Page 93 of Touched By Moonlight

“I have a website.” She showed me on herphone.

Modern times, even fordragons.

“Why are you checking your phone? Waiting for Grayson to call and give you orders where to takeme?”

“Maybe.” Kara peered out of the hall closet. “It’s clear. Go. We’re going to have to run through hallways to reach the lobby and the exit. Grayson has a bikeoutside.”

Soon as I stepped out of the closet, a screeching filled the air. Wincing, I fought the urge to counter it with magick and followed Kara to the main stairway that led from the lobby to the second floor executivesuites.

We reached the stairs when something cold and sharp touched the back of my neck. A warning of powerful, darkmagick.

“Oh dear goddess, look out,” Karawarned.

Something out of a nightmare slithered down the hallway, down the carpeting toward me. A vine. At the edge was a pod the size of a softball, like a flower about to open. It looked like Lavender’s purpleorchid.

The pod burst and revealed a red mouth filled with tiny, sharp teeth. A long, purple tongue slid out of that mouth, testing the air, like a snake sensing itssurroundings.

Snapping at the air, the mouth advanced. It slid up a closed door, licked over the lock and the mouth enclosed the doorknob. A sickening crunch ensued. When the mouth drew back, the doorknob wasgone.

“What the hell kind of fertilizer has Lavender been using?” Imuttered.

Kara tugged at my arm. “Let’sgo.”

“We can’t let that thing roam around here. It could hurt one of thehumans.”

“They aren’t here. Find a fireextinguisher.”

Maybe that thing was a mutant, but it was still a plant andvulnerable.

Spotting a fire extinguisher, I ran to it and tugged off the tag. As that mouth/orchid thing slithered toward me, jaws chomping merrily, Kara stretched out her hands. Fire streamed from her fingers, torching the vine. It gasped andshriveled.

When I was certain the vine died, I sprayed it and put out the fire. “Look, it’s a polar vortex.” Isprayed.

More vines slithered down the hallway. One fire extinguisher wouldn’t solvethis.

“This is my fault they came here. I have to solve this.” Holding out my hands, I prepared to send Lavender’s plant to greenhousehell.

Fog rolled into the hallway and then vanished, revealing Lavender and a silver-robed man with straight brown hair growing past thinshoulders.

Kallan. Once my mentor andfriend.

His features were sharp and his eyes glowed green. Sallow skinned, he had hollow cheeks and looked thin. Almost opaque. He held up a skeletal hand and I could see a fine network of veins and arteries beneath it, the blood pulsing throughit.

This had to be a nightmare and I wish I would awaken. I had not seen him since the day I destroyed my family and my world collapsed. Grief and guilt punched me in the guts, and I could only stand there and stare at him in dawningcomprehension.

Kallan foundme.

Kallan wanted medead.

Who the hell was powerful enough to defeat him besides me? Immobilized, I could only stand there like a deer paralyzed at the sight of awolf.

“I told you she was here, Kallan.” A smirk touched Lavender’s purple-tinted lips. “Now, give me what youpromised.”

“I’ll give you what you deserve,” he murmured, tapping a long black fingernail against hisnose.

Silver robes flew out as he whirled, stretched out his hands toward Lavender. He opened his mouth. Horrified, I saw Lavender’s smile turn into a scream as purple energy streamed out of her. She flung out her arms as if trying to stophim.

Vines from the poisonous orchid snaked toward Kallan, wrapped around his ankles and pulled. Without even looking down, he flicked a finger at them. Unearthly squeals ensued as the vines withered anddied.