Adam groaned. “Please don’t do that.”

  Crina laughed, and for the first time in a long time, felt joy, real joy, fill her heart.

  Adam stood, placing her feet on the ground at the same time. He lifted the magic that kept the others from hearing them.

  “Vasile, we are ready.” Adam didn’t raise his voice; he knew that the Alpha would hear him just fine.

  As the group came into view, Jacque made a beeline for Crina.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, her brow furrowed, searching intently for anything that would indicate otherwise.

  Crina looked up at Adam and smiled. “I’m better than okay.”

  Jacque let out a breath and smiled back. “Excellent. I was really hoping the guys wouldn’t have to kick Adam’s ass if he hurt you.”

  Adam glanced at the males with a single brow raised.

  “I knew you would make the right choice,” Vasile told him confidently.

  Adam nodded his thanks.

  “Okay.” Vasile turned to look at the path they had been following. “We need to continue on. The pixies showed an interest in our presence earlier with the little emotion stunt. We need to be on guard and move quickly.”

  “When are we going to finally talk to the little buggers?” Jacque asked.

  “When they are ready to show themselves,” Vasile answered. “Until then, we keep moving.”

  Minutes after they had continued on their trek there was a loud crack, like a gun shot. The group stopped abruptly, everyone going into full alert. The males created a circle around the females and prepared for anything that might lunge out of the forest. Another crack sounded, seeming to come from above them. Adam glanced up and saw a large branch begin to fall from the tall tree.

  “RUN!” he yelled as he pushed the group up the path. They jumped into action and took off. As they ran, they continued to hear frightening cracks – branches were crashing together as limbs fell all around them.

  Vasile was in the lead when a crack much louder than the others broke into the air. He began to sense that the danger had moved ahead rather than behind them. Suddenly a branch the size of a small tree fell in the spot Vasile’s foot had just been about to land. The other wolves crashed into his back as he pulled to a halt.

  “We can’t stop moving,” he told them as he looked left and started off into the trees. He saw large boulders up ahead, stacked on top of each other. One of them stuck out, creating a covered area that would protect them from the falling branches. He ran full speed ahead, looking back once to make sure that everyone in their group was moving in the same direction.

  Jacque screamed as a branch landed next to her, and had Fane not pushed her out of the way, it would have landed right on top of her.

  After what seemed like the longest run of their lives, they poured into the covered area. Vasile and the other males pushed the ladies behind them against the rock wall and covered them from the opening as branches continued to snap and fall all around them.

  Jacque looked at the other females, ensuring that they were all okay, and then let out a laugh laced with sarcasm.

  “What happened to, ‘the pixies aren’t evil, the pixies won’t hurt us, the pixies blah, blah, blah?’” She let out a frustrated growl. “Because I hate to break it to you, but they just tried to crush us like bugs with tree branches. Anyone think that maybe means they aren’t into negotiations?”

  When no one answered her, she slumped back against the wall in frustration and fear.

  Vasile, Fane, Adam, and Gavril did not turn around until the commotion outside had stopped and a branch-free twenty minutes had passed. Finally, when they did turn around, the males checked their mates over with a near-embarrassing thoroughness.

  “Jacquelyn, I am going to overlook your insolence because of the stress and fear we are all experiencing. In the future, however, it would be wise of you to remember that though I am your father-in-law, I am also your Alpha.”

  Jacque lowered her head, her wolf wanting to submit, though Jacque wanted to tell him to shove it because she was so upset about her mate and her friends being in danger.

  Vasile turned away. “What do you think this means?” he asked, directing his question to Gavril.

  Gavril pulled Rachel closer to him, needing to reassure himself that she had made it through the treachery unscathed.

  “It could mean that Desdemona has already secured the pixies' loyalty,” he answered as he looked out into the now-destroyed forest.

  “That is my thought as well,” Vasile agreed.

  “Do we really need to talk with them?” Alina asked, speaking up for the first time in a while.

  Vasile, like the other males, looked out into the forest, eyes scanning, watching for any potential danger. “Mischievous beings tend to know things that honest ones do not.”

  “So, in other words, yes, we need to talk to the little demons,” Jacque quipped.

  Vasile took a tentative step out from underneath the cover of the rock. He looked around and above them into the forest, attempting to scent anything that might give away the enemies' next move.

  “Be vigilant,” he told them as he took Alina’s hand and began to move back into the forest. Their progress was much slower as they maneuvered around and over branches.

  The day quickly turned into night as the sun sank into the horizon, taking the last of the light with it. They set up camp in an area with few surrounding trees so as to keep from being under potentially deadly branches. The males once again got a fire started. They ate some of the Fae food that Adam had brought with him, which was more satisfying than the bread and other items they had each packed for themselves. They all gathered around the fire, seeking its warmth against the night chill.

  “Vasile,” Jacque looked at her father-in-law from across the fire, “can you explain a little about why the supernatural races are so divided? Why was the In Between even brought into existence?”

  Vasile took a deep breath as he pulled Alina closer as she sat in front of him, between his bent legs.

