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Where was she? I could feel her. The hive mother’s energy was everywhere. The very air of the astral reeked with an electric charge. I moved closer to Roz, who stood to my right. Delilah and Vanzir hesitantly sidestepped to the left. Camille, Morio, and Smoky moved forward. Together we formed a triangle, keeping watch in all directions.
“We can’t let her go this time. She’s stronger than she was before. Which means her power is growing.” Morio’s voice was lower when he was in his demonic form.
“Watch Camille, though,” Vanzir said. “The demon’s going to sense the spirit seal and go after it. That thing is like a beacon out here screaming, Come get me, come get me! If we had dared leave the witch over Earthside, we should have probably done so.”
“Not while I’m around,” Smoky rumbled.
And then Camille gasped and pointed. Through the mist, a sparkling net of orange lights appeared. They were like a web surrounding the inky black form of the Karsetii as she broke through the boiling gray clouds, headfirst, aiming directly for us.
“There she is!”
“Everybody ready?” I poised, ready to strike out.
Delilah held out her silver dagger as Morio pulled out a silver sword. Vanzir raised his hands, and wavering cords began wriggling out of them. Smoky moved off to one side, and within the blink of an eye, shifted to dragon form. Rozurial pulled out a set of what looked like brass knuckles, but they were silver.
“Okay then,” I whispered. “Let’s get this over with. Bring it on.”
The Karsetii moved forward, and we were into the fray.
CHAPTER 26
The Karsetii hiccupped—at least that’s what it looked like—and two clones emerged from the side. Shit. How were we going to avoid them while going after the central beast?
“Ignore them,” Vanzir said. “They can harm us, but not as much as the hive mother.”
“Light hurt it before. I suggest we try light and fire,” Camille said, holding up her horn.
“Yeah, but let’s try to weaken it first. Then you can fry her butt to kingdom come.” I motioned for her to move back. “Get out of the way, and let us take a crack at her.”
Roz held up his hand. “Everybody stand back. I brought reinforcements.”
“What?” I asked, cocking my head to the side as he flashed open his duster with an exaggerated grin. He pulled out several small round reddish globes. They looked familiar but—
“Firebombs!” Camille stared at them greedily. She always lit up when Roz brought out his explosives, and I was beginning to wonder if my sister was a little bit pyro, but now was not the time to inquire.
“Yeah,” he said, a gleeful look on his face. “Firebombs.” He breathed on one and then tossed it at the demon. There was a sudden flash, and I remembered where I’d seen them before. He’d used one to destroy a newborn vampire when we were after my sire. Oh yeah, the boy had some hot tricks up his sleeves. Or at least in his pockets.
The firebomb exploded into a ball of flame as it flew toward the Karsetii, a shower of sparks raining in its wake. I jumped back just in time to miss getting kissed by one of the burning cinders. The demon screamed and dodged to the side, but the firebomb grazed it as it passed by. A whiff of smoke and burning flesh spiraled up as the flame burnt into the inky black skin of the Karsetii.
The clones zeroed in on Roz, charging at him through the mist. He let loose with another firebomb as the Karsetii turned my way and began her attack. It was eerie to watch, a jet-black squid flying through the air, with a head that looked like a giant brain. Yeah, this was how I liked to spend my nights, all right.
Remembering that she’d figured out my strategy before, this time I dodged to one side but instead of attacking, I leapt toward her as she passed, landing on her back. Shit! Wrong move! A series of electric shocks ran through me, and I couldn’t let go, even though I tried. She was frying me—electrocution by default.
I tried to say something, but I was shaking so badly with the current that amped through me that I couldn’t get a word out of my mouth. Just then, Vanzir dove over the top of her from the other side, grabbing me and taking me with him to the ground as she continued her forward motion. We went sprawling, and he landed on top of me. A light flashed through his eyes.
“Normally, I’d enjoy this,” he whispered, “but we’ve got monsters to kill. You’ll have to give me a rain check.”
I pushed him off me and leapt to my feet, still slightly stunned by the amount of juice the demon had circuited through my body. Vanzir blew me a kiss and took off at a dead run, heading toward the back of the Karsetii. He’d covered about four yards when it spun around, then barreled back toward us.
Holy shit, she was determined to make us her bitches!
“Look out,” I yelled as I dove out of the way.
There was a loud noise, and the ground shook. As I pulled myself out of the rolling mists and glanced back, I saw that Smoky—in his dragon form—had drop-kicked her as she zoomed past. The Karsetii was now a good twenty yards away. But though the kick had sent her flying, she didn’t seem all that hurt, because she was making a beeline back toward us, this time with her suckers first, tentacles ramrod straight, looking ready to force themselves down Smoky’s throat.
In a movement more graceful and quick than I thought possible, Smoky soared into the air, spiraling up out of her reach. The dragon was in his element, I thought, as he dipped and hovered over us, his wings soundlessly gliding on the astral currents. The mist followed his wake, providing a motion trail of swirling smoke, and I stopped, struck by the sheer beauty of the beast.
Vanzir leapt up. Out of his hands shot the spiraling tentacles that were his attack. He aimed them toward the demon, and they wriggled forward like pale, fleshy worms dug up from some nightmare garden. They landed against the brain sac and dug in, and it was then that I could see the tip of one of them as it wavered in the astral breeze. It reminded me of a lamprey, with a circle of teeth that latched onto its victim.
