I went running for the safety of the mini castle while Vero chased me—snarling and clawing at the air.
“Lower the drawbridge!” Lesya shrieked.
“Got it!” Zariel shouted back.
The little drawbridge fell onto the grass with a thud. I crawled across it and through the 3-foot-tall gate, into the safety of the castle courtyard. Zariel yanked up the drawbridge in the nick of time. Seconds later, little werewolf paws were scratching at the wood.
“Nice save!” I high-fived Zariel.
“Good to have you vith us, Tima,” Kirill said drolly.
I looked over and found my lion husband crouching near a wall.
“Hey, baby. Where are the others?”
“Odin vent to Asgard to look for book, but Azrael and Re are at pool vith Intare.”
“They didn't want to help defend the castle?”
“Zey aren't lion or volf.” He grinned. “At least, zat vas zeir excuse.”
“Their loss.” I shrugged.
The walls were a little taller than me, but Trevor could see over them. He winked at me before he scooped up Vero and lifted him above the wall.
“Flying Froekn!” Trevor shouted.
The lions, Kirill and I included, launched foam balls at the wolves—especially the flying one. Zariel scrambled up a ladder to toss her missiles over the wall and Lesya seemed to have a limitless stash up in her tower.
“No fair, Uncle Trevor!” Lesya shouted as she tried to beam her giggling brother with a ball.
Vero growled and batted away the balls as his father ducked behind him.
“Are you seriously using our son as a shield?” I called to Trevor.
“I don't have any free hands.” Trevor grinned lopsidedly. “And he's not complaining.”
“I've got this, Daddy!” Vero declared.
Trevor looked as if he couldn't be any prouder. “Yes, you do, Son. Keep it up. Catch some if you can and throw them back.”
“Okay, Daddy!”
“You'd better get in the other tower, Zariel,” I said as I bent to peer through the arrow slits in the walls. “Uncle Kirill and I will hold the courtyard.”
“Okay, Aunty V!” Zariel ran for the child-sized door in the main keep. In a few minutes, she was up in the tower that matched Lesya's, flinging foam balls down on the invaders. She bopped her mom in the nose with one and screamed, “Take that, you foul beast!”
“Hey!” Samantha grimaced and rubbed at her nose. “You're gonna get it, little lioness!” She snatched the ball from the ground and lobbed it back.
We defended the castle for what felt like hours, then a truce was agreed upon so we could have lunch. The scent of grilled meat that wafted over from the pool may have helped speed up negotiations. After our picnic barbecue, my family spread out on the grass near the pool to laze in the sun, full bellies making them sleepy. But I still had something I needed to do. Something I wanted to get done before Viper left the territory again.
“Mommy, where are you going?” Lesya lifted her head from her father's chest and blinked big blue eyes at me.
“I gotta cast a spell for Uncle Viper. It won't take long.”
“Faerie magic?” She asked. If she'd been in lion form, her ears would have perked up.
“No, baby. Witch magic.” I winked at her.
