What the fuck?

It wasn’t so much a blow as a slow, inevitable pull that took me down to the carpet, as though something tried to drag me down through the layers of the hotel into the ground. I again smelled damp earth and tree roots, had the sensation of being smothered with dirt, crushed alive by it.

I’d left my cell phone in the office, arrogantly figuring I could handle anything without having to call for backup. There were panic buttons in the halls for those in the know, in case employees were threatened by guests or intruders. They went straight to security, but security wasn’t what could help me. In any case, I couldn’t summon the energy to stand up and reach one of the buttons.

I heard a step behind me in the hall. “You see?” the witch said with mean glee. “It is a beginning. Abominations like you will pay.”

The witch, dressed and with a shoulder bag slung over her arm, walked past me as I struggled to stand, barely able to see her.

I expected her to let loose her magic or at least kick me, but she continued down the hall, pushed the button for the elevator, entered it, and disappeared.

The crushing sensation didn’t leave me once she was gone, which meant the witch hadn’t instigated whatever this was.

I tried to call up my Beneath magic, delving into my most hidden reserves, but I could barely move through the sludge. I managed one lone spark, which did nothing but glitter in my hands.

An answering glitter came from my purse. As I closed a shaking hand around it, the clasp came undone and a shard of glass spilled out and fell to the carpet.

No, not glass—mirror.

I’d forgotten about it. The magic mirror had been unusually quiet since Janet had handed it to me, but it wasn’t awake all the time. Now it lay on the floor and winked up at me, showing my wide brown eyes and blotchy face.

“Oh sugar,” it said. “You do not look good.”

“Colby,” I croaked. “Get Colby.” My breath left me.

“I belled him,” the mirror said. “Hang on to your knickers, darling. Looks like you’re caught in a bad Earth-magic sink, like the kind that made me. Not good for Beneath-goddess beautiful women. Don’t die Gabrielle, okay? You’re too hot to die.”

I didn’t even have the wherewithal to tell it to shut up.

The elevator dinged and the floor shook with Colby’s heavy tread. “Gabrielle.”

He caught me as I collapsed all the way. His dragon magic burned me—his magic was Earth magic, but so was whatever was attacking me. I wanted to scream, but smothering weight began to crush me.

Colby rubbed my arms with his big hands. “Stay with me, Gaby. Come on, sweetheart.”

“Take me out of here,” I tried to say, but nothing crossed my lips.

Colby lifted me to his lap as he sank to the floor and cradled me against his chest. He was trying to reach me with dragon magic, but the fire he slid into me was snuffed out by the deep weight of the Earth magic.

“Shit.” He lifted me closer, burying his face in my hair, and I felt him shaking. “Hang on, Gabrielle. Don’t leave me yet.”

I had no intention of going anywhere. I wanted to take this dragon out to dinner, flirt like hell with him, go dancing with him, then end up in my sumptuous hotel suite and make love with him all night. I bet he was good in the sack, could teach me so many things, first and foremost to not be ashamed of my own passion.

Colby kissed my neck, his breath warm, then he freed one of his hands to push buttons on a cell phone. “Get over here,” he said to whoever answered on the other end. “Weird shit is going on, and you’re the only one I can think of to fix it.”

---

I held on to Gabrielle as though I could save her with sheer willpower.

I didn’t know what the hell was wrong. I’d never seen Gabrielle down except for when she’d fought that bastard the Ununculous, and then she’d been physically fine, just magically drained.

Now she lolled against me, her hair spilling warmly down my arm, and I didn’t know what to do. I’d vowed to take care of her, and here she was, dying on my watch.

Nothing was attacking her as far as I could tell. The corridor was empty, silent, the antique furniture undisturbed and the thick pile carpet clean and well vacuumed.

The mirror in my bathroom had started screaming, Help! Help! She’s dying! And I’d followed its hysterical directions to the fourth floor. The elevator had opened to show me Gabrielle lying in a tangle of limbs, blue fabric, and silky hair.

“Don’t leave me, sweetheart,” I said as I gathered her closer. “I want to get to know you, find out what you’re all about.”

I knew there was more to Gabrielle than the crazily dangerous half human, half goddess everyone made her out to be—she was smart, funny, adapted rapidly to perilous situations, and she had more courage than anyone I’d ever met, including dragons.

Gabrielle fought every day of her life. I wasn’t about to let that fight be for nothing.

The elevator made a soft ding and someone got off. Not the man I’d hoped to see but a black-skinned woman in a colorful shirt and dark pants.

She knelt next to me, concern on her face. “What happened?”

I recognized her as Chandra, the nurse who’d taken care of Gabrielle. I’d met her earlier today when Gabrielle had been introduced around.

“Don’t know,” I said. “She called me, and I found her like this.”

Chandra touched Gabrielle’s face then took her wrists, checking her vitals or whatever humans did to figure out what was wrong. Her touch was firm, competent, professional.

“Physically, I think she’s fine,” Chandra announced, to my relief. “Though scans might tell us something different. She needs a hospital.”

“No, she needs the guy I just called. This is a magical attack.”

