The fey gave another tug on the mage, one step closer to the portal.
“Then that will be our destiny.”
Sergei gave a small moan, his face a pasty white. “Someone do something.”
Ariyal lifted his bow, pointing the arrow at his fellow Sylvermyst.
“With pleasure.”
“Stupid, mage,” Tearloch hissed, pressing the dagger deep enough to draw blood. “Your only hope to get off this mountain is me.”
Realization struck Sergei at the same moment that Ariyal launched the arrow. The mage squeaked, then muttering a swift spell, he managed to knock the speeding arrow aside at the last minute.
Laylah grit her teeth. Dammit. She felt like she was in a French farce. Only without the humor.
Keeping her gun trained on the Sylvermyst, she tracked his struggle to yank Sergei toward the portal, but she didn’t pull the trigger. She was an excellent shot, but she wasn’t perfect. What if she hit one of the babies?
Thankfully, Tane didn’t have to hesitate.
With a hair-raising growl, he launched himself forward, his sword slicing through the air and his lips curled back to reveal his massive fangs.
Tearloch hissed in fear as he watched the very large, very pissed-off vampire barreling toward him, but once again Sergei was muttering frantic words of power.
Tane had nearly managed to reach them when he ran into an invisible wall. With a grunt of pain, he bounced backward, the sword flying from his hand.
“Tane.” Laylah instinctively stepped forward, only to halt as the mage held the babies high over his head.
“No.” His voice was harsh with fear as the fey continued to drag him toward the portal. “Stay back or I’ll kill them.”
“Dammit,” Ariyal cried from behind her. “Stop him.” Yep, it had to be done.
Her gaze locked with the mage’s and time seemed to halt.
Peripherally she was aware of Ariyal moving forward with Jaelyn hot on his heels. Of Tane slamming his hand against the invisible barriers. And most importantly, of Tearloch stepping through the portal, tugging Sergei in his wake.
But her concentration was centered on Sergei and the babes who screamed in his hands. Fear slammed into her, making it impossible to breathe. She had to act. And she had to act now.
Sending up a prayer, Laylah squared her shoulders and pulled the trigger, aiming directly at the center of Sergei’s chest.
Bam.
The sound of the gunshot was deafening as it echoed through the vast tunnels, making her ears ring and a shower of tiny stones land on her head. Holy crap. She’d never shot a gun in such a confined space. It wasn’t an experience she intended to repeat.
Worse, Sergei managed to dart to one side, avoiding a direct shot to the heart.
Bastard.
Of course, in the nanosecond he had to move, he couldn’t entirely avoid the speeding projectile. And it had at least managed to penetrate the invisible barrier.
He shouted in pain as the bullet ripped through the flesh of his shoulder, tearing his muscles and forcing him to drop one of the babies. Laylah’s heart lodged in her throat, but the screams of the child assured her that it was still alive.
Grimly she aimed again, squeezing the trigger just as the mage disappeared into the shimmering swirl.
There was an unpleasant shift in the air pressure as the portal popped shut, and the magical barrier that the mage had conjured disappeared.
Cursing, Laylah scrambled forward to scoop the baby off the hard floor, cradling the child to her chest as Tane swiftly joined her, wrapping a protective arm around the both of them.
“Is he hurt?” Tane rasped, his large hand stroking with astonishing care over the baby’s tiny head.
Laylah ran a frantic gaze over the delicate body, wincing at the small abrasions and numerous bruises that bloomed on the pale white skin. But she could detect no serious injuries and as the child snuggled into her arms, the tears slowly halted to be replaced by a smile that quite literally melted her heart.
Maluhia.
Her son.
She knew it with a certainty that nothing could change.
Just for a moment she savored the feel of his warm weight and sweet scent that had been disguised by the stasis spell. This was the baby she’d always sensed, but now she could physically feel. The steady beat of his heart, the soft, satin skin, the downy hair on his head.
Completing her.
Not that she was about to forget Maluhia’s twin, she fiercely promised herself. Somehow, someway they were going to track her down.
As if reading her mind, Tane gave her a gentle squeeze. “The mage won’t be allowed to escape.”
“He already has, genius,” Ariyal snapped. “And it’s entirely your fault.”
“Watch your tongue, Sylvermyst, or I’ll rip it out.”
Laylah laid a restraining hand on Tane’s arm. Not that she gave a crap if he ripped out the tongue of the Sylvermyst. But for now the most important thing was getting Maluhia to safety.
“Tane, we have to get out of here.”
He returned his attention to the child in her arms. “Yes, you’re right.”
She grimaced. “I don’t have the strength to enter the mists. We’re going to have to walk.”
A weary smile curved his lips as he leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose.
“Styx promised that word would be sent to the local clan chief that we would need a helicopter. It should be waiting nearby.”
She readily leaned against his strength, brushing her lips over the top of Maluhia’s head.
“Then let’s go home.”
“Home,” he repeated softly, his expression remarkably tender. No one would recognize the terrifying Charon in this moment. Then, lifting his head, the lethal predator returned as he studied the Sylvermyst standing with proud dignity down the tunnel, the female vampire a step behind him. “But first we have some unfinished business.”
“No.” Jaelyn stepped to the fey’s side, managing to look insanely beautiful despite her smudged face, her ripped clothing and the faint bruises. Laylah heaved a sigh. It had to be a vampire thing. “It’s my duty.”
Tane shrugged. “You’ll get your bounty, hunter. But only after he’s been questioned. His—” A taunting smile curved his lips. “Clan has obviously turned against him and decided that they want the return of the Dark Lord. They need to be contained before they can do any further damage.”
Jaelyn looked far from satisfied. In fact, she seemed downright pissy.
“The Sylvermyst belongs to me.”
“You say the most charming things, vampire,” Ariyal mocked, his eyes glowing with a sudden burst of power as he reached to clamp a hand around Jaelyn’s arm.