Page 113 of The Seeker
He reached up and tore off the boards covering the front door, tossing them to the side before he grabbed Meera’s hand.
“Once we aren’t running from Grigori, I’m going to swoon properly over that manly show of strength,” Meera said.
Rhys shot her a smile over his shoulder. “And I will properly appreciate your swoon.”
They ran into the shadowed church, and Meera nearly tripped over a curled-up edge of carpet.
She muttered a quiet curse.
“Don’t Irina have spells for night vision?” Rhys asked.
“Yes, but it’s not something I’m very good at.” She whispered a different spell, and six sconces down the center aisle sprang to life and glowed with a steady gold light. “I’m quite good at that one though.”
Rhys’s eyebrows went up. “Handy in libraries.”
“Exactly. No flame, just light.”
The church had been the target of vandals, and spray paint was scrawled over many of the walls, but the pews and the altar seemed to be in good repair. Meera hoped someone was caring for it, but she didn’t sense any humans nearby.
The Grigori, on the other hand, had surrounded them.
Two entered by the front door, and Meera heard two coming from a back door she couldn’t see.
“Four,” Rhys muttered. “What happened to the other two?”
“Never a good feeling.”
The Grigori had surrounded them now. The four circled Rhys and Meera along the edges of the sanctuary.
“I’m going to have to let these bastards get close to you, aren’t I?”
“If you want me to find out what they want? Yes.”
A long string of curses in the Old Language was the only response Meera got.
The men came closer, and Meera whispered a spell and allowed her magic to flood out. She spotted the first Grigori who felt it.
The knife he’d been holding dropped from his hand, and he cocked his head and locked his eyes on Meera, ignoring Rhys entirely.
“Rob, what’s your problem?” one of the Grigori asked a second before he felt Meera’s power too. Meera heard his knife clatter to the floor.
Rhys, on the other hand, seemed unaffected by the spell. Since it was a spell to entrance an enemy, it shouldn’t have had an effect on him, but nevertheless, Meera was grateful he remained on guard. Sometimes magic like this unintentionally leaked over.
Four Grigori were walking toward her like she was a magnet. Meera forced herself not to panic. She knew Rhys had his daggers out. His control was impeccable.
“I’m here,” he murmured as they drew closer. “Relax.”
“Okay.” It was difficult, even knowing she was in control. “Stop,” she told the men.
They stopped.
“Kneel.”
They knelt.
There. That was better. Meera let out a long breath. She hadn’t forgotten about the other two Grigori, but she had confidence Rhys was keeping an eye out for them. She couldn’t sense them when her magic was this high, though she knew every Grigori in the neighborhood was going to be drawn to it.
“Who do you belong to?” she asked.
