Shea pulled the SUV around the mountain and parked beside Jesse’s vehicle. Telling the witches to stay where they were, she got out and rushed inside, calling for Jesse.

She returned a few minutes later. “He’s not here,” she told them. “I would know if he was here.”

“He was here. We saw it,” Laney told her.

“Where else would he be? Any idea?” Emma asked.

Another SUV pulled up, full of pissed off vampires. It stopped with its headlights pointed at the side of their vehicle, but no one got out. True to Laney’s prediction, the girls didn’t even make it out of the parking garage before their males were loading up into the other vehicle and following them north.

“See? I told you they’d follow us,” Laney said.

“Of course they did,” Keira agreed. “Gods forbid us poor helpless females go out into the world to take on evil by ourselves. We might break a nail or some other such horrifying thing.”

Even Ryan laughed at that. An uncomfortable truce had been made between her and Shea, but even so, she’d been quiet for much of the drive. When everyone had calmed down, she spoke up from the back seat. “I can see if I can find out where Jesse is.”

But Shea was looking up at the sky, listening. “No need,” she told her. “I think I hear Cruthú.”

“Cru-who?” Grace asked.

“Cruthú. His raven. She never leaves him.” Running out to a break in the trees, she searched the dark sky, but she saw nothing but clouds. A light drizzle began to fall as she stood there. Heading back to the vehicle, she told the other females, “I can’t see her, but she sounds upset. Which means Jesse is in trouble. I’m going.”

“I don’t hear anything,” Laney said.

“Because you don’t have super crazy vampire hearing,” Emma told her.

“We’re coming with you,” Keira said.

Their eyes met—Shea’s grateful; Keira’s chilly but determined.

“I’m doing this for you,” she told Shea. “Not him.”

Shea nodded. “I know. But thank you anyway.”

“Should we let the guys know what we’re doing?” Laney asked.

Shea didn’t even spare the other vehicle a glance. “Nope. They’ll follow us, or not.”

“Oh, they’ll follow us,” Emma said as she looked around Shea from the passenger seat. “I can feel Nik’s fury from here.” She smiled and waved into the bright headlights.

“I wonder why they’re not trying to stop us?” Ryan asked.

“Pfft.” Grace waved also. “Because they know they only get away with being so overbearing because we let them. This is serious shit, dude. If they tried to stop us, Em would just freeze their asses and then they couldn’t help us if we actually needed it.”

Emma laughed. “I so would, though. It would teach them right.”

Shea got back in and shut the door. “All right. I’m going to drive in Cruthú’s direction, getting us as close as I can. Then I’ll stop and check out the situation before you all come anywhere near there. If anything happened to any of you, it would be the end of me. And I really don’t want to go through all this for nothing.”

None of the others bothered disagreeing. They all knew it was true. Vampires were extremely attached to their mates. And not just for the amazing sex.

She turned around and looked at each of them in turn. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“No,” Ryan answered. “But I’m doing it, anyway.”

Shea locked eyes with her. Out of all the witches, she hadn’t taken to Ryan like she did the others. She hadn’t known why at the time. But now, she did. Maybe it was time to make more of an effort. “Thank you,” Shea told her earnestly. “And I’m sorry I called you a slutty hooker when I first met you.”

Ryan grinned. “I was a slutty hooker when you first met me.”

Shea smiled back, then looked around the car again. “So, we’re good?”

“Oh, for gods’ sake, Shea.” Keira rolled her eyes. “Just go. We have demons to send back to hell.”

Shea backed out and took off in the direction she’d heard the raven. She had filled the girls in on her history on the drive north, and even told them about her sister. When she finished with her story, they were all quiet for a while as they took it all in. A few questions had been asked and answered, and Keira had even wondered aloud if Shea and Laney came from the same ancestors somewhere down the line, both being “Protectors.”

Shea had never thought about it, but now she wondered if the “holy” bloodline was really a magical one. She would have to research that once things settled down again.

They’d gone over and over different ways to attack what they had to do, and finally came to the conclusion that the witches would stick to their original plan. Only, instead of sending the demon’s souls back to being chained to the altar, Shea and her holy blood would send them back to hell. Blood and all.

They were about seventeen miles away from Jesse’s home when Shea leaned forward over the steering wheel and pointed toward the sky. “There! There she is!”

Emma looked in the direction she was pointing. “How are we going to get over there?”

“We’ll have to go on foot.” Shea pulled off the road and threw the vehicle into park. “Stay here for a minute while I check things out.”

But Ryan spoke up before she jumped out. “Wait.” She stared at Shea, but she knew she wasn’t really seeing her. “There are guards. They’ll see you.” Then she shrugged. “At least, that’s what they’re telling me.”

No one had to ask who “they” were. It was hard for Shea to trust the word of spirits, but decided it was better to be safe than sorry. “I’ll be careful.” Closing the door, she glanced over at the guys, who had pulled up right behind her, and gave the hand signal telling them she was checking things out and would be right back.

