beneath her chin. The wraith flew backward, eyes fluttering. Her head connected with one of the steel window frames and she sank to the floor, unconscious.
Regan moved swiftly to where the wraith lay. Her spine was twisted and she was barely breathing, but she was still alive.
Regan had never been presented with this kind of problem before. She held the candlestick in her hand and had to make a decision, maybe the hardest she’d ever made.
She’d never killed anyone in the course of her life, but did she dare let the wraith live?
Her heart slammed around in her chest. Wraiths by nature weren’t evil, only when they’d been turned by Margetta’s foul means into an Invictus being.
Holding the candlestick in an iron grip, she turned to see how Ian fared. An Invictus pair gained strength from each other in a constant flow of energy. Because the wraith was unconscious, Regan could tell that Braden had lost a good portion of his power. Ian now sat on the man’s chest and threw punch after punch, his rings helping to deliver a well-deserved beating. The mastyr was also nearly unconscious as well.
She also heard sounds of a battle heating up outside the house. Relief flooded her since she knew the troops Ben had sent had finally arrived and were now engaging the rest of Braden’s Invictus force.
Ian, she pathed, turning in his direction. I can’t do this. I’m sorry, but I can’t kill her.
Ian rose up. Braden lay on his back, his face bloody, and he wasn’t moving.
Ian was breathing hard as he looked at her over his shoulder. I wondered why Braden had suddenly succumbed. And you did this? He waved a hand in the direction of the prone wraith.
Yes, through the power of the blood tattoo, but I can’t finish her off.
I understand. What I want you to do is to put your hand on top of her head and release a small flow of battle energy. I’ll do the same here. That will keep each of them unconscious until we can get a retrieval squad from Bergisson over here.
Really? Tears burned Regan’s eyes; she wouldn’t have to kill the woman after all.
Yes.
Are you sure?
I am. Absolutely. I know how much this would hurt you and what you’ve just been through is bad enough.
In all her long-lived life, Regan had never made use of her battle vibration until tonight. Earlier, she’d made use of Ian’s, but never her own. With it, she could stream energy powerful enough to hurt and even kill others.
She placed her hand on top of the wraith’s head and let the smallest amount possible leave her hand. When it entered the wraith, the woman seized, moaning faintly, then her whole body went lax.
Regan sensed the wraith would be out for hours.
Shifting to glance at Ian who stood over Braden, she could see that Ian had put the traitorous vampire in the same state as his bonded mate, as though resting in a deep trance.
It was over.
She had blood all over her clothes from the wraith spewing Regan’s tainted blood. Ian was bleeding from several cuts and was bruised in a dozen different places.
But they were both alive.
“Regan, I’m sorry you had to go through this.”
She crossed to him and when she drew close, he opened his arms. She all but threw herself against his chest and held him tight around the waist. She didn’t care they were both a mess. She let the tears flow.
She was also nauseous from the bile and needed to cleanse her blood or she’d really be ill. For now, though, she needed Ian’s comforting embrace more than anything.
Ben’s voice flowed into the space. “We’ve got the Invictus out here contained and Ethan’s team is on its way. A number are dead, but I’d say we have ten pairs we’ll be sending on to Bergisson Realm. Eleven, including these two.” With her face buried against Ian’s chest, she couldn’t see Ben, but she knew him well. He was Ian’s number-two Guardsman and almost as powerful as Ian. Camberlaune was fortunate to have two such powerful mastyrs serving the
Regan moved swiftly to where the wraith lay. Her spine was twisted and she was barely breathing, but she was still alive.
Regan had never been presented with this kind of problem before. She held the candlestick in her hand and had to make a decision, maybe the hardest she’d ever made.
She’d never killed anyone in the course of her life, but did she dare let the wraith live?
Her heart slammed around in her chest. Wraiths by nature weren’t evil, only when they’d been turned by Margetta’s foul means into an Invictus being.
Holding the candlestick in an iron grip, she turned to see how Ian fared. An Invictus pair gained strength from each other in a constant flow of energy. Because the wraith was unconscious, Regan could tell that Braden had lost a good portion of his power. Ian now sat on the man’s chest and threw punch after punch, his rings helping to deliver a well-deserved beating. The mastyr was also nearly unconscious as well.
She also heard sounds of a battle heating up outside the house. Relief flooded her since she knew the troops Ben had sent had finally arrived and were now engaging the rest of Braden’s Invictus force.
Ian, she pathed, turning in his direction. I can’t do this. I’m sorry, but I can’t kill her.
Ian rose up. Braden lay on his back, his face bloody, and he wasn’t moving.
Ian was breathing hard as he looked at her over his shoulder. I wondered why Braden had suddenly succumbed. And you did this? He waved a hand in the direction of the prone wraith.
Yes, through the power of the blood tattoo, but I can’t finish her off.
I understand. What I want you to do is to put your hand on top of her head and release a small flow of battle energy. I’ll do the same here. That will keep each of them unconscious until we can get a retrieval squad from Bergisson over here.
Really? Tears burned Regan’s eyes; she wouldn’t have to kill the woman after all.
Yes.
Are you sure?
I am. Absolutely. I know how much this would hurt you and what you’ve just been through is bad enough.
In all her long-lived life, Regan had never made use of her battle vibration until tonight. Earlier, she’d made use of Ian’s, but never her own. With it, she could stream energy powerful enough to hurt and even kill others.
She placed her hand on top of the wraith’s head and let the smallest amount possible leave her hand. When it entered the wraith, the woman seized, moaning faintly, then her whole body went lax.
Regan sensed the wraith would be out for hours.
Shifting to glance at Ian who stood over Braden, she could see that Ian had put the traitorous vampire in the same state as his bonded mate, as though resting in a deep trance.
It was over.
She had blood all over her clothes from the wraith spewing Regan’s tainted blood. Ian was bleeding from several cuts and was bruised in a dozen different places.
But they were both alive.
“Regan, I’m sorry you had to go through this.”
She crossed to him and when she drew close, he opened his arms. She all but threw herself against his chest and held him tight around the waist. She didn’t care they were both a mess. She let the tears flow.
She was also nauseous from the bile and needed to cleanse her blood or she’d really be ill. For now, though, she needed Ian’s comforting embrace more than anything.
Ben’s voice flowed into the space. “We’ve got the Invictus out here contained and Ethan’s team is on its way. A number are dead, but I’d say we have ten pairs we’ll be sending on to Bergisson Realm. Eleven, including these two.” With her face buried against Ian’s chest, she couldn’t see Ben, but she knew him well. He was Ian’s number-two Guardsman and almost as powerful as Ian. Camberlaune was fortunate to have two such powerful mastyrs serving the
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