Revealed in Fire (Demon Days & Vampire Nights #9)(37)

“You see?” Romulus said. “That is the problem with employing idiots. I already explained the details of young Emery’s inclusion in our group, something I will also take up with the royal family. It is above your pay grade, I’m afraid, and given the way you’re carrying on, I’m starting to assume it is also above your comprehension ability. What has happened to the royal guard? Is your goal to become a laughingstock? Because I must say, madam, you are well on your way.”

“Oh my God, I like him so much,” Reagan whispered.

The lead elf straightened indignantly. “Second, it is in your best interest to come quietly. We do not wish to harm you. It is the mage, the woman, and the vampire that we want. The rest of you will simply be questioned.”

“Simply be questioned?” Romulus laughed. “Oh my, no. No, that will not do. We will not turn ourselves over to you, we will not be questioned, and we will not stand for you wasting our time any longer. Either disperse now, or we will kill you all. Those are your options.”

The elf’s voice turned sharp. “With respect, Second, you’ve been gone a long time. Things are done differently now. It would be best if you educated yourself on those changes rather than make an error that you cannot unmake.”

“There has been no respect here, just wasted breath.” Romulus centered his weight and let his arms drift to his sides again. That was his cue that he planned to fight.

The elf clearly saw it. Her hair stilled, no longer waving in the absence of a breeze. “This is your final chance, Second. We take no pleasure in shedding your blood.”

“Ridiculous.” He drew his blade in a swift, practiced movement full of grace and power. Charity was right behind him, and she knew from the way the elves moved, and the speed with which Halvor leapt out from within the group of fae, that this battle would be a challenge.

Before she could even start forward, however, the orange bled from the sky and the flowers and trees along the path melted into fire and brimstone, with a few random candy gumdrops stuck in. Large carrion birds swooped down, screaming curse words. And then, in a blink, the scene was all gone. All of it. And only flat desert remained.





Twelve





“I knew it!” I pushed out through the pack of fae, using the hole Halvor had just made. Magic swirled around me, tearing down the elves’ construction just like it had my father’s, but this was so much easier because of all the practicing I’d been doing.

The elves stood on the path, stunned, looking around at the desert landscape in confusion. Black sky stretched overhead with stars punched through, just like in the Brink. Barren dirt ran underfoot, smooth and flat, no rocks or debris in sight. It must’ve been cleared away long ago to create the alternate reality that had been there a moment before. A pale moon hung in the sky, its light dappling the ground. It was bright enough for most to basically see, but would hinder those without the advantage of vampire night vision.

“Mind fuckery,” I said, running with my sword in hand. I knew better than to hang out and admire my handiwork. Cahal had been an excellent teacher.

Halvor reached the lead elf first. His sword cut through the air and then the elf’s neck. I reached the elf beside it, dodging the falling head. It startled at my sudden appearance, having been lost to its surroundings a moment before. I stabbed it through, bowling it over, and kept going. As it fell, I yanked my sword free and rammed into some sort of troll-looking dude with a small head and enormous arms.

A roar shook the ground from Steve’s lion form, followed by Cole’s yeti bleat. I took those sounds, deep and primal and consuming, and magically echoed them. Using just my sword to hack at the (still confused and obviously very stupid) creature horde, which was second nature to me, I used my magic to fashion more beings on the periphery, hiding in the darkness. Working quickly, I duplicated, tweaked, and animated.

A spell bloomed in the air and then splintered, corrosive and volatile. Also, not well directed.

“Jesus, Penny, some of us are working in here,” I yelled, and dived to the side. I didn’t want to disrupt the nasty-ass spell. That thing would kill very painfully.

“Then turn on the lights,” she yelled. The stress was getting to her.

I lit up the area in fire, circling our new friends, who had (mostly) come out of their shocked stupor and started to fight back. My magical creatures stomped through it, their legs moving too slow for their speed, but the horde didn’t seem to notice.

I ran to the front of the shindig, where an elf’s curved blade was slicing through the air at a pace that made me just a little jealous. It slashed at Devon, the big black wolf, and then made a move on Charity, who fought alongside him.

I stabbed it in the back.

“All’s fair in illegal magical battles!” I ducked under another elf’s blade, rolled, and chopped at its ankle. It hopped out of the way and met the yeti’s big paw. Cole slapped the face off that elf, and it was very, very gross. “Don’t look, Penny!”

The lesser-powered fae and shifters worked around my fire, taking swings at the cowering horde, which was now focused on the magical creatures closing in on them. I still hadn’t figured out how to make my creations solid, but the elves’ pets were too stupid and scared to catch on.

I pushed the fire out and ran down the middle of the horde, spraying hellfire as I did so. I’d been so good for so long. I needed to let off some steam. “Here’s Johnny!”