“Yes,” she said without hesitation.
Praying that there would be no more black candles along the way, Giles shifted the both of them. Lilith’s soul pulsed around his with a frenetic, almost angry beat.
She was terrified and clinging to him.
Wrapping himself around her as best as he could, trying his hardest to shield her from the chaotic roll and movement of this style of travel, he caught up to Rayale in the blink of an eye and could finally see the faint edges of moonlight crest a few dozen feet away.
Almost there, he whispered to her mind and felt the gentle nudge of her nod.
In five more seconds they were there. Rayale finally took the pipe from her mouth and, gasping, said, “Go out. I’ll guard the entrance until we’re all out.”
Nodding, he zipped outside and the second the cool night air brushed through him he shifted, placing Lilith on her feet.
Her eyes were wide and dazed and she was wobbling so hard he had to grab her around her waist. “Little wolf, are you okay?” He brushed his fingers through her hair.
Swallowing air, she buried her face in his neck and nodded. “Just…just give me a second.”
He patted her back and watched as Ying finally slipped through the entrance. The heavy pounding of thousands of approaching feet thundered through the opening. Stepping back, the women linked hands as though they meant to make a final stand.
“They need help, Lilith,” he said, disentangling her arms from his neck so that he could go and fight beside them. There was no way they’d be able to best the thousands within, but if they could just give Lilith enough of a head start, then that was all he could hope for.
But before he had a chance to go to them, Ying and Karis had bowed their heads looking as though they were in prayer and Rayale brought the panpipe to her mouth. With a powerful blast of song, a huge chunk of rock broke away from the mountainside and dropped precisely upon the entrance just as the first dwarf broke through. Crushing him beneath its ten-ton weight, killing him instantly.
Angry, muffled cries could be heard from within.
The women turned and this time it was Rayale who spoke up. “Cannibal dwarves, eh, wolf?” She snickered and wiped at her sweat-stained brow. Her rich chocolate brown eyes glimmered with laughter. “Can’t say we didn’t keep to our end of the deal.”
Lilith was still leaning heavily on him for support and he frowned because he didn’t like the ashen look on her face.
“Aye. I will keep the bargain. You’ll get your souls back, I vow it.”
Ying stuck her hand out. “Then let us part as friends.”
Karis snorted.
Rayale nodded, and before anyone could shake on it she grabbed Giles around the neck and planted a fierce kiss on his lips. “I like you, demon boy. You ever get tired of the wolf, you know where to find me.”
Stunned by her audacity, Giles could only give a nervous chuckle in response. Which seemed to infuriate Lilith. Pushing the piper back with a jab to her shoulder, she glared at the sultry woman through narrowed eyes.
“Don’t make me regret my charity, Piper. Make a move on my man again and I will sever your carotid.”
Laughing, Rayale popped Lilith on the rear. “Oh come on, wolf, grow a sense of humor. Since you’ve given me a fair bit of sport today, I’ll even go one step further and say you really should take the wolfsbane off from around your neck if you don’t want to become a walking zombie soon.”
“Huh?” She glanced down. “Oh gods, is that what this is?” With a shriek she snapped it off of her neck.
Filled with relief, realizing suddenly why Lilith had been so weakened, he hugged her tightly and kicked at the pouch by his foot, sending it sailing over the cliff’s edge.
“Hey, look, we blocked off one entrance, but those pesky bastards have tons more. So let’s just say our goodbyes and be off—they own this entire chain of ranges, so if I were you guys, I’d get the hell out of Dodge as soon as can be.”
“Karis is right,” Ying stepped forward. “Lilith, I believe this belongs to you.” Hanging from her finger was her mother’s silver chain with the fairy wish still trapped inside the glass pendant.
“Thank you.” Lilith smiled broadly, taking it and replacing it back on her neck. “You all really went above and beyond. I know what we asked for tonight was not easy.”
“No, it wasn’t.” Ying’s look was serious. “Which should prove to you how much we want our souls back. Do right by us, Lilith Wolf. We showed you trust today, and now it’s your turn to return the favor.”
And this time when she held her hand out Lilith took it, wrapping her hand around Ying’s forearm just as the dragon did the same to her.
“We should go,” Giles warned, not sure if it was nerves that was causing him to hear whispered murmurings riding the wind.
“Yes, as should I.”