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“Fine.” He turned to the group. “We go to DC first. But we don’t waste time.

You djinn are powerful as hell. How about we see you let that power loose.

Once this is handled, we leave for draheim immediately.

” Tyler looked at the djinn male. “Since you’re here, you get to fight, too.

Welcome to the pack. Put others before yourself, fight for the weak, and try not to get yourself killed. We don’t have time for funerals.”

Raith let out a bark of laughter, his golden eyes gleaming with excitement. “You bunch are a hell of lot more interesting than Shade and his obsession. Let’s go kill some things before I have to deal with his grumpy ass again.”

Synica ignored him and focused on the task ahead. What they reported on the news looked horrifying. She had no doubt that it would be even worse in person—when the demons were in front of you and not separated by thousands of miles and a glass screen with only images of them.

The world around her vanished in a flash of light, leaving behind the mountains, the cold stone walls, and the lingering scent of leather and steel.

Synica’s senses were momentarily swallowed by the disorienting hum of fae magic as the world bent and folded around her.

A rush of wind pressed against her, carrying with it the faint smell of ozone and damp earth.

She clenched her jaw and kept her hand firmly on the fae warrior beside her, whose grip on her forearm was unyielding.

When the light faded, the world snapped back into focus, and they were no longer in Romania.

The scene before Synica was worse than the broadcast had shown.

The White House, a symbol of power and stability, now stood as a broken shell in the heart of the chaos.

The air was alive with sounds that crawled under her skin.

Screams, guttural snarls, and the crackle of flames consuming everything in their path.

Smoke swirled in the wind, carrying with it the unmistakable stench of sulfur and charred flesh.

It was enough to make her eyes burn and her stomach twist.

She inhaled deeply, her throat stinging as the acrid air filled her lungs.

The coppery tang of blood was metallic, and it mingled with the bitter scent of burning wood and scorched earth.

The ground beneath her boots was uneven, scattered with debris—glass shards, twisted metal, and chunks of stone from the ruined building.

Every step crunched, a grim reminder of the destruction.

Synica’s sharp gaze sought out the group of dormants and warriors near the helicopter.

They were still holding their ground, though she could see the strain on their faces as the demons pressed closer.

There were vampires that were beginning to notice the group, and as they dropped their victims to the ground, they changed their direction and headed toward the helicopter.

The violet-haired fae’s shield flickered, momentarily dimming under the relentless assault of claws and fiery blasts.

An auburn-haired female dormant, lips pressed tightly together, flinched with every impact but didn’t retreat.

The glow of the shield, though faint, was still there.

“Move!” Tyler’s voice snapped Synica out of her thoughts, his command cutting through the noise.

The Missouri alpha was already phasing into his wolf form, his dark fur bristling as he charged forward.

A snarl tore from his throat as he collided with the nearest demon, and his powerful jaws snapped shut around its throat.

The rest of the wolves followed. Their bodies rippled as fur replaced flesh. The transformation was seamless, brutal, and swift. Growls and howls filled the air as they surged into the fray, their claws and teeth tearing into the demons with savage precision.

Synica didn’t hesitate. She raised her hands, and the air around her shimmered with the raw energy of djinn magic.

With a flick of her wrist, she sent a wave of bright light crashing into a cluster of demons attempting to flank the dormants.

They howled as the magic hit them. Their twisted forms disintegrated into ash that scattered in the wind.

The fae warriors moved with deadly grace, their weapons flashing as they darted through the chaos.

The violet-haired fae adjusted her shield and pushed it outward to give the dormants more breathing room.

Her expression was hard and determined, her movements precise as she deflected a demon’s fiery attack with a twist of her hand.

Synica’s senses sharpened as she advanced.

The heat of the flames licking at the edges of the battlefield was searing, a constant reminder of the destruction surrounding them.

She could feel the ground trembling beneath her boots as demons, vampires, and even hybrids charged. Their snarls vibrated in her chest.

