On the back swing, I took his head.

I didn’t stop to wipe my blades, just ran. Alex was gone from sight, but we were close now. Curving around a corner, we ran down a single flight of stairs, skidding to a stop as we hit the ballroom that we’d escaped only weeks ago.

Motherfucking pus buckets, I did not want to be here. In a matter of heartbeats, I took the scene in.

Like an arena, there were vampires in a semi-circle around the main event, their faces intent on the spectacle before them. In the center, Pamela stood with her legs apart, hands stretched out in front of her, and a snarl on her lips as she poured out her magic. She was cut and bruised, her hair was a mess, but she was at least alive and still standing. And Berget, she stood there, cocky and sure of herself, one hand on her hip, a golden gown clinging to her curves while she almost nonchalantly batted Pamela’s magic away.

My sister acted as if she was truly just at a gala event and not in a fight. Alex stood between them, his back to Pamela, his face a wicked visage of teeth and fury that for once, didn’t seem out of place on him.

Before I could do anything though, a crossbow bolt flew from behind me, catching Berget in the middle of her chest. Blood blossomed over the shimmering golden material, but Berget barely flinched. Liam cursed under his breath.

I yanked the three firebombs out and threw them toward the onlookers. The fire burst open, clinging to anything and everything. Screams erupted out of the melee, and most of Berget’s shadows fled.

Berget turned her face toward us as she flicked her hand toward Pamela. The young witch dropped to her knees, panting for air, her head lowered.

“Sister.” Berget took a few steps toward me, a smile on her lips that I didn’t trust for one second. “I’m so glad you could come. I need to speak to you about a deal.” She flicked her fingers and Pamela went flying toward her, caught by Berget with a single hand. My sister clutched Pamela to her chest, so that Pamela faced us. Son of a bitch, how the hell was I going to get Pamela away from her?

Berget, Child Empress, drew them both back closer to the throne. Her smile, tight with anger, only made her look less like the Berget I’d seen in my unconscious state. She looked like she was about to throw a temper tantrum.

I glared at her, steeling myself for what I was going to have to do. With a slow, precise movement, I lifted my swords, my intent clear. I might not be able to say it, but I would do it. I had to.

She’s not Berget; just remember that.

Easier said than done. Berget’s blue eyes widened and she put a hand to Pamela’s throat, squeezing just enough to get Pamela to react.

Berget tipped her head again to the side. “You would kill me?”

“Let her go,” I said, walking toward them.

She tipped her head from side to side, not shaking it, but touching it to her shoulders, back and forth. Her eyes clouded and the blue faded to a shimmering green. The color of the late Empress’ eyes. Doran hadn’t been kidding about where Berget’s powers had come from. When she spoke, her voice had a lilting accent to it, one that was most definitely not her own.

“I will kill her one day, but not today if you agree to help me. You are a Tracker, and the prophecies state that you must help me find the last of the Blood.”

Of course, maybe if things had been just between me and Berget, maybe I could have convinced her. Or at least I would have had a better chance than with what happened next.

Faris strolled into the ballroom, taking us full circle. Hell, the only difference was this time Alex was with us. I glanced down at him. He’d moved back to stand with me and Liam, but he hadn’t gone back to being submissive; he still had his teeth bared and he continually grumbled under his breath.

“Bad, bad, yuppy doody, bad.”

Berget’s hold on Pamela tightened. “Well, isn’t this lovely, we’re all back together again.”

Faris held up one hand, as if he was going to beseech her. “I wouldn’t say that. You have not a single vampire here with you. Only servants. That is a rather large change.”

Her eyes narrowed and her hand tightened on Pamela’s throat. Damn it all, what was he trying to do, get Pamela killed?

But his words made me take a quick look around. Hell fire, he was right. None of those who stood with her were vampires, but servants. The differences were subtle, darker skin, their movements were slower, and their eyes had zero hypnotic effect. Things I’d learned after my last encounter with them.

Servants. Only mildly easier to kill than a true vampire. That explained the effectiveness of the firebombs.

“Berget.” I lifted my sword, pointing it at her head. “Let her go. You asked me to save you, but I can’t save you if you keep putting those I love at death’s door.”

With a laugh, she pushed Pamela to her knees. “I never asked you to save me. And what would you save me from? A life of power? A life where I ruled the world of the supernatural and the humans?”

