I shook off that image and started counting. Seven of them were here to work whatever spell she had planned, though it'd been five for the sleep spell. She must have upped her numbers to be safe. There were thirty-two vampires and werewolves in the house now as well, quite a lot more than there had been in my previous visits. Nik's side would be about even with this one in the coming battle. Variola continued to remain the oldest of her group at four hundred, though, so at least we had age and power going for us. They had witchcraft, though, and that would make things tricky.

We sat around with tension stifling the air while Variola and Noreen went off to ensure whatever preparations they deemed necessary were in order. I jumped in surprise when Aniya came in. She ran over and pressed a hug before checking me over.

Relief washed over me at seeing her in one piece, though her complexion appeared a little pale. It was possible someone fed off of her today, but I didn't want to think about that too much if I wanted to remain calm. A thousand questions ran through my mind, and the look in her eyes told me she had her own. Both of us glanced at Variola's minions surrounding us and chose to keep silent after our initial greetings. She did grip my arm when we sat down, as if to draw courage from it. Nervousness and worry saturated the air around her.

Derrick didn't even glance my way. Instead he broke out the dagger he always kept with him so he could clean his finger nails. I always thought it odd how people used knives for that purpose, but I supposed it would be a handy tool if you were carrying one anyway. The two warlocks conversed between themselves in low tones while the three remaining witches gave me venomous looks. I supposed they weren't happy with me for killing one of their friends. I shrugged my shoulders and smiled at them. They would be dead soon enough.

Almost thirty minutes passed before Variola came back with Noreen. They were smiling a little too much for my liking. Derrick had given them the location where we would be heading so maybe they had been mapping it out. I had no idea what else they would be doing for that long. Their red lipstick didn't look any fresher than before.

"Let's get going," Variola ordered. "Aniya, you will be riding with me."

That caught my attention. "Why is Aniya coming?"

Variola didn't bother to turn around as she spoke. "No sense in keeping her here. As soon as you meet your end of the bargain she can go free, as promised."

I wanted to argue that plan, but it would arouse suspicion to say anything more. Derrick walked beside me and gave my arm a squeeze. The promise in his eyes said he'd watch out for her. I gritted my jaw and kept walking.

We came outside to discover it had begun snowing. The temperature had cooled in the last hour or so, though it remained above freezing. I doubted it would stick to the ground or affect movement as we traveled. An earlier check of the weather report warned me of the chance for snow, but Nik had promised me the real stuff didn't come until October, which was almost a month away. I still shivered in anticipation of the coming battle and prayed the white flakes wouldn't affect things too badly.

As we came around the side of the house, a half-dozen SUVs and vans came into view. They hadn't been visible from the angle where we pulled up earlier, but it appeared there were enough of them so that all of us could fit in if we squeezed. It beat riding motorcycles in the snow, even if I did feel a little disappointment at the more traditional means of transportation.

Variola ordered Derrick and I to get in the lead vehicle. It made me wonder if she worried about an ambush along the way. The first vehicle was the most vulnerable in combat zones. The site where we were heading would take about half an hour to reach, but I got another surprise when we stopped a few miles into our route. Jack, the deputy from the police department, stood by his patrol car on the side of the road. He didn't have his lights on, but I recognized him easy enough. What was he doing here?

My palms grew sweaty as we waited in the vehicles. Variola led Aniya out and walked her over to the police officer. Her voice carried well enough to hear her words.

"Jack, I want you to take control of this girl and move her away from here. If I don't call you in two hours, you will shoot her with your gun. Do you understand?" She had placed compulsion on him.

"Yes, ma'am."

My hands started shaking. I wanted to leap out and save my friend. Derrick's sudden grip on my arm stopped me before I realized what I was doing. My fingers were already touching the door handle. If Variola died in the battle, we would have no way to find Aniya in time.

The witch-vamp grabbed Aniya next and used her compelling voice once again. "You will not run or try to hide from the nice deputy. Do you understand?"

