Sergei smiled, stepping toward Laylah with his hands raised in a gesture of peace.
“You want to leave?” he asked. “Put the child down and walk away.”
Behind her, there was a ghastly sound of a blade slicing through flesh, then a grunt of pain followed by the snapping of broken bones. Laylah didn’t turn her head to watch the epic battle. What did it matter who won? They both intended very bad things for her and her baby.
Her best hope was that the two killed each other.
Besides, the approaching mage was her most pressing problem at the moment.
Everyone else would have to get in line.
“Right.” She tucked the baby beneath her cloak, as if that would keep him safe. “And I, of course, have every reason to trust you after you kidnapped me, held me captive, and tortured me on several occasions.”
Sergei shrugged. “It was business.”
“Business is opening a Starbucks, not returning an evil god to destroy the world.”
“Not everyone will be destroyed.” His lips twisted with a self-derisive smile. “There are some who will rule.”
“You can’t be that stupid.”
“Obviously I can.” His gaze darted toward the fight behind her before returning to her, his face pale with … what? Resignation? Regret? “I’ve made my bed.”
She frowned. “Don’t do it, Sergei.” “I just told you, there’s no longer any choice.” “I’ll bring this entire mountain down on our heads,” she warned. “I will survive, but do you think you will be so lucky?”
He didn’t bother to flinch. Maybe he sensed she was barely strong enough to remain upright. Or maybe he was just beyond fear. In either case, it was obvious he wasn’t going to be stopped.
“Your mate already tried the death threat route. It didn’t work for him either.”
Her heart missed a beat. “Tane, is he …”
Before she could finish her sentence, Sergei muttered a series of harsh words and stabbed a hand in her direction. Laylah tried to turn to protect the child from the spell, too late realizing it was intended for her.
A scream was wrenched from her throat as she was slammed against the wall. Not from the pain. She was becoming accustomed to being hit, smashed, and tossed around like she was a rag doll. And what did that say about her life?
No, her scream was that of pure terror as the baby was ripped from her arms by unseen hands and left hovering in midair.
Frantically she struggled to free herself from the invisible bonds that kept her pressed to the side of the tunnel. Gods. This couldn’t be happening. She’d devoted so many years to keeping Maluhia hidden. How could fate be so cruel as to take him from her now?
Distantly she was aware that Tane was rushing in her direction, along with another vampire … Jaelyn? But, it didn’t matter.
He wasn’t going to arrive in time to stop Sergei.
Confirming her greatest fear, the mage stepped forward, briefly glancing toward Marika, almost as if hoping to discover she’d been overcome by the Sylvermyst.
His lips twisted as the bitch vampire ignored her numerous wounds and lifted the battered fey over her head to launch him down the tunnel, laughing as his body landed in an awkward heap.
No need to guess who was winning that particular battle.
As if the sight was enough to prompt him into action, Sergei waved his hand toward the baby still floating in the air. Laylah swore as the shield that protected Maluhia pulsed and shimmered.
Whatever he was doing it was obviously disturbing the stasis spell.
Terror blasted through her, stirring her blood and pumping a much needed boost of adrenaline through her body.
With a fierce effort she strained against the power that held her captive. With a sudden wrench, she managed to break free and tumbled to the hard ground. She cursed as her knees cracked against the stone, but with one motion she was surging to her feet and heading toward the mage.
She had to stop whatever he was doing. She had to …
Taking less than a half dozen steps, Laylah was brought to a painful halt as a slender hand wrapped around her neck and she was jerked off her feet.
“Don’t be a fool,” her aunt warned. “If you disturb the spell the child will die.”
Laylah reached up to grab Marika’s arm, wrapping her fingers around the forearm that was deceptively delicate.
“I’d rather he be dead than used in your sick plans,” she gasped, the crushing grip making it impossible to breathe.
“You’re too late, dear Laylah.” Her aunt’s laughter brushed over her skin with a biting chill. “At last I shall have all that I deserve.”
“Oh, you’re definitely going to get what you deserve.”
Laylah closed her eyes, concentrating on the feel of Marika’s skin beneath her palm. She couldn’t overpower the vampire even under the best of circumstances, but she could damned well make her regret squeezing her like she was an empty tube of toothpaste.
Gritting her teeth, she released the power she’d gathered.
She hadn’t expected grand explosions, or point eight on the Richter scale. But the sparks of electricity that danced down her arm were barely enough to shock a dew fairy.
Desperately she struggled to dredge up the last of her strength, only to come up empty. She was drained. Empty.
Her heart faltered, her gaze shifting to where the baby was surrounded by a thousand shimmering lights.
Any moment the stasis spell would be destroyed and the child would become a helpless vessel to be filled with the evil spirit of the Dark Lord.
Screaming in frustration, Laylah dug her nails into Marika’s flesh. It couldn’t end this way. She wouldn’t allow it.
She wouldn’t.
Lost in her sickening sense of failure, it took a moment for Laylah to catch the scent of burning skin.
Bewildered, she glanced down to where she still clutched at the vampire’s arm. Holy crap. The faint sparks were now small, jagged bolts of lightning that were spearing into Marika with devastating results.
She frowned.
What the heck?
The power wasn’t coming from her. Or at least…
Laylah sucked in a shocked breath.
She was accustomed to the surge of energy coming from deep inside her. It was how her powers had always worked, no matter how unpredictable.
Now, however, she realized that she was filtering the power. There was no other means to describe it.
Just like a true Jinn she was absorbing the natural forces that surrounded her. The air, the earth, even the frozen water that clung to cracks and crevices, was seeping inside her, not precisely restoring her powers, but instead flowing out of her body and creating the electrical jolts that filled the air.