A Turn of Tides (A Shade of Vampire #13)(30)

I felt a pang of guilt as she mentioned the island.

There were thousands of people there, many of them dear to me—humans, vampires and werewolves alike—who were dependent on me for protection.

Now that I’d left the human realm, if the black witches attacked, there would be no way they could keep them out.

Patricia and the other witches there could maintain the spell of night and put up some kind of protection around them, but it wouldn’t be nearly strong enough for the might of Rhys and his kind.

But as the memory of Sofia and Kiev betraying me once again came to the forefront of my mind, fire burned through my veins, and it stifled any guilt I was feeling.

It’s just too bad.

The Shade’s queen should have thought twice about playing me for a fool.

Chapter 17: Kiev

After what felt like hours of waiting, I’d had enough.

“I can’t take this any more,” I said, shooting to my feet.

“There’s got to be another way.” “I’m all ears if you have any suggestions,” Patricia muttered, brushing a fly away from her face.

“We need to try to lure someone out.” I felt all three pairs of eyes on me as I began pacing up and down on the rock.

“What could we use as bait?” Patricia looked at me thoughtfully.

“Hmm.” “What about an explosion?” Erik offered.

“That might do it,” Patricia said.

“What if it attracts more than one witch?” Abby said.

“I doubt Patricia is capable of tackling more than one.” All eyes fell on Patricia.

“We have the element of surprise on our side,” she said.

“It really would depend on how many witches came out to investigate.

If it was two or three, I might just be able to manage.

More than that, I doubt it.” “So we’d all have to be touching the witch in order to gain entrance?” The witch nodded and stood up.

“We can try an explosion, I suppose, and see what happens.

In the meantime…” Her voice trailed off as she gripped each of our hands and pulled us toward her while muttering a chant under her breath.

A few moments later, she, Abby and Erik disappeared.

Looking down at my hands, I realized I had too.

“We have a better chance of succeeding at this if we’re invisible.” Patricia’s voice came from my left.

“All right.

Now what?” I said.

“You vamps need to wait here in the shade while I figure out the best place to set off the explosion.

Once I set it off, we’ll wait to see if anybody comes.

If there are fewer than three, assume that I will attempt to close in on them and start walking toward the witches—I’ll emerge as soon as I feel I’ve got control of the situation and beckon you over.” “And if there are more than three?” Erik’s voice came from my left.

“Then stay where you are,” Patricia replied.

“I won’t attempt anything and we’ll have to come up with some other idea… I’m leaving now.” As the witch’s presence left us, I walked over to the edge of the rocks where I could best position myself for scanning the beach.

I was almost knocked forward as someone bumped into me from behind.

“Oh, sorry.” Abby’s voice came quickly.

I reached behind me and, finding her arm, guided her to a spot next to me where she was in no danger of knocking me again.

“Erik?” I said.

“Yeah.” He sounded like he was standing next to Abby.

“Okay,” I said.

“Now, pay attention.” I kept watching the beach, alert to even the slightest bit of movement as I tried to determine where Patricia was.

After a few minutes, there was a sudden noise that sounded like the crack of a whip, and then in the sky, a ball of fire appeared, swirling and circling as it gathered speed.

With one deafening roar, the ball exploded, sending glowing fragments flying down into the sea and onto the beach.

“Somebody must have heard that,” Abby said.

“Now it’s just a question of whether anyone cares enough to come and investigate,” Erik said.

We couldn’t be sure where Patricia was now that the explosion had died down.

I supposed that, like us, she was watching the boundary.

“Come on,” I whispered, willing someone to emerge from the line of trees.

Minutes passed and nothing happened.

I was beginning to think that Patricia ought to cause another explosion when a woman emerged from the forest, a few hundred yards away from us.

One strap of her long blue gown hung down her shoulder and her hair was disheveled.

She stopped just before crossing the boundary and looked up and down along the length of the beach.

“Phinneas,” she called.

A bare-chested warlock wearing dark pants emerged behind her.

His hair was also mussed, and lipstick stained his face.

“Do you see anything?” she asked.

Both scanned the length of the beach.

“What could it have been?” The warlock shrugged.

“It was probably just young ones up to no good.

There are no lessons today.” His hands snaked around her waist.

He drew her closer to him and buried his face in her neck.