She shook her head, not taking time to ponder the unexpected turn of events.
It wasn’t the first time a sudden ability had appeared, although rarely when she actually needed it. She wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
With no control, Laylah had no choice but to allow the power to flood through her, the intensity growing with every heartbeat.
Marika’s fingers tightened on her throat, clearly attempting to snap her neck, but, with a direct reaction to the threat, Laylah’s powers struck out. The female vampire cursed, forced to drop Laylah and retreat several steps.
“You can’t defeat me,” she hissed.
Laylah struggled to keep her balance, shocked by the sight of Marika.
The hand that held her captive was blackened and shriveled, as if it had been stuck in an industrial fire, while there were several other burns scattered over her body.
She’d managed to do a lot more damage than she’d initially realized. Thank God.
She was so weary she could barely stand upright. She could only hope her spanking new abilities would be enough to put an end to the bitch.
“We’re about to find out,” she muttered.
“Stubborn,” Marika snarled, her dark eyes smoldering with hatred. “So like your mother.”
Her chin tilted. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Marika charged forward, slamming Laylah into the wall of the tunnel.
“Why?” the vampire gritted. “She lost. I broke her and now I’m going to break you.”
Without considering the consequences, Laylah curled up her hand and punched the nasty woman directly in the nose.
She didn’t possess a vampire’s strength, but there was a satisfying crunch of cartilage and a spurt of blood as her fist connected.
That one was for her mother.
“No, she didn’t lose,” she hissed. “She will defy you to her dying breath. Just as I will.”
Sharp claws sliced through Laylah’s upper chest and raked down her stomach, ripping through her flesh with a painful ease.
“Continue to battle me and I will make certain that her dying breath happens sooner rather than later,” Marika warned.
Laylah shook her head, gritting her teeth against the agony. Tane had already assured her that Victor’s servant was in the process of rescuing her mother. There wasn’t a damned thing Marika could do to halt him.
“I doubt that.”
“I no longer have need of her. She is … expendable.” Marika mockingly ran her tongue down the intimidating length of her fang. “Unless you concede defeat.”
Laylah narrowed her eyes. The vampire had to be even weaker than she’d first suspected if she was trying to negotiate an end to their battle.
Lifting her hands toward her aunt’s face, Laylah was profoundly relieved when the female hastily backed from her touch.
She could feel the blood dripping down her body from her wounds and she knew she would soon be on her knees. Or worse.
She would have to strike quickly if she intended to survive long enough to rescue her baby.
“Never,” she swore, cautiously advancing.
Marika slashed her hand through the air, slicing open Laylah’s forehead.
Laylah swiped away the blood, recognizing the wound wasn’t deep. Yet another sign of the vamp’s weakness?
“You are willing to sacrifice your mother for this hopeless attempt to save the child?”
“My mother is currently being rescued by a very handsome vampire.”
Genuine outrage flared through the dark eyes. Marika didn’t like the thought of her sister escaping her clutches.
“You lie.”
“Well, Uriel can’t compare to Tane, but what man does?” Laylah taunted. “Still, he’s …”
With a screech, Marika launched herself forward. “You brat. You interfering, ill-bred mongrel.”
“Ill-bred?” Laylah ducked, barely escaping the fangs that snapped a mere breath from her throat. She smacked her hands against Marika’s chest, feeling the electrical current race through her and scorch the vampire’s silk top. “I thought you went to a great deal of trouble to breed me?”
Marika cried out, once again forced to step back as her skin began to smoke. “I created an abomination.”
Laylah instinctively flinched, before lifting her chin in a gesture of defiance. She didn’t give a crap what this lunatic thought. Or anyone else. Tane loved her. And nothing else mattered.
“You created nothing,” she charged, discreetly leaning against the wall of the tunnel. Marika could no doubt sense her weakness, but pride demanded she at least make the attempt to disguise it. Besides, she was tired of getting smacked against the rocks. She had a vague hope if she were already pressed to the wall she could avoid a repeat performance. “Locking a lusty demon in the same room with a helpless female doesn’t really justify your god complex. But then, you’re desperate to use others to give you the power that you were denied.” Her lips curled in disgust. “Your sister. Sergei. The Dark Lord. Pathetic really.”
“Shut up.”
“Why?” Laylah prodded. She wasn’t overly excited about another round with the female, but stalling wasn’t an option. She had to provoke the vampire into a reckless attack soon or it would be too late. Either she would pass out or Sergei would complete his spell. “Does the truth hurt?”
“You …”
Clearly preparing to rip out Laylah’s throat, Marika was distracted when Sergei shouted in sudden alarm.
“Marika. Dear God.” His voice was barely recognizable. “Two.”
Compelled by the urgent fear in his words, both Marika and Laylah turned to where Sergei stood, one hand pressed to his chest and the other pointing at the child lying on the ground at his feet.
No.
Not a child. Children.
As in more than one.
Laylah made a sound of choked disbelief. For years she had treated the babe as if it were her own. She had held him in her arms and slept with him in her bed.
Granted, the stasis spell made it impossible to truly touch Maluhia, but she had sensed him deep in her heart. Hadn’t she?
She shook her head, refusing to believe that it had been part of the spell to compel her to care for the child. The stasis was broken after all, and she could still feel the connection to Maluhia. It was in every beat of his tiny heart.
Her baffled gaze shifted over two babies lying side by side.
They were both the size of a three-month-old human child and both naked to reveal that while one was male the other was undoubtedly female.