I knew who this was. I stepped forward. “She paid you for that fair andsquare.”
The man’s eyes glowed yellow when they landed on me. “She sold me a burned-down bar,” hespat.
“The druids burned it. That’s not her fault,” I told him, clenching my staff and wishing I’d already mastered lighting people on fire with my mind. He’d done something to their voices so Eva and Danny couldn’tspeak.
The man inhaled again, looking at the open barn. “And why would the druids hate her somuch?”
We all stood silent. Finally, I lowered my wand and pointed it at him. “Let them go or I’ll pop your little yellow bubble and burn you alive,” I growled. We didn’t have time for this shit. Druids were coming and this asshat was mad over some business deal gonesour.
He looked amused at my threat. “Oh, I think I’ll make a little deal instead. I know that smell. That’s the smell of a newly-shifted skyborn. I’m assuming one of you is carrying dragon scales, because I smell thosetoo.”
Oh Shit.PlanB.
Maybe Danny’s smell-blocker didn’t work if I’d just shifted. I decided talking was useless; I wasn’t giving up any of these scales. I still wasn’t sure what my magic could do other than burn some tree trunks and make mild earthquakes, but I was about to find out in a real-life trial. With one quick move, I kicked off my slip-on shoes and connected to Mother Earth. With her grounding energy buzzing through me, my power traveled up the staff and out the tip, creating a purple arc of electricity that connected with the sorcerer’s dome, shattering it topieces.
Yes!
His eyes widened in surprise, then he snapped his fingers and was gone, poofed out of thin air just like Steven did. Oh shit. Was he a druid too? Or was that just had some freaky sorcerermagic?
Eva and Danny’s binds left when he did, and she stood, quickly looking behind her. “He’s still here. It’s just a concealmentspell.”
Great. Power of invisibility. Not this again. I spun around, fully ready to have him grab me orsomething.
Eva clasped Danny’s hand and together they built a large yellow ball of smoky magic between them. “Reveal!” she shouted as the smoke burst into the air, falling like tiny pieces of glitter oneverything.
Suddenly the Russian appeared right behind Logan. I shrieked and Logan spun, swinging his fist out and connecting with the sorcerer’s jaw. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t for the Russian to crumple onto the groundunconscious.
“Damn, babe. Nice hit,” I toldhim.
“Let’s go!” he shouted, ignoring my praise. If there had been any druids in the area when I shifted, we werescrewed.
Eva ran up to the unconscious sorcerer and wove some other spell over him. “To make him sleep longer.” She winked and then felt in his coat pocket for the Eye. “Damn it! He’s hiddenit.”
“Eva! Do you have a death wish?” Logan roared. “Give it up. We’re out ofhere.”
She looked longingly at the unconscious sorcerer’s form, but finally stood, taking the glass jar of scales from Keegan and pocketing them. It was now up to her and Danny to sellthem.
“One last thing,” she said, and then walked a few steps towards me. “Sloane dear, do you have to pee? Female dragon urine makes for powerful love spells and can fetch twenty grand ajar.”
My mouth popped open. But Logan just grabbed me by the arm and dragged me into thecar.
Eva shrugged. “Just trying to help thecause!”
The second I was in the car, Keegan gunned it. We had no idea if the druids were close or what. I wouldn’t feel better until we were back on the land with everyone else. I was just about to lay back and relax when all of our phones simultaneously vibrated. It was a group text fromSophie.
- Get your asses to the rental. Lynn inlabor! -
Oh shit. When it rains, itpours.
* * *
We called Danny and Eva,who were in the car right behind us, and all agreed that selling the scales could wait. The birth plan didn’t work without Eva and Danny to keep the baby from shifting and alerting the druids. Problem was, we were only about thirty minutes from the rental house we’d rented for her home labor—thirty miles from where I’d just shifted, signaling the druids to come to thisarea.
“She wasn’t supposed to go into labor for a week!” Logan cursed, gripping the edge of his seat as Keegan drove like amadman.
I sighed. “Can’t tell a woman’s body when to do its thing. We’re just going to have to make the best ofit.”
Logan nodded, rubbing his hands on his jeans again. I’d never seen him this out of sorts. Suddenly he looked back at me and grinnedexcitedly.
