heaved one of the witches into the trees, but four of her sisters leaped on him with silver daggers. The fight was over quickly, with four vampires and one witch dead.
Ari hurried to help a witch who’d been burned on the arm, but Sophistrina was there ahead of her. Another woman clutched the body of her dead sister; silent tears streaked her face. The injured witch was pulled out of the bushes. The coven had clearly had practice at cleaning up after an attack.
Ari watched Sophie treat the burn victim. “I’m so sorry. Will she be all right?” She fought to steady her breathing and subdue the adrenaline rush.
“This one will be fine,” the priestess said. “And Kara is on her feet. There nothing to be done for the other one but bury her.” She compressed her lips, hiding whatever she felt about the woman’s death, and wiped salve on her patient’s wound. “Luckily, we’re not as flammable as the vampires.” Her gaze flitted to the smoldering ashes of the vampires, and then to Ari. “You’re a handy person to have around in a fight.”
“How did they find you so quickly?”
Sophie’s eyes were dark with concern. “I don’t know. They have to be using very powerful sorcery. That should be our next task—to find out the source of their magic and stop it.”
“Our next task?” Ari repeated carefully. “Does that mean you’re still willing to help me? Even after this?” She held her breath, watching Sophie’s face.
“This is our everyday life. Death and tears. Taking you home with us would not be an unselfish act. Our goals have merged in a common enemy. Anything you can do that would weaken the O-Seven is to our advantage. In fact, you may be the best chance the Witches’ League has had in years to defeat them.” When Ari frowned, Sophie added, “We’ll do everything we can to rescue Andreas.”
Suddenly Ari wasn’t so sure. She had a funny knot in her gut. Sophie might be willing. But the Witches’ League? They’d been fighting and killing vampires for centuries. Could they be counted on to help Andreas or would they turn on him? “Can you honestly speak for the League? I don’t want to bring Andreas to the attention of even more enemies.”
“Don’t worry. They’ll help. You needn’t have called in your favor, if you had simply explained who and what Andreas was.”
Ari cocked her head in confusion. “What are you talking about? You mean because he was transformed against his will?”
“Is it possible you don’t know?” The priestess shook her head. “I felt it the moment we found his trace.”
“Know what? What did you feel? Has something awful happened to him?” Ari stared at her, fear and worry churning her stomach.
“No. No, nothing like that. It’s about his past, his heritage. Talk with Andreas. Or you might look through the library at the De Luca estates. If I’m right, the answer should be there.”
“I don’t know why you’re being so cryptic. Just tell me.”
“Oh, no. I’m not going to interfere. This is between the two of you.”
Ari crossed her arms, prepared to continue the argument. “Will it save Andreas? Does it have anything to do with the O-Seven?”
“I doubt it.”
“Why didn’t you just say so?” She dropped her arms. She didn’t care what Sophie knew or thought she knew. Not right now. Andreas’s past was unimportant, only his present and future concerned her. She threw up an impatient hand. “We’re wasting time, and someone may come looking for these vamps. I think we should get out of here.”
The witches glanced nervously at the dark shadows among the foliage.
“I agree. We still have sufficient members to raise the power to teleport home. Will you join us in Germany?”
Ari nodded. “I’ll explain the situation to my friends and fly into Frankfurt tomorrow.”
The air sparkled. Someone screamed as four more vampires teleported into view. Ari and Sophistrina raced toward them. The air shimmered again, producing
Ari hurried to help a witch who’d been burned on the arm, but Sophistrina was there ahead of her. Another woman clutched the body of her dead sister; silent tears streaked her face. The injured witch was pulled out of the bushes. The coven had clearly had practice at cleaning up after an attack.
Ari watched Sophie treat the burn victim. “I’m so sorry. Will she be all right?” She fought to steady her breathing and subdue the adrenaline rush.
“This one will be fine,” the priestess said. “And Kara is on her feet. There nothing to be done for the other one but bury her.” She compressed her lips, hiding whatever she felt about the woman’s death, and wiped salve on her patient’s wound. “Luckily, we’re not as flammable as the vampires.” Her gaze flitted to the smoldering ashes of the vampires, and then to Ari. “You’re a handy person to have around in a fight.”
“How did they find you so quickly?”
Sophie’s eyes were dark with concern. “I don’t know. They have to be using very powerful sorcery. That should be our next task—to find out the source of their magic and stop it.”
“Our next task?” Ari repeated carefully. “Does that mean you’re still willing to help me? Even after this?” She held her breath, watching Sophie’s face.
“This is our everyday life. Death and tears. Taking you home with us would not be an unselfish act. Our goals have merged in a common enemy. Anything you can do that would weaken the O-Seven is to our advantage. In fact, you may be the best chance the Witches’ League has had in years to defeat them.” When Ari frowned, Sophie added, “We’ll do everything we can to rescue Andreas.”
Suddenly Ari wasn’t so sure. She had a funny knot in her gut. Sophie might be willing. But the Witches’ League? They’d been fighting and killing vampires for centuries. Could they be counted on to help Andreas or would they turn on him? “Can you honestly speak for the League? I don’t want to bring Andreas to the attention of even more enemies.”
“Don’t worry. They’ll help. You needn’t have called in your favor, if you had simply explained who and what Andreas was.”
Ari cocked her head in confusion. “What are you talking about? You mean because he was transformed against his will?”
“Is it possible you don’t know?” The priestess shook her head. “I felt it the moment we found his trace.”
“Know what? What did you feel? Has something awful happened to him?” Ari stared at her, fear and worry churning her stomach.
“No. No, nothing like that. It’s about his past, his heritage. Talk with Andreas. Or you might look through the library at the De Luca estates. If I’m right, the answer should be there.”
“I don’t know why you’re being so cryptic. Just tell me.”
“Oh, no. I’m not going to interfere. This is between the two of you.”
Ari crossed her arms, prepared to continue the argument. “Will it save Andreas? Does it have anything to do with the O-Seven?”
“I doubt it.”
“Why didn’t you just say so?” She dropped her arms. She didn’t care what Sophie knew or thought she knew. Not right now. Andreas’s past was unimportant, only his present and future concerned her. She threw up an impatient hand. “We’re wasting time, and someone may come looking for these vamps. I think we should get out of here.”
The witches glanced nervously at the dark shadows among the foliage.
“I agree. We still have sufficient members to raise the power to teleport home. Will you join us in Germany?”
Ari nodded. “I’ll explain the situation to my friends and fly into Frankfurt tomorrow.”
The air sparkled. Someone screamed as four more vampires teleported into view. Ari and Sophistrina raced toward them. The air shimmered again, producing
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