  “Come now, Alpha.” Alina patted his leg. “We can still be diligent and listen to you speak.”

  Alina, obviously knowing her mate better than the others, knew that he was debating the wisdom of distracting everyone with a story.

  “Alright,” he said with a slight smile as he looked down at his mate. He looked back up at Jacque and began.

  “There was a time when the supernaturals were united. Not necessarily best friends, but comrades in arms, if you will. Had there ever been a need for us to join together, then we would not have hesitated to do so. There was a balance between good and evil in the world. Over time, however, the balance began to shift. As you know, the witches began to grow in number and their magic began to corrupt those who once stood for good. The witches wanted power, always more power. It was never enough. They learned ways to take that power from other supernaturals, and that was the beginning of the disintegration of the cooperation among us.

  “Everyone became suspicious of each other, not trusting whether the witches had corrupted them or not. It got so bad that, not only were different races at odds with each other, but each race began to fight amongst itself. The Canis lupus became divided, the warlocks, the trolls, pixies, even the witches began to fight within their own ranks. From there, everything just fell apart. No one trusted, no one believed in the good of another being.

  “The supernatural races began to slip into seclusion from one another and the magic that came with their unity is fading still. The faes’ exit from this realm caused the biggest decline in magical power. Desdemona might not realize it, but even though what she is doing is horrible and could quite possibly kill us all, she is also uniting us.”

  “The enemy of my enemy,” Jacque murmured.

  “Exactly,” Vasile confirmed. “The Great Luna and her decision to join two races has pushed it one step further. We might just have a chance if we can get the Fae to come out from behind their Veil.”

  The fire crackled in the silence, the orange light dancing across their faces, giving off an eerie glow. The night was quiet. No animals scurried, the wind didn’t howl through the trees. All was still in the Carpathian Mountains.

  Then the silence was broken – there was a soft humming, followed by words:

  “As I went down to the river to pray

  Studyin’ about that good ol' way

  And who shall wear the starry crown?

  Good Lord show me the way!

  O sisters let's go down

  Let's go down, Come on down

  O sisters let’s go down

  Down in the river to pray

  As I went down in the river to pray

  Studyin’ about that good ol’ way

  And who shall wear the robe & crown

  Good Lord show me the way

  O brothers let’s go down

  Let's go down, Come on down

  O brothers let’s go down

  Down in the river to pray

  As I went down in the river to pray

  Studyin’ about that good ol’ way

  And who shall wear the star and crown?

  Good lord show me the way

  O fathers let’s go down

  Let's go down, Come on down

  O fathers let’s go down

  Down in the river to pray

  As I went down in the river to pray

  Studyin’ about that good ol’ way

  And who shall wear the robe and crown

  Good Lord show me the way

  O mothers let’s go down

  Come on down, don't you wanna go down?

  Come on Mothers let’s go down

  Down in the river to pray

  As I went down in the river to pray

  Studyin’ about that good ol' way

  And who shall wear the starry crown?

  Good Lord show me the way

  O sinners let’s go down

  Let’s go down, come on down

  O sinners let’s go down

  Down in the river to pray

  As I went down in the river to pray

  Studyin’ about that good ol’ way

  And who shall wear the robe and crown?

  Good Lord show me the way

  If the silence was deafening before, now it was all encompassing as the group stared at Crina. She sat in silence, observing the dancing flames, not acknowledging that she had just sung so beautifully that the others were speechless. Adam looked at his newfound mate in awe and enjoyed the blush that he saw creep up in her cheeks.

  Rachel recovered first.

  “That was amazing, Crina. You never told us you had such an amazing voice.”

  Crina smiled as she looked at the healer. “It never came up.”

  Jacque snorted. “That isn’t a good enough excuse. That was just, I mean, just wow.”

  “Will you sing it again?” Alina asked with a smile.

  As if anyone could deny a request from Alina.

  Crina nodded. “Sure.” And she did. As she sung, her voice danced around them, the tune entrancing them as the words poured over them. Jacque felt like a fog was being wrapped around her brain, her eyes growing unfocused. She didn’t know if it was happening to the others; she didn’t really care. She just knew that she needed to get going. She needed to stand up and walk into the forest. Crina’s voice carried over the crackling fire and the wind that had begun to blow. Jacque felt the air blowing all around her, moving through her hair like the fingers of a lover’s gentle touch.

  She kept walking, even as the light of the fire faded behind her. The trees towered over her, looming in their haunted grace, leaves rustling and branches swaying. Part of her knew that she should turn around and go back, but she couldn’t, she had to go. And even though she could no longer see the light from the fire, she could still hear Crina’s voice just as clearly as if she were sitting right next to her.

  Jacque didn’t know how long she had been wandering through the forest, but she now saw a pond up ahead. The moonlight shone over the surface as it rippled, the wind disturbing the appearance of glass. The water called to her, or something in the water. She knew it would be refreshing, it would cleanse her. Surely, she was dirty from all the trekking and running in the forest. Crina’s voice still carried over.

