Page 79 of Quintus

Black ash descended onto the lawn, streaming down like snow. Gabriella’s breath quickened, fear and loathing churning inside her chest. “It’s her, it’s her, it’s her.”

In the chaos, Mao flashed to a weakened Viktor. She strangled an arm around his neck.

“No!” Gabriella screamed, tearing at her clothes. Her beast itched to shift.

Quintus made a move toward Viktor, and Mao bored her long talon into his neck.

“Let him go,” Quintus’ loud voice boomed through the chaos.

“Give her to me,” she hissed. Mao’s eyes flashed to the table. “The bone.”

“You’re dead, Jiangshi. I can smell your stench from here. Without blood, you’ll die,” Samantha told her. She snatched the sternum off the table and held it with both hands.

“I’ll have the wolf and the bone.” She laughed wildly.

Gabriella clapped her hands over her ears as a loud grinding sound filled the air. The demon from the party appeared before them. Thorn.

“Yeah, uh. I’m not one to usually crash but you see…I’m trying to fix something here,” he responded.

“Who invited this douche bag to the party?” Hunter asked.

“You knew she’d do this,” Quintus accused. “You’d better get her back to Hell before I drain you, demon.”

Thorn held a finger in the air, raising his eyebrows. “Half-demon. Half. It’s a technicality, I know. But it’s kinda important.”

“What an asshole.” Hunter tore off his shirt.

Viktor screamed, struggling as she stabbed another black talon into his flesh. A forked tongue extended between her lips, lapping at his gushing blood.

“Enough of this shit.” Quintus flashed toward his brother but was blocked by a bolt of lightning. Lilitu appeared in his path, her lips drawn upward in an icy smile.

Gabriella’s heart pounded at the sight of the high priestess. She steeled her nerves, swallowing her fear. The draw of the Alpha spurred her beast to shift. She caught a glimpse of the blonde female, protectively shielding the child. Luca rushed in from behind, scooping baby Kate into his arms.

“Little half-breed. Go ahead and shift. I’ll kill you anyway.” Lilitu’s brunette hair twisted wild in the wind like Medusa’s snakes.

“I’m going to kill you.” Gabriella’s inner child told her to keep running but her beast told her to fight.

“Dumb little dog. You’re no match for me. Ah, how I remember the last time I saw you as a child. The smell of your mother’s flesh burning purified the air, our coven safe from your dirty filthy family.”

Gabriella released her anger, forcing a shift. Her paws gripped the turf, and she readied to lunge. The Alpha morphed to his beast and growled, warning the high priestess away from Gabriella.

Mao gave a maniacal laugh, and plunged all four of her fingers into Viktor’s neck, tearing a chunk of flesh away from his body. Blood sprayed over the lawn as the vampire went limp in her grip.

“No! Viktor!” Quintus screamed. As he lunged for Mao, she transformed into an apparition, sending him crashing to the ground.

“The bone!” Lilitu demanded. The heavens opened from above, and a torrential rain bucketed down from the sky.

“Get out of my house!” Samantha straightened her back and held up the artifact. The high priestess of New Orleans snapped the bone in half, her eyes gleaming with hatred for the intruder.

“You’re going to regret that,” Lilitu sneered. Her head swiveled one hundred and eighty degrees to focus on the child.

Luca held tight to baby Kate as she cried, thrashing to get out of his arms.

“Come little one,” Lilitu trilled. With a flick of her fingers, a burst of black magick rushed at Luca, shoving him to the ground. Kate rolled with him onto the slick grass.

Gabriella shook with rage as Lilitu reached for the toddler. The priestess conjured an athame, raising it high into the air. Gabriella lunged at the witch, her jaws clamping down onto Lilitu’s wrist. Hunter attacked her from behind but was unable to thwart her as the high priestess shook off Gabriella.

Lilitu set her sight back on Kate. The knife sailed through the air towards the toddler, and Gabriella rolled in front of the child, shielding her. As the blade sliced into her body, Gabriella writhed, white hot pain shooting through her body. Expecting another blow, she braced herself, still protecting the child.