Sirens screamed in the distance through the rain, and were growing closer. "The humans are on their way," I said to Eve and Cruz. "We have to make this quick.""Umm," Eve said, her back to mine, "now might be a good time for a little bit of that magic.""Or a lot," Cruz agreed, his back to ours, too.The police sirens' screams grew louder as the men closed in. "Duratus!" I screamed, raising my arms. Suddenly, ice formed over all of them, immobilizing them all. We started running toward our vehicles."What did you do?" Eve asked, running by my side.I shrugged. "I cast a freezing spell. It won't lost long, but it'll buy us enough time to escape!" I flung open the door of my car and yelled over the roof. "Eve, get in!"Cruz was already on his motorcycle, parked right behind my car, and strapped on his helmet. "Go! I'll follow you."Eve looked at my car and then at Nightshade, debating. "Get in!" I yelled. "We'll come back for your car later!"Suddenly, guys on motorcycles jumped over
I smirked. "And what do you plan to do with us?"Balista smiled, tilting his head to the side as he walked around us, enjoying his cruel game. "I'm not sure yet. But I know exactly how it will end." He stopped pacing, lowering his head as he raised his eyes, his eyes evil incarnate. "You escaped me once. And you will not escape me again."I lifted my chin, staring straight into his eyes. "Don't bet on it."Just then, the door opened, and Sasha came walking in, her long blonde ponytail swaying back and forth. "Sasha?" Eve gasped, gripping the steel bars of her cage. "I trusted you!" I was sure that if she could have gotten her hands on her at that moment, she would have torn her apart.She smirked as she slid her arm around Balista's waist and gave him a long, lingering kiss, causing my stomach to turn. When she pulled back, she ran her thumb at the corner of her mouth. "Sorry, but he made me an offer I couldn't refuse.""Eve, now it all makes sense," I said, shaking my head. "She was
"We need to try and find some of those silver wristbands. Then we can slap one on Balista," Eve whispered as we headed down the hallway. "Where do you think he might have them?""But we'd have to get close enough to use it." I cocked my head to the side, raising my eyebrows. "When he put one on me, he pulled one out of his pocket."Eve scoffed, keeping her voice low. "Please, tell me it's not that simple.""Either that or maybe he has some in his office. But I'd bet that he carries some on him, just in case." I glanced at her over my shoulder, ready in case someone surprised us. "But we need to stay quiet and figure out where we are before we get caught."Just then, we came to a corridor with a hallway going in opposite directions. Without windows, it was hard to tell where we were.I motioned with my head toward the left. "This way.""What makes you so sure?" she asked behind me.I shrugged. "Seemed as good a choice as any."In the distance, male voices echoed from the hallway around
"There," I said, brushing off my hands after we finished pulling the men into the office. "That should do it."Eve bent down and felt for a pulse. "They're still alive, but they'll be out for a while.""I should think so after being hit in the head with a pipe!" I laughed, shaking my head. "Let's go."Eve smiled as she slowly opened the door and nodded toward the right. "Maybe there's another way out that'll attract less attention.""One can only hope." I nodded. "Let's do it."I followed her out, and we stopped at the corner. Down the hallway, two men darted across the hallway into another room."They we're looking for us," I whispered. Eve nodded her agreement.Staying out of sight, we darted across the hallway and ran. At the end was a door and another hallway to the right. If only we could make it there. I just hoped that no one saw us. If I knew where we were going, I could just teleport us outside. But then again, I could unwittingly teleport us to the edge of a canyon or worse..
"Eve, as much as I admire your willingness to fight, you need to stay here and build up your strength." I chuckled, shaking my head. Leave it to Eve to be on death's door one moment and then ready to do some serious damage the next. "And now that I know basically where we are, I'll take you back so you can rest up and I'll get the guys."She got to her feet and grabbed her pipe, murder prominent in her eyes. "Not on your life. Besides, I don't think that's necessary. Look." She nodded toward the building, and four-wheel-drive trucks and motorcycles pulled up, surrounding the warehouse. Xander and Elias climbed out of the lead truck and started barking orders. "They found us." A broad smile spread across my face, never so glad to see someone in my life. "Let's go."Bullets started flying toward Xander and Elias, but I held up my hands and yelled, "Duratus!" Immediately, the shots froze in midair and fell to the ground.In unison, Elias, Xander, and the rest of the wolves leaped, changi
"You know you'll never get away with this." Rush Balista's lips curled into a devious grin, his voice exceptionally calm and confident."I already have." I placed my hands on his head, remembering the spells of my ancestors. "But I have you surrounded." A confident smile spread across his face. "I have more men than you, and they have weapons."A slow smile spread across my face. "Yes, but we both ordered our men not to interfere... no matter what happens."His cocky grin slowly faded. I closed my eyes as I combed through the spells of my ancestors until I came to the spell I wanted. My eyes snapped open and glowed a bright blue, preparing for what was to come."No, don't do it!" Balista's eyes suddenly grew wide. And for the first time since I'd known him, he actually looked scared. "Men?""No!" Xander and Elias yelled simultaneously, raising their hands. "Wolves, take their weapons! They promised not to interfere just as we did!"Around us, the sound of metal against metal clanged
"Kalyssa, I'm sorry about what happened," Elias said, claiming my attention.Bailey smirked. "We'll give you two a minute." She gave my hand a gentle squeeze as she passed."Yeah, we have to organize the humans," Cruz agreed, motioning with his head toward the field, glancing over at Bailey."I'll give you two a minute, too." Xander walked a few steps away to check on Seven and Sasha, who were arguing. Seven had slapped a silver bracelet on her, and she wasn't happy. "Don't go far," I called after him. He turned and smiled. "Never."Elias let out a deep breath, his expression serious. "Eve was just giving me back the ring I had given her when we were together." He shrugged. "I never thought to get it from her immediately after we broke up. It had belonged to my mother and my grandmother before her, and I was hoping that you would wear it someday, too.""Eh... to tell you the truth, I'm not too keen on wearing a ring you've already given to another woman." I smiled, not wanting to hur
"Why don't you go upstairs and get some sleep?" Xander kissed the top of my head after he helped me out of the back of the limo. "Elias has an errand to run."Elias looked up at him but didn't say a word.I scoffed. "Already?" But I was so tired I swayed on my feet. The only thing I wanted to do was to go upstairs and get so sleep.Elias pulled me in for a gentle hug and stroked back my hair. "Yeah. I promise we'll be back before you wake."I nodded, lifting my head from his chest, and gave him a small smile. "Okay. Then we can talk." "Bailey, will you see that she gets up to our room safely?" Xander asked, stopping her on her way in. She had been walking in with Cruz. "Kalyssa's exhausted and needs to rest after their ordeal.""Sure! I'd be glad to." Bailey said something to Cruz and then headed our way. "I'll check her over, too, to make sure she's not dehydrated or anything, too.""I'm standing right here, guys." Elias passed me off to Bailey, who wrapped her arm around me and too