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Grieve slowly turned. “You. You’re the one I smelled on her—you filthy bloodsucker! What have you been doing to my Cicely?” He shoved Lannan back and took a step toward him.
Lannan laughed. “Not as much as I want to.” He made an obscene gesture with his hands.
“Stop it, both of you.” Wrath lashed out and within seconds had separated both men. “We cannot afford to be divided. Leave it for now. We’ll sort everything out once we’re away from here. Come, let us leave.”
“What about Lainule?” I glanced at the door. “Are you just going to leave her?”
“I’m afraid we don’t have much of a choice. We’re running on borrowed time, whether it be from Geoffrey or from Myst.” Wrath led us out. The butler gazed at us, unreadable, but he did nothing to prevent us from leaving.
“I didn’t bring my car,” I said, pausing. “I came in Geoffrey’s limo.”
“I’ve got my BMW here.” Lannan motioned us toward it. He flipped open his phone, trying to contact Regina, but after a moment, hung up. “She’s not answering. I don’t like this.”
Grieve hung back. “I won’t get in the car with him. Cicely, how can you?”
In tears, frustrated and confused, I swung on him. “You’ll get in the fucking car. Do you know how much we risked for you? And now we’re on our own. We no longer have the backing of the vampires, and trust me, to defeat Myst, we need as many allies as we can gather. So shut up—both you and Lannan—and just get in the damned thing. Lannan—we’ll keep calling Regina, trying to warn her.”
Lannan rolled his eyes but said nothing. Grieve stared at me, his lips full, and I wanted again to rush into his arms, to feel his heart beating against mine. After a moment, he inclined his head.
“Very well. I will obey.”
“The machine will be painful, but I can withstand it for a short time,” Wrath said. “We have a long night ahead of us.”
But before I could climb into the car, my cell phone rang. Exasperated, I flipped it open. “Hello?”
“Cicely, can you get home, now? And bring help.” Rhia sounded frantic.
“What’s wrong?”
“The Shadow Hunters have broken through the wards and they’re on the way toward the house. We can’t fight them alone.”
Crap! “We’re on our way. I’m bringing Wrath, Grieve, and Lannan with me. Get whatever weapons you can together.”
“Lannan?”
“Yes, Lannan. We’ll tell you all about it when we have the time. Now just get off the phone and be fucking careful.”
I took off for Lannan’s car. “Myst broke through the wards. They’re in danger.” The squabbling stopped as they followed me. I shoved Lannan away from the wheel and took over. “I drive faster than you.”
“I doubt it,” he said, but he let me get behind the wheel.
We sped through the dark streets as I counted off the minutes. As we rounded the corner onto Vyne Street, I closed my eyes.
Ulean, are you there? Can you hear me?
I am here—the Shadow Hunters are circling the house, coming closer. They seem cautious, as if they expect a trap.
Is everyone still okay?
Yes, so far. But there are seven of the Indigo Court out there—and the energy on the slipstream is roiling with anger. Myst is awake and hunting for Grieve.
And I was bringing him right to her. I thought about how we’d make it into the house—all my weapons were there. “We have to fly in. Grieve, you and Lannan will have to make a run for the door, but Wrath and I can shift and fly in the upper windows.” I tossed Lannan my phone. “Call them and tell them to be ready at the front door and my bedroom window.”
Lannan put in the call and, whatever he said, it was brief and to the point. I wasn’t paying attention. I was focused on the battle ahead. I had my fan, of course, and my switchblade, but that alone wasn’t going to be enough.
“Iron stakes. We need them—they’ll work on the Shadow Hunters.”
Wrath peered over the backseat. “The gate. There’s a gate made of iron in front of the house next door. But neither Grieve nor I can touch the stakes. You can, since you are only half-Fae—you don’t seem bothered by the iron. Even this car hurts me, but I bear it because of necessity.”
