“Conn will find land mines and traps,” Brenna whispered. “Don’t worry, Moira.”
Trevan shook his head. “The land mines are set too far down to be sensed. While they won’t kill like normal, they’ll certainly injure and slow a vampire—which is all I need for my shooters to take him down long enough so we can cut his head off.”
Moira shared a worried look with her sister. The plan wasn’t bad. Conn’s injuries would slow him down, and the blast from a land mine wouldn’t help. Not to mention carefully aimed bullets.
“How could you turn your back on everything you’ve vowed to protect?” Moira asked.
Trevan turned, both dark eyebrows raised. “Why would I protect a council that won’t grow? We’re the most powerful species on this planet, yet we follow the vampires’ lead and chase down our own ... for doing what comes naturally.” Two steps and his face lowered close to hers. “Deep down, we all know this. How else could I have spun the king’s training request so easily?”
The bastard had set them all up from the beginning. “So you weren’t concerned the king wanted our soldiers.”
Trevan shrugged. “Don’t know, don’t care. Maybe the king had ulterior motives, maybe he didn’t. But the Coven Nine was all too ready to dig in their feet about training our own soldiers.”
She shook her head. “This is treason.”
“Treason is a matter of perspective.” His gaze dropped to her lips and back up. “How many of your own have you taken down, Enforcer? For practicing magic?”
His minty breath made her stomach roll. “That wasn’t magic. That was the manipulation of matter to harm. The laws exist for a reason.” So the whole damn planet didn’t blow up.
“Laws change along with leadership.” With a dark gleam in his eye, he placed a kiss on her lips.
She bared her teeth and snapped.
He darted back, barely missing her sharp bite. Regret flashed across his handsome face. “I’m sorry I won’t get a chance to break you, Seventh.” With a shrug, he sidled back to the window. “I guess the Kurjans get all the fun this time.”
“Do they know?” As hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep the tremor from her voice. “Did you tell them about the phanakite?” Having the witches’ biggest weakness become public knowledge was frightful. The repercussions were unfathomable.
“No.” Trevan’s breath fogged the glass. “My lady talked me out of that. Guess you owe her.”
Apparently his woman was a whole lot smarter than he was. No way the Kurjans wouldn’t turn that kind of information against him. “Tell me who she is so I can properly thank her.”
He laughed. “Well, while the Kurjans are ripping through your genetics, I’ll have some fun with your little sister here.” His autocratic head tilted toward Brenna. “I’ll still need leverage with the Coven Nine. For a while.”
Brenna bared her teeth, and a gray vein appeared along her smooth forehead. Her eyes were bloodshot. “I’m going to boil your heart to mush inside your body.”
While Moira appreciated the sentiment, the fact her sister’s skin was becoming translucent from the collar clutched fear in her throat.
Trevan squinted into the night and then straightened his shoulders. “Looks like it’s showtime.”
Moira followed his gaze, her stomach clenching hard. A spotlight highlighted a large form at the bottom of the hill, his dark clothing a contrast to the white hammering hail. She sucked in air, using every ounce of her energy to throw thoughts into his mind. Stop, damn it.
Why? Conn’s voice came through low and furious.
She opened herself up wider. Pain slashed into her sides. His kidneys were not ready for battle. Sharpshooters and land mines. They’re too far down to be sensed.
Stay tight, mate. I’ll set one off and discern the layout from that point.
That’s stupid. She mentally raised her voice to a shriek. You’ll blow yourself up.
Relax, woman. The dark form bunched and began climbing the hill in a zigzag pattern. How badly are you injured? Concern melded with pain in his voice.
I’m not hurt. Just shackled to the wall and contained. So is Brenna. Boy, was she going to have to explain that one.
Is Brenna injured?
No. Bruised, pissed, and shackled.
Why can’t you use magic to break the shackles? He grunted, pain exploding in his solar plexus. The figure came closer.
I’ll explain later. Was that your lung? The man couldn’t run without a lung. His internal injuries were worse than even the doctor had realized.
Think so. Need to concentrate now. See you in a minute.
She opened her mouth to protest. Vampires could die by beheading, and vary rarely, from losing all their blood. That wouldn’t kill them instantly, but they’d go brain dead with no hope of recovery. How much blood had Conn already lost?
An explosion rose above the storm. Fire billowed up from the ground followed by a sharp boom.
Trevan jumped once, tightening his hand in a fist. “Finally. A damn mine.”
Terror slammed Moira’s heart against her ribs. She peered out the window, forcing tears back. The hail had turned to snow, mingling with smoke from the explosion. Spotlights shifted to land on a figure lying prone. Conn.
He rolled to the side and staggered to his feet. His head lifted. The silver of his eyes shone through the night, focusing on her.
Moira struggled against the handcuffs, turning her wrists raw. Pain reached to her fingertips. “You’re a dead man, Trevan. Run now. But it won’t do you any good.”
About halfway down the hill, Conn’s head swiveled one way and the other.
Brenna gave a weak laugh. “He’s on to you, Trevan. He’ll decipher the configuration now.”
Land mines, especially modified ones, needed to be buried in a pattern so they didn’t set each other off.
Trevan nodded. “Yes.” He lifted the phone to his ear, pressing a button. Three breaths later, he said, “Shoot him.”
“No!” Moira cried out, reaching for Conn in her head. Nothing but static filled her mind. Either her terror or his injuries were keeping them from communicating. Nausea gagged her. The numbness in her extremities had gotten worse. She eyed Brenna. “Are you going numb?” she mouthed.
“Hours ago,” Brenna whispered.
Moira bit her lip again to try and retain some clarity. The small pain didn’t help. What kind of damage might the collars do if left on too long? As far as she knew, once a witch was away from exposure, their powers returned. But most witches hadn’t spent time with the mineral touching their skin. “We’ll be all right.” Desperation had her yanking at the restraints, nearly pulling her shoulder out of joint. She needed to get free and help Conn.
Shots rang out. He fell. More shots cascaded in quick succession. He struggled to his feet, staggering closer, and closer.
“Fire!” Trevan yelled into the phone.
A rapid volley of bullets fired through the air from high in the tree line. Conn’s body jerked with each one. Moira gasped at every impact, her body clenching. So much damage. He dropped to his knees. Pivoting, he turned and fired into the trees. A bellow echoed when someone crashed down.
More flashes of fire lit the tops of the trees. There were too many shooters for Conn to get them all.
“Stop them, Trevan. Please.” She wasn’t a woman who begged. But this time, she would.
“Not a chance, Seventh.” Smug satisfaction coated Trevan’s smooth voice.
Rage burned so fast through Moira her tears heated. “I don’t know when. I don’t know how. But someday, I’m going to rip your heart out of your body.” She said it as a threat, felt it as a vow.