Page 80 of Wake the Dream

And there stood Caryss, wand at the ready and a steady stream of power pouring from the rowan wood.

The old woman’s eyes flicked toward Illaria. “I can’t hold this for long. Do what you have to do, fairy girl, and make it quick. I hate vamps.”

Short and snappy. Just the way she needed. Illaria bent her head in acknowledgment before forcing herself to rise. With the old Fae helping them, they might stand a chance of ending this fight.

A blazing shot of pain ripped through her shoulder and she dropped to her knees, fighting to breathe, as one of the vamps sank his fangs into her skin. He’d gotten close without her noticing.

Oona, she dimly recognized. Sending her power forward to cripple her own daughter, to keep Illaria from breaking free.

Beside her, Kieran struggled with two more vampires, each attempting to get a grip on him to twist his neck toward their mouth. Blood flowed and somewhere along the line Kieran had lost his gun.

“No!” Illaria cried out, tried to force the vampires away from Kieran to no avail. She called her wings but they would not come. No magic came.

With Caryss holding the line, Illaria struggled to shift her leaden body into some sort of fighting stance. But it was hopeless. Without magic, no way could she and Kiernan handle this horde. And Caryss’s magic wouldn’t last much longer either.

In the center of it all, Oona laughed. Had Illaria thought Caryss’s laugh to be god-awful and grating? Her mother’s was worse.

“Do you really think your little friend can keep us contained? It is only a matter of time before she’s overpowered too. Then this town will be ours. With the ley lines at our disposal, we can blast the gate open and no king or queen shall be able to close it.”

This was worse than Illaria had thought. Did her mother and sister really intend to drain the whole town of its power?

She wasn’t sure what hurt more, knowing her sister had betrayed her or realizing that she would rather fight for this stupid town than go home again.

She needed an edge to dispose of the fanged ones before they unleashed havoc on Hedgehill. She needed a miracle.

Through her blurred vision, she watched two vampires take Kieran to the ground, punches thrown and arms and legs thrashing.

Her strength ebbed when she tried to get to him, fighting off whatever magic her mother used to keep her contained and powerless. Although her mind gave the command, the rest of her refused to follow through.

Hands fell on her shoulders and dug in to draw her to her feet. Illaria glanced behind her to see a familiar face.

“Hello there, little one.”

It was a voice she had heard before, deep and raspy. It made her bones crack and splinter, made her feel the astonishing cold of a winter long since passed. Her eyes only dared to venture as far as his chest. It was broad, not entirely with muscle, and seemed tightly restrained within a white t-shirt. She knew that face.

How was he alive?

“I thought you were dead,” Illaria spat out.

The vampire from the club shook his head. “It’s harder to keep me down than you think. And there are more like me. So many more. You can’t understand yet, but you will.”

She ducked at the fist flying toward her head, then turned on the offensive. She’d had enough, enough of creatures wanting to make a snack out of her. Enough of lies and bullshit and everyone treating her like she couldn’t handle the truth. Like she didn’t deserve the truth.

Illaria surged forward, her forearm coming down, again and again, twisting and turning as she pounded into the vampire’s stomach with the last of her physical strength. She ignored the ache within her shoulder blades, moving fast. Faster than a striking snake. Pushing through the spell keeping her contained.

“Who the fuckareyou?” She winced when the vampire lunged, knocking her in the hip.

“I’m just a loyal servant. Nothing more.”

A scream tore through her when his claw sliced across her arm. Her breathing came hard and she had to work to keep from passing out against the pain.

Whoosh!A surge of air struck her in the solar plexus. Equilibrium gone, she landed hard on her tailbone.

The vamp’s foot pressed down on her chest. It pinned her in place and forced the air out of her lungs.

Her mouth opened on what she’d hoped to be a scream for help, the grunt coming out like a blast.

“You think this is a joke?” the vampire continued, staring down at her, head craned to the side. “This isn’t a joke. This is life and death. Your sister promised us life, promised us all the life we could handle if we helped her. The life you take for granted.”

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