I stepped closer, my sword tip never wavering. “Yes. I would save you from those things.” Gods be damned, I would fight for those I loved time and again, no matter how much they hurt me.

A flaw that would likely get me killed, but for the first time, I truly embraced it. She was my sister, and I would fight for her until I could fight no more.

Where there is life, there is hope. I hated clichés. Even when they were true.

Her hand tightened on Pamela until her face went bright red. “I will kill her if you take a step closer.”

Pamela lashed out, yanking the bowie knife from her back and slashing Berget across the face. An arc of blood spurted out across Pamela’s shirt, splattering her in a brilliant red splash. But Berget didn’t flinch, just reached out and snatched the knife from Pamela, acting as if it hadn’t happened. As her face healed up, I realized that for her, in a way, it hadn’t happened. It was an inconsequential moment in her life.

We were so screwed.

Tense, I stared my little sister down. “I will kill you if you end her life. No matter what is between us, Sister.”

Another truth, the dark side of the same coin; I would kill her if she killed Pamela.

“Then we are at a standoff. One where no one wins, everyone dies, and the world goes on as it was.” Berget tossed her hair. “Completely unacceptable.”

“I agree.”

We all turned to the newcomer who stepped into the room to the far left of us.

Milly, dressed all in black with a long dark green cloak that brushed the ground.

What. The. Fuck.

She lifted her hands and a bolt of lightning slammed between Pamela and Berget, sending Pamela skidding across the floor to Milly’s feet. Milly bent and pulled the girl upright.

“Rylee, I see you’re up to your neck again,” she said, never looking my way.

I managed to get my shock under control. “Same old, same old.”

Berget stood at the back of the room, glaring at me, fury etched into her face. “You think you can end this with your witches? I will show you power.”

She flung her hands toward Milly and Pamela, and while Pamela flinched, she snapped her hands up to brace against the flow of death coming at them, sweat sliding down her face. I’d never seen her so determined, so damn fierce. Her lips were pressed to a thin line and her brows were drawn deep over her eyes with the intensity of her concentration. While she defended, Milly attacked. The spell she unleashed wasn’t a death spell, but one of light, the brilliant splash of magic slamming between the three women blasted my eyes and I had to look away. With a triumphant yell, Milly forced Berget back, step by step.

“You cannot win, vampire. Not against both of us.”

As a team, Pamela and Milly were beyond formidable. They were downright f**king scary. And I could see already in Milly the calculations, of what she could accomplish if she brought Pamela under her tutelage. The way her eyes darted to the younger witch as they fought side by side. Shit, that could not happen.

Minutes passed and finally the standoff broke in a rather anti-climatic way. Berget bolted, flinging her hand back toward Milly and Pamela one last time before disappearing through an archway and into the darkness of the tunnels.

The crackle of flames behind us was the only sound as the firebombs continued to eat at the walls.

I lowered my sword, but realized too late that we were far from done. The sound of the flames was drowned out by a new sound. One that was, in it’s own way, far more deadly. Especially considering the simple fact that we were far underground. Far from any semblance of rescue.

I stepped back, understanding what was coming a split second before it happened. Water, thick and dirty, erupted out of the tunnels and swept toward us in a wave that threatened to swallow us whole.

Damn it all to hell and back, here we go again.

Chapter 16

THERE WAS NO time for thinking, no time for anything but running.

“Move.” I shouted as I bolted toward Milly, grabbed Pamela’s hand, and headed for the stairs, the water already up over my ankles and deepening with each breath I took. Our only saving grace was the narrow tunnels keeping the water from flooding us out within seconds. A glance back showed me Milly was gone. Probably jumped the veil, leaving us to our own devices. Nice, really nice.

Liam and Alex were right with us, quickly passing us to lead the way. Pamela stumbled halfway up the stairs, and I pulled her to her feet as the footing below us began to crumble, a wave of water slopping up and over us both as we sank. Hands yanked us up and out of the water.

“No dawdling now,” Faris said calmly, as he pulled Pamela out and Liam pulled me from the ink black, angry water. Faris helping us was the least of my concerns, though. My vision was obscured by water and the flickering lights as they were doused, one by one. Again, I grabbed Pamela’s hand, but this time I jerked her away from Faris. Whatever his game was, we didn’t have time for it. He laughed, shaking his head as if I’d delivered a punch line to a particularly funny anecdote. I would never understand vampires, not if I lived to be a hundred. Which, by the way things were going, was not looking like a particularly good possibility.