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Celine almost couldn’t believe that the moment was nearly at hand. She was running down the corridor of the fancy mansion, trailing after her grandfather who had taken point , as the soldiers called it. Zeke was bringing up the rear, following close behind her, his weapon held at the ready.

She didn’t have a weapon. She was the weapon.

She might not have claws and teeth like her lion cousins, but seals had a little extra magic, and a lot of secrets that they didn’t reveal, even to their shifter kin.

There was a very good reason that the Navy SEALs had originated with selkies.

Seal shifters had a lot more going for them, magically speaking, than most people realized.

She might not be a trained soldier, but her wild side had the killer instinct and knew how to hunt. And how to evade.

It was her particular brand of wild magic that made her brave enough to face down the mage who had killed her parents.

The only reason that mage had gotten the drop on her parents was because she’d taken them by surprise.

They had never expected an ambush within their own home.

If they had been the least bit prepared, the woman would never have been able to kill them both.

Celine had taken time to prepare for this moment. She’d been building up to this for almost a year now. She was ready to face the woman who had taken the people she’d loved most from her. The mage would pay for what she had done.

Suddenly, her grandfather stopped running and began creeping towards the corner in the wide hallway. Celine stopped and listened to her senses. Yes. That had to be her . Right around the corner, the mage was waiting for them.

Celine met her grandfather’s eyes, and they both nodded understanding. He knew her capabilities, which was why he hadn’t denied her desire to be on this mission.

“Do your thing, pumpkin,” her grandfather said in the gentlest of tones that did not carry beyond the three of them.

Celine was aware that Zeke was standing at her shoulder.

She glanced back at him and wasn’t too surprised to find a massive lion stalking up behind them.

It seemed her cousin Liam had decided to join them in his shifted form.

Depending on how difficult the mage was to deal with, he might come in handy.

Celine nodded to him, and Zeke turned to look over his shoulder.

Celine almost cracked a smile at the way Zeke’s eyes widened when he caught sight of the giant jungle king sitting like a house cat right behind him.

“She’s around the corner waiting for us,” Celine whispered into Zeke’s ear, moving close to him. “I’m going to do something. Just stay behind me unless Gramps says otherwise. I can handle this. I promise you.”

Zeke looked like he wanted to argue, but she didn’t give him a chance. She moved away, drawing on her inner power, then moving her hands in a ritualistic fashion, pulling out the shield from her inner core of magic that would protect them all while they faced down the evil mage.

Zeke felt something buzzing through the air.

Like the gathering of electrical charge right before a lightning strike.

He’d become more familiar with that sensation since Wil had gained his power over the weather, and lightning in particular.

But this was slightly different. The flavor of it felt somehow more…

ancient…or something. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

But as amazed as he was by the freaking lion that was now bringing up the rear of their small group, he was even more startled when Celine started doing some kind of magic.

She was the source of the buzz in the air.

And as she pulled her hands apart like she was stretching some sort of imaginary taffy, he felt the buzz spread over him.

It felt protective, though he couldn’t explain why he thought that.

Was it some kind of shield? Some kind of magical force field?

He really didn’t know enough about magic yet to understand what he was feeling and seeing, but it did seem like magic, and he hadn’t known that Celine had that sort of ability. He’d figured she was just a shifter, though there was no just about being a shapeshifter, of course.

Zeke held his breath as Celine stepped around the corner.

Santini went with her, as did Zeke and the giant lion.

The mage saw them and went nuts. That’s the only way he could describe it.

The woman’s face twisted up in a mask of rage as she raised her arms and threw all kinds of energy bolts at them.

Zeke would have ducked, but somehow, he knew that whatever Celine had done, it wouldn’t allow any of that nasty, blood-red energy to reach them.

She advanced, step-by-step, toward the mage.

Celine’s confidence grew as the other woman’s poise diminished.

The mage was cornered, the wide hallway having no outlet except a window at one end and doors on either side that led to other rooms in the house.

But she would never make it to any of those doors.

Not if they had anything to say about it.

“You killed my parents.” Celine’s voice was strong as she advanced on the mage who kept trying to use her own power to break through Celine’s shield, to no avail.

“You killed my son and daughter-in-law.” Santini’s voice spoke judgment as he walked beside his granddaughter.

Celine spoke again. “Under shifter law, your life is forfeit, and we’ve come to serve justice on your soul.”

Zeke felt like there was power in the ritualistic words. The mage’s eyes went wide with fear and desperation as they stalked closer to her. Her magic seemed to have no effect on Celine or anyone behind her magical barrier.

The mage’s crimson-tipped nails were shaped into claws that glistened in the faint light of dawn just coming in through the window at the far end of the hall. A cruel smile curved her lips as Celine stepped even closer.

Zeke scanned the space between the mage and the far end of the hall where the window shone brightly.

She was edging back toward it, as if she was going to try to jump out, but they wouldn’t allow her the chance.

Then he spotted some odd scuff marks on the floor in places.

Instinct took over. He took off one glove and reached out so that his fingers brushed the cold surface of the wall.

A vision slammed into him of the mage’s movements earlier that day, or perhaps the day before.

She’d gone around and moved things, doing incantations, setting spells in this hallway.

He saw what the walls had seen and the exact spots she’d set up to strike.

She’d chosen this hallway for a last stand.

Insurance against being taken completely off guard.

They were on the ground floor of the mansion, so a little hop over the windowsill, and she’d be in the garden. Free to make her getaway.