A minute later, she discovered Ryan had been right. There were three possessed vampires guarding the path off the road. Retreating quickly but silently, she hurried back to the cars.

She opened the door, but didn’t get in. “The spirits speak the truth. There are three of them blocking the path. So, here’s what we’re going to do.” Leaning back so they would see her, she waved at the guys to come and join them.

Five large vampires got out and surrounded her. They didn’t say anything, but Shea could feel their displeasure, and downright fury from Luukas and Dante. She didn’t bother speaking to them. They didn’t have time to argue right now.

“Okay, I’m going to distract the three that are guarding the path. Once I lead them away, you all circle around and find Jesse and the demons. But don’t let him know you’re there until I get there. Got it?” She turned to Keira. “Can you fill the guys in on the plan? Oh! And can you cloak everyone?”

She nodded. “Piece of cake.”

“No.” The word was growled out between clenched teeth. “I will go.”

Everyone turned to look at Dante. It was the first time he had spoken to Shea since she’d returned. She blinked hard, pushing down the emotions that were threatening to rise and distract her from her goal. She shook her head at him. “No, Dante. I will go. This is my fight. You need to let me do it my way.”

He stared at her a moment, then crossed his arms over his wide chest. “Don’t be stupid. You’re the only one I like out of this entire crew.”

Shea didn’t know what to say, but finally managed to nod.

“I resent that, commander,” Aiden told him.

Dante just gave her a look that clearly said: and this is why.

Luukas spoke from behind her. His voice was low and controlled, but she could hear the underlying anger. “What do you plan to do, Shea?”

She turned to look at her maker, the only one who knew who she really was. “With the girls’ help, I’m going to send them back to hell permanently—Keira will fill you in—and perhaps we can save who we can once they are out of the bodies.” She gave him a small smile. “Saving you in the process.”

“I’m not the one who will need saving when all of this is over.” His eyes flicked over to Keira, who gave him her most innocent expression.

“I’m glad you guys came,” Shea told them. “It will help to have you there.”

“You didn’t give us a choice.” Nik glared at Emma as he said this.

She smiled sweetly back at him.

“We will discuss all of this later,” Luukas told her. “Right now, let’s concentrate on what needs to be done. But know this, Shea”—he paused until he had her full attention—“I am only here to protect my very stubborn witch, and to help send these fucking things back to where they belong.”

He didn’t need to say he wasn’t there for her, or for Jesse. The implications were more than clear. “I understand,” she said. “And I appreciate it anyway.”

The witches got out of the SUV, and gave Shea encouraging smiles and words. Keira gave her a quick hug. “We’ll see you in a minute.”

Shea hugged her back. “Be safe.” With a quick nod at the guys, she jogged around the vehicle and entered the trees.

It didn’t take her long to find the possessed vampires. As she crouched behind the underbrush watching them, she let the call of Jesse’s blood calm her. It was much stronger here, even though his thoughts were still blocking her.

He was still alive, and that was all she could ask for.

Keeping one eye on the demons, she let her instincts take over. Her mate was in trouble, and nothing would keep her from him. Especially not a few half-rotten demons. Her tongue ran over her fangs, long and sharp and ready to rip apart any who dared try to keep her from Jesse.

When she had ascertained there were only three guards, she stepped out from the shelter of the underbrush. Not bothering to conceal her footsteps, she ran past them, smiling to herself as the alarm was raised.

And the chase was on.

She glanced back once to make sure all three were following her. After she confirmed that none had stayed behind to catch her friends, Shea dug in and kicked it into high speed. Dodging trees and leaping over fallen branches, she cut a direct path to her male, following the call of his blood, knowing the witches would follow her with the guys’ help as they followed her scent.

Soon she smelled the strong scent of burning wood and knew she was getting close. Baring her fangs on a hiss, she jumped a fallen tree and kept going. Something touched the back of her neck, and she was glad she’d braided her hair and tucked it up before they’d left her apartment. A second later she felt a rush of warm air on her skin and smelled acrid breath. Her entire body shuttered in disgust, and Shea pumped her arms harder and dug in her toes, pushing herself as hard as she could go.

She led them in a circle around the spot where she knew Jesse to be, giving the witches time to get in place without being sensed. Cruthú called from high above her, and she sounded happy and worried at the same time. Shea didn’t spare her a glance, concentrating on outrunning the vampires who used to be her friends and a part of Luukas’s colony, but were now controlled by the demons inside of them.

Hopefully, there was enough of them left in there to be saved.

When she thought enough time had passed, Shea cut sharply to the left and headed straight toward Jesse. She leaped a small creek, and nearly stumbled as she landed on the other side when Jesse’s voice suddenly appeared in her head.

Shea, get the FUCK out of here.