. A naga named Heath bit her to lure me here, but you know I can’t save her.”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible. Just tell me where.”
I rattled off the information, thanked him, and hung up. One call down, one verbal beating left to take. I dialed Ethan’s number and closed my eyes.
“Goddammit, Zoë, what the hell were you thinking?”
Kudos to caller ID. “I wasn’t. Clearly. We can publically flog me later, but right now, Ethan, right now I need you to listen to me.” He started to reply, but I interrupted and pushed forward. “I’m at the warehouse in Annapolis where my sister and other members of her church are being held hostage by men armed with weapons and gas cans. The leader is waiting for me to show up, and it’s going to get messy. I don’t think they intend for any of the hostages to walk out of here.
“I intend to change that outcome, and while I cannot wait for you, I need your help. You’ve got the task force all ready to go. I have a place for them to show up. Don’t try and talk me out of this. We don’t have time. Just tell me you’re coming so I can get this party started.”
He sighed. “Fine, Zoë, we’re coming, but watch your ass. Let’s keep everybody safe, all right?”
“I’ll do my best.” I gave him the information. “Please hurry, Ethan.”
I hung up before he could reply. All the pieces were in motion, and we’d run out of time. Almost. I stole a minute to whisper a prayer. “Oh, Goddess, I know what I’m about to do is incredibly stupid, but there are a lot of good people in there who are going to be in some serious pain or dead. I can’t just sit here and do nothing. Give me strength so I can help them. Give me wisdom so I can keep the innocents safe. Give me the ability to bring the enemy down, so they can never incite this madness again. If it is Your will, so mote it be.”
I stood and turned to Jareth. “Ready?”
“You pray like a Christian.” He joined me, a blood-red, crystal-tipped wand in his hand.
“I just pray like a human.” I shrugged. “Let’s get this done.” I gestured to the first door.
***
Jareth laid three smaller red stones at the foot of the doorway, his wand tucked under one arm. “Bloodstones,” he whispered. “For strength.” The larger one in his hand started to glow. “Stand back. This might be loud.”
He drew a circle in the air in front of him—once, twice, and a third time, pushing it forward and into the doorway. Loud was an understatement. The metal roll-up door squealed under the pressure, and a large dent appeared in the metal, as if a giant fist had punched it,. He reached down and touched each stone, whispering something I couldn’t hear, and redrew his circles—one, two, and three.
The door crumpled and fell inside on top of some of the bad guys. The others readied their weapons amid the cries and whimpers of the hostages.
Jareth touched the threshold with the wand, and electric bolts of light crackled over the surface. “Might as well make an entrance,” he said with a smile, and waved me inside.
I walked through the cloud of debris, head held high. “Let them go, Heath. Let them go, and this won’t end badly for you.”
He nudged my sister with one foot. “Pretty display, little witch, but I’m not afraid of you.” A forked tongue flicked out from between his lips. “How much longer do you think she’s got? Thirty minutes? Fifteen? Do you honestly believe you can beat me fast enough to save her?”
“It doesn’t matter what I believe.” I gave him my best creepy smile. “You know I have to try.”
He cracked his neck as he unbuttoned his shirt. “Then perhaps we should do this as ourselves, no hiding behind shells. Just my snake and your wolf.”
Um, not sure I like that idea. Time to stall. “So the guy you set on fire at the apartment told you about me. Nice. Was that before or after he agreed to die for you and your king?”
Heath nodded as the shirt slid off his well-built shoulders and fluttered to the ground. “Before. Not just a witch. Not just a psychic. Also a wolf. A rather large one, if I remember his words correctly. A worthy adversary.”
He flexed his arms, and a green hue crept over his skin, and the whole of him seemed to expand.
Dammit, he’s changing. “There’s no need for us to fight. Just let them go.”
He smiled. “You’ve ruined business for us here. Now we’re going to have to move our nest elsewhere and start over. There are consequences for that.”
I shrugged. “Shouldn’t kill little babies, then. We humans kind of resent that.”
He laughed. “Still playing at being one of them?” He kicked Sera again, and she rolled onto her stomach.
All I could think was if she threw up, she was going to drown. I took a step forward, and he grabbed her by the hair and lifted her head off the ground.
“Why would you choose to be something so low?” He dropped her head to the concrete.
Motherfucker! “Don’t touch her.” Magick tickled across my skin.
He raised a brow and nudged her again.
“I said don’t touch her,” I growled. My wolf howled, and the change began. Black fur washed over my hands, thick claws grew from my fingertips, and my mouth extended to a muzzle that filled with his snake scent.
“Pretty puppy, want to play?” Heath teased.
My jeans ripped against my thighs as, almost like a cartoon, I grew to almost twice my normal height. Breasts shrank and disappeared beneath the fur on my chest, and I stood there in a strong half-wolf form. Odd, no tail in this form. I licked my muzzle with a long, wet tongue.
He pulsed like a green candy apple in my vision. “Oh, yes, let’s play.”
