Blood Reunion (33 page)

Get a mini comp-vid for Toff, Nissa and Trik, too
, I sent to Ry, who sent a
yippee
back.

* * *

"She'll scent us if we're not shielded properly," Zellar growled at Gren, who watched Toff from a distance. Gren and his companions stood in a dimly lit corner of the store, watching with eager malice as the Queen and a handful of others looked at clothing. Zellar worked to shield Tandias, too, although Gren and the Ra'Ak failed to cooperate. The Ra'Ak, like Gren, was anxious to reach his target—Queen Lissa only had one vampire mate with her and he could be easily dispatched, once Tandias became Ra'Ak.

"We'll get there soon enough," Zellar hissed as he added another layer to an already thick shield, his hands weaving as he muttered the required spells.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

Rigo, I'm feeling itchy
, I sent to my oldest vampire mate.

"Tiessa, what do you sense?" Rigo's mouth was near my ear as he whispered the words.

"I can't tell, it keeps appearing and then disappearing. This is really weird," I mumbled back. Nissa, Toff and Trik were going through a rack of shirts nearby and laughing at the slogans printed across the front. They couldn't hear us and I was thankful for that.

"Have you experienced anything such as this before?" Rigo asked softly.

"No, and it's really confusing," I replied. "It's like somebody is turning a tap on and off." I raised my eyes to Rigo's face—he was certainly concerned.

"Has anyone been able to hide anything from you before, love?" Rigo's worry was increasing, if the furrowing brow was any indication.

"Only that idiot Viregruz, and," I lifted a shaking hand to my mouth. "Oh. My. God. Rigo, we're in trouble," I gasped. We were already too late—the blast knocked out half the walls and plunged the store into darkness.

* * *

Zellar realized his mistake quickly—he couldn't see in darkness any better than Gren could. He wasn't sure about Tandias—Ra'Ak kept any weaknesses to themselves, just to prevent them from being exploited. At least part of his plan had worked flawlessly; every humanoid shopper inside the store was now unconscious.

"I need light," Gren hissed. He'd kept his eyes on Toff—until the lights went out.

"Do it yourself, I'm busy holding the shields," Zellar snapped. "I have an outer shield on the whole store—she won't be able to send out mindspeech; it'll just bounce back. Tandias, can you see anything?"

No reply came from Tandias—he'd already turned to Ra'Ak and was slithering through the spacious department store. Gren, who caught a glint of light gleaming on copper scales, followed in Tandias' wake while Zellar cursed behind him and remained where he was.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

I sent hasty mindspeech to all my mates, but trouble was already in front of me and only Rigo and I could see it coming. My mindspeech echoed back to me in my mind; it hadn't gone out. That meant one thing to me—Zellar was shielding everything inside the store. He'd blocked Viregruz's presence in the past after tapping a planet's core. He'd obviously learned how to do the same with mindspeech. Every humanoid inside the store had fallen, too; all of them rendered unconscious from one of Zellar's tricks, no doubt. I felt terrified and queasy at the same time, and it was an effort to push those feeling aside. I hadn't felt this helpless since I'd been human.

"Kids, get behind me," I hissed as I watched the Ra'Ak slither his way toward us.

"Mom? What's going on?" Nissa fumbled her way toward me, Toff and Trik each gripping one of her hands tightly.

"Come." Rigo pulled all three of them forward and gently placed them behind us. All that stood between us now was a few minutes and a vampire who had no experience fighting Ra'Ak.

* * *

"No big deal, bro," Ry whispered to Tory. "I can make light without thinking about it. I think Mom and the others are in trouble, though." Ry pointed a finger at the floor, creating the barest hint of light. He and Tory made their way toward the department where their mother had been when they'd last seen her, navigating their way through overturned shelves, racks, broken walls and unconscious shoppers.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

A decision lay before me. Sacrifice my unborn child to save the others, or hope that Rigo could delay a Ra'Ak, a power-mad warlock and an evil apprentice while the rest of us attempted to escape. Yeah. Right. The odds of our escaping went into negative territory and Rigo would likely die. We'd all likely die, actually. Zellar had made his plans carefully; somehow, he'd discovered where I would be and had taken full advantage. On Le-Ath Veronis, there were too many around me and I'd be better protected. Now, on what was reportedly the safest world in the Reth Alliance, I was under attack by one of the worst criminals the Alliance had ever seen.

