Jack and Pearl assented, hunkering further on each other.
Ezra grunted. “Don’t get shot.”
Speaking of which, his huge frame was covering my weapon. “My gun.”
He lifted a smidge and grabbed my firearm, then re-positioned himself easily, holding my gun against my knee. “Let me know if you need it.”
I hummed in agreement, placing both my hands on the wheel as the main road into the tiny town, full of white and blue shops, came into open view. Panting became my way of breathing as I saw what the townsfolk were doing. Even though I had seen plenty of death that day, the sun now set and only a slight scarlet coloring the darkening horizon, my body still broke out in a heated perspiration. Tears swelled in my eyes, and I had to quickly blink their burning dampness away to see the road properly.
Smack in the center of town were two buildings on fire. I wished that had been all.
Directly opposite those once homey establishments, now blackened and burning, were eight Mysticals of various factions, their swaying bodies illuminated by the flickering flames. Each deceased Mystical hung high in the air from silvered nooses tied to picturesque shops signs, their necks broken from where the Commoners had tied the debilitating ropes around their throats.
In the street, Coms were celebrating. Drunk on their sadistic accomplishment.
“Give me my gun,” I growled softly, my voice dry and cracking. I began rolling my window down. “I’m not stopping, but those f**kers are dying.”
Ezra’s head rapidly lifted, and he stilled as he assessed the main street.
“Roll your window up,” he whispered, and rolled his down. “Drive. I’ll shoot.”
I nodded, quickly agreeing this was best. Turning off my lights, I stepped on the gas.
Pearl and Jack shot up, no longer able to be submissive at hearing the fury in our predators’ intermittent growls. They were motionless for all of a heartbeat before their windows began lowering noiselessly. Silent, no words were needed.
As I knew they were going to have a little fun, just like the front end of my Hummer was going to, I ordered quietly, “Seatbelts back on.”
Mute, they obeyed.
I stomped on the gas even harder, roaring into the town.
The Coms were so intoxicated from the alcohol held in their murdering hands, and so high on endorphins from their massacre that they didn’t notice the procession of cars headed their way.
Ah…but they did notice when my Hummer rammed their wretched bodies.
The minute Ezra started shooting the butchers.
The exact second Pearl blasted the slaughterers straight into the air.
Directly as Jack blew water into their mouths and drowned the heartless bastards.
I sped through the packed street. Coms tumbled over the hood of my Hummer to hit the windshield, cracking it, and then flew over the roof into the air. It was a simplistic eruption of Com bodies. My tires bumped along at our accelerated pace as I ran them over.
I kept my vehicle moving, minding Antonio’s instructions. Not stopping.
But damn, these Coms were going to die.
By the time I glanced into the rear-view mirror three minutes later, I could see the Coms weren’t celebrating any longer. The vehicles behind us had taken care of the few we had missed, and the streets were flooded with Com corpses. In death, they now lay at the feet of the suspended Mystical departed.
We drove in soundlessness, the minutes passing by in our new reality.
Until Jack muttered, “How the hell did the MIA miss this?”
Instantly, Ezra answered, “Elly.” His Vampire growled softly. “If their leader was sleeping with her, he could have had access to alter our intel. I’m pretty sure Lily’s right that Elly’s father is a major player inside the MIA, and like any other prominent man within the organization I’m sure he brought technology home for his work. Their leader could have broken into our databases from her house easily enough.”
I damn near ripped the steering wheel off, my fingers creating categorical divots. “If she’s still alive, her death will be all-encompassing.”
“Agreed.” Ezra scratched his chin before adding delicately, “I think every Mys group will want a piece of her once this information’s out there.”
My lips pursed, and after a moment, I nodded once. “If King Kincaid agrees.” That had been Ezra’s way of asking if the other factions could have a hand in her death. Since she was Shifter, she was ours to deal with. Not the Vampires’, the Mages’, or the Elementals’. But I could understand their need to take part in it. Truly, she hadn’t affected just Shifters. She had brought down a possibly worldwide war on all Mysticals by taking the wrong man into her bed.
Ezra rested his heated palm on my thigh, squeezing in silent thank you, but the closer we progressed to the mammoth golden dome, the more frequently he anxiously rubbed his thumb back and forth against my leg.
Resting my hand on top of his, I gave it a light squeeze.
In the condemned hush, he twisted his wrist and entwined our fingers together.
We gripped one another’s hand, not letting go, knowing full well that the nearer King Cave loomed, the less time Pearl and Jack had for peace. Once we had entered and the chaos settled, we would have to complete the spell. Their pain would really begin.
Chapter Three
Pearl sat forward, gazing out the cracked windshield. “Just drive through it. It should be spelled to allow any Mystical entrance.”
We were driving on a gravel road, the one that had veered off from the main paved beachfront lane, which had run parallel by only fifty yards to the curved golden barrier. This road headed straight to our destination. I couldn’t imagine what a Com saw peering at this. It could have been the ocean, or trees, or they may have seen nothing at all if the prickling of the spell meant to dissuade them from glancing in this direction. Either way, we were steady on our target to enter a heavily forested area behind the golden dome, the gravel road acting as the access point to the transparent, rounded wall surrounding the area, the edge of which disappeared out into the Sound.
“Okay,” I whispered, gripping Ezra’s hand tighter. Holding my breath, I pressed on the gas more heavily, thinking it would probably be best to go at it quickly. So I didn’t chicken out. “You don’t think the Com blood all over the front of the hood will affect it?”
“Um,” Pearl murmured, sounding unsure. “I…”
Too late. My Hummer plowed right into the dome.
I gasped.
So did my best friends.