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Constrictors, vipers . . . al creatures from the serpentine world.
"Move! They're coming our way!"
And they were--at least three hundred of the coiling beasts. I didn't mind snakes, but they'd been part of the lamia, and I didn't trust that they weren't hungry and aiming for whatever moved.
Iris let out a long shout and once again, a blanket of frost raced through the room, slowing the snakes some. Smoky joined her, and an ice storm raged through the living room, beating hail and frost down on everything and everyone in sight. The pel ets hit exposed skin with a fierce sting, and I heard Camil e let out a cry--the pel ets had to make the glass wounds hurt like hel .
The snakes let out a col ective hiss, and I realized they stil had Stacia's essence within them--they weren't just your everyday pretty serpent.
"She's stil there--in the nest of snakes! She'l heal if we don't kil them."
I could barely breathe by now, my ribs were hurting so bad, but I didn't care. We had to finish this.
Smoky pushed Camil e into Morio's arms. "Get her and everyone else out. I'l take care of this."
As Morio and Tril ian herded everyone out, Shade swept me up in his arms and carried me. We headed toward the front of the yard as a loud rumble sounded, and the wal s began to shatter. Smoky was transforming into his dragon shape. As we cleared the porch, a huge gust of wind blew us out, and then snow began to fal in our area as a figure--tal and dressed in the purest of whites--came striding out. Behind him, the house creaked as it iced over.
Another blast, and the timbers began to fal in on themselves. Whatever he'd done, the place was imploding.
Camil e flipped open her phone. "Chase? Get a unit over here now." She gave him the address. "We just kil ed Stacia . . . the house is gone. Tel them .
. . tel them . . . hel , I don't know. Tel them Santa Claus paid a surprise visit, and he wasn't happy with Stacia being on the naughty list."
And as we watched silently, the Bonecrusher and her snakes vanished under the silent wash of snow.
CHAPTER 23
"So, did anybody ever find Trytian?" I was sitting in the kitchen, my ribs wrapped tightly. Sharah had me on strict orders to rest for a good six to seven weeks. I'd heal faster than an FBH, but bones could only knit so fast. The kitchen was stil trashed, there had been so much destruction, but most of the mess had been cleaned up, and the men were busy, trying to repair the damage done.
Iris was making tea, Menol y was hovering near the ceiling. Most of the guys were spread out in the living room except for Vanzir, Tril ian, and Shade, who had joined us in the kitchen.
Camil e shook her head. "No, and frankly, I'm wil ing to leave him alone if he leaves us alone. He's not out to take Shadow Wing's place like Stacia was.
I wish there was a way we could let him know that." She leaned against Tril ian, who wrapped her in his arms and kissed her head.
"I can make that happen," Vanzir said. "I'l put out a note through the Demon Underground, and it wil spread. He'l hear. I have no love for the fucking jerk after he tried to blow us up, but if he's wil ing to let us do what we need to and tend to his own backyard . . . I'm wil ing to let it go."
"What about Van and Jaycee?" I hated ticking off the list of enemies we stil had prowling around, but we needed to remember: They were out there, and they were gunning for us.
With a shrug, Camil e said, "I don't know. We keep watch. We infiltrate the magic shops, spread the word we're on the lookout. And we hope they move on as soon as possible. My guess is that Stacia's training camp wil either break up or Trytian wil take over. We'l want to keep our ears out for whatever happens in that direction, too."
Iris brought a bowl of Cheetos to me, along with a glass of milk. "I take pity on you because of your ribs."
"You never did tel me your story," I said.
She shrugged. "You'l have plenty of time to listen over the next few weeks. And on the ful moon, with those broken ribs, you're going to be confined to a room where you can't jump up on anything or hurt yourself. So get used to being an indoor-only for the next six weeks or so."
There was a knock at the door, and Menol y answered. She led Luke, Amber, and Chase into the kitchen. Chase looked weary.
"Cal me, let me know what happens," he said. "Meanwhile, I'm needed back at HQ." I caught his gaze and smiled, and Chase smiled back then, and in that moment, everything was okay. What he would say once he knew about Shade was anybody's guess, but that was for another day.
After he left, Amber and Luke sat down next to me. Luke bit his lip when he saw the tight bandages around my ribs. "I'm sorry about that. But thank you--
thank you al for saving my sister. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't helped out."
"That reminds me, what are we going to do about the coyote shifters?" I popped a Cheeto in my mouth and savored the crispy cheese crunch, then licked my fingers.
"I think we should bring the Koyanni up on charges at the next Supe Community Council." Menol y patted Luke on the back--about as close as she ever got to a hug. "After al , they're breaking treaty by attacking the werewolves, and it doesn't matter whether or not they belong to the council. The wolf Packs do." She pressed her lips together, and I could tel she was pissed.
