Midnight's Kiss (38 page)

And then all hell broke loose.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-NINE

Arran closed his eyes and concentrated on Ronnie. He hated that Jason’s spells had prevented him from zeroing in on her magic as he normally could have done.

The fact that he could discern Ronnie’s magic from any other Druid’s wasn’t something Arran wanted to look at deeper. He wasn’t a fool. He’d heard the other Warriors who were married talk about how their wives’ magic was different than the rest.

Arran inhaled deeply when he felt a rush of Ronnie’s magic. It was tinged in fear, and that only made him angrier. Only made his god howl louder for blood and death.

“There will be blood,” Arran whispered.

Lots of it. The only one immune from his wrath in the mansion was Ronnie. Everyone else was fair game.

Arran opened his eyes. He glanced at Malcolm, who stood with Charon on the left side of the house. They had already jumped the fence, thanks to Ramsey using his magic.

All Arran was doing was waiting for Ramsey to make it back to him. There was a flap of wings from above. Broc had been flying around the mansion, testing to see how far the spells surrounded the house.

“Everyone is in place,” Ramsey said as he silently moved to stand between Fallon and Arran.

“Let’s get inside,” Arran said. “I want to make a grand entrance.”

Fallon growled low in his throat. “Aye. A grand entrance.”

Arran watched in amazement as Ramsey, with the bronze skin of his god showing, used the potent magic he held as the only half-Druid, half-Warrior. It was a secret he’d kept from everyone, even Deirdre, until recently.

Ramsey was able to tear a rift in Jason’s magic that allowed them to get over the tall gate. The rift was so slight that Jason would never feel his magic had been tampered with.

“He’s too bloody cocky,” Phelan said with a growl.

Arran grunted in agreement. “I count just six guards patrolling the front. The bastard underestimates us.”

“Better make that five guards,” Fallon said, his gaze lifted to the roof.

Arran looked up just in time to see shadows overtake a guard. A moment later, a woman fell to the ground. “Lucan strikes again.”

“That’s a damned
drough,
” Phelan murmured.

Fallon snorted in disgust. “Declan used mercenaries. Jason uses Druids.”

“That could be a problem for all of us,” Arran said.

Phelan looked at Fallon, then Arran. “Each of us knew what we were attacking. Whether it was Deirdre, Declan, or this new asshole, evil is evil. I’m no’ afraid to die.”

Arran wasn’t either, but he also wasn’t ready to die. He wanted to hold Ronnie in his arms one last time.

He squatted and put his hand on the ground. With his acute hearing, he could detect Camdyn moving the earth and getting closer and closer to the mansion.

Every Warrior there was able to call forth his power at will. Everyone except Arran. He was only able to use his power if there was snow or ice around him. It would be just his luck the battle had to occur in summer.

“What is it?” Phelan asked.

Arran gave a vicious shake of his head. Even without snow or ice, Arran was still a Warrior. He had speed and strength. He’d use those to defeat Jason.

With a glance to Malcolm who stood waiting off to the right, Arran nodded. Malcolm raised his hands above his head, and lightning streaked from his fingers.

All around them lightning erupted. Streaks zigzagged and forked across the sky in a majestic display, shooting from seemingly out of nowhere to hit the ground one after another. It was an impressive sight.

And then Malcolm turned his hands toward the mansion. The lightning began to strike it, blasting windows and doors with a magnificent exhibition of power.

Arran stood and walked to the front door. He didn’t need to look above to know Broc and Lucan were making their way into the house from the roof. He didn’t need to look to know that Camdyn and Quinn would attack from the dungeon up. Nor did Arran need to check to make sure the others were attacking from each side.

That’s what happened when men fought side by side through battle after battle.

“Careful,” Phelan said from behind Arran.

Phelan and Fallon were staying hidden for the time being, but it wouldn’t be for long.

Arran jogged to the front steps and bounded to the top in one leap. He delighted at the shattered double doors that had splintered upon a lightning strike.

He didn’t bother to duck as Malcolm continued to strike the house. Lightning would hurt, but it wouldn’t kill a Warrior. It was effective, however, in causing the Druids to be more interested in avoiding it than seeing who attacked.

