As if sensing my distress, Zoe asked me, “What is it?”
Emma chortled. “I got a couple of old friends to pay Scout a visit. They’ve been waiting to settle an old score for several years now. They quickly answered the call when I explained what I was looking for.”
It was the Nordic vampire and her dark counterpart, the ones who had taken Evan from me years before. A lump formed in my throat at the sight of them, quickly followed by hot rage and a desperate need to pay them back.
Zoe, realizing that I was about to lose control, opened her mouth. I knew she was going to try to rein me in, but it was far too late. Ever intuitive, she recognized that I couldn’t be controlled, and she shook her head.
“Screw it,” she muttered. “Let’s do this.”
Before Emma could register what was happening, Zoe fired a barrage of magic at the closest shifters, burning at least four in the process and scattering the rest. An army of vampires reacted to the noise and appeared at the tree line, their onslaught only halted by the slow-moving eclipse.
Emma didn’t wait. She used her magic and extended the shadow to cover the entire clearing, as we expected. Her smile was smug, as if she was surprising us, but I was more resigned than anything else.
The second the darkness took over, the vampires barreled forward, screaming out war cries and threats as they thundered toward us.
My heart skipped a beat and then I steadied. It had begun.
Twenty-Eight
Zoe’s hands moved so fast I could barely register what she was doing. The bag she carried fell to the ground and she didn’t immediately try to retrieve it. She ignored it, causing Emma’s eyes to flash.
Clearly Emma’s first instinct was to collect the bag. She only cared about the book, after all. It didn’t take long for reality to smack her in the face. “Son of a ...!” She viciously swore under her breath, and rather than fight Zoe, perhaps mete out some retribution, she turned on her heel and booked toward the creek.
I had a decision to make. I could stay in formation and fight the shifters and incoming vampires, or I could go for the head of the beast. It wasn’t a decision, though. Not really.
“Go,” Zoe said when I met her gaze. “Keep your eyes open for Sami. Now that the fight has started, that’s when she’ll get involved.”
“How can you know that?”
“Because she’s my daughter.”
I smirked, breaking into a run and giving Emma chase. She was halfway across the narrow creek when I caught up to her. Rather than trying to stop her with words, I tackled her from behind and slammed her into the water, grimacing when my elbow hit a rock.
We grappled, both struggling for dominance, and then she managed to plant her foot into my abdomen and kick out hard. When I hit the water a second time, the oxygen was knocked from my lungs and I had to roll to the side to catch my breath.
“You did this.” Her voice was a dangerous hiss. “You ... did ... this.” Fury lit her eyes as her fingers ignited and she lobbed a bolt of magic in my direction.
I had my wits about me enough to throw up a shield. It was weak but managed to deflect the bulk of the incoming blow.
“What did you expect? You took their vampire.” I forced myself to a sitting position. I had to be able to watch her for sudden moves. No doubt a second wave of magic was in my future.
“I should’ve killed him.” Her voice was full of hatred. “I should’ve cut off his head and delivered it to her in a bag ... like her fake book.”
That was what really bothered her, I realized. The fact that Zoe hadn’t even considered handing over the real thing. “Did you expect she would simply give it to you with a smile and a wave?”
“I expected her to protect her vampire. I’ve researched her. I knew when she arrived what she was capable of. Her only weakness is her loyalty.”
“You sound as if you admire her.” I dragged a hand through my wet hair. “Do you have a magic crush or something?”
“Oh, your wit astounds me.” Emma’s tone was dark and dry. “I don’t admire your precious mage. Your feelings on the subject are obvious, though. You’re the one with a crush.”
“Honestly? I do have a bit of a crush.” There was no sense lying. Zoe Lake-Winters had turned out to be everything the whispers purported. She was even more than I ever imagined possible in some respects. “I like her.”
“You would.” Emma rolled her eyes. “She didn’t bring the book here. She didn’t want to risk losing it. That doesn’t mean it’s not close.” She leaned over and planted her hands on her knees so she could stare directly into my eyes. “If you tell me where it is, I’ll let you live.”
That might have been a generous offer under different circumstances but I knew better. While I might have been behind the curve where Emma was concerned, since she clearly knew more about me than I knew about her, there was one thing I recognized above all else. “You’re not going to kill me.”
“Oh, no?” She cocked her head. “What makes you say that?”
“Because you’ve had the chance multiple times. You could’ve killed me in the basement of the house before I started the fire. I mean, if you really wanted me dead that is.”
“Except, if I did that, I would still be enslaved by the master. I needed you to end my torment, loath as I am to admit it.”
She had a point. Still .... “You could’ve killed me in my bedroom the other night.”
“You were unprepared. It would’ve been a dishonorable kill on my part.”
“Since when do you care about that?”
“I’ve always cared about that.” She was calm despite the screams we could