I didn’t feel weird telling this woman about magic, because I sensed it in her. Deep inside her, like she kept it buried—so buried I couldn’t tell what kind it was.

Chandra looked at me sharply. “What guy?”

The elevator’s door rolled back once more. “Him.”

Sheriff Jones barreled out, followed by Maya. He didn’t bother to ask what was going on before he crouched down next to us.

Chandra gave him a startled look but moved aside. Maya, in a bright red dress—they must have been out on the town—leaned over Nash, her eyes holding worry.

Nash studied Gabrielle with a frown before he put his broad hand on her shoulder.

Gabrielle jerked under his touch. I held her steady, knowing more or less what was happening, but Chandra scowled at Nash. “You’re hurting her.”

“No he isn’t,” I said, then sent Jones a dangerous look. “Are you?”

“I don’t know,” he answered. “Do you know what happened?”

“No,” I began, but Chandra interrupted.

“It will be in her log. She must have been answering a call.”

A call Gabrielle hadn’t bothered to alert me about, which meant she’d thought she could handle it.

I’d been respecting her space, agreeing not to hover around her and get her fired on her first day. I should have ignored her, damn it.

Nash continued to frown. “This is weird. I usually feel nothing, but …”

He drew an abrupt breath, while Maya leaned closer. “What?” she asked anxiously. “What do you feel?”

“Like a wall …” Nash closed his eyes, sweat beading on his face. “Pushing me out.”

Chandra’s lips parted as she watched him, her eyes growing wider. “What kind of witch are you?”

Nash didn’t answer. Gabrielle jerked again. I tried to still her, but she began jolting and lurching like she was having a seizure.

“No, you don’t,” Jones said under his breath. He closed his hand on Gabrielle’s shoulder and touched the other to her gray and perspiring face.

I heard a groan, which came from none of us—a sound of defeat but also rage. Something dark sprang from Gabrielle and smacked Nash right in the chest.

Maya reached for him in alarm, but Nash shouted, “Don’t touch me!”

The darkness sank into Nash. He kept his hands firmly on Gabrielle, not flinching as the inky blackness shoved its way into his body. Another groan sounded, louder this time, vibrating the walls as Nash folded in on himself.

Nash’s face was slick with sweat as he fought whatever invaded him. Maya balled her hands, and Chandra stared in alarm and some fascination.

I felt as helpless as the two ladies did—for all my dragon might, I could only hold Gabrielle while Nash silently fought whatever had attacked her.

The final bit of darkness streamed reluctantly from Gabrielle’s chest, stretching like an elastic band. But Nash not only had training that made him a ruthless soldier and cop, he had a will of iron. The fact that he was a weak human in the middle of dragons, demons, goddesses, Nightwalkers, and witches never fazed him. I don’t think he noticed.

Nash abruptly let go of Gabrielle and pressed his fists into his stomach. “Get out, you son of a bitch.”

Whatever he fought, whatever tried to best him, didn’t win. Nash gave a final growl and tore at his chest, lifting his shirt from his body. Then he closed his fists and slammed them together.

A last groan sounded, this one ending in a wail of pain. Finally Nash lowered his hands, sat back on his heels, and uncurled his fists.

“Everyone all right?” he asked.

Gabrielle’s chest rose with her breath, but easily as she relaxed. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked blearily up at me.

“Hey,” she said. “Did you come rescue me?”

I gathered her closer, my heart banging in relief. “Any time, sweetheart.”

Gabrielle turned her head and looked at Nash, who breathed hard but otherwise looked unhurt from his battle.

“Nashie,” Gabrielle said, her voice a croak. “Lovely to see you again. Were you who Colby called? That was smart. Don’t tell Maya. She’ll be jealous.” She looked past Nash to Maya, and winked at her. “Hey, Chandra. The gang’s all here. I say we party.”

“No, you get yourself to bed and rest,” Chandra said in a stern voice.

“What she said.” I gave Gabrielle a no-nonsense look. “What was attacking you?”

“I don’t know.” Gabrielle tried to sit up and collapsed onto my lap instead, leaning against me while I held her, which was fine with me. “I banished a demon and sent a witch packing, and then something hit me. Horrible spell or … something.” She shuddered. “Like being buried by a ton of dirt.”

Nash nodded as he sat back, his arms resting loosely on his knees. “That’s what it felt like to me too. I had to push my way out.”

Chandra frowned at Nash. “What are you?” She poked a tentative finger to his shoulder. “I’ve never felt anything like you before.”

“He’s a county sheriff and my boyfriend,” Maya told her in a hard voice.

“He’s a magic null.” Gabrielle gazed at Nash with admiration. “That’s what Janet calls him. He negates magic. He was hit with some kind of spell when he was in the army.”

Nash scowled. “That’s need-to-know information.”

“Chandra’s fine,” Gabrielle said with tired assurance. “She’s a doctor, and I think she has some magical ability, though I don’t know what it is.”

Chandra fixed her attention on Nash. “It’s more than a spell. This one is special.” She turned from him and looked at Maya. “Very special. You must take good care of him.”

“I always do,” Maya said glumly.