Page 241 of Volik

I pound my fist against the wood, sparks of gold crackling with each hit.

A wave of magic washes out of the cabin, and the door opens.

“I need a dagger,” I tell the darkness. “I need to kill a vampire.”

“Who?”

“Morell.” I breathe through my rage. “The one who killed those shifters.” I know it is true.

Morell was never as strong as I was.

Never could have challenged me and won.

But… now…

Fear splashes over my fury like gasoline. “He has Nix. He will kill her.”

“Enter.” Dread speaks the word like a command, and the black wall filling the doorframe shimmers.

I step forward, into the druid’s cabin.

Chapter 109

Dread

The vampire stands still, inside my home.

I don’t let anyone inside my home.

He’s radiating so much heat that I’m glad I’m in only my pants and nothing else.

“I’ll get you what you need.” I make the promise, eyeing him. “Follow me. And don’t burn my fucking house down.”

Volik dips his chin.

I turn away from the wall of portals, down the hall to my basement door.

I start down the wood steps.

The vampire is behind me, filling the stairwell with his fire.

I make a slight hand motion, and wind gusts up the stairs, dispersing the heat.

When my feet reach the cement floor, I flick my fingers, and the wall of monitors across the room turns on.

The screens fill with live news reports, streaming videos, self-reporting sites…

“Talk.” I stride to the back wall.

Heavy footsteps follow me. “Where are we?”

“My home.” I give him the only answer he’ll get, then I underhand a ball of light onto the ceiling, over my long workbench. “Where did he take her?”

“I do not know.”

The room vibrates with Volik’s anger.

“How did he get her?”