“Who is it?” Jason yelled from somewhere to Arran’s left.

Arran stepped over a dead Druid who had a long piece of wood from the door stuck in her chest. Now that he was inside the mansion, he could locate Ronnie with ease.

And somehow he wasn’t surprised to find Jason had her with him.

Arran’s claws itched to sink into Jason’s flesh. He yearned to see Jason’s blood seeping from his body. He needed to see the life drain from Jason’s eyes.

And he would. If it was the last thing he ever did, he would see it done.

Arran spotted the set of doors that were caved inward, but still on their hinges. Jason’s voice—and Ronnie’s magic—were through the doors.

He’d taken two steps toward them when the doors suddenly flew at him. Arran raised an arm and knocked one of them away before it could hit him.

Dale’s large form filled the doorway. A second later, another Warrior joined him.

“Oh, good. Someone else to play with,” Arran said with a smile.

There was a feminine scream from inside the room, and Arran could only guess that was Fallon teleporting in and attacking.

“Use your magic!” Jason barked to the Druids above the screams.

Arran could detect several
droughs
in the room, but just as he’d hoped, there was too much disarray for them to gather their black magic and use it.

“Have you come to be killed?” Dale asked.

Arran chuckled. Damned if he didn’t like the Warrior’s attitude. “You left the last battle early. I actually came to finish what I was meant to do.”

“Interesting.” Dale kicked at a piece of broken door and stepped out of the room. “Is that all you came for?”

“Nothing else you need to worry about.”

“You’ll never get to her. Jason will make sure of it.”

Arran shrugged while the screams escalated as Fallon teleported in again and killed a
drough
. “We’ll see.”

“She’s working for us now. She and Jason made a pact.”

For a moment Arran couldn’t breathe, then he realized Ronnie had to have been under some kind of duress. No matter what the prophecy had said, he knew she wasn’t evil. “What did he use against her?”

It was Dale’s turn to grin. “Nothing.”

No. Arran refused to believe it. He knew Ronnie. He’d felt the goodness of her magic and her heart. She knew how dangerous Jason was, and she would never side with him. Never.

Arran flexed his fingers. Dale lowered his head as he prepared to attack. Before he could, the second Warrior roared and came at Arran.

*   *   *

Camdyn broke through the ground into the dungeon. He and Quinn both jumped out of the ground and onto the floor. It was quiet. Too quiet.

“Camdyn,” Quinn whispered.

They held their claws at the ready as they scanned the darkness.

“Quinn!” Camdyn yelled as he detected a
drough
hiding in the shadows.

He barely got the word out before a blast of magic hit him.

*   *   *

Hayden grabbed the top of the windowsill as he swung inside the second-floor window. His feet planted against a Warrior, who went flying backwards to crash into the opposite wall.

Hayden landed smoothly in the room and held out his hand as a ball of fire formed.

“My wife wouldna want to hear it, but I’ve missed battle,” he said.

The Warrior shook his head to clear it as he slowly gained his feet. He looked at Hayden’s fireball and showed his fangs.

“Ah, how I’ve forgotten how stupid baby Warriors are.”

The Warrior charged Hayden, but he launched four fireballs in quick succession, setting his attacker ablaze. Hayden then jabbed him in the gut so the Warrior bent over.

And with one clean slice, he took the Warrior’s head.

Hayden knew Logan was in a room down the hall. He stepped into the corridor and drew up short as
drough
magic slammed into him, pinning him roughly against a wall.

*   *   *

Ian and Galen stormed into the first-story window only to find the room empty. With a silent look, they crept from the small room into the hall.

All around them, lightning continued to strike and screams could be heard throughout the house. But neither let their guard down.

A woman turned the corner and started to race past them, her gaze continually looking over her shoulder. Ian caught the
drough
by the shoulders and held her as Galen put his hand on her head.

He looked deep into her eyes and said, “You’re never to return here. You willna ever see or talk to Jason again. If he contacts you, you’ll run.”

