Tialanna, Anya, and Elyssia stopped half a block away from their destination to make sure Elyssia wasn’t about to puke, since sprinting that fast was not something she was used to. And to allow Kierra and the guys to come to where they were. Which didn’t take long since she’d lifted the no-magick decree.
Kierra and Bran flashed in first, followed by Chandler. It took Grimm an extra couple of minutes as he sent the wolves out as sentries throughout the neighborhood. They weren’t taking any chances of Seraphina slipping out of their grasps this time around. They planned on burning that bitch down to ash and crystalizing it after separating it.
Tia was about to open her mouth to address them verbally instead of through the earpieces, until there was gentle caress within her mind that indicated Bran was opening the mental link the two of them shared. Not a good idea; she might have somebody out here listening. Just use the ear things you forced us all to wear.
Tia coughed a little to cover up the laugh fighting for freedom at the irritation she could feel radiating from him in waves. Using the earpiece her mate hated so much, she directed her thoughts to her small group alone. Looks like dear old Seraphina has activated every faction within Jelissa’s bloodline, and her sin eater side is not only fully online, but the hunger has taken the wheel. I don’t know how we’re going to get through to her, since to her, we’re complete fucking strangers. We may have to bring in Deelah and Genie.
Yes!
Deelah, how did hear any of that? Elyssia chastised her former charge.
Sorcerer here, remember? The smugness in Deelah’s thought was almost palpable.
As I was saying, that will only be a last resort. First, we’re going to try and weaken her.
That may be a problem. Deelah butted in again. I’ve been staring at these screens and it looks like whatever they throw at her is bouncing right back to them.
While Deelah continued to explain to them everything she saw in vivid detail, Ferenc with a male over his shoulder in a fireman carry, and Deborah with a male slung over her back (good thing she was a very large wolf) came out of the building with two of the guards flanking them ready to take out anyone who came near them. Two realizations hit Tia in the gut at that point. First, she had to stop denying the truth of the nagging voice at the back of her mind that knew the precise reason those others were taken. They were to mate with her daughter to awaken those sides of her. And the other was the reason they didn’t seem too have much trouble getting out of that building meant her daughter’s hunger was probably escalating, and they may have to take her offline. If they didn’t, either all that power and strength would drive her mad or worse, Seraphina would drain her of it and be damn near unstoppable.
Just as Tialanna was about to tell them they couldn’t waste any more time and tell them of her suspicions, she saw Bran clutching at his head with both hands, and double over as if in pain.
Bran looked up at Tia, and the look in his eyes confirmed one of their worst fears before he spoke out loud in a strained voice. “I’m being summoned, I can’t stop it. Save our daughter.”
Tia reached out for him, but her hand met nothing more than black smoke.
With her heart shattering inside, she didn’t have the time or luxury to linger; all she could do was honor those last words. Before anyone, including herself, had a chance to react, Tialanna said the only words she could before she lost her shit. “Let’s go. I won’t lose them both.”
21
Did She Do That?
The royal guard had made short work of their enemies on the outside of the building and they stood sentry to make sure no surprises entered behind their liege. But what greeted the royal family when they entered made them all do a double take.
They expected to have to fight their way in, for males and females of all factions to come at them from every corner to deter them from finding their quarry. Instead they were met with nothing more than a whole lot of carnage, the only guard left standing their own. But said guards weren’t covered with enough blood to have done this much butchering. No, this was the result of Jelissa fighting to get free to feed her hunger.
What the fuck? Did our girl do all this? The shock in Anya’s thoughts matched what everyone else was also feeling.
Looks like. Aaaaah! Tia was in the process of answering Anya when a piercing, debilitating sound came through the earpieces, bringing them all to their knees. It was so strong they couldn’t even bring their own arms up to take the devices out. It was as if a hole was being pierced right through their skulls.
Right as their ears were beginning to bleed and their eardrums well on their way to bursting, the deathly tone suddenly stopped. During that all too brief reprieve, Deelah’s thoughts came through to broadcast to everyone. Me and the geeks are holding them off, but not for long. Their sorcerer is a helluva lot stronger than me. Get those earpieces out. Now!
No sooner than Deelah thought that last word towards them than that sound began its dangerous crescendo once again. As fast as they possibly could, they snatched the devices out. By the sounds of a few of the guards’ screams, some weren’t quick enough. Tialanna could only hope they had only lost their eardrums and not their heads. Eardrums could heal; heads couldn’t grow back, no matter what faction they belonged to.
They all blinked
