“Holy Mother Earth,” Isaac said, and I would have grinned at his shock if the situation weren’t so dire.
The sight of a four-hundred-pound lion—jagged scars all over his face and neck—it even made me stop short and stare.
“I couldn’t keep him human,” Logan stated, picking up Dom’s guns and stashing them around his person. He offered one to Isaac, who looked mortally offended.
Just then, a guttural animal’s whimper came from the basement window. It sounded like a dying wolf, and everything within me clenched.
Isaac peered at the metal doorway that led inside, standing barefoot as usual, not caring what dirt or glass he might pick up. “My magic isn’t as strong inside. I need access to the Earth.”
Whatever magic he could call up would have to be good enough, because I wasn’t sitting out here waiting for that animal to die.
I knelt down and picked up Dominic’s belt from his crumpled jeans. “I’ve got a plan,” I told the group.
4
Isaac stood beside me, druid staff tucked into his left side as he banged on the door with his fist. We were in the alley, at the side entrance that was clearly where the fighting was going on, judging from the sounds and smells. I could hear a low animal growl, hard to say if it belonged to a cat or wolf, and that smell… that was the coppery smell of blood and death.
The door peeled open a few inches, and Dom leapt up with a roar. I yanked the belt back and he stepped down. Not because I’d been strong enough to pull him, but because he’d allowed it.
“What the hell!” The door man stumbled back and Isaac stepped up into the doorway, wedging his foot in between.
“I have a gift for your host,” Isaac said formally, even bowing slightly.
The man looked like a sorcerer. I don’t know how I knew but I did. He was tall and lanky, not physically scary by any means, but power radiated from him.
The man eyed Dom warily as the lion licked his lips.
“Too late, fight’s already started.” The guard seemed to have gotten his wits back together, because he stood erect and turned to me, nostrils flaring. My hair was tucked into my black beanie, and for all intents and purposes I probably looked like a flat-chested boy and smelled like a wolf shifter—thanks to ingesting Keegan’s bodily fluids.
“What’s the mutt doing here?” he growled, eyes flaring yellow.
Isaac pulled his staff out, shoved it up under the sorcerer’s chin, and shot a pulse of orange magic up into his face, making him crumple to the ground.
My jaw opened and then snapped shut. “You have to teach me how to do that,” I said in awe.
Isaac nodded and pushed the door open with a groan, flattening himself against the wall as Logan and I stepped fully inside the small dark hallway, Dominic in front. The lion shifter shook the belt and I allowed it fall to the ground. I could see now, close up, that there were patches in his mane that didn’t grow hair because of the scarring, and rage pulsed through me, fresh and hot.
“Keegan and Danny are on their way,” Logan told us. He must have used the mental link to the pack to communicate the situation.
The mild roar of a small crowd had risen up from the steps below. “And Nadine?” I queried.
“Creating a distraction,” Logan offered with a grin, then he looked to Dom. “It’s your turn now, Dom. Go get ‘em.” With that, Dominic tore down the steps and Logan pulled out a gun for each hand.
‘Stay safe, behind me,’ he ordered, and I pulled my small cold black Ruger from my waist. Not a problem. I knew when to be the hero, and when to cower behind the guy who was a much better shot than me.
We took the stairs two at a time, trying to follow the swishing tail of a very large and angry cat. When Dominic peered through the black velvet curtain that closed off the hallway, I didn’t know what to expect. Something savage and ugly, makeshift? But it was fancy, classy—rich. The curtain had pulled back enough to give me a generous view of the space. Wait staff in full tuxedos carried champagne in dainty flutes—tables covered with white linens, poker chips, and cards dealers, a crystal chandelier above it all. The first thing that surprised me was how small the crowd was, a little over a dozen people total. The second thing was that one quick scan told me they were all males. Not only were they racist in making sure only purebloods could join in the black-market fun, but they were sexist too.
It was all so out of place compared to the brutal fight unfolding on the center stage. Two shifters were locked in battle. A large white wolf and a … pit-bull dog.
“I didn’t know there were dog shifters,” I whispered.
“There aren’t.” Logan’s teeth ground together.
Oh. Oh hell no. Making a shifter fight a freaking dog. Admittedly, I loved dogs more than people. This was NOT okay. Heads would roll tonight. I wasn’t leaving without justice.
I didn’t have time to contemplate, because Dom tore through the curtain lightning-quick, and up to a raised dais off to the side of the center stage. That’s when all hell broke loose.
The sorcerer sitting on the raised dais was cruel and powerful-looking, wearing a canary-yellow suit that was almost as offensive as his curled mustache. Almost. I barely had time to take in his appearance before Dominic leapt and landed on top of him. Logan, Isaac, and I funneled out into the room, guns raised.
“Don’t move!” Logan fired a shot at the ground and everyone hit the floor, hiding under tables and behind chairs.
For a beautiful second we had them enthralled—three people with weapons, a lion shifter snarling and trying to tear out their host’s throat—we were powerful, feared. Until they remembered who they were.
Yellow magic started hurling from everywhere, orbs and magical nets soaring across the room at us. You couldn’t shoot magic with guns—at least I didn’t think so. Isaac went into action. He slammed his staff down on the concrete floor, and sent a burst of orange magic out in a flaring high arc, eviscerating the yellow assault headed our way.
“I need grass! Trees!” Isaac grumbled. Lack of mother nature in this situation was a bitch and just might get us killed.
“Need some help?” Danny’s voice came from behind us and I nearly sagged with relief. I was hoping not to have to use this gun today, but like Dominic had taught me, don’t pull it out unless you were one hundred percent ready to use it. I was and I would.