The Tainted Web (The Godhunter, Book 7) by Amy Sumida Page A

had evidently felt that the others could handle things and had stayed back with me. I was a little surprised by that, I would have thought he'd be the first to hunt down someone who hurt me but then I got a good look at his face and realized he was in shock. Major shock. “How are you still alive? This is wood,” he held up the stake. “You should have been dead in seconds.”
    “ Yeah, about that,” I took the stake back from him. “Why the hell would she put a stake in my heart? She knows I'm dragon not  vampire, right?”
    “ That wouldn't have even worked on a vampire,” Blue scoffed and I looked up to find him among the rapidly growing presence of my people.
    “ Blue,” I smiled. “I think they might have different rules for their vampires here.”
    “ Do they?” He looked over at Isleen, who I just noticed was standing super close to him. Hmmmm.
    “ Not just vampires,” she answered, her eyes as big as Arach's.
    In fact, all of the fey surrounding me, which included the High King and Queen, were staring at me like I was the walking dead.
    “A Thaisce,” Arach took over. “What we were talking about earlier, how there is another way to kill faeries. Well, the surest, easiest way to kill a faerie, is to stab it through the heart with a tool made from an element not of their House.”
    “ So to kill me?”
    “ Wood, ice, or a shaft of air would have worked,” he nodded. “Our House is immune to metal, anything forged by fire.”
    “ They got away,” Trevor growled as he fell to the ground beside me, dropped by Arach who'd evidently been carrying him like a stork delivering a baby. A psychotic werewolf baby with a need for mermaid blood. Azrael alighted behind him, sword sheathed but face grim. “They jumped into a lake and disappeared. Are you alright? Do you need Teharon?”
    “ I believe my services would be moot at this point,” Teharon smiled from the sidelines. “I can hear the strength of her heart from here.”
    “ Yes, he's right,” I looked up at Kirill, Az, and Odin. “I'm fine, guys. Help me up.”
    “ But how are you fine?” Arach got to his feet slower, looking up  at me for a moment like I truly was a goddess. “I still don't understand this.”
    “ Because she's not all fey,” Azrael explained gently. He was probably the only one who could have said it without starting a fight. His voice alone had a calming affect. “Her body is imbued with the immortality of a goddess and you can't kill a god with a wooden stake.”
    “ Well, I never thought I'd be so happy that you aren't fully sidhe,” Arach gave a self-reproachful laugh and then pulled me into a hug. “I was scared. I haven't felt fear in a very long time.”
    “ Not very fun, huh?” I smiled gently at him.
    “ I don't ever want to feel it again.”
    “ Find another woman then,” Trevor grimaced at him. “This one has a knack for finding trouble.”
    “ Why did Queen Dubheasa try to kill you?” Queen Meara interjected before Arach could respond.
    “ She said she couldn't allow the dragon-sidhe race to continue,” I frowned, then shouted, “And she took my ring!”
    “ How did she even get it off your hand?” The King still looked all kind of troubled but at least the rest of the fey seemed calmer.
    “ I asked it to go with her,” I grimaced. “I think she was going to cut off my finger to get it.”
    “ We'll get it back,” Arach's face started to shift, his eyes burning brighter, and the scales on his face spreading down his cheeks.
    “ The House of Spirit will aid you,” the High King nodded to Danal, who left in a rush.
    “ The House of Earth is with you,” a man stepped forward, crowned with polished wood and emeralds shaped like leaves. His hair was deep brown but highlighted with muted greens and yellows, like the forest floor spotted with sunlight. “She tried to implicate us in the murder of royalty,” he lifted his head, his yellow eyes flashing with distaste. “I will have