“You pathetic, insipid, power-hungry worm.” With the grace of the undead, Lilah gravitated closer. Jabbing a finger into Shya’s chest, she grinned maliciously, revealing fangs. “You can only dream of having power like I had. Your collection of rare and wonderful creatures won’t bring you what you seek. You will always be underworld scum unworthy of even cleaning my boots. I’d spend eternity in this form before I’d consider making a deal with you.”
There was a boom like thunder. Shya’s huge black wings flapped once, driving Lilah back. Despite her limited demon power, she was unafraid. I’d once seen her drop a demon with no more than a word. The fact that she didn’t seem able to do it to Shya indicated he was far more powerful than she would admit.
Her gaze slid to me, and the sparkle of intrigue within had my wolf in fits. “You and I can help each other, Alexa. Neither of us needs to be bound by Shya’s manipulative deception. Help me regain my full power, and I can remove his mark from you.”
Tempting but not good enough. Shya terrified me in all his dark glory, yet he was nothing compared to what she would be if she escaped the curse, I was certain.
Now it was my turn to talk. I had very little to say. The wolf was fierce, ready to fight her way out of my body. It fed my growing anger.
“Both of you can go right back to hell where you belong.” I threw the psi ball so it exploded between them. A giant crack opened up on the patio and a breeze began to stir.
“Hey!” Shya shouted, reaching as if to grab me. “Watch it. I paid a pretty penny for this house.”
Lilah used the small distraction to rush me. I met her attack with a shoulder to the midsection and used her momentum to throw her over my body. She hit the concrete with a heavy thud but didn’t stay down for long.
“I really didn’t want it to come to this,” she said, swiping her bleeding elbow on the hem of her shirt, “but I won’t let a goddamned mortal stand between me and my freedom.”
She came at me with a backhand, which I deflected, but followed up too quickly with another swing, which I missed. The physical impact was bone jarring. The mix of demon and vampire power that she slammed into me lifted me off my feet. I came down hard on the grass beside the pool. It crushed the breath from me, but she allowed me no time to recover.
Lilah sprang, landing on top of me, knocking me back to the ground. Her ice-cold fingers wrapped around my throat and squeezed. Before I could blast her, Arys was there, dragging her off me. The two of them traded blows, and I used the brief reprieve to get to my feet.
Shya and Falon remained unmoved, watching the scene play out before them with carefully veiled expressions. Shya tipped his head in Lilah’s direction and nodded. After his little ploy to use me for his own gain, he still expected me to work with him. I wanted nothing to do with him or his plans. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lot of options.
Arys did all he could to keep Lilah’s attention from me. He carefully deflected a burning ball of energy, retaliating with one of his own. She was a blur, moving fast to avoid it while delivering a roundhouse kick with those massive boots. Arys caught her leg and shoved, knocking her off balance. She hit the ground and rolled, back on her feet just that fast.
I was ready when she came at me again. I crooked a finger, inviting her attack. It caused her to falter, to question my motives. It was all I needed to reach out for her power. My intent was to take it, make it mine and tear it from her. The vampire energy within her easily bent to my will, but her demon power ran over me like a lake of burning hot lava.
I screamed as the demonic force slammed through me. I couldn’t contain or control it. It tore through me quickly, leaving me dizzy and nauseous. When Lilah pounded her elbow into my head, I fell to my knees, my body contorting as the wolf tried to break free.
“Don’t you do it, Alexa.” Shya’s voice sounded muffled and far away, like he was under water. “Finish this first.”
With clawed fingers, I dug at the earth beneath me. It hurt to hold the wolf back. Arys was at my side, fighting Lilah off with both power and fists. A cry became a howl as I fought the wolf. I had to overcome it. If I turned wolf my power would be locked inside me. I couldn’t tap it unless I was human. No, not human. Vampire. Much as I hated to admit it, my power was all vampire.
Lilah met each of Arys’s blows with a counter attack. She hadn’t wasted the years of her curse; she adeptly used his strength against him. Pulling him in close, she twisted her body, lifting Arys off his feet. She slammed him hard against the concrete patio, knocking him senseless.
Her boot hit my face with enough force to make my vision go black. I tasted blood. I blinked several times until everything swam back into focus. Shya could feel free to come to my aid any time now, but if I held my breath on that one, I’d die waiting.