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"I'l go with you." Luke stood up.
She glanced up at him, eyes wide.
"I'm your big brother. I couldn't keep you from harm with Rice, but I can take care of you now. I'l go with you to Otherworld and make certain you're okay.
I've nothing to tie me here except for my job, and Menol y can find someone to replace me. But you . . . you need family there. You need me."
"Thank you--but are you certain?" Amber looked overjoyed, but a flicker of fear stil ran through her face.
"Yes. If Menol y and her sisters wil volunteer to pack my apartment and put my things in storage except what we'l need over there." He glanced over at Menol y, who nodded softly.
"We'l take care of everything, Luke. You're a brave man--and loyal. Just like family should be." She smiled then. "We'l talk to Queen Asteria, make sure you have everything you need. And we'l visit when we can."
Just like family should . . .
"Luke, you're a good example," I said, motioning to Menol y. "And we need to fol ow your example. Tomorrow, we'l figure out just what we're going to say to Father about what he did to Camil e. We're the Three Musketeers here . . . we stand united."
Camil e said nothing, but her lower lip trembled as she smiled at me.
Menol y gave me a solemn nod, then cal ed Morio and Smoky in. "Camil e can travel to Elqaneve, though she can't set foot in Y'Elestrial. We're too near dawn for me to go. Why don't the three of you escort Luke and his sister and the sixth spirit seal to Queen Asteria. We'l send your things over later this week, Luke.">"I can vault over her head," she said. "A lot faster than she can catch me.
"Go for it. I'm trying to find an opening that isn't going to kick my ass."
"Be safe. We can't afford to lose you. Remember, we're al in this together--we don't have room for martyrs." She took a running leap and went soaring over the lamia's head in a flip to die for, landing near the end of Stacia's coiled tail.
Tril ian took something out of his pocket, and I smiled. Of course, he'd be the one to figure that out. He slid a pair of shades on. Wraparound Ray-Bans, which looked stunning and would protect his eyes from her venom. He held up the stun gun and began to move toward her.
Stacia spit at him and at the same time slammed the tip of her tail into Menol y, knocking my sister against the wal . Menol y managed to grab hold of the tail, and she was using her long nails to claw her way up toward Stacia's back. At that moment, Iris came through the door, bloodied and bruised, and she took one look at Stacia and let out a long, terrible shriek.
"You kil ed Henry; you destroyed the shop!" Her eyes grew wide as she thrust her wand toward the lamia and let out a long string of chanting--I couldn't understand the words, but the power behind it was vast and terrifying, and I found myself backing away as the Talon-haltija sang her song.
Stacia started to home in on her, but right then Menol y made her way onto the creature's back and wrapped her arm around the lamia's neck. She began to squeeze. The lamia's tail was flipping now, smashing right and left as she reached up to try to claw Menol y from her back. Venom dripped from the demon's fangs, and she let out a long shriek.
"Do you realize how stupid you are?" Her eyes flashed. "Kil me, and you kil yourselves and this world. I'm your best chance to stand against Shadow Wing."
Iris let loose a spel that hit Stacia in the face. Energy crackled through the lamia, a web of forked lightning working its way down her body.
"We'l take our chances," I screamed, rushing in from the side. "If you're our only al y, then we're dead anyway." As I plunged Lysanthra into her side, Stacia backhanded me and sent me--and my dagger--flying against a buffet. Her tail swung toward me and coiled around my waist and I heard something in my chest crack. Moaning, I struggled to get free, but the pressure was too great, and I was beginning to pass out. Crap, I thought. So close--I can't die now!
Shade appeared then, at the side of the lamia, and he breathed a cloud of smoke on her. She screamed and rubbed furiously at her eyes. Shade let out a low rumble and began to shift, but he wasn't turning into dragon--no, he was turning into a creature of mist and shadow, a vaporous form. He enveloped Stacia within his sparkling clouds, and she clawed at her throat.
Menol y grabbed the demon's hair and began to pul , holding her neck bare and exposed. Shade quickly moved out of the way, and Smoky made a running pass, his talons ripping at the vulnerable flesh. He left five long, terrible gashes that immediately began to fountain blood.
Stacia let go of me, her tail thudding against the floor. I moaned as I hit the hardwood and dragged myself out of the way.
At that moment, Camil e and Morio entered the room, fol owed by Rozurial and Vanzir. Vanzir pushed his way to the front and held out his hands. I knew what we'd see if we were on the astral--long tentacles coming out of his fingers, reaching deep within Stacia's mind to suck out her life force. His head dropped back, his rocker chic look dropping away to a mad fury as he let out a laugh that ricocheted through the room. His eyes grew wide, the kaleidoscope that made up one indescribable color whirling with passionate intensity.
"And I feed," he said, laughing again.
Stacia writhed, her heavy tail constricting in on itself. She grabbed for Menol y, but my sister leapt straight up, managing to avoid the tentacle of muscle.
As she landed on the floor again, Menol y raced over to me, scooping me up to pul me out of the way. I screamed--the ribs that were fractured shifted, sending a paroxysm of pain through my body.
At that moment, Tril ian stepped to the side so he wouldn't hit Vanzir and aimed at Stacia with the stun gun, hitting her dead center in the chest with the jolt of magic. He shot again and again, until the gun was empty.
Tril ian broke off and backed up . . . his breath coming in ragged pants. "She's done . . . get out of the way--I think when she dies it's going to be messy."
We raced for the door, Menol y dragging me with her, but before we could make it, there was a noise, and I turned to look. Stacia wavered and went down, hitting the floor with an earthshaking thud. As she landed, her body began to dissolve, and snakes roiled out of her, hundreds of snakes.
