Chapter 30

Julian's hands crushed her throat, but seeing those beautiful eyes devoid of affection was far worse than the knowledge that death was imminent. He throttled her, lips curling back over his fangs. She couldn't scream, couldn't break his viselike hold, couldn't do anything but pray for deliverance. Cold venom from his fangs dripped onto her face, burning and searing as it trickled like tears over her cheeks.

Voices shrieked in her ears, and she tried to choke out please help!

A warm voice resonated through her mind, drowning out the shrieking panic. It's all right. Stay with me. Scarlett, stay with me.

The sound of her name in that familiar, lovely voice was sunlight through the clouds.

Shoshanna.

All at once, her awareness tilted and turned, and she realized this was in her mind, that it was a dream and she was in no real danger, no matter how much her mind shouted that she was dying.

When she looked up at Julian's terrible red eyes, she saw a reflection of golden light, like a candle in the dark. His visage shimmered, and suddenly his hands loosed. She scrambled away, sprinting across a shadowy void. Still, his voice echoed in her head, taunting and teasing.

You can't stop it. You can't stop her.

It's just a vision, a dream, she told herself. But logic fell apart as old magic brought her face to face with her own death, again and again.

Cold wind whipped around her, and suddenly a figure materialized in front of her. Instead of Julian, it was Kova, with those red marks burning like embers on his skin. His lips were curled back from bloody fangs, and he scowled at her.

With a terrible, angry look, he drove a blade up into her belly and carried her to the ground."We never cared about you," he said calmly, twisting the blade up into her ribs with a terrible, scraping pain. "We never?—"

"You're not real," she said shakily. As soon as she uttered the words, the pain in her belly dulled, as if she'd merely been pinched. She reached down and yanked the blade out and threw it. The blood pouring from her belly evaporated like red smoke before hitting the ground.

The not-Kova turned to watch the blade disappear into the void. When his head whipped around again,his handsome face split down the middle to reveal that of Armina Voss. She yanked her hand out, and instead of a blade, her long-nailed fingers dripped with blood. Scarlett tried to escape, but her limbs were like concrete.

And still, she could feel that warmth of Shoshanna's presence.

I've got you, Shoshanna had said.

A deafening screech reverberated as the strange void around her rippled, black and gray threads of spidersilk tangled all around and dripping with ichor. Lightning struck, blinding her.

All at once, a kaleidoscope of death swirled around her. She saw herself clutching her head and falling to her knees, a faceless vampire ripping out her throat, a car running her down, lightning striking, and a hundred more visions that slipped through her mind before she could understand what she was seeing.

Searing heat swept over her, and she let out a scream. This was real, this was it, she was dying, and?—

Cold water splashed her face, and she gasped as the shock of it brought her back to awareness.She gasped for air, staring up at Shoshanna's sweat-sheened face. She looked concerned. "Are you okay? You're here. Everything's fine."

"I'm okay,"Scarlett said. Her stomach lurched, and she quickly sat up, reaching for the too-familiar trash bin. At least there was nothing to throw up after… How long had they been at this? It felt like weeks. Her stomach lurched again, and her vision flashed red as her body jolted.

This is still better than dying, she reminded herself.

When she glanced back, Shoshanna rested on her knees, hands pressed to her temples.

"Are you okay?" Scarlett asked.

The witch nodded, but her heart thrummed dangerously fast. "My head is killing me."

Guilt swept through her. "Should I get Misha?"

"I need Ruby's tea. There's some already brewed in the fridge," Shoshanna said, voice trembling.

With several huge doses of the pagos in her system, Scarlett was unsteady on her feet, but she gripped the bannisters tight and crept downstairs. Misha and Kova were downstairs working; Misha was carving another enchanted blade for someone in the court while Kova carefully carved runes into wooden bullets at his direction. They'd been loitering in the workshop, but after the third or fourth round of Scarlett waking up in a panic, their hovering and fussing had driven Shoshanna over the edge. She'd finally snapped, "You two both have supernatural hearing. If something goes wrong, I'll call for you. Can you find something else to do that isn't here?"

And for once, Alistair was away from the house. Julian had called him on duty to patrol the city since Sasha and Kristina were incommunicado. She'd heard Misha and Kova murmuring about it, but with Shoshanna up to her metaphysical elbows in Scarlett's soul, she hadn't really been able to investigate further.

As she trudged across the kitchen, she heard the two vampires talking in Russian downstairs. Despite all the turmoil, she was happy that Kova had finally been reunited with his family.

She fetched Shoshanna's tea, helpfully labeled in a large plastic cup, along with a bottle of water and some snack crackers from the cabinet.It felt like far too little for all the witch was doing.