Aniya nodded in numbed compliance. "Yes."

"Good."

To follow that up, Variola put a charm on Aniya's wrist. My senses told me it would prevent any location spells from working on her. The witch-vamp gave me a pointed look as she passed my vehicle on the way to her own.

Derrick shook his head when I started to say something. His eyes said we had to carry this through to the bitter end. The amount of time we had might not be enough to find her, but if I made one wrong move now, the whole plan would be ruined. People counted on me to do my part. Yet I had a tough time getting past the possibility my friend might get sacrificed in the process. She was the main reason I had agreed to participate in this to begin with.

I had to control myself as the vehicles drove away, picking up speed. Derrick rubbed my hand in a gentle pattern, attempting to calm me down. It must have shown on my face how upset I felt, and even more so after I glanced at my watch. It was eleven o'clock. Would we get to her in time?

When we reached the old mine site, my emotions were reigned in tight. There was one way to solve all this, and that would be to get this battle over with as fast as possible. Saving Aniya was the only thing that would keep me going. She couldn't die. She just couldn't.

Chapter Twenty-five.

The presence of numerous sups around the perimeter lit up my senses like a Christmas tree. We parked in a large area cleared of vegetation with the mine at its edge. Tall trees from the nearby woods surrounded us. Nik and his people were here. They hid nearby. Out of sight where Variola and her minions couldn't see or smell them, but close enough to move in fast.

Until the last of her minions arrived-a few were delayed for some reason-Nik's side couldn't attack. We had to draw all her forces in and lull her into a false sense of complacency. I knew the part I had to play in all this.

We climbed out of the vehicles and into the cold and drifting snow. The mood was tense with expectation. Derrick and I made our way over to Variola, who stood directing her minions on what she wanted them to do. Despite wearing a low-cut leather top with no sleeves, she didn't shiver. I envied her that. The cool, wet weather was making me uncomfortable. I was huddling in my jacket when she motioned us over.

"Derrick, is this the place where the vampire rests?" She pointed in the direction of the mine entrance.

He nodded. "It is."

Variola called out to a mixed group of werewolves and vampires, indicating they should come forward. As they got close, their harsh visages came into view. Each one illuminated by nearby headlights that hadn't been turned off yet. All were in regulation leather gear and carried a plethora of weapons, including knives and swords, on their belts. My fingers itched to be holding my own gun.

"Very well," she said. "The sensor and these five men here will go in and bring him out."

Derrick took a step forward. "I should go in with her. She isn't comfortable in the mine, and she can't see well in the dark."

This was one argument I wanted him to win. He might be on the wrong side, but at least he wouldn't hurt me. The same couldn't be said for the others.

Variola waved off his concerns. "These men will help her find her way and she can bring a flashlight if that makes her feel better."

As if on cue, someone brought one over. I took it from them, gripping the cold plastic in my hand. It would help light my way, but it wouldn't make much of a weapon. Being a weak human really sucked.

"Better?" Variola asked. I could tell by the look in her eyes she saw me as pathetic too.

I nodded. She'd have her turn at the feeling later.

"Very well, sensor. Make sure you don't mess this up or it will be your friend's life."

Though she stood several inches shorter than my height, the woman managed to look down her nose at me with a warning expression. I kept my face impassive, refusing to give away a single one of my vengeful thoughts.

"Don't worry. I won't mess up," I replied.

At least, not according to my plans, but hers might not go the way she wanted. The witch-vamp would be battling for her life soon enough. Visions of her dying danced through my head. They made me feel warmer until I remember her death could mean I wouldn't reach Aniya in time. There had to be a way.

Variola nodded, appearing satisfied with my response and ordered us to go inside. Her minions followed me as I led them over to the mineshaft. It opened up on the side of a hill, unlike the previous one that had been a hole in the ground. My flashlight clicked on as we entered, but it didn't provide much illumination.