They’d formed a circle around the group protecting the helicopter. “Stay behind us,” she shouted to the dormants, her voice cutting through the din.

One of the male elves looked at her, a glowing blade in his hand.

His eyes were filled with fury. “We’ve got to get this thing in the air,” he shouted back, pointing at the helicopter.

“Some important humans are inside, two of them children.” She could tell it was the fact that there were young inside the helicopter that truly bothered the male.

A demon lunged for him, its claws extended, and Synica moved without thinking.

She stepped between them, her hand shooting out to grab the creature by the throat.

Its skin was hot under her touch, almost burning, but she didn’t flinch.

With a burst of energy, she crushed its windpipe, and its body collapsed into ash.

“I’ll take your place. You get inside that thing and get them in the air,” she snapped, her gaze locking on the boy. “Take a fae with you to deal with anything that might attempt to attack you in the air.”

The elf nodded and, called out a name, and pointed at one of the fae in their protective circle. Synica watched as Angus quickly replaced the fae’s spot, making sure not to allow an opening for their foe.

To her left, Raith was grinning like a maniac, his eyes looked a tad crazy as he toyed with a demon. “You know,” he said conversationally as he dodged a swipe of claws, “this is almost fun. Almost.”

“Focus, Raith.” Synica growled and sent another wave of magic to knock back a group of demons rushing toward them.

“I am focusing,” he replied, his tone infuriatingly casual. “On not getting my pretty face scratched.”

Synica glanced at him. “I don’t remember you ever being this gregarious. Like many of our djinn males, you were broody.”

“That’s because I’ve been comrades with Shade for centuries. He’s about as pleasant as sitting on a cactus while a draheim gnaws your leg off.”

“I don’t remember him being so difficult.

But then, a broken heart and bitterness can change people.

” She didn’t hear his response as her attention shifted to a massive demon moving toward the helicopter.

Its hulking form was wreathed in flames, and its molten eyes burned with malevolent intelligence.

Synica was shocked to see its size, considering all the other demons she’d seen had been of the smaller variety.

“Tyler!” She pointed toward the creature.

The alpha turned, his dark fur streaked with ash and blood.

His growl was low and menacing as he charged toward the demon, Sadra close behind him.

She’d stayed in her human form and seemed just as comfortable fighting that way as she might in her wolf.

The pair moved as one, a blur of deadly precision.

Tyler leapt onto the creature’s back, his claws digging deep into its flesh as Sadra struck from below, her blade slicing through its legs.

The demon roared, the sound shaking the ground, but it faltered under their combined assault.

Synica raised her hands to gather her magic for a final strike.

The air around her crackled with energy, and she sent a concentrated blast straight into the demon’s chest. It exploded in a burst of light and ash, its roar cut off mid-sound.

Suddenly, the whirl of the helicopter blades began to spin above them, and the blast of air whipped around them, blowing Synica’s cloak and hair.

She looked back and stared as the large machine rose into the air.

She saw the elf she’d spoken to staring down at her from one of the windows.

He gave her a slight nod, and she returned the gesture.

Synica watched as the fae around her formed a shield surrounding the helicopter as it went higher and higher until it began to move forward, away from the carnage of the battlefield.

Suddenly, everything fell into a tense quiet.

The only sounds were the crackle of flames and the ragged breathing of the survivors.

Synica turned, scanning the dormants and warriors.

They were alive—battered and exhausted, but alive.

She noticed that Clarion, Myron, and Rouse, the other djinn elders, had spread out on the grounds, most likely keeping any more of their foe from getting any closer.

Synica saw some downed trees and flipped cars.

Clarion looked a tad sheepish as he met her gaze.

The djinn’s power could become overwhelming if they weren’t careful.

The four of them together could raze DC and everything on the east side of the country from top to bottom.

Synica’s attention pulled away from Clarion as she saw movement from the corner of her eye.

She turned to look at the auburn-haired girl as she stepped forward.

She had a few scratches on her face, and her shirt was torn in several places.

Overall, she appeared to be in decent condition.

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice trembling.