His battlefield reflexes had already kicked in and his body insisted hedosomething.Now. He slipped into Theta Mode; Delta waited, tranquil and motionless, ready to merge and build his power.
His impatience soothed, settled beneath the surface of the dark lake of his soul where his control rested. Where his life began and ended. He breathed slowly. “Move forward or retreat?” he asked as Marrazzo sat up, shaking his head. “We have a few seconds to decide, before thehedgefalls and we’reexposed to theattackworking that’s humming in the background.”
“Look,” Angie said.
A woman walked through the retreating humans, toward the entry. He had expected Konstantin or Willim. Not…this. She was tall, full-hipped, dark-haired, with golden brown skin and sea-green eyes. Sensuous, as if pleasure beat through her veins instead of blood. Rings glinted on her fingers. Emeralds, a ruby. Except for the jewels, she was naked and perfect as a marble statue. There wasn’t a blemish on her. She wore mesmerism like a second skin.Vamp. That was his first clue, but it didn’t click until she raised her arm.And witch.
“Possessed. Castanets,” Walter whispered, so softly EJ might have missed it. The vamp slapped his ear protectors back in place.
The naked woman threw something at them. It hit Angie’shedge.
In the same instant, EJ powered his ownhedgewith a last-ditch note.
He heard his sister’s magic crack as the shield shattered and rebounded into her. The energies of herhedgehit her body. In slow motion, Angie started to fall.
A whole second later, forever in a battle, theattackworking blasted through hissound hedge.
Walter popped away, toward the witch, faster than EJ’s eyes could follow. The vamp-witch’s notes battered EJ with the clash of a thousand clanging bells. They stole his breath. Ripped at his energies, at the still, dark pool of his magic. His heart bucked and tripped and stuttered. Pain like a truck parked on his chest.Heart-attackworking…
His legs buckled and he dropped beside Angie. Shoved a healing amulet over his heart. Another over hers. He manageda single breath. Blew a note for arepelworking and aprotectionworking—two hesitant, breathless notes that wavered on the air. A hedge that wouldn’t keep a gnat out…
Angie rolled over. Teeth clenched and lips pulled back in a rictus of pain and fury. His sister waspissed. As long as she was angry, she would be okay. For a few seconds they were safe beneath his ward, but once it fell, he’d have to open another one, leaving them exposed and helpless for a second. Maybe two.
EJ blew the note again. His heart pain decreased as the healing amulet did its job. He removed another amulet, tucked it into one of Angie’s pockets, and pulled the null cloak tight across her, to give her time to get over the energy shock wave. His sister had been hit with her own energy rebound and with theheart-attackworking, two attacks in seconds.
Walter, to his right, was surrounded by newly awakened fangheads, his swords slashing, flashing in the lights.
The naked witch was kneeling off to the side. Eyes on Walter. Eyes flooding with darkness.Possessed, Walter had said. A witch-vamp with a demon. She took a breath to speak awyrdof power.
Demon wyrd.
He was too far away for the castanets to work.
At a thought, Delta opened within him. EJ rose, his workings falling away, a hollow rattling like Ping-Pong balls bouncing. Both hands on the flute, he blew the first notes of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” It was the strongestassaultworking he had on him. Between notes, he threw three musical keys at the naked woman. All wereassaultworkings, explosions of light and noise, a flash-bang of pure energy. Blinding to a vampire.
The witch fell back on her very pretty butt.
He played the second measure, directed solely at her, as he approached. Step by step.
The witch shook her head. The demon light in her eyes glowed, not hiding, not pretending to be anything but what it was.
She tried to speak.
EJ snapped his fingers, activating amuzzleworking, sealing the woman’s lips.
The tendons in her neck stood out sharply as she tried to force thewyrdout between her lips. Couldn’t. She started to shake, as her magic hovered on the tip of her trapped tongue. Trapped by his music and his amulets. He began the third measure.
Walter’s battle had divided into two groups. One vamp still against Walter, two now taking on Angie. The vamps had thrown off the effects of hissleepy-time.
He knelt beside the naked witch. Continuing a single note, EJ dropped one hand from the flute and slapped a Section Seven null-head-cuff over the witch’s gorgeous head. It snapped into place with a subdued, minor note. Her eyes rolled back. She went limp. He pocketed the flute and secured her arms with silver. Pulled a set of castanets. Clicked them once, setting them for a delayed activation so he could be away and not be caught in the time alteration. He placed them on her chest between her perfect breasts.Damn. Succubus.
He looked to make certain no one was around him. Turned to see his sister. In an instant, taking her in. He had never watched her fight for her life. He had a feeling he wasn’t watching that now. He was watching her play with the vamps. And was certain of it when he heard her laugh, crazy pleasure in the tone. She was having fun. Which was scary.
He glanced at Walter. There was a dead vampire at his feet. Another had taken her place in the battle. More were coming.
Their bodyguard fought with deadly dispatch. Lunge, block, lunge, cut. Step inside, block, block. Cage of death circling sword. Cut. The enemy vamp fell in a silent spray of blood. Her throat cut. Not dead, but no way to scream. Before she hit the floor, Walter turned the strike and revolved his hand. With a backhand arc, he took her head.
Between the two cuts, he stabbed a third opponent with the shortsword. As the man fell back, Walter spun and took his head too. So fast it was almost impossible to follow.