“There are magical traps all over the place. Parts of this hallway are rigged to strike anyone who gets too close,” Zeke said loudly so everyone would hear.

The mage cursed as Zeke opened his eyes and let go of the wall.

He put his black glove back on and stared right back at the woman.

He read hatred in her eyes, just before they began glowing red, and she renewed her attacks, edging farther back in the hall.

She was going for the window, and they were going to have to let her go.

Or…maybe not.

The mage backed toward the window as magic flew, sending ropes of concentrated fire to batter against Celine’s shield. She was standing strong for now, but she looked angry, and a hint of strain was showing around her eyes. At least to Zeke.

He looked at the master chief, who was brandishing his weapon but holding his fire.

Santini had warned Zeke that conventional bullets would probably have little to no effect on a mage of this caliber.

Zeke turned when the lion’s tail deliberately brushed his arm, and he realized the lion was warning him that he was leaving.

Zeke would have to watch their backs as Liam, in lion form, went off on some other mission.

Zeke hoped he was going around to the back of the mansion. Hopefully, he’d be organizing a welcoming party for the mage on the back lawn if she made it out that window.

Which was becoming more likely by the moment. Dammit .

Zeke tuned in his tactical radio as his teammates began reporting in.

The men who’d gone after the soldiers reported that the mercenaries had been secured, and the members of his unit had been ordered to the mansion to help with the mage situation.

There was more than just the woman Celine and her grandfather were after.

Magic battles had broken out in several locations in the mansion.

They’d have to figure out later who all these people were, but none had the level of power of the woman who was getting closer and closer to that window.

Zeke asked for very specific help from his comrades as the situation went critical. It was a standoff between the selkies and the mage, but perhaps some of Zeke’s friends could help alter that balance of power. Two, in particular, had skills that could help right now.

Zeke kept watch behind the selkies while he talked low into his radio and received confirmation of his plan.

First, lightning striking very close to that window signaled Wil’s arrival, and a brief countdown preceded the appearance of Dan as he walked right through the far wall, startling the mage.

He tried to take her down with a quick blow to the temple, but she ducked out of the way.

She was stunned a bit, but not knocked out, so Dan exercised caution and ran back out through the wall before she could strike him down.

That was some freaky power he had, Zeke had to admit.

But the distraction was enough. Celine and Santini advanced on the mage, getting within touching distance. But there was a trap nearby, and Zeke had to warn them.

“Don’t let her get past the pillar. That’s the trigger for one of her traps,” he warned Santini in an urgent voice, but it was clear Celine had heard him too.

With a grunt of frustration, Celine dove for the mage and grabbed her by the throat. She was still stunned just enough to allow Celine’s move. They both fell to the carpeted floor as Santini stood over them.

Zeke was surprised that the master chief didn’t move to help, but it looked like Celine had the matter well in hand.

The mage tried to fight her off, but Celine was stronger.

She might look like a waif, but she was a shifter, with all the physical strength that implied.

It was pure luck that the mage got a leg between them and shoved Celine off, but Santini was there, and he put a bullet between the woman’s eyes, quick and neat.

Up close and personal. Ending her life, and her dark, sinister magic.

“I thought conventional ammo didn’t have an effect on magic users,” Zeke said, speaking the first thought that came to his mind as the master chief raised his weapon with grim satisfaction in his eyes.

“It’s no good for distance, but very few creatures on this earth can come back from a bullet between the eyes at point blank range.” Santini offered Celine a hand up from where she’d fallen on the floor. He gave her a quick hug, but they were still in a battle zone and needed to stay sharp.

“Good to know,” Zeke replied, shaking his head. Santini was every bit as awesome as his legend, now that Zeke had seen him in action.

Zeke reported the death of the main target over his radio and received a recall order from Hal.

He was to get the Santinis back to the boat, now that their job was done.

The rest of the troops would be mopping up everything else, particularly the mercenaries, who would not be going anywhere anytime soon.

The shifters had made provisions for where to keep them until they could be sorted out and sent far, far away.

For now, Zeke’s job was done, and he’d accomplished it with a little help from his friends. He’d have to remember to buy Wil and Dan a beer next time they had a night off. He owed them both for their timely distractions.

“We’re ordered to fall back to the transport,” Zeke told Celine.

Silence fell in the hall as they both looked down at the body of the mage who had caused them so much grief.

The roar of a lion could be heard outside, but it was in the distance.

Liam had gone into battle somewhere else on the large estate, but Zeke would have to figure that out later.

For now, Zeke reached out to Celine. She looked like she was in shock.

“You okay?”

Celine swallowed hard, nodding as tears shimmered in her eyes, but she stood tall.

“They can rest now,” she said, dignity in every word and motion. She looked tired. Drained, but also relieved. Santini put his hand on her shoulder.

“You did good, pumpkin. They’d both be very proud of you for holding the line so well and being so strong. They are avenged,” Santini intoned, and Celine nodded, her eyes brimming with tears that didn’t quite fall.

“Should we try to search her?” Zeke asked, wondering if there was further evidence they could collect.

“Better leave that to some proper mages. We have contact with a few ancient and powerful witches locally, who can do the job once we’ve secured the place,” Santini said, turning back the way they’d come. It was clear he was ready to leave, and Celine followed suit.

As the three of them walked back down the wide hall, Zeke glanced at Celine, pride swelling in his chest. She hadn’t been consumed by anger or revenge.

She’d claimed justice. She’d done so with dignity and control, and had powers he hadn’t even known existed.

She was amazing. And damn, if he wasn’t completely in love with her.