wards,” she answered with a relieved laugh. “Keep driving.” She unbuckled her seatbelt with a click and shifted to turn around in her seat.
Ayden grabbed her arm. “What are you doing? And who is Willow?” he asked with alarm.
She shook her head and answered Ayden’s first question. “I’ll be fine as long as you keep the swerving to a minimum.”
A rumble sounded to their right. She turned her head in time to see a landslide of rock and dirt come down the incline onto the road, just missing the back of the Jeep. Ayden cursed but kept the Jeep steady. She didn’t think the small avalanche would stop the demons. Watching, she knelt on her knees in her seat. The demons’ car came out of the dirt and rocks unmarked. Damn. The vile creatures had put a circle around the BMW. The landslide hadn’t even slowed them down.
A familiar voice drifted on the wind and reached Kalissa’s mind. “ Welcome home, Lis .” The beautiful, childlike voice flowing into Kalissa’s mind made her smile.
Kalissa couldn’t stop the loving grin from spreading across her face. “ Hello, Willow, ” Kalissa spoke back telepathically. Willow was the woodland nymph that lived on the mountain where the Bradenton cabin was located. For some reason, Willow had bonded with Kalissa’s family.
“ Was that your landslide ?” Kalissa sent the thought with a laugh.
Willow huffed. “ That was just a warning shot. Those demons will die for entering my property. ”
“ So, what’s the plan? ” Kalissa asked, knowing they didn’t have much time left. She didn’t want the demons to know where the cabin was. It was well hidden from outsiders, and she wanted to keep it that way.
Willow let out a mischievous laugh that sent a shiver through Kalissa. The nymph could be dangerous when she wanted to be. “ They’re going over .”
Kalissa nodded, understanding what Willow meant. There was an overlook about a half-mile after the cabin’s driveway. Willow intended to force the car over the edge. Kalissa just hoped there was no one standing there enjoying the beautiful view.
A loud boom cut through the air, and the Jeep rocked violently. She dropped down into her seat to sit straight. She held on to the comfort that eased through her at Ayden’s control. Her heart pounded in her chest. His concerned glance warmed her. Was it his empathic nature that allowed him to read her so plainly? It was like they were connected on a level she’d never known possible.
This wasn’t the first time she’d noticed. At the hotel, he’d seemed to be in sync with her thoughts and emotions. A tang of hurt settled in her chest. Was he monitoring her emotions because he didn’t trust her? But why would he do that?
Another energy ball flew past the car, drawing Kalissa out of her thoughts. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it would leap out of her chest.
“What the hell was that?” Ayden asked as she shifted to peer over the front seat to the BMW tailing them.
“The demons threw energy balls at us.” Ayden let go of the steering wheel to reach out to her. She took his hand, gave a brief squeeze, and pushed it back to the wheel. “Keep driving. Willow is going to handle it.”
“Who’s Willow?” he asked again.
“She’s a forest nymph that lives near the cabin. She’s been with my family longer than I’ve been alive.” She continued to watch the demons behind them.
“I thought nymphs were loners.”
Kalissa shrugged. “I think my mom made some kind of deal with her. I’m just not sure what.” Kalissa hoped the deal would not come back to bite her on the ass, and that her mother had paid her debt before she’d died.
“I’m glad she’s on our side,” Ayden said with a smirk and motioned with his head to the scene behind them.
Kalissa looked back to see the demons’ car being slowed down by a vine that came out of the woods and wrapped itself around the back axel of the Beemer. “Yeah. She doesn’t like demons.”
“I
Ayden grabbed her arm. “What are you doing? And who is Willow?” he asked with alarm.
She shook her head and answered Ayden’s first question. “I’ll be fine as long as you keep the swerving to a minimum.”
A rumble sounded to their right. She turned her head in time to see a landslide of rock and dirt come down the incline onto the road, just missing the back of the Jeep. Ayden cursed but kept the Jeep steady. She didn’t think the small avalanche would stop the demons. Watching, she knelt on her knees in her seat. The demons’ car came out of the dirt and rocks unmarked. Damn. The vile creatures had put a circle around the BMW. The landslide hadn’t even slowed them down.
A familiar voice drifted on the wind and reached Kalissa’s mind. “ Welcome home, Lis .” The beautiful, childlike voice flowing into Kalissa’s mind made her smile.
Kalissa couldn’t stop the loving grin from spreading across her face. “ Hello, Willow, ” Kalissa spoke back telepathically. Willow was the woodland nymph that lived on the mountain where the Bradenton cabin was located. For some reason, Willow had bonded with Kalissa’s family.
“ Was that your landslide ?” Kalissa sent the thought with a laugh.
Willow huffed. “ That was just a warning shot. Those demons will die for entering my property. ”
“ So, what’s the plan? ” Kalissa asked, knowing they didn’t have much time left. She didn’t want the demons to know where the cabin was. It was well hidden from outsiders, and she wanted to keep it that way.
Willow let out a mischievous laugh that sent a shiver through Kalissa. The nymph could be dangerous when she wanted to be. “ They’re going over .”
Kalissa nodded, understanding what Willow meant. There was an overlook about a half-mile after the cabin’s driveway. Willow intended to force the car over the edge. Kalissa just hoped there was no one standing there enjoying the beautiful view.
A loud boom cut through the air, and the Jeep rocked violently. She dropped down into her seat to sit straight. She held on to the comfort that eased through her at Ayden’s control. Her heart pounded in her chest. His concerned glance warmed her. Was it his empathic nature that allowed him to read her so plainly? It was like they were connected on a level she’d never known possible.
This wasn’t the first time she’d noticed. At the hotel, he’d seemed to be in sync with her thoughts and emotions. A tang of hurt settled in her chest. Was he monitoring her emotions because he didn’t trust her? But why would he do that?
Another energy ball flew past the car, drawing Kalissa out of her thoughts. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it would leap out of her chest.
“What the hell was that?” Ayden asked as she shifted to peer over the front seat to the BMW tailing them.
“The demons threw energy balls at us.” Ayden let go of the steering wheel to reach out to her. She took his hand, gave a brief squeeze, and pushed it back to the wheel. “Keep driving. Willow is going to handle it.”
“Who’s Willow?” he asked again.
“She’s a forest nymph that lives near the cabin. She’s been with my family longer than I’ve been alive.” She continued to watch the demons behind them.
“I thought nymphs were loners.”
Kalissa shrugged. “I think my mom made some kind of deal with her. I’m just not sure what.” Kalissa hoped the deal would not come back to bite her on the ass, and that her mother had paid her debt before she’d died.
“I’m glad she’s on our side,” Ayden said with a smirk and motioned with his head to the scene behind them.
Kalissa looked back to see the demons’ car being slowed down by a vine that came out of the woods and wrapped itself around the back axel of the Beemer. “Yeah. She doesn’t like demons.”
“I
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