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She opened her eyes and followed Stone’s gaze. She could see at least a hundred vampire Guardsmen floating down into the forest.
Stone didn’t hesitate. He addressed the second mastyr. Ethan, are your men gathered at the training center?
Damn straight. Teleport our sorry asses at will.
Stone even smiled.
Again Rosamunde repeated the process until she saw his men land at about two o’clock, once more descending into the forest as a well-trained unit.
The rest followed swiftly, with Mastyr Quinlan and Seth’s troops to th
e right of Stone and Jude, Malik and Zane’s to the left. Ian’s were last, arriving at eleven o’clock next to Gerrod’s troops.
Once in place, the ruling mastyrs checked back in, one after the other. Each had arrived with his force, the warriors hunkering down and remaining hidden in the trees. The lake vibrated with the energy of so many powerful men ready to do battle.
How we doin’, Ian?
Ian’s deep voice returned. Holding steady. I’m moving my men as close to the water as I can get them without exposing our presence.
The rest of the mastyrs reported the same.
Rosamunde contacted Stone privately. What about your Guardsmen?
They’ll remain on duty in Tannisford to watch for any activity outside the perimeter of the lake. A hundred of my men are already en route, with half of them having arrived to hold the area behind the lake. I’m using them to protect our flank, or in this case, the area well behind the hills that surrounds my lake. Harris is in charge of them.
Rosamunde squeezed his hands. So we won’t be caught off-guard.
Exactly.
A moment later, the sky filled with Margetta’s golden light.
Stone snorted. The bitch is back, men.
Rosamunde had a sudden recollection of Margetta a thousand years ago. The same glow, a result of her power and energy, had taken her mother’s life. Anger boiled up within Rosamunde. How many lives had Margetta’s ambitions taken?
Let me distract her, Stone. If I can lead her on a chase again, maybe it would help. Only this time, I think I want to go as Aralynn.
When Stone didn’t immediately respond, she wondered if she’d erred. Did I say the wrong thing?
No, not at all. For now though, I think you should stay put because look up there, Rosamunde. Does this look different to you?
Rosamunde drew closer to stand right next Stone, following the line of his gaze. Thicker.
That’s what I thought. Will she show even herself?
I saw her at the very end of the vision.
You’re right. She was there.
A few beats passed, then Rosamunde saw Margetta and felt the woman’s battle energy revving up. The mastyr vampire wraith-pairs surrounded her, the best and most powerful of her creations.
Rosamunde’s fae prescience kicked in again. She’s testing us, Stone.
She didn’t wait to tell him the rest. Instead, she grabbed Stone’s arm, reached for an extra punch of elf-lord power, then took him into the forest canopy, above his house, so that she could see the dock. A split-second later, a bolt of Margetta’s power exploded the exact spot where they’d been standing. Fire began to consume the wood planks.
Shit. That would have been us. Your prescience?
Yes.
