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Baer managed a small smile as some of the throbbing in his temple eased. “Unfortunately, mongooses are not native to Georgia, but the other animals are. I’ll get us some backup.”
Closings his eyes again, Baer trusted his brothers to protect him while he reached out to the animals in the surrounding woods and farther. He called on every raptor, boar, and raccoon he could mentally lay his hands on. Many were not pleased to be summoned from their afternoon siesta in the sun, but he promised them a feast unlike any they had ever enjoyed before.
Soon, his own army was converging on the plantation grounds.
“They’re coming,” Baer said with a relieved sigh.
“It’s a start,” Grey agreed. “Lucien, burn them.”
“What about the plants? The landscaping? Won’t Clay be hurt?”
“Do it,” Baer agreed. “We’ll salvage what we can when the flames are put out, but Clay would agree that our lives are more important than the bushes and flowers.”
From the house, Baer could hear shouts and bangs. His heart wanted to leap out of his chest. The snakes had obviously gotten into the house, whether through cracks in the doors or the plumbing.
And he’d sent Wiley into that nightmare.
He needed to get these damn snakes in the yard taken care of so he could race inside and make sure the young man was safe. Fuck! He’d sent him straight into more danger!
Lucien slowly pushed the ring of fire outward, driving the snakes back and consuming those that didn’t retreat fast enough. The smell rising from the earth was pretty awful, but at least some of the heat was receding. More space between them and the flames meant that more fresh air could descend on them.
“Guys, I’ve got some bad news,” Lucien started.
“What’s up?” Baer said while trying to pull in more animals to their location.
“I’m running out of steam. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this fire going.”
“Just a little longer. I swear, backup is almost here,” Baer said.
Lucien snorted. “Backup. You’re talking about birds and pigs.”
The first of the large hawks and falcons arrived. They deftly dove to the ground, each digging their long talons into the snakes before taking off into the sky again with their meal.
“Oh, thank God Jesus hell,” Lucien mumbled under his breath, and Grey barked out a loud laugh.
“I don’t hear him complaining about your backup now,” Grey teased.
“Never. Never again, I swear,” Lucien muttered. His arms shook and they sank a little lower from where he’d been holding them up to control the dancing flames around him. Baer felt for the poor man. He was still learning how to manipulate what he’d gained, and he was thrown into a battle. Now was not the best time to start learning about his endurance levels.
More birds dive-bombed the snakes that had escaped the flames, while chunky raccoons and wild boars trundled out of the nearby woods to snatch up even more snakes. The reptiles were on the retreat. They’d beaten them.
“Lucien, you can lower the flames. We need to get into the house,” Baer said.
The Fire Weaver sighed loudly and dropped his arms to his sides. The flames flickered and lowered almost instantly. The yard was a blackened mess. Bushes, grass, and flowers were destroyed, but so were hundreds of dead snakes. Around them, animals continued to feast on the snakes that remained.
Baer ignored it. He raced toward the house, where he could still hear shouts and banging. There was no way he could set loose his furry and feathered army on the snakes that managed to slither into the house. They’d have to search them out one at a time and destroy them.
Pausing in the kitchen long enough to grab a butcher knife from the block on the counter, he raced through the living room and up the stairs. He was relieved to find only two snakes slithering through the house as he moved. With a couple of deft whacks, both were killed before he charged up the stairs.
He halted sharply when he caught sight of Clay holding Dane. Both men were sweaty and flushed. Dane was cradling his bloody left arm against his chest.”
“Grey and Lucien?” Clay demanded before Baer could speak.
“Lucien was bit, but both are okay for now. Snakes outside are gone. I killed two downstairs. Wiley?”
Clay shook his head. “I haven’t seen him.”
“Fuck!” Baer snarled and turned toward his bedroom. “Wiley!” he shouted.
“Here!” Wiley called and Baer swore his heart was going to jump out of his chest.
Throwing open the door, he found Wiley standing on Baer’s dresser, the spell book clutched in one arm and his hissing cat held in the other to his chest. A six-foot brown timber rattlesnake was attempting to climb up after him. Baer didn’t fucking hesitate. He swung the knife fast and sure. The blade sliced through the snake and thunked deep into the wood of the dresser. The snake’s body writhed wildly for a moment while its head dropped to the floor with an ugly thud.
