AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Arial!” I let out a small gasp.
“Who’s that?” Morio said, his eyes wide.
Menolly glanced around, looking frantically from side to side. “Who’s who? What are you talking about?”
Chase and Trillian looked just as confused, but Roz said, “I see her,” and Vanzir added, “So do I.”
I turned to them. “Our sister—Delilah’s twin. She died at birth but she keeps watch over Delilah in her Were shape.”
Trillian blinked. “So it’s true.”
I turned back to Delilah and Arial, who grabbed the gremlin in their mouths, one on either side. The creature was screaming, struggling to break free, as it loosened its grip on Wilbur. Menolly dashed forward and dragged him away from beneath the gremlin, who was now one big chew toy for the two big cats.
Arial and Delilah proceeded to play tug-of-war with the creature, which I really didn’t want to watch but couldn’t help myself—it was like a train wreck, impossible to look away from—and then Delilah let go and Arial vanished, the limp gremlin in her mouth.
Delilah padded over to Wilbur and licked his face, then gazed up at me. I dropped to my knees beside her and threw my arms around her neck, planting a big kiss on her nose. She let out a soft growl and then rubbed her head against me, purring loudly. As soon as she started her singing, I backed away. Within a few seconds, she was herself again, crouched on the ground, shaking her head. I helped her up, steadying her as she blinked.
“Is he okay?”
“He will be,” Trillian said. He and Chase were kneeling by the necromancer, checking his pulse and pupils. Wilbur seemed to be coming around and they pulled him to his feet.
He rubbed his throat, wincing. “That hurt like hell. What the fuck was that critter?”
“A gremlin. I’m surprised you haven’t dealt with them before, being a necromancer,” I said.
“Oh, I’ve dealt with several beasties from that realm, but never one of those. Are they common?” He stretched his neck, rolling it from side to side. “The thing had one hell of a death grip, I’ll tell you that. I feel like it was trying to suck out my soul.”
“There are a number of creatures who feed off psychic energy,” Vanzir said, stepping forward. “I’m one of them, but I don’t have to in order to live, so I do my best to curtail the desire. But gremlins and small creatures of the sort need it to survive. And yes, they are common. People who wake up feeling tired all the time but can’t find any reason, or who feel drained when they go certain places, often have encountered gremlins without ever realizing it.”
“Any way to keep them out of the house? I should ward against them,” Wilbur said.
“We’ll talk protection spells a little later,” I broke in. “Meanwhile, Delilah saved you and the thing is gone.” I turned to Iris. “Was that all that broke through?”
She nodded. “Yes, I felt one rush at the gates, so to speak, and that was it. But we shouldn’t tarry. We have no idea how long it will be before the Bonecrusher realizes that her spell isn’t working, and we don’t want to be here when she arrives, wondering why.”
“Maybe we do,” Vanzir said. “Maybe we should stake out the area—what better way to find out where she’s at?”
“But would she have to show up? Can’t she just figure it out and cut her losses from wherever she’s hiding?” I frowned. “I hate to leave somebody out here like that—it’s too dangerous, and it also puts us a man down.”
“Not if we bug the area with a camera,” Chase said. “I could have my men in here in no time with a wireless surveillance unit. They can hide it in the trees, facing the area where Iris broke the spell. Then, if the lamia shows up, we’ll catch it back at the station. At least we’ll be able to get a bead on her.”
“How soon can they get down here?”
“Within the next hour or so.”
I glanced at Menolly, who nodded.
“We have time, I think,” she said. “It’s still early in the night; I can wait here for them and guard them.”
“Okay, let’s do it. Menolly, you and Chase stay here until it’s done. The rest of us—back to the house.” As we headed toward the cars, leaving Chase’s so he could drive Menolly home afterward, Delilah sidled up to me and pulled me off to one side.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
She frowned. “I wanted to talk to you about something . . . before we do it. This may not be the best time, but somehow I don’t think we’re going to get a lot of best times from now on. I’m not asking permission, our minds are made up, but I need to tell you and Menolly’s going to be pissed when she finds out.”
“What did you do now?” I turned to her, studying her face. There was a faint look of guilt in those emerald eyes, but more than guilt—fear. “You’re afraid of what I’m going to say. Tell me. It can’t be that bad.”
“Chase and I’ve come to a decision. I stole a bottle of the nectar of life during the Litha festival that Aeval, Titania, and Morgaine held. Chase is going to drink it. So we can be together for a long time.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “We’re planning on him doing it during the equinox.”
