Page 68 of Hot Vampire Next Door: Season Five

Lightning crackles through the darkened sky and thunder rumbles, chasing it.

I run cold, but even I can tell there’s been a precipitous drop in temperature.

Snow swirls in the air.

“Maven!” Mouse shouts.

I dare to look away from Maven and over at my little mouse, but the second turns into two, then three.

She is extraordinary.

Snow and electricity ribbon around her, tossing her hair around her shoulders.

She is the Winter Court Queen finally come to life.

I can’t look away. I am mesmerized by her beauty and her power. And I’m not alone.

At least half of those fighting in the meadow go still.

Until giant icicles start falling from the sky.

They sail through the air with a loud whistle, then hit the ground with a THWAP and CRACKLE.

The earth shakes and splits open. They’re at least twice as tall as me, twice as wide.

Maven has to stagger back when one slices into the ground between us.

“Fall back!” one of the Fairies of Suffering calls. I suspect he’s the one in charge. He commands that kind of attention.

The fairies change their formation, falling back toward the gate into a semi-circle. The icicles are only hitting the meadow.

Mouse is using her power to target Maven.

That kind of control, that kind of precision…

She is more powerful than even she realizes.

That bastard clearly has no hope of making it out of this clearing.

And the second he realizes it, is the second he turns his attention toward Mouse.

Maven starts running toward her.

More icicles fall between us.

The icicles create a fence between me and him.

“Mouse!” I shout. “Stop!”

But she either can’t hear me or is ignoring me.

The air crackles around her.

“Jessie!”

Her gaze skitters to me.

Her eyes have gone icy blue.