But this was what she had to do. This curse was not a target she could stalk and assassinate. And trusting someone else, even a kind and genuine soul like Shoshanna, was infinitely harder than a kill shot.

Slowly climbing the stairs, Scarlett drew deep breaths to calm herself. They were close. And still, she had a deep, disquieting fear that Shoshanna would finish her work only to say that there was no breaking the curse, that it was far beyond her capabilities. And that would mean that after everything, Scarlett was screwed.

Logic told her there was no sense in worrying about something like that; she had absolutely no control over it. But that didn't make it any easier to climb the stairs, knowing that grim news might await.

The upstairs hallway was dark.Shoshanna had turned off the lights and was sitting in a cozy chair in the corner.Her eyes were bloodshot when she looked up and took the large cup from Scarlett. As she drank, she wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "Ruby still hasn't gotten it quite palatable," she rasped. Her pretty eyes were sunken in shadow, her hair tousled.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Too much magic," Shoshanna said. Then she beckoned. As Scarlett approached, she realized there was an unpleasant, acrid scent underlying the lovely vanilla scent of Shoshanna's magic. But the woman pointed to the large pad of paper she'd been working on. "I was so close, I had to stay in."

"You mean?—"

"I finished mapping it," Shoshanna said proudly, running her hand over the large sheet of paper. Intricate whorls and shapes intersected in a dizzying pattern. Merely looking at it made Scarlett feel like she was falling, with water roaring in her ears.

Blinking furiously, Scarlett looked away and said, "So you're done?"

"The hard part is done. Now I just have to build the counterspell. No more digging around in your head until it's time to break it," she said.

"And you think you can?"

"I better be able to," Shoshanna said with a laugh, then immediately winced.

"Are you going to be okay? Do I need to get Alistair back home?"

Shoshanna shook her head. "No. I promise I'm fine. I pushed it a little too much, but regardless of how much you all worry, I do know my limits." She ran her hand over the paper again. "This one's going to be tricky, but you and Julian have such a strong bond, and that's going to help."

"It's strange to hear that it's so strong given how little time we've been together," Scarlett said.

"Well, for you," Shoshanna said wistfully. "He's loved you for a long time. And it's definitely stronger after you two…well, you know."

Her cheeks heated. "How did you know?"

"I've never seen Julian Alcott look that happy," she said with a laugh. "Don't be embarrassed. This is one big nosy-ass family. And Ithink half the court has hooked up in one of our guest rooms at this point. I was?—"

The witch gasped and threw her hands up. Moving lightning fast, Scarlett caught the flying tea, which splashed over her arm in a pungent burst. "What is it?" Scarlett asked.

Shoshanna's eyes went brilliant white. "Someone's here. I can't—" She gasped and shuddered violently. "Misha. Get Misha."

"Are you?—"

A low, terrible noise rumbled in Shoshanna's chest. The lights flickered, and Scarlett bolted out of the room. As she bounded down the hall, Misha was already on his way up, clearing the entire flight of stairs in a single leap. His eyes were brilliant red, and he nodded to Scarlett without speaking.

Downstairs, Kova was darting across the living room with a gun in one scarred hand. "You stay back," he said, sidling up to the front door.

Resisting the urge to shout at him, Scarlett crept behind the wall of the kitchen, which still gave her a line of sight to the door. After all they were doing for her, she owed it to them to not throw herself into pointless danger now.

His head tilted, and she followed his cue to listen. There was a pounding heartbeat on the other side of the door. But instead of someone kicking the door in or throwing an explosive through the front glass window, there was a piercing scream cut short by a ragged, wet gasp.

"What the—" Scarlett muttered, creeping out instinctively.

"Back!" Kova roared.He flung the door open, then stopped short, his red eyes downcast.

With the moonlight at her back, Stella Flynn waited on the front porch. But mere seconds after the door opened, she was no longer standing. Instead, she crumpled as lashing tendrils of blinding magic erupted from the walls, from the ground, even from thin air and wrapped around her. The pleasant vanilla smell of Shoshanna's magic permeated the air, but it tangled with another smell that Scarlett didn't recognize. It wasn't Night Weaver magic, even though Stella's hands were frantically moving, as if she was trying to cast her way out.

"Help," Stella said, blood pouring over her lips. Mottled reddish tendrils emerged from her hands, but as soon as they materialized, they lashed back on her, slithering around her body like an anaconda and squeezing her tight.

Bones cracked, and Stella let out a squeaking sound as her face contorted with agony.

