Page 28 of Solar Shadows

Blue light flashed in the chamber, the bodies returning to the poles.

“What the…” I rasped with breathless shock, rubbing my eyes.

“Bloody hell!” Jake cried.

Stefan chuckled. “Surprise.”

“But… What…” I tried.

“It’s a spell,” he clarified as the fires ignited again. “They wanted to play hardball, so here we are. They will remain trapped in a loop of agonizing death until they’re ready to spill their secrets.” He buffed his fingernails on the lapels of his jacket. “I’m not the High Inquisitor because I suffer fools lightly, gentlemen.”

I wanted to be sick, fighting it, keeping my posture straight and my face empty of emotion. This dick didn’t get to have any more from me.

“Now leave,” he ordered. “I’ll be in touch. If you happen upon any new information, report it directly to me straight away.”

And the point of this was, what? To assert his dominance?

We left as quickly as we could.

I never did get a meeting with Khloe. She was unavailable, and I didn’t care. I wanted out of this damn building.

As I opened my car door, I finally broke. Idropped my bag and hunched over, puking my guts up. The dying screams of those poor people seared through my mind, forcing every aggressive heave.

Not dying. Not dead, but undergoing extreme torture.

“What a wanker,” Jake said, rubbing my back.

Amen to that.

Chapter 7

ISAAC

Drake showed the images on the CCTV live feed on his phone. The witchcops outside were fighting five crystals shades, with more arriving to slam against the invisible protective barrier around the mansion.

Fuck. That sobered me up.

“Arsewipes!” April seethed, at the ready with a gun, her bangle light green. She formed a line before the doors with her siblings.

No matter what, the shades couldn’t break through the protection. Well, the Kingwoods had on my first night here, but that was different.

How, pray fucking tell?

Three beams of white light shot into the sky like missiles launched from somewhere in the city. They curved downward in their trajectory, picking up speed, breaking apart into six new beams.

What fresh hell was this?

Those beams hit the barrier in a series of synchronized booms. The ground shook, the celestial paintings shaking on the walls.

Uh-oh.

The Brambles opened the doors as the barrier collapsed in a curtain of shimmering blue energy, fading away as it hit the ground.

Not good.

Seriously not good.

The Brambles ran forward, unleashing Trip spells, firing their weapons, filling the night with violent sounds.