I took care making my way through, thinking of my previous visits here and the random objects that had snuck up to attack me when I wasn't paying attention. A pickaxe had almost taken my leg out the last time. The sups behind me moved with ease and grumbled at my slow pace. I ignored them, happy the movement and lack of wind made the cold more bearable, despite the ice on the walls. Sunny California would have been really nice right about now.

After a few minutes, no sounds from outside reached us. Some of the guys began to get edgy. One of them remarked about a possible cave-in and the tension rose. The darkness gave the impression that the walls were closing in, but I'd already walked through this part of the shaft and didn't think it would collapse anytime soon.

A turn-off appeared to the left. I almost missed it with my attention focused on the ground. My hand dropped the flashlight so it rolled a couple feet before stopping with its beam reflecting off the wall. In the space of a heartbeat, Lucas appeared with a golden ray of light and handed me my sword. I grabbed it and pivoted on my heels, sensing him flash away to come up behind the five sups. Nikolas appeared at my side and gave me a brief nod before maneuvering himself into position. Variola's minions let out a slew of curses as we came at them from three directions.

No hesitation, I reminded myself.

The werewolf in front of me reached back to draw out a knife. I took advantage of his exposed torso and thrust my blade into the soft tissue of his stomach. The sword had been sharpened to a fine point and slid in with little resistance. Blood already soaked his front when I twisted it and pulled the blade back out, readying myself for another strike.

The man stumbled, clutching his wound as he looked at me with rounded eyes. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I kept the sword tight in my hand. I expected my opponent to return my attack, but to my surprise, he fell to the ground. I'd thought his kind would be able to take more damage than that. His overwhelming pain hit my senses, proving it wasn't an act.

A sickening thud came from my left, drawing my attention.

Nik had relieved one of the vampires of his head. Both parts turned to dust moments later. He took a swipe at another vampire who'd been trapped behind his cohort in the narrow tunnel. The man ducked the blade and rushed forward with blazing eyes. Nik kicked his foot out and slammed the smaller man's shoulder, knocking him back. The movement was precise and graceful, though it flashed by, almost too fast to see.

I forced myself to return my attention to the werewolf I'd impaled. He was curled on the ground, struggling for breath while clutching his bloody wound. The damage might have been enough to kill a human, but he was already starting to heal. According to Nik, it was always better to take the head off or else a sup could recover and come back to attack again. I had no choice but to finish the job.

As the werewolf began to get up, I lifted the sword in a high arc and aimed for his neck. He raised his arm at the last second to block the blow, not leaving me time to readjust. The blade cut through his wrist and only made it partway through his throat. Blood splattered all over us both.

I tried not to think of the pain I was causing him. Killing an enemy was one thing, making him suffer was another. Dragging in a lungful of air, I sliced at him again, making it half-way through his thick neck. It took a third attempt before I managed to finish him off.

By the end, I was panting and covered with even more blood-most of it on my clothes and hands. It took some effort to keep the bile from rising up in my throat. Some people think the best fighters are the ones who kill without remorse. The day you stop feeling compassion for your enemies is the day you lose your humanity and need to be removed from society. I'd do what needed to be done, but I'd be damned if I let it harden me to the point that I no longer cared.

I looked around to see the rest of the fight was over. Two bodies remained, one of them the man I killed. A few piles of clothes from the deceased vamps littered the ground around us. Lucas had killed two of the sups himself in a flurry of motions that would have been impossible to follow-if there'd been a chance for me to do so. We'd needed it to be done fast in order to avoid damage to the mine. We'd also had to keep sounds to a minimum so Variola wouldn't catch on to our plan too soon.

Nik grinned at me after surveying the damage and my less than pristine appearance. He didn't have a hair out of place and only a splash or two of blood on the rest of him. His eyes lit up with amusement as I tried to use part of my shirt, which had remained clean under the jacket, to wipe my face. A few strands of hair had come loose from my pony tail and stuck to my cheeks.

