Death Wish (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #5)(95)

“Don’t you do it, Alexa.” Shya’s voice sounded muffled and far away, like he was under water. “Finish this first.”

With clawed fingers, I dug at the earth beneath me. It hurt to hold the wolf back. Arys was at my side, fighting Lilah off with both power and fists. A cry became a howl as I fought the wolf. I had to overcome it. If I turned wolf my power would be locked inside me. I couldn’t tap it unless I was human. No, not human. Vampire. Much as I hated to admit it, my power was all vampire.

Lilah met each of Arys’s blows with a counter attack. She hadn’t wasted the years of her curse; she adeptly used his strength against him. Pulling him in close, she twisted her body, lifting Arys off his feet. She slammed him hard against the concrete patio, knocking him senseless.

Her boot hit my face with enough force to make my vision go black. I tasted blood. I blinked several times until everything swam back into focus. Shya could feel free to come to my aid any time now, but if I held my breath on that one, I’d die waiting.

I struggled to get up while fending off the attacks. I slashed a hand tipped with claws across her midsection, digging deep into her flesh. It would have been a fatal wound on a mortal, but it was enough to get her to back off. Shya may have been a disgusting liar, but he was right about one thing: Lilah wasn’t willing to risk the death of her vampire form.

“For a demon as old as you are,” I spat blood. “You’re not very bright. You were never on my radar, Lilah. Not until you started gunning for me.”

I drew myself up to my full height, wincing in pain. I gasped for breath while Lilah examined her wound. It was bad. With a little more force, she would have had to hold her insides together.

“It was only a matter of time. I may not have known you’re a Hound, but everyone knows you’re a White Flame. It’s no secret. I figured I’d get a jump on you before you came after me. There’s only room in this city for one vampire queen. Since it’s all I’ve got left, I’m not about to share the title.”

“I don’t want any goddamn title,” I snarled, my voice rough with wolf.

Lilah took a step back, then another. She shook her head, and her long braid moved like a snake. “You don’t have a choice. It’s you or me, and every vampire in this city knows it. Hell, even those two dipshits know it.” She gestured to Falon and Shya with disdain. “Sorry, Alexa, but a twin flame union never occurs without a damned good reason. A reason that never bodes well for the underworld.”

The perils of my life began to make sense. Shya’s interest in my power. Lilah’s desire to kill me. Falon’s utter hatred for me. They feared Arys and me.

The realization was as numbing as it was startling. There was no time to pick apart the why and how of it all. I wasn’t feeling like something to be feared, but if there were a time to rise to that challenge, it would be now.

“Have it your way then, Lilah.” I shrugged, “but I plan on walking out of here tonight. If I have to send you back to the cage the angels made for you, then so be it.”

Surprise flickered over her face. She glared daggers at Shya before meeting Falon’s eyes. He dropped his gaze, refusing to acknowledge her silent plea. Falon may have enjoyed the fun times, but his loyalty lay with Shya.

“Oh, I see how it is.” Lilah gazed around at each of us in turn. Then she sprang for me.

I reached for Arys who was looking edgy with solid blue wolf eyes. I clutched his hand, seeking and finding that deeper connection between us. We were stronger together. With my free hand, I hit Lilah with a psi ball that exploded against her chest. It launched her backwards, into the pool with a splash.

“Shya, feel free to step in any time,” I growled, watching the waves lap the edge of the pool.

“Strip her power, dammit,” came his venomous reply.

Arys pulled me close and forced me to meet his eyes. His hands were shaky and feverishly hot. He gripped me so tight it hurt. “You need to finish this. Fast. You’ve got to let the wolf out.”

The power spilled from him in buckets. It crashed through me so hard and fast, it felt like I’d grabbed a live wire. I fell to my knees, and Arys pulled me up, murmuring words of encouragement. I had no time to adjust to the influx of Arys’s power; a torrent of water rained down around us as Lilah rose up from the chlorinated depths.

Her hair was plastered to her head, and her eyes were solid black. She was like something straight out of a horror movie. Her dark beauty captivated me, but she left me more than a little scared.

Releasing Arys’s hand, I stepped forward to meet Lilah. My hands were alight with dancing, golden blue flames of power. It surged through me with enough pressure to blow the top of my head off if I didn’t channel it properly. No time to worry about that now.

With a wild war cry, Lilah hit me with a shot of raw power that tore a yelp from me as it threw me into Shya. I crashed against one of the wings he spread to stop my flailing form. It was like hitting a brick wall, albeit one layered with the softest feathers I’d ever touched.

I regained my balance quickly. Projecting a strong enough shield around me took my full concentration. It was difficult to hold, but it deflected the next blast she sent my way.

The power flowed through me, growing in strength as I opened myself up to it completely. Everything around me fell away. All I saw was my prey: Lilah.

I advanced on her slowly, finally feeling no need to rush. Now it was about who wanted it more. She may have had thousands of years of ruling the underworld as her driving factor, but I had several people who relied on me and a purpose I had yet to discover. Nobody was taking that away from me. Not tonight.