But as she watched the violent flashes that leaked through the rift above her, she realized she was waiting. And a few minutes later she watched as a massive, blue-and-silver dragon burst out of the portal to nosedive toward her with blinding speed.
She’d been confident that Azh would destroy Gabriela and appear just in time to rescue her from splatting onto the ground.
Swooping beneath her plummeting body, Azh angled upward, allowing her to land on his back before he was gently floating down and landing on a sandy beach next to the vast ocean.
“I’ve got you,”Azh assured her, the words spoken directly in her mind even as his dragon tilted back its head to roar in triumph.
“I know. I’ve always known.”
Wynn smiled, watching the greenish glow that leaked through the rift fading from view, a sure sign that Gabriela was finally destroyed. It was all the reassurance she needed before she allowed the bone-deep weariness to overcome her willpower and she slipped into a welcomed darkness.
* * * *
Maya was running on sheer adrenaline by the time Micha’s jet landed in New York and she hurried through the early morning shadows to reach Hexx’s apartment. Once inside she found Tia still kneeling next to the unconscious Joe, her face pale and her shoulders slumped with weariness.
Taking a second to sweep the cluttered apartment for a hidden enemy, Maya crouched next to her friend and closed her eyes. Then, concentrating on the mental connection she’d created with her friend centuries ago, she stepped into Tia’s mind.
Nothing had changed since the last time she was there. The mist was still thick enough to make it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of her, except for the spot where Joe was wrapped in glowing green tentacles of magic next to a bubbling pool of sludge.
She was taking a step forward when Tia appeared next to her, grabbing Maya’s arm in a tight grip.
“Stay back,” she hissed. “Something’s happening.”
Confused, Maya stared at the image in front of her, belatedly realizing that she’d been wrong. Therewassomething different. In the very center of the pool the sludge was changing shade from green to deep crimson. And the crimson was spreading. Was the evil growing in strength? Or was this a new enemy?
“That’s why I’m here,” Maya announced.
Tia sent her a hopeful glance. “You found the answer to stopping the corruption?”
Maya grimaced. “Not exactly. But there is a prophecy that we think speaks about the evil.”
“A prophecy?” Tia studied her with a hard expression. “That’s it?”
Maya shrugged. “I was sent by Skye. I think you should listen.”
Tia’s jaw tightened as she resisted the urge to tell Maya exactly what she could do with her stupid prophecy. As frustrated as Tia might be, the older woman couldn’t have forgotten that Skye’s premonitions had saved the world more than once.
“Fine. What’s the prophecy?”
Maya had rehearsed the words until she had them memorized. “‘When the corruption bubbles in the bowels of the ground and violence spreads throughout the land, the heart of darkness will strike from beyond the prison walls. Those too blind to see will drown in the evil while the watchers will be devoured by fire. To survive you must stand steady against the unseen traitor.’”
Tia’s eyes flared with annoyance. “Strike from beyond prison walls? Unseen traitor? How is that supposed to help?”
The older woman’s petulant complaints were abruptly cut off as the ground shook beneath their feet and the center of the pool of bubbling magic exploded upward. Like Old Faithful erupting to send scalding water into the air. They stumbled backward to avoid the drops of evil magic splattering around them.
“What the hell was that?” Maya demanded.
“I have no idea.” Tia was pulling a handful of small beads from her pocket, clearly preparing to throw the powerful potions at whatever new threat crawled out of the churning pool. But as the seconds passed there was nothing more sinister than a tendril of bluish-gray smoke that spread over the puddle of corruption, visibly destroying it. “Look at that,” Tia rasped. “The sludge is dying.”
“Is Joe doing that?” Maya asked. The healing magic felt as if it were coming from beneath the mist, but it was impossible to pinpoint the location.
“I don’t know and I don’t care.” Tia cautiously inched toward the unconscious male being slowly revealed as the tendrils faded away. “I just want him out of here. Then I’m going to lock him in my castle and let the world take care of itself for a change.”
Maya’s lips twitched. Tia had loudly and proudly proclaimed her independence for years. She didn’t need friends or allies, and she would have laughed herself silly if anyone suggested that she might find happiness in a romantic relationship.
It seemed fitting that when she at last accepted that she had room in her life for a lover, she would pick the most powerful being in the world. A malewho would drive any sane person to the edge and who regularly wandered around the streets like a homeless vagrant. They were a perfect combination.
“Good for you,” Maya announced, then a vague movement in the mist warned her that they weren’t alone. “Tia.”