"You're a right bloody wench aren't you?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. His sick sense of humor came at the oddest times, but he did have a way of taking my mind off of things. For a brief moment, the carnage at our feet didn't seem quite so bad. He put an arm around me and drew my chilled body close.

"You did well."

I gave him a wan smile. "Thanks."

Lucas had his usual mask in place. "We're done here, let's go."

He didn't wait for a reply before turning and heading toward the mine entrance. I broke off from Nik to follow the nephilim, grabbing my flashlight before leaving. It occurred to me the shaft had been much brighter than it should have been during the fight. I vaguely remembered Lucas pushing out his golden glow. He'd dimmed it back down now.

We were half-way through the mine when a new group of sups entered the area. There must have been at least thirty of them and they were about to reach Variola and her crew. I pushed my abilities hard to check the mood in her direction. It had an air of expectancy. She knew they were coming.

I came to a sudden halt. "Wait."

Both men turned to me. I filled them in on the latest development, hoping it wasn't as bad as it seemed. Our side wouldn't attack until Lucas flashed over to give the order, but these new guys could mean a change in plans.

Nik frowned and looked at the nephilim. "What do you think?"

Lucas shrugged. "For me, it makes no difference how many underlings there are."

The pressure on my head grew as I concentrated on further activities outside. Protection spells were being set up that would prevent anyone or anything from breaking through. We were close enough to the mine entrance for me to get a good feel for their parameters. There were two circles, each about ten to twelve feet across. Both would need to be disabled before we could get close enough to attack the individuals inside. Considering their small size and the locations of all the sups out there, the circles were only meant to hold the witches and warlocks while all the others on Variola's side were left to their own defenses.

According to Nik's description of the sleep spell, it appeared to be standard procedure for them to make the circles to ensure no one interfered with the magic they worked. Were the extra sups who'd just arrived a precaution or had Variola suspected an attack all along? I told the two men with me what I was sensing.

Nikolas reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. His eyes penetrated mine as I stared up at him. "Mel, I need you to break the nearest circle first. You'll have to use your blood to do it, but there is no other way. I'll take Charlie and we'll keep Variola and her warlocks distracted until you are able to come to us. Can you do that?"

Changing plans at the last minute. I'd grown used to that in the military.

"No problem," I answered.

Lucas shifted with impatience. "If you two are ready, I'll alert the others."

He would be fighting with our main group since he could reduce Variola's supporters faster than anyone. Now that her side was double what ours was, we needed his strength more than ever. Not to mention until I broke the circles he couldn't help against the main and most dangerous players. That didn't add to the pressure on me or anything.

After we nodded our agreement, the nephilim flashed away. Nik and I raced for the entrance, which came up after about a hundred feet. The snow continued to fall in tiny flakes outside, but still hadn't stuck to the ground. I braced myself for the wind and cold. It didn't disappoint, striking me as soon as I stepped out.

Variola laughed and clapped her hands as soon as we came out. I froze in my steps. She stood in her circle across the field, but I had a clear view of her.

"I knew you woke him days ago, little sensor," she spoke loud enough so everyone could hear her. "A smarter one of your kind would have known we'd be alerted as soon as the spell had been broken. Just because we couldn't find him didn't mean we weren't aware he was near. You should have considered all this, but I'm glad you didn't. Now we can finish this once and for all."

I'd never considered breaking the sleep spell would alert the witches. I wanted to kick myself for it. My senses had picked up the intent of the magic, but I hadn't bothered to study all the parameters. Now Nik's side would pay for that mistake with double the enemies to fight. I had to hope Aniya wouldn't pay for it too. I lifted my middle finger at Variola before racing toward the second circle.

She sent soccer ball sized flames out as Nik's forces descended on the field. Instinct made me want to duck, but that was a waste of time. They were bouncing right off me. Poor Nik had to do some impressive acrobatics to avoid them, though.

