longer.”
“You have done a fine job. You will be rewarded. As for you, Niko … ” Jordan flashed, appearing behind his brother-in-law and forcing him to his knees with a shove to his shoulder. “You are the cause of all this?”
Niko didn’t answer.
“He’s been trying to convince us that we could find our humanity again. As if we actually want to be good,” the female werewolf snarled. “And that … that woman—”
“Yes,” Jordan said, “she’s become quite full of herself. No need to worry now. I’ll take care—”
“Sir,” Blasius said, nodding back to the front of the crevice.
Jordan grinned. Erik, who took the form of a bear when not human, held a struggling young girl in his massive arms. Next to him sauntered in the little witch Jordan couldn’t rid himself of but right now didn’t care. He would have given her anything she wanted at this moment.
“Very good. Your mother will be next,” Jordan said to the girl who reminded him so much of his twin sister.
Chapter 19
“MOTHER!”
Cassandra’s head snapped up at the sound of her daughter’s scream in her head. Her heart shot into her throat, feeling the girl’s pain, and she jumped to her feet. Where are you?
Letting her mental wall down for a brief moment, Cassandra saw through Andronika’s mind as her daughter looked around. She glimpsed Niko—his wide eyes staring at her with surprise and fear—as well as Faiz, Inga and the two werewolves. Gray stone walls that reached high above surrounded them and Cassandra knew exactly where they were—the crevice where they had discussed trapping Jordan. She had never liked this plan and now she despised it. Her daughter was not supposed to be a part of it. How did she even get involved?
Andronika gave her more images—a vampyre Cassandra didn’t know, a man’s burly arms across her chest … and a familiar face with icy blue eyes and blond hair. Oh no! He’s already there!
“Mother—” Jordan started but she closed her mind, not waiting to hear the rest.
Flashing hadn’t yet become natural to her but running still was. She sprinted through the moonlit floor of the canyon, weaving around the stone columns that reached to the sky, hurdling bushes and boulders in her path. She rounded the bend that led to the crevice just in time to hear Jordan say, “next.”
Then a shadow darted at her and locked her into a tight hold. She opened her mouth to scream but a hand clamped over it. She kicked and thrashed, but the arms only squeezed tighter around her, nearly cutting off her air. The attacker grunted when her foot connected with his leg, but so did she. He was hard as stone. A vampyre. Then she realized it was one of her own—Michael. Why did he hold her back? What was he doing out here? What had gone wrong?
A rush of air blew in her face and the next thing she knew, they stood in the entry of the crevice, now packed full of bodies, only one of them human. A big bear of a man still held Andronika whose fearful look made Cassandra gasp.
“Just as I said.” Jordan swept his arm out at her with a grin. “We meet again, little sister. Finally. I’ve been looking for you for ages.”
Cassandra didn’t understand his joy—true joy she could feel emanating off his body—when it was he who had been trapped. He and his two troops were out-numbered. But … why did her own followers just stand there? Why weren’t they doing anything?
She glanced around the room. Niko’s eyes remained on their daughter and his nostrils flared with anger. The vampyre she didn’t know towered over him, his hand gripping Niko’s shoulder, holding him still. And the others did nothing. Cassandra’s heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. So much for their ambush. So much for their loyalty.
“Did you really think they would fight me?” Jordan asked her and her eyes cut back to him. “These are my troops, Cassandra. Not yours. You can’t change Daemoni. You can’t eliminate the evil that they are. It’s in their blood. In their souls now.”
No! she screamed in her mind because Michael’s hand over her mouth kept her from screaming aloud. Michael—her first convert after Niko. Holding her captive.
She’d been wrong all along. They’d only pretended to convert. Had this been Jordan’s plan? Her eyes swept the room again and a lump formed in her throat. She didn’t have to listen to their minds—the truth was right in front of her. Inga’s eyes danced with joy and a small smile curved her lips.
Inga, Cassandra could almost understand. She hadn’t been with them long enough. She probably still had evil coursing through her veins, especially as she’d been born Daemoni, not turned. But the rest? How could they?
“They’re mine,” Jordan said, his face suddenly right in front of hers, his hot breath blowing against her cheeks. His icy blue eyes tinted red. “And now you are, too.”
Everyone suddenly came to attention, standing straight and tall behind Jordan. Backing him. Everyone but Niko.
Father lied. I don’t have the power to save them.
“Don’t believe it, Cassandra,” Father’s voice spoke in her mind. “He lies. They are yours. They are God’s. The Daemoni’s most powerful weapon is deceit. Use the powers we’ve given you. You can win this fight.”
Fight. Exactly what she didn’t want. She’d accepted her powers that she thought she’d used to help these people, but she refused to use her powers to hurt.
“You have to,” Father said. “This is why we gave them to you. You have to protect Andronika and the rest of them. You can do this, Cassandra. Listen to their thoughts and you’ll know the truth.”
I can’t, Father. I can’t invade their minds. I can’t let their thoughts invade mine. I can’t stand it!
“Cassandra, you MUST do this. You must do it now. If Jordan wins, all humanity is at stake!”
Cassandra’s breath caught at her father’s voice thundering in her head. She’d never heard him so angry and adamant. She felt his truth wash over her and it gave her strength.
With no time to probe their individual minds, Cassandra blew out a breath of resignation and let down her mental shield completely. She let the voices pour in. Andronika’s screams of panic. Jordan’s plans for taking them to the Ancients. His vampyre and bear-man impatient for their orders. Inga’s delightful, “Finally!”
And the others all surprised her. On the inside, Niko was calm and felt in control of the situation. Faiz and Michael waited for orders, too, but not from Jordan. From her. The werewolves were just waiting for the word to change. Her heart leapt with hope.
She gathered the good force within her, pulling it all into a ball of energy in her chest. It charged and swirled within her and its warmth filled her with confidence. She prepared to unleash it.
NOW! She silently bellowed as she pushed the energy outward.
Chapter 20
Before Jordan could do anything, chaos broke out.
Michael freed Cassandra just before a burst of energy exploded from her. Blasius and Erik screamed like women. Andronika flew to the corner. Then Erik exploded into a bear, a rain of goo falling around them. His lips pulled back from his mouth to reveal sharp teeth as he threw back his head and roared. With two more messy bursts, the werewolves changed, as well.
As much as he wanted to see a fight, Jordan wouldn’t have his troops battle each other for no apparent reason. They were all on the same side. He opened his mouth to deliver orders.
But then everything went wrong.
The werewolves charged at the bear’s throat. Michael attacked Blasius, freeing his hold on Niko. The traitors! For a moment, Jordan felt a sense of pride in how well they had deceived even him, but he had to focus