"What's happening?" Kova murmured. "What are you?—"

"Help…you," Stella choked out. Her legs buckled beneath her, and she convulsed as blood poured from her mouth, bloomed through her ripped jeans, soaked into her shoes. The young woman collapsed on her back, writhing as the ropy tendrils squeezed and twisted around her.

"Stop it!" Scarlett blurted.

"I haven't touched her!" Kova protested. He shook his head. "Shoshanna, stop the spell!"

Voices argued upstairs, and then a deafening, high-pitched sound filled the air. The house shook on its foundation, and the lights flickered violently before coming back on. The silence was deafening, reminding Scarlett of when she'd flown in a plane but couldn't get her ears to adjust.

Steps thundered over the floor as Misha charged outside. "What is— Who is this?"

"Stella, one of Armina's apprentices," Kova said.

"What the hell did you do?"

"I didn't touch her!" Kova protested.

"He didn't," Scarlett said. She stepped out of the kitchen, but both of the vampires whirled, pointed, and said in unison, "Stay back!"

Even from her hidden position, she could see the blood pooling around the young witch. Her pulse was erratic, and the smell in the air was foul. Not magic; but mundane death, the scent of internal organs crushed and leaking poison. Had she come to kill Scarlett? Had Shoshanna's magic protected her that violently?

"Give her your blood," Misha said. "I want to know what she knows."

"Are you insane?" Kova protested. "If I give her enough to keep her alive, she's going to turn."

"What about that was unclear?" Misha growled.

"You do it," Kova said.

Misha let out a sharp laugh, then grabbed Kova's wrist and sliced his hand open with a blindingly fast motion. When Kova tried to pull away, Misha twisted his arm, threw him to the ground, then pressed his hand to the witch's face. While his blood poured messily over her lips, the blood witch scowled at Kova. "It has to be you. I'm not taking the risk of creating an unstable Night Weaver with blood magic."

Kova let out a blistering diatribe in Russian, but Misha held him with an iron grip to the back of his neck. "This is fucked up," Kova snarled at him, twisting in vain against the other man's grasp.

"What about this situation is not fucked up?" Misha asked. He narrowed his eyes. "Consider it part of your penance, Dmitri."

Stella let out a sharp cough, gasping for air. Misha yanked Kova's hand away from her face and lifted her carefully. The young woman cried out.

"What are you—" Misha began.

Stella's voice was thin and wet, but her eyes locked onto the blood witch. "Get out. Coming here. Sho—" She broke into a wet, violent cough. Blood stained her teeth, pouring over her lips.

"Who's coming here?" Kova asked. "Armina? Lux?"

Her eyes fluttered, and she gave what could have been a nod or a convulsion.

"They're coming to kill Shoshanna?" Misha asked.

That definitely earned a nod. Stella's eyes closed, and her head lolled.

"Where are they? How far? Shit!" Misha said, shaking the woman roughly. But she had gone limp, her heart barely beating. His eyes cut to Kova.

Kova put up his hands in protest. "Giving her more blood isn't going to help when her lungs are crushed."

"We need to get her to the compound. Rachel can stabilize her," Misha said. He snapped his fingers and drew himself up tall, unfazed by the blood staining his clothes. "Scarlett, get Shoshanna. Tell her to find the cat and whatever she needs to deal with you. I've got my workshop fully stocked. We leave in five minutes, and we're not coming back." He pointed to Kova. "Get the witch in the car. Give her another hit of your blood in a few minutes."

"I'm not?—"

"I will not ask you again," Misha said. "If I have to, I will snap your neck and pour you out like a bottle of wine. I'm giving you the choice out of respect, which is rapidly eroding along with my patience." Then his eyes snapped to Scarlett, the impact of his gaze like a punch to the gut. "Go. Get. Shoshanna."

Twenty minutes later,they were split between two cars. Much to Kova's dismay, he'd been sent ahead with Shoshanna, who would deliver him and the half-dead Stella to an unknown location where some of the Nightwatch would be waiting to intercept them.

Shoshanna had been furious about leaving her house—again, as she loudly reminded the vampires—and had barely been silenced when Misha brusquely told her to get her shit together and go.

And Kova was beyond angry that he'd been bound by blood to Stella, becoming her Maker quite against his will. She would have been surprised if the witch survived past whatever interrogation Misha had in mind, but it didn't change the sense of violation Kova clearly felt.

This is all because of me, Scarlett thought, for the thousandth time that night. She had brought this chaos onto them, or rather she had brought it with her when they willingly tried to help her. No good deed went unpunished, it seemed.

How would she repay them for this? Could she ever make up for all that she had cost them?

