"No time." Dimitri cut her off, already moving to secure the door. "Backup's coming, but we need to move. Now."
Tamera's files scattered across the reception desk as she bolted upright. "Liam!"
"I heard." Liam emerged from his office, his face grim. "Treatment room three - no windows, solid walls, single access point."
"Move!" Dimitri's sharp command galvanized them into action. He herded them toward the treatment area, his dark eyes constantly scanning the windows. "Stay low, stay quiet, and stay together."
Beth crouched low as they hurried down the hallway, her heart hammering against her ribs. Liam pulled out his phone, his fingers flying across the screen as they moved. "Calling Jacinth," he told them.
Power shimmered through the air like heat waves, making Beth's skin tingle as Djinn magic poured into the room. A flash of blue light erupted in the hallway, and Jacinth materialized before them, her dark eyes fierce and alert. Another surge of power brought Arthur beside her, the elderly Djinn's usual gentle demeanor replaced by focused intensity.
"Multiple hostiles approaching down the drive," Dimitri reported, his voice clipped. "Three trucks, with at least eight, possibly more. Well-armed."
Jacinth's lips curved into a dangerous smile. "Come on back to the lobby," she invited, her voice carrying absolute certainty. "You guys are going to want to see this."
Dimitri's brow furrowed. "With all due respect-"
"I've got this." Jacinth's smile turned predatory, blue fire dancing in her eyes. The casual confidence in her voice brooked no argument.
Arthur stood silently at her side, but power radiated from him like heat from a furnace. His weathered features held the calm certainty of someone who had faced far worse threats in his centuries of existence.
"Hit the lights."
Beth hurried to the light switches, and a moment later the lobby descended into darkness.
"Now we can see them, but they can't see us." Jacinth winked, her dark eyes sparkling with mischief despite the tension. "Arthur and I have been practicing," she said, her lips curving into a knowing smile.
The two Djinn moved in perfect synchronization, their hands weaving intricate patterns through the air. The magic hit Beth like static electricity, making her skin prickle and her hair stand on end. Yet she saw nothing - no flashes of light, no visible barriers forming.
"Look." Jacinth pointed toward the lobby windows. Beth squinted, finally noticing a faint shimmer in the air, like heat waves rising from hot pavement. The distortion curved upward, forming what appeared to be a massive dome over the entire clinic.
"Protective barrier," Jacinth explained, satisfaction evident in her voice. "Nothing and no one can get through without our permission."
Liam stepped closer to the windows, studying the barely visible shield with professional interest. "Nothing? Even bullets?"
"Even bullets." Arthur's weathered features creased in a slight smile, the first expression Beth had seen from him sincehe arrived. His quiet confidence was somehow more reassuring than Jacinth's overt enthusiasm.
Jacinth turned to Dimitri, who still stood alert near the door. "Have your vampires wait in the woods," she instructed. "Let's see how this plays out before anyone intervenes."
Beth's breath caught as twin beams of light pierced through the darkened trees. The vehicles' approach seemed agonizingly slow as they wound their way up the clinic's long drive, their headlights sweeping across the building's front windows.
Her fingers pressed against the cool glass, the invisible shield tingling against her skin like static electricity. The barrier shimmered faintly where her hand touched it, rippling like water disturbed by a gentle breeze.
A soft chime broke the tense silence. Dimitri glanced down at his phone, his brow furrowing as he read the message.
"Arthur." Dimitri's voice was low but urgent. "Can you create an opening in the shield at the back door? Tyr's here and..." A faint smile touched his lips. "Well, he's rather insistent about getting in."
Arthur's weathered features creased in understanding. "I assume he's in his raptor form?"
"Yes."
"Tell him to come to the back entrance." Arthur's hands traced a subtle pattern through the air. "I'll let him through."
Beth's heart skipped at the mention of Tyr. She turned away from the window, her gaze drawn toward the back of the clinic where she knew he waited, somewhere in the darkness beyond the shield.
A rush of winter air announced Tyr's arrival as he burst through the back door, his vampire speed carrying him straight to Beth. Familiar arms enveloped her, bringing the scent of leather and winter pine she'd come to associate with him. Thedesperate relief in his embrace told her everything - this ancient, powerful vampire had been genuinely afraid for her safety.
He'd been terrified something would happen to her.