* * *

"Holy crap," Ry muttered. The Ra'Ak either hadn't seen him and Tory, or he was ignoring them in favor of a better target—their mother.

"Somebody's walking behind the Ra'Ak," Tory hissed, turning his gaze on Ry.

"Wait, you can see?" Ry blinked at Tory in confusion.

"Yeah. Don't ask me how, but I've always been able to see better than you in the dark. I think it's that brat who almost killed Toff," Tory added, turning back to the Ra'Ak crawling through the store and the one who crept along behind the giant serpent.

"He's aiming for Mom, and she can't do anything," Ry hissed, slapping his taller brother on the back. "And that brat is aiming for Toff, I'd bet all the money on Karathia on that."

"Yeah."

Ry barely saw it in the dim light emanating from his finger, but a curl of smoke came from Tory's nostrils.

"Dude, he's about to kill Mom. And Sissy, too." Ry knew that the Thifilathi came whenever a High Demon became very angry. He had to fan Tory's anger quickly.

* * *

Trik, Mom can't use any of her power, it'll kill the baby
, Nissa sent to Trik. She'd already attempted mindspeech with her father, but it had bounced back into her mind. Somehow, something was blocking any mindspeech sent outside the store. Mindspeech inside the store still seemed to work, however.

What can we do? I can barely see
, Trik replied mentally.

See that little bit of light to our right? That's Ry, lighting his way through the store
, Nissa sent.
Tory is probably with him. If we ever needed Tory's Thifilathi, it's now. Uncle Rigo might be able to slow a Ra'Ak down, but that's all he'll be able to do without some kind of power.

What about our protection jewels?
Trik asked.

They might slow a Ra'Ak down a little, but the Ra'Ak are really powerful. My protection jewels are aimed more at two-legged enemies
.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

Tiessa, please stand behind me and begin to back the children away
, Rigo whispered in my mind. My Hraedan vampire mate, Rigovarnus I, was prepared to give his life in order to protect mine and that of my children.

We're coming, Mom
. Ry's voice came directly behind Rigo's.

Baby, run away, this is a Ra'Ak
, I returned immediately. I couldn't keep the moan from my mental voice. At that moment, I wished for Erland, Garde, Gavin, the twins and anyone else who might be able to come. My body was trembling with dread as I watched the Ra'Ak approach, his scales scraping over debris from the initial blast. He was almost upon us. I watched in horror as his mouth opened, revealing the usual rows of lengthy, sharp teeth. This one was prepared to devour us.

* * *

"Tory, Mom's scared to death." Ry's words made Tory turn around. A cloud of smoke poured from his nostrils and his eyes were dark and feral instead of clear blue. "She's going to try to save Sissy and the others, and it'll kill the baby. Maybe her, too." Ry kept hammering away at Tory, praying the Thifilathi would come. Tory growled, and it was a sound Ry never expected to hear from his brother's throat.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

Tiessa, do no go to mist yet. Let me make my attempt first
, Rigo had a hand behind his back, waving me away. I was doing the same for Nissa, Toff and Trik, begging Nissa in mindspeech to back Toff and Trik away. Telling her to run the moment the Ra'Ak moved again.

* * *

Gren's eyes had adjusted to the semi-darkness. His target—the baby-faced eunuch, was hiding behind the woman. And look, was he holding hands with a little girl? Gren wanted to laugh. Finally, Toff the worm was going to die. He was responsible for Gren's parents' deaths. There was no other explanation. Gren intended to make Toff pay dearly—for all the deaths he'd caused in the Green Fae village. Gren hadn't used any of the power he'd gained from Le-Ath Veronis' core. He was like the sun crystal he'd coveted so many years. He'd collected power and now he'd use it to kill Toff and the other two who stood with him. Gren smiled and gathered power, preparing to launch it and commit murder.

* * *

"Nissa, that's Gren. He'll hurt you," Toff hissed. Toff hadn't failed to recognize Gren, even in such poor light. Toff pushed Nissa behind him.

Toff, I'll throw a spell if he even thinks about it
, Nissa replied mentally.

I'm with you
,
Toff
, Trik offered, stepping up beside Toff and keeping Nissa where she was—behind both of them.