  “O sisters let's go down

  Let's go down, Come on down

  O sisters lets go down

  Down in the river to pray.”

  Jacque found herself humming the tune. She continued to walk slowly toward the peaceful pond. A serene smile touched her lips as she thought of the peace that she would find in the water’s arms. Her feet came to the edge and, though she faltered briefly, she thought how silly it was for her to question the water. The water wouldn’t hurt her; it would wash her. She took a step into the pond and the soft mud sunk in between her toes. At first the water felt cold, but then warmth rushed through her as she continued in. She heard her name being called but didn’t react until she was neck deep.

  Just before her head was fully submerged, she turned and saw glowing blue eyes moving swiftly through the darkness. Her last thought was how beautiful those eyes were.

  Chapter 15

  “When you live in a world where you know other things exist, things that are not human, you become vigilant. You constantly look over your shoulder and peer into the shadows to see what lurks. Supernaturals rarely reveal themselves, however. Eventually, as time passes, you grow complacent and go back to living in your bubble, just like those who know nothing beyond what their eyes tell them. Then a single phone call, one you think is bringing good news, tears through the security you had built into your bubble. And now you’re exposed, no longer shielded, no longer safe.” ~Lilly

  Mona stood in the crowded airport, waiting for her prey to exit the plane. She loathed such a place, which was filled with the sound of human chatter and the stench that they carried with them. Even in their ignorance they picked up on the threat Mona represented – they picked up on her “otherness”, though it was likely subconscious. Like any predator, being in the midst of prey simply made her want to attack. She smiled to herself as she thought about the havoc she could wreak in this place where mortals scurried like little ants. She could crush them with a simple twist of her hand. But then, where would the fun in that be?

  Turning her attention from those around her, she zeroed in on the exit sign above the hallway where Lilly Pierce should emerge at any moment. She had rehearsed being nice in the mirror. Now that was sad, she had told herself, actually having to practice being nice. Her smile looked more like a sneer and her laugh could curl the toes of even the toughest men. She would just have to hope that Lilly wasn’t easily intimidated. And if she was, then she would have to do something to keep her calm until she was able to deliver her to the warlock King.

  Yes, she thought, this promises to be an interesting day.

  ***

  Lilly gathered her belongings, moving as slowly as possible. She thought back to the day she received the phone call. She knew it wasn’t Alina on the other end of that line, which was why she was standing on a plane that had just landed in Romania. Something was wrong. It had been a while since the sixth sense, as she called it, had made an appearance. But she could feel deep inside her that something was going on. She had made the decision not to call Jacque or anyone else in the Romanian pack until she knew more information. Lilly could sense the “individual” she'd spoken with was extremely dangerous She didn’t want to call in the wolves before she knew if doing so would put Jacque in danger.

  She had simply packed her things, arranged for her manager to take care of the store while she was gone, and driven herself to the airport. It had been a long flight, with her laboriously speculating about what could be wrong. She had sent a text to Jacque just to make sure she was okay, but didn’t mention that she was on her way to Romania.

  Now here she was, stalling. The flight attendant stuck her head in and smiled.

  “Everything alright?” she asked sweetly.

  “Um, yeah, everything’s fine. I was just making sure that I had all of my things,” Lilly told her as she put her bag over her shoulder and headed for the exit. She followed the long corridor that attached the plane to the airport. She had been told that the lady picking her up would be “different”. Lilly wasn’t sure what to expect, but when she looked up as she exited the corridor, the woman waiting for her was definitely not it.

  Tall, with long black hair that had a strip of white in the front, she had two different colored eyes, one blue and one green. She was beautiful in a very odd, but striking way. Her lips were full and red and when she broke into a smile it made Lilly’s skin crawl. The closer Lilly got to the woman, the more she realized that it was the evil emanating off of the woman that was causing her discomfort.

  The woman was wearing a red cloak which was odd in and of itself, as it looked like something someone would have worn a very long time ago. The air around grew thin and, like an invisible barrier, people in the airport gave her a wide berth. They seemed to sense what Lilly did, that this was not one to be trifled with.

  “Lilly?”

  The woman’s voice raked over Lilly and it took everything in her not to take a step back. She pasted a smile on her face and nodded. “That’s correct. And you are?” she asked, trying to draw on her Southern upbringing to be cordial, no matter how badly she wanted to turn and run as far as she could from the evil standing in front of her.

  “I’m Mona. Alina sent me to pick you up.”

  Right, Lilly thought, and if I say Beetlejuice three times a creepy, albino dude with bad hair will show up.

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you.” Lilly reached out her hand to shake Mona’s.

  Mona looked at the offered hand and Lilly saw a look of disgust quickly pass over the woman’s face before it was masked with what could only be described as mild dislike. She took Lilly’s hand, grasping it lightly as if she might catch something from the mere touch. After a single shake she quickly pulled her hand away. Lilly discreetly wiped her palm on her jeans, trying to rid herself of the cold wrongness of Mona’s touch.