“My name is Tara.”

“Liam.” He didn’t lift his eyes from the desk and she moved out of his way. She didn’t ask what he was.

“Can I help?”

He pointed beside her at the tall grey metal cabinet. “Check the files, quickly. Won’t be long before the fighting starts.”

Tara did as he asked and dove into the cabinet. He searched Ingers’s desk, ripping open the locked drawers with ease.

There it was, a green file folder labeled “Army.” He grabbed it and spread it on the desk, his blood running cold.

Ingers had more than the Coven working for her.

There in black and white was the date and place of the meeting, set up for the winter equinox. “Fuck.” His brain couldn’t form what he was seeing, what was coming for them.

Tara spun. “What is it? Did you find her?”

“Yes and no. We have to get the fuck out of here. Now.”

They ran out of the office as the first round of bullets shattered through the building. “Everyone down!” he roared, ignoring his own advice and continuing to run forward.

Tara hit the deck only a few feet from the front entrance, right next to Pamela and Milly.

Liam knew he was the only one who couldn’t really be hurt. Through the front doors he ran, guns out, though his wolf fought with him to be unleashed, a snarl of bloodlust curling through him.

Three cars, three agents.

Running full tilt toward them, he took the three of them in quick succession with shots to the head before they knew what hit them. They dropped, surprise etched on their faces for eternity. They had no idea what they were up against, but they weren’t the ones he worried about. No, the humans were the least of his worries, if the file was right.

“Pamela,” he called, and the young witch came bolting along behind him, Milly and Tara following. He moved to the first black sedan, an idea forming. One of the dead agents was a woman. He frisked her and found her cell phone.

With a flip of his wrist he tossed it to Milly. “See if Ingers is in there. Call her and tell her it’s taken care of.”

Milly lowered the crossbow and flicked the phone open.

He looked around, saw people peeking out of the building windows.

“Time to move, ladies.”

He hoped he was right about the sedans. Sliding into the driver’s seat of the one closest to him, he turned the key. The engine rolled over without a single hiccup.

“Finally.”

The three “ladies” (he wasn’t sure a Troll could be a lady) slid into the car, eyeing one another, making introductions warily.

As he pulled away from the building, the phone in Milly’s hand rang. She flicked it open. “Yes. Yes, Agent, we’ve cleared the building. Excellent, we’ll meet you there.” She hung up, a wide grin on her face.

“Got her.”

Even though it was Milly, Liam grinned back. “Time to wipe out the bad guys.”

Tara’s face was grim. “I want first shot at her, she killed my babies.”

Milly and Pamela turned to stare at the half Troll, both with tears in their eyes. Liam nodded. “As soon as I have my questions answered, she’s all yours.”

“Thank you. I couldn’t do this on my own.” She burrowed deep into the seat, her baby pink skin standing out against the black leather seats. Pamela, being Pamela, slung an arm around her.

“Hey, you’re with us now. And we always get the bad guys.”

Liam wasn’t so sure that was true, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to correct her.

Let her believe they would win the day. For a little while longer, let her believe it would always work in their favor and they would all survive.

Chapter 15

We sat on the outskirts of Alice Springs and the thrum of the Blood hovered inside my head. The closer we got to them, the more my nerves jangled like live wires.

“It’s like they know we’re coming.” I rubbed my hands over my arms, a chill chasing along my skin in the 120+ degree weather. “Fuck, I might as well be standing in an ant nest.”

“I’m sure we could arrange that,” Doran said, pouring the last of the fuel into the gas tank. “Here, drink some of this.” He handed me the water jug.

“Al said we didn’t have to.”

“Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t.”

He had a point. I took the jug and held it to my lips, drinking until my belly was full, then handed it to Alex. The werewolf slobbered and slopped at the opening, getting more water poured down his front than into his mouth.

“Thank the gods I can’t catch his virus,” Doran muttered, shaking his head.

I snorted and climbed into the passenger side. “Not like you would end up a submissive.”

Doran started the Willy. “Maybe not now, but in the beginning, perhaps I would have been like Alex.”

A quick glance his way showed he wasn’t kidding. “You were submissive?”

He didn’t answer. “I need to stop in Alice. Pick up a few things. Just in case.”

Hmm. Interesting. The idea of Doran being submissive, excepting the fact he’d been bonded to the former Empress and then Berget, was odd.

Not that it mattered right now. I stared out the window and Tracked the Blood, then tossed out a thought for Jack and Berget.

I sat straight up in my seat.

“They’re in Alice.”

Doran glanced at me. “Who is?”

The sky was still bright over head, how the fuck had they gotten here ahead of us? Tonight was the equinox, but ~>

He put the pedal to the floor. “We can take them both while they sleep, Rylee. The gods are looking out for us.”

My heart stuttered. Killing Jack, well, maybe he deserved it. And the beasts residing in Berget, they deserved a final death too. But my sister, what was left of her, didn’t deserve anything of the sort. No, I had to believe the opal would work, that it would be enough, buy us some time.

“Rylee, where?”

I gave directions numbly and within a few minutes we were parked outside a squat building, only one level. Which meant they were in the basement, well away from the sun.

I stared at the sign. “Donny’s Fishing Hole.” The sign on the door said the place was closed, but I didn’t pay much heed.

Checking my weapons, I slid out of the Willy, my boots hitting the sidewalk. Up and down the street, everything seemed quiet. As in no humans. Alex jumped out of the back of the old truck and bounded to me. I crouched to look him in the eye.