Page 15 of Help Wanted, Vampires Inquire Within (Ours Evermore #6)

Skyler crouched down and held her hand out. The rat ran to her and jumped onto her open palm, the chain trailing behind.

“You’re such a good girl,” Skyler murmured. The rat wriggled with pleasure at the compliment and the accompanying magic Skyler sent with it. Taking the charm from the rat, Skyler set her on the ground.

“Go back to your nest. I’ll find you again and bring you food tomorrow,” she promised. The rat paused, then scurried away. The rest of them were still harassing Sampson and distracting the durmin.

She stared down at the talisman, unsure how to break the magic. Holding it in both hands, she closed her eyes. This was powerful magic made by a skilled druid, witch, or bruja. She didn’t have the skills to unravel the spell, but maybe she could destroy the base it was wrapped around.

The wood pendant the spell was attached to was soft pine. She focused on the wood, willing it to degrade. It was a skill most nymphs learned to help composting piles decompose faster. The wood was a little harder than potato peelings, but she was able to push her magic into it.

It disintegrated in her hand, turning into a fine dust. She felt the magic break and a flash of painful, errant power hit her like a punch in the chest. Doubled over, she tried to get air back in her lungs.

She managed one ragged breath and then Mason was there. “Skyler?”

She pushed Mason away. “Help Jack!”

“When you can move, get to Joy,” Mason ordered. “Bring help!”

His body got big as he shifted into his gargoyle form. With his wings tucked tight against his body, he launched himself into the fight. Jack was still in his dragon form, but bleeding from several gashes on his chest and neck.

Mason was a powerful gargoyle, but McConnell wasn’t a weak vampire. As if sensing Mason’s approach, McConnell turned and met the gargoyle's rush. They traded blows, neither of them gaining ground.

Skyler tried to get to her feet, but collapsed back down to her knees. She’d used up all she had to draw and direct the rats. The backlash from breaking down the wood talisman left her without the energy to even stand.

Phone! She could call Anatoly for help!

It was in her jacket pocket. When she pulled it out, she found the screen was cracked but it still worked. Her hands were shaking, making it hard to operate the phone. The call went straight to voicemail.

“Shit! Fuck!” she cursed and tried Zan. His phone rang but then went to voicemail. There was only one more number to try, Rissa.

She picked up on the third ring. “Skyler?” Skyler could hear Anatoly in the background demanding she turn off the phone and come back to bed. “Hush, it’s Skyler.”

“Please help us!” Skyler cried, then started coughing. The magic backlash made it hard to talk.

Rissa didn’t panic or start asking pointless questions. “Where are you?” Rissa demanded.

“Garage,” Skyler gasped, then coughed again.

“We’re coming,” Rissa said. Then her voice was muffled. “Skyler’s in trouble. Move your asses!”

Then the call ended, and Skyler gave up holding the phone. Her hands weren’t only shaking but going numb.

Her whole body felt numb.

A flurry of movement made her look up, even as she fell sideways to lay on the ground.

Jack held McConnell’s lifeless body in his mouth while Mason gripped McConnell’s severed head in one hand. Jack spat out the body, and Mason tossed the head down next to it. Only a few yards away lay Sampson’s dead body, his neck chewed open. The rats were still all over his body, eating him.

Skyler hadn’t expected that. She hoped eating Sampson didn’t make them sick.

“Skyler?”

She refocused her eyes on Jack who was kneeling next to her. He was in his human form again, with deep slashes all over his body from his fight with McConnell.

Mason knelt on her other side. She rolled on her back and winced. Everything hurt. She could’ve sworn even her hair hurt. Magic backlash wasn’t something to trifle with!

Mason reached down to grip one of Skyler’s hands in both of his. “What’s wrong?”

“Tired,” Skyler croaked. “Just tired.”

“Do you need rest or a knitter or a druid?” Jack asked, taking her other hand. The moment both of them were touching her, something strange happened.

She felt the pull .

Her parents and siblings all described finding their land as a pull. But it wasn’t land that pulled at her, it was Jack and Mason.

They were her land.

Closing her eyes, she let instinct take over. She reached into both of them and tugged pieces of their souls into hers.

“What’s going on?” Mason asked, sounding worried. “Why do I feel like someone sank a hand into my chest?”

“We’re sharing souls,” Jack said, his voice full of wonder. “But I’m not the one doing it, she is.”

Skyler didn’t respond to them. Even if pressed, she probably couldn’t have talked. She wasn’t sure she could’ve stopped either. Thankfully, all she felt was a little fear from Mason, but also willingness. Jack was nothing but eagerness.

It hurt to pull chunks of her own soul out and press it into the men, but she ignored the pain. The pull was too great to stop.

“What is that?” Mason asked as their soul bond snapped into place.

“Her soul,” Jack said. “We’re soul bonded but not by me. I didn’t know nymphs could do this. I have a flock!”

“I have mates,” Mason whispered, his voice heavy and close to crying.

I have my land, Skyler thought.

Then everything went black.