Niamh’s attention remained centered on us.“Are you intending to leave? So soon?”
Thomas gave her a small smile.“One of our number is overcome from the magic. You understand.”
She cocked her head, her expression turning coy.“Yes, not everyone can withstand the hunt. Those who are weak will forever fall prey to it.”
Arlan stepped from the crowd with the same arrogant expression from the previous night. He looked over our small group with little interest. He didn’t seem to care about our presence one way or another, directing his attention towards Niamh.
“The hunt draws near. All those who wish to cast their fate to its whim must prepare,” he announced.
Niamh’s lips curled up.“You must stay. All of you. The Wild Hunt is not an experience to be missed.”
It wasn’t a request. She expected to be obeyed. Getting out of here was going to be difficult.
“They cannot,” Thomas said, his voice implacable. The glib diplomat was gone, leaving behind the autocratic master vampire.“Liam, get her to the car.”
Liam didn’t delay, grabbing my arm and hustling me away. All the while, the magic continued to build, the pressure threatening to crack my head.
“What about the others?” I asked as he tugged me behind him.
“They can take care of themselves,” he said. He jerked his head at Eric who made his way to our side.
“Don’t go, my dark knight,” Niamh called after our backs.“You’re going to miss the best part.”
The crowd had suddenly turned thick and resistant, not moving aside when we approached. Liam and Eric had to force them out of the way. It was like moving through a bunch of silent, unmoving zombies. They didn’t offer us violence, but they also didn’t give way easily, simply staring as we forced our way through them.
I looked back, Thomas and the others followed behind at a much slower pace. Niamh’s bright gaze met mine, her eyes feverish and anticipatory.
She didn’t look like a woman used to being thwarted. Things were going to get ugly. Again, I wished I was a little better armed.
Liam halted abruptly. I twisted to see what had caught his attention.
A white stag stood between us and the path to the cars. His coat gleamed in the moonlight, his antlers lifted proudly to the sky. There was more than one human hunter out there who would have sold his first-born child for a chance to mount the stag’s rack on their walls.
He was majestic and proud as he watched us. There was an intelligence there, at odds with what should have been present in an animal.
Liam stilled.
Thomas made an inarticulate sound, coming to Liam’s side, his gaze fastened on the stag, rage and yearning there.
Niall stepped from the trees, caught my eyes and jerked his head.
“Run,” he mouthed.
I slipped my hand out of Liam’s grip. I didn’t know why he’d stopped or why he stared at the stag with horror, but the magic was still building. If we didn’t get out of here soon, things would go very poorly for us.
“Liam, we need to go,” I said softly.
“I don’t think you’re going anywhere,” Sarah said.
She glided out of the forest, her companions by her side. They shone with power, their skin looking even younger and smoother than earlier tonight. There was seduction in their movements, a promise of pain and other things in their gazes.
Sarah tossed her hair over her shoulder as she focused on Thomas.
“What is this?” he asked sharply.
The crowd parted easily for Niamh as she walked toward us. She didn’t have to push and shove as we had, the Fae stepped aside as if she was royalty.
She only had eyes for Liam, her gaze possessive, as if she already owned him. The rest of us might as well have been window dressing for all the attention she paid us. She didn’t even look at Nathan where he stood with his hands bound behind his back.
