Page 51 of Phantom’s Mate

“You’re a human,” Nick said. “Maybe the obedience part only works on the spirits of shifters?”

She looked sideways at him. “Great. You’re not about to go all Evil Dead on me, are you?”

Nick grinned. “No. I told you how the panther god did something to me, a few weeks ago—freed my spirit so I can roam the worlds at will. Looks like I can’t be ordered around by anyone else anymore.”

Britt snorted. “Could you ever be?”

“Good point. But there’s more bad news.”

A bullet whined by the corner of the building, a foot away from them, and she flinched. “Of course there is.”

“The spirits are only corporeal for a short time.”

“Define ‘short.’”

“Fuck if I know. I believe the quote was, ‘Long enough to turn the tide of the battle.’ I wouldn’t count on more than an hour before we all revert to spirit form. Unless we get killed.”

“I’m thinking the really bad news is on its way?”

“Yeah. Because if we get killed, we’re gone for good. No spirit, no nothing. Poof. So keep your head down. We have super-strength—” he peeked out and saw one of the spirits throw a panther defender almost thirty feet— “but we’re not invincible.”

Britt knelt and peered around the corner of the building, watching the battle, while Nick formulated a plan.

“Those poor spirits,” she murmured. She looked up at Nick. “He’s making them fight against their friends, and they’re probably all going to die and go ‘poof’. Nick, we have to help them.”

Nick already had his amulet out. “I’m calling in DB,” he said. “He can withstand any of the weapons they have, in dragon form. I just hope he’s close by.”

“What if he’s not?”

“I’m already on Plan B.”

“I hope that one ends in getting the artifact away from that pecker.”

“You read my mind, darlin’. See that SUV over there?” He pointed. “We’re headed that way. Get ready.”

They dashed to the first parked vehicle near HQ, and used it for cover to get to the one Nick knew was Jax’s. He tried the back hatch, relieved to find it unlocked.

He and Britt clambered inside, and Nick ripped up the carpet behind the rear seat to expose the hidden compartment he’d seen Jax access in the past. He used his temporary super-strength to pry it open. Inside were machine pistols, grenades, and bulletproof vests. Nick tossed one to Brittany. “Put this on.”

She did as he said, and he strapped on his own before handing her one of the guns. “I suppose it’s pointless to tell you to stay out of the way?”

She mustered a grin. “Ride or die, Cowboy.”

Nick took the driver’s seat—thank the panther god that the keys were on top of the visor. Britt was behind him in the second row of seats, so she could keep low.

He knew the vehicle was armored, so she should be okay.

But he wouldn’t.

He turned on the engine and revved it up. From here they had a better view—the enemy leader had ordered the spirits to attack Jax’s guys, while the mercs focused on the barn.

As he watched, one of them lobbed a grenade at the barn. It blew a hole in one of the walls, and ignited a pile of hay and bedding. Even over the noise of the battle, he could hear screams from inside.

The leader’s voice was still magnified. “Barricade the doors!”

Holy hell, he was going to burn them alive.

The enemy leader continued, “Cease fire! Surrender now, if you want to save your women and children.”