She clicked her tongue, but she didn’t bother to answer as she felt the fey magic she was absorbing settle into place, creating a strand of deep jade. At last.
“Get them, now!” Albert bellowed toward the remaining guard, even as he backpedaled toward the door.
The coward was trying to escape.
With obvious reluctance the goblin forced himself to charge forward, his expression resigned as Azh easily grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off his feet.
Azh once again glanced back at Wynn. “Do you want me to finish up here or do you want a turn?”
“You might as well finish up since you’re in the mood,” she assured him.
The smoky eyes smoldered with a deliciously tempting invitation. “I’m always in the mood.”
“Seriously, stop,” she commanded.
With a chuckle he tossed the male on top of the others, waiting to see if he would be stupid enough to get up or if he’d play dead. Wynn was betting he was going to stay down. She was right. The male squeezed shut his eyes and lay motionless, no doubt praying to his god that he survived the next few minutes.
Wynn shifted her attention toward Albert, who was inching ever closer to the door.
She wavered between the desire to zap him with the magic sizzling through her and the acceptance that he wasn’t worth the effort. He didn’t have the information she needed. Better to focus on finding someone who could actually help, right?
Dismissing the goblin from her mind, she turned back to Azh, who was watching her with an expectant expression. No doubt the aggravating creature intended to follow her. They might as well pretend to be civilized and leave at the same time.
Her lips parted, but the words died on the tip of her tongue as she felt a nasty tingle in the air. A second later she watched as one of the goon squad surged upright. She wasn’t shocked by the fact the goblin had found the nerve to face off against a male who could obviously destroy him with terrifying ease. It was the weird green glow that came from deep inside his eyes. As if there was something inside him peering out at Wynn.
“Azh.” His name came out as a harsh gasp. “Behind you.”
Easily sensing her fear, Azh whirled back toward the guards. With a curse, he moved to the side, as if intending to block the male shuffling forward. Wynn shuddered in horror.
“No. Don’t let him touch you.”
Keeping his gaze locked on the male, Azh obediently backed toward Wynn. “What is it? Magic?”
“Evil,” she rasped, and instinctively moved closer to Azh as the other two guards rose to their feet, their eyes glowing.
Azh’s aura snapped around him as he lifted a hand and pointed toward the approaching goblin. Heat seared through the air before a burst of flames abruptly surrounded the guard. Wynn gagged as the stench of burning flesh tainted the air, pressing a hand over her mouth.
She might have felt sorry for the goblin if he wasn’t infected with the essence of evil. She didn’t want the vile stuff spreading. She didn’t know what it would do, but it couldn’t be good. The flames danced and flared as if they were battling against an unseen enemy. Then the fire was extinguished to reveal a charred body with blackened flesh peeling off in huge chunks. The male was dead, but his eyes were still glowing and his feet were shuffling forward. And worse, behind him the other guards were rising from the floor.
“Have you seen this before?” Azh demanded, his power thundering through the air.
“In my nightmares.” Her throat felt like it was closing as pure fear cascaded through her, threatening to stir a tidal wave of panic. “We have to get out of here.”
“No argument from me.”
They turned toward the front of the gallery, but the door was being blocked by Albert, who was clearly infected with the same evil as his goon squad.
Where had it come from? She hadn’t sensed the venomous magic until the guards had suddenly started their glowing routine. Could it be coming from one of the artifacts in the broken display cases?
No. That didn’t make any sense. If it was a magical item, then she would be infected too, wouldn’t she?
Wynn shook her head. The guards were getting way too close for comfort. She would worry about the how and why later.
Right now, she had to concentrate on escaping.
Turning to the side, she lifted her arm and pointed toward the small window on the far side of the gallery. At the same time she released the fey magic she’d absorbed from the rod.
As always, she had no idea what to expect when she acquired a new strand. Especially with the recent interference from the dragon magic. Closing her eyes so she wouldn’t be blinded, she felt the bolt of lightning leave her hand with enough force to knock her backward.
