leapt
to his feet, continuing to fire until the brothers collapsed to the
ground, as if dead.
But to her horror, Jorge struggled upright,
his eyes still red, his face twisted with hate. He began advancing
toward her. A bullet had torn through his left cheek, leaving his
mouth twisted and misshapen.
She saw her gun and dove for it, brought it
up and fired, emptying the chambers into Jorge.
He kept advancing.
Her mate fluidly leapt upward and shifted in
mid-air. The large gray wolf raced over to Jorge and tore into his
leg.
Diaz screamed and fell, snarling and lashing
out at the wolf. But Etienne danced away and attacked again, this
time going for the throat.
Gasping, Jorge held a palm to contain the
gushing black blood. Etienne shifted back, and rolled toward the
abandoned knife. But as he reached for it, Liony came to life,
crawled over to her mate and raked sharp talons over his grasping
fingers. Etienne hissed, kicking out.
The two began to fight, Liony aiming for
Etienne’s eyes. Etienne dodged and delivered a punch that sent the
demon reeling. And then Liony sank his talons directly into
Etienne’s wound.
An unearthly howl of pain tore from her mate.
Cindy cried out, anger and fear colliding. She struggled to her
feet, ready to rip the demon apart with her bare hands.
“No, stay back Cyn,” Etienne grated out.
Retrieving the dagger, the demon raised the
blade, ready to plunge it into Etienne. Cindy skidded to a halt,
stricken by a familiar scent.
A loud, rough growl sounded from the doorway.
She turned and saw a beloved form. He flicked his wrist. The dagger
sailed through the air and hit Liony in the heart. The demon
screamed and disintegrated into a shower of black dust.
Etienne rolled over, grabbed the knife and
sank it deep into Jorge’s chest. The demon disappeared, leaving
behind a pile of black dust.
“Only way to get them is the heart,” Etienne
murmured, wincing as he held a hand to his bleeding side.
Relief made her knees wobble as she stumbled
over to her mate. Cindy tore open his shirt and pressed her palm
against his wound. Stunned, she watched the bleeding stop and the
skin knit itself together. Etienne grabbed her hand, emotion
clouding his gaze.
“You got your powers back. You can heal,” he
said and she heard low agony in his voice.
“Hey sis.” Her big brother knelt by their
father, checking his pulse. He sighed with relief. “He’s only
unconscious.”
Cindy felt her eyes fill with tears. “How did
you know?”
“Dad called us with some cryptic warning, but
Sam and Allen were too far away. I was in Key West.” Matt stared
grimly at her. “Dad told me a long time ago to protect the Orb at
all costs because of you, Cindy.”
Her brother’s dark gaze flicked to the floor
and he stared at the glittering shards. And cursed.
Etienne looked at the Orb’s shattered
remains. “It’s gone, Cyn.”
A sharp pain speared her chest. But she was
not dead. She had Etienne, and his belief in her.
His love for her.
Even without her magick, she would survive,
nurtured by the power of his love for her. For however long she had
to live.
Chapter Eight
Nestled by the sluggish waters of the bayou,
the gray house belonging to Celine and Remy Robichaux sat on seven
acres of lush, fertile land. Etienne’s family lived and breathed
the bayou and its Cajun lifestyle. She liked their informality, the
easy way they’d accepted her and their insistence on treating her
as if she were one of them.
Insects hummed in the nearby trees. Cindy
rocked in the chair on the porch, breathing in the scent of life. A
jug and a glass of sweet tea sat on a nearby table.
“Why are you out here? Everyone else is still
eating.”
The screen door banged behind him. Etienne
approached, his clear blue gaze scrutinizing her.
She shrugged. “Not hungry. I wanted to take
in the air.”
He stood before her, quiet and speculative.
“Your father’s ordered his pack back from Washington. He’s a
to his feet, continuing to fire until the brothers collapsed to the
ground, as if dead.
But to her horror, Jorge struggled upright,
his eyes still red, his face twisted with hate. He began advancing
toward her. A bullet had torn through his left cheek, leaving his
mouth twisted and misshapen.
She saw her gun and dove for it, brought it
up and fired, emptying the chambers into Jorge.
He kept advancing.
Her mate fluidly leapt upward and shifted in
mid-air. The large gray wolf raced over to Jorge and tore into his
leg.
Diaz screamed and fell, snarling and lashing
out at the wolf. But Etienne danced away and attacked again, this
time going for the throat.
Gasping, Jorge held a palm to contain the
gushing black blood. Etienne shifted back, and rolled toward the
abandoned knife. But as he reached for it, Liony came to life,
crawled over to her mate and raked sharp talons over his grasping
fingers. Etienne hissed, kicking out.
The two began to fight, Liony aiming for
Etienne’s eyes. Etienne dodged and delivered a punch that sent the
demon reeling. And then Liony sank his talons directly into
Etienne’s wound.
An unearthly howl of pain tore from her mate.
Cindy cried out, anger and fear colliding. She struggled to her
feet, ready to rip the demon apart with her bare hands.
“No, stay back Cyn,” Etienne grated out.
Retrieving the dagger, the demon raised the
blade, ready to plunge it into Etienne. Cindy skidded to a halt,
stricken by a familiar scent.
A loud, rough growl sounded from the doorway.
She turned and saw a beloved form. He flicked his wrist. The dagger
sailed through the air and hit Liony in the heart. The demon
screamed and disintegrated into a shower of black dust.
Etienne rolled over, grabbed the knife and
sank it deep into Jorge’s chest. The demon disappeared, leaving
behind a pile of black dust.
“Only way to get them is the heart,” Etienne
murmured, wincing as he held a hand to his bleeding side.
Relief made her knees wobble as she stumbled
over to her mate. Cindy tore open his shirt and pressed her palm
against his wound. Stunned, she watched the bleeding stop and the
skin knit itself together. Etienne grabbed her hand, emotion
clouding his gaze.
“You got your powers back. You can heal,” he
said and she heard low agony in his voice.
“Hey sis.” Her big brother knelt by their
father, checking his pulse. He sighed with relief. “He’s only
unconscious.”
Cindy felt her eyes fill with tears. “How did
you know?”
“Dad called us with some cryptic warning, but
Sam and Allen were too far away. I was in Key West.” Matt stared
grimly at her. “Dad told me a long time ago to protect the Orb at
all costs because of you, Cindy.”
Her brother’s dark gaze flicked to the floor
and he stared at the glittering shards. And cursed.
Etienne looked at the Orb’s shattered
remains. “It’s gone, Cyn.”
A sharp pain speared her chest. But she was
not dead. She had Etienne, and his belief in her.
His love for her.
Even without her magick, she would survive,
nurtured by the power of his love for her. For however long she had
to live.
Chapter Eight
Nestled by the sluggish waters of the bayou,
the gray house belonging to Celine and Remy Robichaux sat on seven
acres of lush, fertile land. Etienne’s family lived and breathed
the bayou and its Cajun lifestyle. She liked their informality, the
easy way they’d accepted her and their insistence on treating her
as if she were one of them.
Insects hummed in the nearby trees. Cindy
rocked in the chair on the porch, breathing in the scent of life. A
jug and a glass of sweet tea sat on a nearby table.
“Why are you out here? Everyone else is still
eating.”
The screen door banged behind him. Etienne
approached, his clear blue gaze scrutinizing her.
She shrugged. “Not hungry. I wanted to take
in the air.”
He stood before her, quiet and speculative.
“Your father’s ordered his pack back from Washington. He’s a
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