her hand around it. “It knows where it belongs.” Her voice tightened. “And so do you, Nico.” She turned away, needing space, distance from Nico.
He shackled her arm, and pulled her to his side, lowering his voice. “We need to talk.”
“I don’t have anything to say to you, wolf .” She’d barely issued the replied when she gasped at the fierce heat radiating off of her necklace; warning her of an attack. She opened her mouth to shout a warning, but it was too late.
A blinding bright light flashed like an explosion around Aylia, around them all, and she could feel the crackle of powerful magic. Everything went black, as if someone had shut off every glimmer of light, both natural and man-made. This was not the magic of a newly practicing wolf. This was the magic of a powerful witch or wizard.
Someone grabbed Aylia from behind. “Give me the necklace, bitch,” a familiar voice growled in her ear, the grip on her arms brutally tight.
“Nico!” Aylia screamed. “It’s Andres! It’s Andres!”
A second later, Andres howled in excruciating pain, and released her. “I got you,” Nico said, pulling her away from her attacker and shoving her behind him.
A snarl filled the air and Aylia felt her heart jump to her throat. She was all but certain Andres had shifted to wolf.
“Run,” Nico shouted. “Run Aylia. Run now.”
She turned to run but it was too dark. Wolfish snarls suddenly seemed to surround her from seemingly everywhere. More magic, she was certain, but it didn’t change the risk of real wolves that might lurk nearby. She didn’t know where to go for fear she’d run right into the middle of a battle.
“I said ‘Run,’ damn it,” Nico growled, scooping her off her feet and taking off with her at a lightning speed that defied the darkness. Relieved by Nico’s presence, Aylia’s mind cleared, and she did what she should have already done. Desperate for light, Aylia tightened her grip on her necklace. Using the ancient magic inside bound by centuries of coven blood she cast away the darkness. Light blasted into her eyes and Nico turned in circles surveying their surroundings. Relief washed over Aylia as she found them still in the parking lot, and no one directly around them about to attack, but the snarls of battle were nearby. Nico turned towards the field beyond the pavement.
“No,” Aylia whispered at the sight of Nico’s sister lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Marcus was leaning over her, feeding her his blood from his wrist.
“No!” Nico echoed, the pain in his voice tore at Aylia’s heart. “Noooo!” He slid Aylia to her feet, grabbing her hand and running, as if he was afraid to let go of her.
Aylia kept pace with him the best she could, fear wrenching at her gut. Cassie wasn’t moving, she wasn’t responding to the blood Marcus was feeding her, and Aylia knew that wasn’t good. Marcus was powerful, ancient, a healer beyond that of a normal vampire. Her heart felt like it was going to explode in her chest. She scanned for the Vampire Wardens; she scanned for Troy who she knew would be by Cassie’s side if he could, fearing the worst.
She found Aiden and Evan in bloody brawls with shifted rebel wolves just beyond Cassie and Marcus’s location. Then to their left, she gasped at the sight of a clawed creature that was glowing silver in vicious war with a black wolf she recognized as Andres. Troy. He’d shifted into the hybrid beast she been told that he couldn’t control.
Nico dropped to his knees beside Cassie and Marcus. Aylia felt sick at the sight of Cassie’s ripped throat and pale face.
“Why isn’t she healing from your blood?” Nico demanded of Marcus, grabbing the Wardens shoulder. “Heal her, Vampire.”
It was an illogical alpha demand, one Aylia knew was driven by fear for his sister. It was his way of trying to take control of the uncontrollable.
Aylia didn’t give herself time to think of the consequences of her actions, of how
He shackled her arm, and pulled her to his side, lowering his voice. “We need to talk.”
“I don’t have anything to say to you, wolf .” She’d barely issued the replied when she gasped at the fierce heat radiating off of her necklace; warning her of an attack. She opened her mouth to shout a warning, but it was too late.
A blinding bright light flashed like an explosion around Aylia, around them all, and she could feel the crackle of powerful magic. Everything went black, as if someone had shut off every glimmer of light, both natural and man-made. This was not the magic of a newly practicing wolf. This was the magic of a powerful witch or wizard.
Someone grabbed Aylia from behind. “Give me the necklace, bitch,” a familiar voice growled in her ear, the grip on her arms brutally tight.
“Nico!” Aylia screamed. “It’s Andres! It’s Andres!”
A second later, Andres howled in excruciating pain, and released her. “I got you,” Nico said, pulling her away from her attacker and shoving her behind him.
A snarl filled the air and Aylia felt her heart jump to her throat. She was all but certain Andres had shifted to wolf.
“Run,” Nico shouted. “Run Aylia. Run now.”
She turned to run but it was too dark. Wolfish snarls suddenly seemed to surround her from seemingly everywhere. More magic, she was certain, but it didn’t change the risk of real wolves that might lurk nearby. She didn’t know where to go for fear she’d run right into the middle of a battle.
“I said ‘Run,’ damn it,” Nico growled, scooping her off her feet and taking off with her at a lightning speed that defied the darkness. Relieved by Nico’s presence, Aylia’s mind cleared, and she did what she should have already done. Desperate for light, Aylia tightened her grip on her necklace. Using the ancient magic inside bound by centuries of coven blood she cast away the darkness. Light blasted into her eyes and Nico turned in circles surveying their surroundings. Relief washed over Aylia as she found them still in the parking lot, and no one directly around them about to attack, but the snarls of battle were nearby. Nico turned towards the field beyond the pavement.
“No,” Aylia whispered at the sight of Nico’s sister lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Marcus was leaning over her, feeding her his blood from his wrist.
“No!” Nico echoed, the pain in his voice tore at Aylia’s heart. “Noooo!” He slid Aylia to her feet, grabbing her hand and running, as if he was afraid to let go of her.
Aylia kept pace with him the best she could, fear wrenching at her gut. Cassie wasn’t moving, she wasn’t responding to the blood Marcus was feeding her, and Aylia knew that wasn’t good. Marcus was powerful, ancient, a healer beyond that of a normal vampire. Her heart felt like it was going to explode in her chest. She scanned for the Vampire Wardens; she scanned for Troy who she knew would be by Cassie’s side if he could, fearing the worst.
She found Aiden and Evan in bloody brawls with shifted rebel wolves just beyond Cassie and Marcus’s location. Then to their left, she gasped at the sight of a clawed creature that was glowing silver in vicious war with a black wolf she recognized as Andres. Troy. He’d shifted into the hybrid beast she been told that he couldn’t control.
Nico dropped to his knees beside Cassie and Marcus. Aylia felt sick at the sight of Cassie’s ripped throat and pale face.
“Why isn’t she healing from your blood?” Nico demanded of Marcus, grabbing the Wardens shoulder. “Heal her, Vampire.”
It was an illogical alpha demand, one Aylia knew was driven by fear for his sister. It was his way of trying to take control of the uncontrollable.
Aylia didn’t give herself time to think of the consequences of her actions, of how
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