As I came behind the circle holding Noreen and the other female witches, I sensed they were beginning a vicious spell. It would weaken most of the sups on our side if they were able to complete it.

With no time to waste, I dropped the flashlight and used the sharp edge of my sword to cut one of my fingers. The sting made me wince, but I ignored the pain. Blood bubbled up in a sufficient quantity so when it dripped onto the line of the circle, the spell broke right away. All the witches turned to me at once with wrath-filled gazes. I straightened up and backed away. I hadn't considered no one would be nearby to help me. The muscles in my legs braced to flee, but I stopped myself from moving further. This was no time to turn coward. I'd never been one before and wouldn't start now.

Noreen held a six-inch silver knife, rather than a sword, and stood closest. I concentrated my efforts on her but took cautious steps to keep all the witches in my line of sight. She attempted to strike out at me in a clumsy move. I stepped to the right and swung at her unprotected side. The blade sliced into her left arm like butter.

She cried out in pain and dropped her knife to the ground to clutch her wound. My sword had cut deep enough that blood poured between her fingers. Noreen gave me a pleading look.

"Melena, you don't want to do this."

A part of me wanted to feel sorry for her, but then Matt's face flashed in my mind. He'd begged in the end and she hadn't shown an ounce of mercy. She didn't deserve any either. I raised my weapon once more.

"Actually," I said. "I do want to do this."

Even as she tried to back away, my blade cut through the air and into her neck. As with the werewolf, it didn't make a clean cut, but a second swing finished the job. More blood splattered on me, but I didn't bother wiping it off. Even with her head removed, the look on her face remained. It was frozen into a grimace with her forehead wrinkled and her nose scrunched up. I couldn't help but stare at her expression.

The brief moment of inaction cost me. My focus had been to the front when it should have been all around. One of the other witches had snuck up from behind. A vicious slice cut into my lower back. I arched away from the sharp blade, but it still penetrated deep into my skin and burned like flames had scorched it.

Breathing through the pain, I turned to face her. It was the same witch who'd tortured me not long ago in Variola's basement. She'd pulled the upper half of her stringy hair back, but it flew in wild abandon with the increasing wind. The third and fourth witches stood off to the side ready to attack as well.

I took a few steps back, trying to decide how to keep them at bay. From the corner of my eye I saw movement. Derrick raced toward us in full wolf form and leapt up to sink his jaws into one of their necks, tearing the throat out with a shake of his head.

I had to admire the shiny, black fur covering his alternate form. It hid any blood that might have coated him. He made for a pretty, if rather scary, wolf. After extricating himself from the dead witch, he moved to the next. She raised a short sword and eyed him with disdain, but he didn't look concerned with her bravado. His arrival left me with only one to handle. I focused my attention on her.

She scrunched up her face in fear and clutched her knife in a tight grip. The blade had to be eight inches long, with ridges on one side. My three foot sword could keep it out of reach if I was careful. The weapon sat heavier in my hands than before as I raised it and went in for the attack.

The woman shuffled back, holding the knife in front of her like a shield. I sliced along her chest, knocking her arm to the side. It didn't do more than give her a thin cut, but she screamed as if it had been much worse. I remembered what she'd done to me in Variola's dungeon. Her crying wouldn't save her. My body remembered the pain, even if the physical wounds didn't exist anymore.

She recovered herself enough to attempt a jerky swipe with her blade, but my sword blocked it. I swung the weapon again for another strike. This time it struck her below the ribs and sunk in deep. Sickening sounds came from her throat as she collapsed to the ground.

It looked painful. I finished her by hacking her head off. It didn't go any easier than the last two kills, and in fact took longer. I felt tired. After her head finally parted her body, I did a search of the surrounding area. It was just me and Derrick in the immediate vicinity.

He had finished off the last witch and began transitioning to human form. His strength and age made it quick. I estimated two minutes. It took all my willpower to ignore his very nude body as he moved toward me. Holy hell, he had a lot of muscles.

Focus on his eyes, Melena!