Galen dropped his hand, and Ian watched the
drough
rush from the house.

“Will it work?”

Galen turned his head to Ian. “Aye. I couldna bring myself to kill a Druid, even though she’s
drough
.”

“I know,” Ian said. “We’re probably going to regret it.”

They jerked as they felt more
drough
magic. Both turned toward the source to find three
droughs,
who quickly lashed out at them with magic.

Ian gave a bellow of fury as he was brought to his knees by the pain in his head. He glanced up to see they had Galen frozen in place as one of the
droughs
came up to him.

*   *   *

“Finally,” Phelan said as he strode around the house near where Malcolm and the vicious lightning were.

Phelan stepped through a broken window, his boots crunching on glass. All the lights flickered and then went out throughout the house.

No doubt thanks to Malcolm.

Phelan walked from the dining room, which housed a table that could easily seat twenty. The sliding door that had sectioned off the room was all but gone.

He walked out of the dining room and found two
droughs
on the floor. “Fried extra crispy,” he said of their blackened, smoking skin.

With barely a thought, he used his power to manipulate reality so no one would see him. They might have lost Larena and her power of invisibility, but his was the next best thing.

Phelan heard a grunt toward the back of the house that was unmistakably Warrior. After a quick look around a corner, Phelan saw Arran locked in battle against two Warriors, and Fallon was making quick work of the Druids inside the office.

He turned and nearly ran into Charon, who was coming toward him. Phelan eased his magic down so Charon would see him. Charon slid to a halt, his bronze Warrior eyes filled with the bloodlust that often took them.

“I heard Warriors.”

Phelan gave a nod. “Me as well. I was just going to check it out. Arran and Fallon are doing all right for the moment.”

“Then what are we waiting for?”

Phelan lifted a brow and replaced his power. Charon quickly took off toward the stairs, and Phelan ran to the back of the house.

When he saw the
droughs
torturing Galen and Ian with their magic, memories of his time in Deirdre’s mountain swarmed him. Phelan forgot all about his power to manipulate reality.

His only thought was to kill the
droughs
.

CHAPTER

FORTY

Ronnie launched herself over the back of the couch and crouched on the floor next to it when the lightning began. Jason was yelling, people were screaming.

She hadn’t moved when the windows blew out around her. She hadn’t made a sound when the doors were knocked off their hinges and shattered to bits.

Ronnie covered her ears, her eyes squeezed closed as the force of the impacts about the house flew around her while the mansion literally shook on its foundation.

And then she heard Arran’s voice.

Her entire body trembled, but Ronnie lifted her head to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Arran’s voice, calm and deep, with a hint of arrogance and a mocking bite.

He was like a beacon in the dark. His presence gave her courage, mettle she hadn’t known she had. She had to get to him, to tell him everything Jason had planned. Arran would know how to rescue Andy.

Arran would have all the answers. She wasn’t sure when she’d come to rely on him as she had, she just knew she had.

Ronnie looked around her to find debris everywhere. She rose up carefully on her knees and saw Jason standing in the middle of the office and staring out the blown doors with his hands waist high, as if he were holding an invisible ball.

The two Warriors were at the door, both staring out. Arran’s voice reached her again, and she knew that’s who the Warriors were talking with.

Aisley was no longer in the corner. She was lying on the floor, unconscious or dead, Ronnie didn’t know or care.

There was a flash of something out of the corner of her eyes, and she spotted Fallon for a split second before he disappeared. With one of the
droughs
.

Ronnie got to her feet, thankful that no more glass could come at her despite the lightning continuing to hit the house.

There was a loud roar, and one of the Warriors attacked Arran. Ronnie wasn’t sure what to do. Did she try to leave, did she find Andy, or did she kill Jason?

Her hands squeezed the back of the couch as her mind struggled to make a decision. She glanced out one of the windows and saw she had a clear shot.

Jason was occupied, as was everyone else. It was the perfect time to escape. But if she did, Andy would die.

She happened to look down at the spot on the couch where she’d been sitting to see a large chunk of glass the size of a dinner plate stuck in the back cushion.