She rode in the passenger seat as Misha Volkov drove, pushing the speed limit even by Atlanta standards. He'd spent the first few minutes of the drive checking in with Paris, giving him a quick, no-nonsense briefing on what had happened at the house. Then, with the faintest smile, he quickly blurted, "I love you," and hung up the phone.

After a perfunctory, "Are you okay?" he hadn't spoken to her for the rest of the drive. What was there to say?

What a fucking shitshow.

Yep.

Suburbs gave way to the sprawl of the city, with its massive interstate that wound through the city like a concrete river. Despite the hour, dozens of cars zipped around them in a blur of red and white light.

"What the—" Misha muttered. He stomped the brakes and swerved. Ahead of them was a double-decker trailer loaded with new cars, and she watched in dumbstruck horror as a shiny red sedan rolled off the back and onto the asphalt in front of them.

Instinctively, she covered her face. Misha's arm slammed out in front of her as the car spun, pinning her to the seat. Gravity let go as their car clipped another fallen car, and then a sickening crunch came as someone slammed into them from behind. Her head was swimming as the car launched into the air.

Round and round, her vision blurring, the world went mad. Broken glass. Shearing metal. Pure chaos.

A tooth-rattling impact brought them to a halt, and she realized dimly that she was upside down with her heart pounding in her ears.

"Poshli," Misha groaned. A cool hand grasped her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I think so. I just need a second," Scarlett breathed.

After reaching back for his bag, Misha shook his head, then said, "We need to move. This is about you."

"What?" Scarlett protested, but the vampire was already squeezing through the shattered windshield, releasing a rain of shattered glass. She could only see his legs, then held back her shout of surprise when he lifted the front of the car, then flipped it over. Without missing a beat, Misha ripped the passenger door off and helped her out. "What do you mean this is about me?"

"The air is practically crawling with magic," he said, pointing to the concrete barrier. "Stay put."

Traffic was slowing around them, and she saw the trailer stopped a hundred yards down the road. Three cars lay on their sides across the interstate, leaving only the far left lane open. In the distance, she heard the wail of sirens.

Cold pierced through her belly, and she looked around in confusion. Red brake lights went dull dried-blood brown. The night pressed in, and the sky sheared in jagged lines of void-black, as if it was exposing the vast nothingness beyond what she could see.A loud horn blared, leaving her disoriented.

Strong arms wrapped around her as a heavy body tackled her to the concrete. Heat billowed over her face, and she dimly realized that the car was on fire a scant two feet away. Panic swept over her, but Misha said, "I've got you. It's okay. Just stay close to me."

Stealing a look up, she could see a shimmering red film, as if he'd blown a giant bubble around them.

"Get my phone out and call Paris," he said. "Inside pocket."

He was so annoyingly calm, as if he had no doubt that he was in control of the situation. Scarlett reached into his jacket pocket and found the phone, holding it up to his tense face to unlock it.

She quickly swiped to Paris Rossignol and called. Two rings later, an amiable voice answered. "Mon chou, I told you?—"

"It's Scarlett," she blurted.

"What happened?" Paris asked, his voice immediately snappy and cold. "Is he?—"

"I'm fine," Misha said, his voice trembling. "We had a little accident. I need you to come and get us."

"On my way," Paris said.

After tucking Misha's phone away, she stared at him blankly. "What do we do? Also, we are not fine."

Misha flashed her a wry grin and looked up, still holding that powerful magical shield around them. "Stay close to me. We're going up and over the side. Just leave the car."

Holding her breath, she rose with him and tried not to look at the inferno consuming the once-shiny SUV. The smoke seemed too dark, with flickers of light inside. It had to be a trick of the light.

When they cleared the concrete barrier and hopped down to the nearest exit ramp, she let out a heavy sigh. Misha released the shimmering spell and sighed in response. "No offense, but you're bad luck," he said with a chuckle.

"The worst," she agreed.

They paused under a streetlight at the end of the ramp, waiting for a crosswalk to get to a convenience store across the street. When they got to the empty parking lot, Misha took her hands and examined her scratched arms.

"That's odd," he murmured. "Look at the blood."

She stared at the streaks on her arms. "It's just blood."

"Maybe," he said. "I see a pattern." With one trembling finger, he traced a circular sigil in the red lines, and she was stunned. When he completed the circle, the ground seemed to tremble beneath her for a moment, and she saw those awful gray tendrils wrapped around her, as if something was trying to consume her. She yanked her arm back, and he backed away.

"Sorry," he said. "It's just fascinating."

"You have a strange concept of what's fascinating," she said wryly.

He laughed. "Tell me about it. Let's try not to die before our ride gets here."