The mage wrinkled his lips but drank until Doc's wrist healed.
"Will be fine in a minute. Need weapons."
Doc vanished from the room and returned a minute later with a sword I'd never seen before and his spelled long knife. He handed the sword to Nikolai, who's hand slid over the handle like he caressed a lover.
Come to think on it, I'd never seen him use a sword before, though I knew he was quite accomplished with one. He acted familiar with this weapon, however, and I wondered if that was something I had missed while being possessed.
Dad acted like he was going to join us when we headed for the door.
"Dan." Doc tossed him a set of keys. "There are a few guns in the safe. Closet in the main bedroom. Take position at that window." He pointed at the big picture window. "The window will allow you to put the muzzle of the gun through it. Magic, of course. You're welcome to shoot anything that isn't us."
I cast Nikolai's invisibility spell over Ed, but Doc waved me off when I offered to do it for him, too. "Won't need it."
Dad stared as Doc and the invisible Ed headed for the back door. The house adjusted as it let the two slip out and then sealed back up.
"I guess I can see why you told us he was a mage," Dad said, voice dark, as he headed for the gun safe.
I glanced over at Mom. A smile played across her lips despite the situation. "Dan, grab one for me, too."
"Of course, honey."
"Be careful, Sofia," she said as Nikolai and I headed for the door.
Allan growled in frustration, but he stayed with my parents.
I threw up the strongest shield I knew and opened the door. Nikolai followed me out, sword at the ready.
A new wave of magical destruction battered my shields, but they held. I expanded my awareness into the pack bond so I could get a sense of our opponents from Doc and Ed.
I caught a vague sense of something inhuman. That must be the vampire. Doc was intent on hunting it. Probably wise, the vampire was likely the most dangerous opponent. Another human with the smell of magic about him covered the back door, though he hadn't seen Doc and Ed slip out. Ed stalked that one.
Three human mages were out front. I recognized Melinda, Alex, and Sam.
"Fucking traitor," I muttered.
Nikolai had tuned in to our bond also, so he knew who I talked about. "Could be prisoner."
The magical barrage died down and Alex stepped out of the trees, followed by Melinda and Sam.
Sam did appear to be a prisoner. Her arms were tied behind herself. Melinda shoved Sam to the ground in front of her.
"It's dangerous to be your friend," Alex mocked. He aimed a shocking bolt of green magic at Sam.
She screamed when it hit her and collapsed to the ground.
That got Doc's attention, but we all assured him that focusing on the vampire was the most important.
"That's quite the bite you've got there, Nikolai. We weren't sure if that would kill Cassidy or not. Too bad." Alex smirked.
Shouting in rage, I dropped my shield long enough to lob a fireball at Alex.
Melinda had watched for that and shot deadly lightning back at me, but the house shields protected me.
Alex looked a little singed, but had mostly blocked my attack, though the smug expression had vanished from his face.
The demon had left me with the knowledge I needed to defeat the Andersons. It was up to me to wield the magic. This was going to take a while.
Chapter 20
Doc
The shadows called to him, and for once Doc didn't try to fight it. He gave into his vampire side more completely than he ever had before. He was pissed, he was still hungry, and he knew he would need every edge possible against a full vampire. He had hunted and killed them before, but in the past he had always had the element of surprise on his side. This time the vampire knew he was coming and it might be more difficult.
Doc slipped into the shadows, wrapped them around himself, and faded completely from view.
The one he stalked circled the house. He sent a quick warning to Nikolai through the pack bond before slipping from shadow to shadow as he followed.
The mage guarding the back of the house screamed, though the sound cut off abruptly. The coppery tang of magic laced human blood carried on the gusting wind, tugging at Doc's attention. Ed had taken care of the mage. The vampire he stalked paused and then nearly vanished from Doc's awareness.
Fuck.
A whisper of stillness in the gusty wind was his only warning. Claws ripped through his flannel shirt, popping a few buttons and lightly scoring his chest. He snarled and threw himself backward, ignoring the fiery sting. A swipe of his hunting knife met only air.
Doc flowed through the shadows until he had put some distance between him and the other vampire. The presence was about as solid as a wisp of fog, but he managed to keep his attention locked onto it. If he could keep the vampire focused on him, it wouldn't go after Sofia or Nikolai.
"You're good, for a half breed." A masculine voice floated on the breeze, not quite coming from any one direction, but Doc thought he still had a fix on the vampire's location.
"Is this where you try to get me to switch sides?" The shadows coated him as he dashed to a new position.
Moments later, the wind eddied around his previous location and he saw a flash of silver before the vampire vanished into the swirling wind.
Snow flurries joined the gusting wind, further obscuring his vision. He slipped fully into his ability to see in the dark. The vampire had let his body temperature cool to the ambient temperature, but he could get clues to the other's location by the air currents.
"No," the other responded finally. "I'm going