He's building power—his hands are glowing
, Nissa's mental voice was terrified. She knew what a power spell looked like as it gathered strength. Gren, Toff's old enemy, was prepared to kill all three of them.
Please, let our protection jewels hold
, Nissa sent up a silent prayer as she peered at Gren through the narrow space between Toff and Trik's shoulders.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion from that point forward. The Ra'Ak leaned back, preparing to strike. Rigo's claws slid out and someone ran around the Ra'Ak, his hands up and light forming around them. Gren. Gren was still bent on killing Toff.

"Run!" I screamed at all my children. Three bursts of very bright light, much like old flashbulbs popping in rapid succession came, the store lights blinked on in the building and my half High Demon son in Full Thifilathi, roared as he charged the Ra'Ak.

Chapter 17
 

Zellar stared in disbelief. Every rumor he'd heard in the past concerning this child bore out his own theories—that a half High Demon would never turn. This one had turned. No matter what he did, now, no matter how strong the spell, Zellar would have no recourse against this one. He still held hope, however, since this was a young and untried High Demon and Tandias was an experienced fighter. Zellar resolved to hold the shields and watch—as long as the battle remained in Tandias' favor.

Lissa's Journal

I kept more screams from escaping as the Ra'Ak charged Tory. Rigo, acting faster than I could think, rushed Gren. Three flashes of light—likely from protection jewels worn by Nissa, Toff and Trik—had blown the Half-Fae back. Tory's Thifilathi was now close enough to neutralize Gren's power, but the young Fae wasn't giving up his quest to kill Toff. Gren had only been knocked back temporarily by Nissa's protection jewels, a testament to the power he'd stolen from my planet. Rising swiftly, he lifted a metal rod from a rack to strike at Toff, Nissa and Trik. Rigo wasn't about to let that happen.

The noise, too, was deafening, as the Ra'Ak attempted to sink long, poisonous teeth into my son's Thifilathi. Tory roared and slashed out with huge, clawed hands. "Back out of the way," a hand and a familiar voice was pulling me away from potential danger—the Ra'Ak's body and his lethal, poison-tipped scales were threatening to roll in my direction while I dumbly stood and watched the monster battle my son.

Gren's blood, too, now drenched Rigo's right hand—the decapitation hadn't taken a blink to accomplish. Gren had no battle experience and he'd only focused on Toff, Trik and Nissa, never thinking an attack might come from behind.

"Daddy?" I blinked tears away as I stared at the one who'd come—Griffin. His eyes, normally a deep, hazel well of knowledge and experience, now held a wealth of pain I couldn't define.

"I don't have much time; I need to help my grandson, there. He doesn't have experience fighting Ra'Ak. I do. I've come from the future. Somebody found me and told me I had to come. I would have come anyway, but I can't deny the order I was given."

With that, Griffin turned to his fighting animal, a huge, brown and gold Gryphon, who leapt at the Ra'Ak, his sharp beak biting deep into the Ra'Ak's neck as the giant serpent snapped at Tory. The Ra'Ak screamed and swept his tail behind him, knocking deep piles of debris aside.

"Ry, Nissa, help me move the people," I shouted, running forward. With that first sweep of the Ra'Ak's tail, unconscious bodies were being buried beneath heaps of wreckage. I prayed that none had come in contact with the Ra'Ak's scales—that was a swift and painful death for most humanoids, even with a healer from the Saa Thalarr present.

* * *

Zellar muttered an expletive as the giant, mythical creature attacked Tandias from behind. Only one race held the ability to become Gryphon now. The gryphons had died out long ago; the Copper Ra'Ak had deliberately destroyed them. And with a Gryphon and a High Demon fighting him, Tandias had no hope of winning his battle. Gren was already dead; Zellar had witnessed the swift beheading at the hands of the vampire. Knowing his demise was only moments away, Zellar did what came naturally to him. He folded as far away as he could and hoped the Gryphon wouldn't come hunting him afterward.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

Nissa, Toff and Trik were behind me as I rushed forward, ducking another sweep of the poisoned tail while Griffin and Tory continued their attack. Ry and Nissa, pulling together, used their power in tandem to lift debris away and dump it in a vacant corner. Only people were left behind, littering the floor like scattered and forgotten rag dolls. Rigo joined us, gathering bodies and delivering them swiftly to the vestibule. At least the store's square entry was still standing and mostly in one piece. Toff and Trik were working together, too, each grabbing an arm of the nearest unconscious person and pulling them to safety as the Ra'Ak's tail made another sweep, barely missing my children.