Amanda Carlson - Cold Blooded

Get down! Tallulah Talbot, the most powerful witch in the country, grabbed on to my arm and hurled us both into the bushes. Seconds later an explosion hit with the force of a meteor. I shielded my face and body as rocks peppered down around us. Once it stopped, I rolled over and opened my eyes, coughing and spitting out dirt as I rose to my knees.

I squinted through the brush. Do you see what Im seeing? I pointed to a crater the size of a city bus in the middle of my office parking lot. The noise had rocked my eardrums, but other than that I was fine. I stood, dusting off my clothes. Tally was already up next to me. What kind of an explosion was that?

It had come out of the blue.

Before she could respond, Rourke was in front of me. He had several holes in his shirt, but the small wounds had already closed. He hauled me out of the bushes, his big hands encircling my waist. Jessica, are you all right? His gave me a long once-over.

Im fine. I placed a palm on his warm chest. Touching him calmed me and I needed it. After the ordeal wed just gone through battling Selene, I was still on edge. The Lunar Goddess had put up quite a fight, but in the end I had managed to defeat her immortality long enough to send her to the Underworld. The low growl in Rourkes chest made my fingers tremble. He was as agitated as I was. Five minutes without someone trying to kill me wouldve gone an extremely long way.

That wasnt a normal bomb. Rourke turned toward the parking lot. Look at the damage. That hole has to be fifteen feet deep and just as wide.

It was a Mask Orb. Tally emerged out of the brush behind us, readjusting her skullcap. She was dressed in all black, her white hair neatly tucked away, and at five feet tall with zero chest, she channeled a twelve-year-old boy, not an all-powerful spell caster. It searches out a target and explodes once it finds its mark. Its an old sorcerer standby. Those guys only have a few tricks up their sleeves, so they tend to use them tirelessly. She smirked. The Mask Orbs are impossible to detect until two seconds before they detonate, when they give off a tiny pfft of air. Its a flaw in their spell. You just became the luckiest people alive, because I have a built-in detector on me at all times. She patted her backside.

Tyler ran up, followed by Danny and Nick. They were all in one piece. Thank goodness supernaturals had preternatural speed, because most supes couldnt regenerate from the damage of an explosion.

When Tally had yelled, everyone had moved.

We need to get out of here, Tyler said as he started to herd us forward. The Humvee is armored. We can take it back to the Safe House and figure out our next move. Im not waiting for another one of those things to explode.

If there was another one, it wouldve gone off already, Tally said. A Mask Orb is left as a calling card. It was meant to go off right when you arrived. She nodded toward me, because we all knew it had my name all over it. But the chunderheads must have activated it by the front entrance, so it took time to find you. Which, considering everything, was a very lucky break. She bent over and dusted debris off her jeans. But now that its been detonated, they know youre here, so lingering isnt advisable.

I glanced around at the group. We were all assembled behind my office building. Wed just learned that James Graham, my fathers second-in-command, whom wed thought had gone rogue, had taken off after Marcy Talbot, my secretary and Tallys niece. According to Tally, Marcy had been recently abducted by sorcerers, the ones behind the new gaping crater in my parking lot. There was no reason to argue with Tallys logic about who was behind the kidnapping. She clearly knew what she was talking about, especially if she had a Mask Orb detector embedded in her ass.

Well, were certainly not sticking around to see if they show up, Tyler said. So like I said, lets get out of here.

Agreed, Nick added. Its best if we leave quickly.

There were no arguments. We started moving toward our vehicle, passing by the huge hole as we went. It was a very specific area of damage, and other than things being pelted by falling debris, nothing else was touched. Cars were still parked in their spaces, riding on the edge of the crater. Humans were going to scratch their heads when they saw this. Id never had a run-in with any sorcerers, so I wasnt sure how they operated, but it appeared to be along the lines of blow something up and ask questions later.

We walked toward the yellow Humvee, which illuminated the night like an awful phosphorus specter. It hadnt been damaged by the blast at all, which was a total shame. Dents and bruises could only improve it. Once we arrive at the Safe House, we can lay out a plan to get Marcy back, I said as I turned to make my way around the vehicle. But before I could take a step, Tally snatched me by the shoulder, yanking me backward.

I stumbled but recovered quickly.

You and I are not going to your Safe House.

She was incredibly strong for five feet of skinny witch.

Rourke, Danny, and Tyler all moved forward to intercede.

Stop. I held up my hand, keeping my eyes pinned on Tally. I refuse to handle this with violence. I was tired. Wed driven all night. Id just been in an epic battle with a deranged Goddess, followed by an encounter with a Demon Lord, who had informed me I had a court date in the Underworld to face crimes Id inadvertently committed. Fighting with the witches would be counterproductive to both my health and to our case, which was to get Marcy back unharmed.

She was my best friend and I was willing to do whatever it took, including keeping the peace with an angry witch.

Rourke eased up reluctantly, sensing my mood. He was a strong alpha, and I knew it was going to be tough for him to follow my lead, especially after so many years on his own. But for now, his willingness to try was appreciated. My wolf barked her approval in my mind. Tyler and Danny were still poised and ready to spring, their blood and anxiety jumping in my veins as we all glared at each other. Danny had recently sworn a pledge to me, making me his Alpha, and his duty to protect me at all costs blinded him to good judgment, especially in this high-stress environment. I tried to send out a calming vibe, but I had no idea how to do anything remotely Alpha-like or if it would even work.

Tally stood completely unfazed by our show of aggression.

Instead, her stony gaze bored a hole straight into my soul. She crossed her arms, waiting. Three minutes ago we all couldve been blown to smithereens. I obliged her by continuing, trying to defuse the situation. As far as I can tell, we all want the same goal. We want Marcy back. So lets start acting like were on the same side. Tallys power pecked at my skin. My wolf growled and clacked her jaws, resenting the feel of it as it pressed against us. I turned and gave Tally my full attention. How would you like this to run? You have our cooperation. I didnt need to specify up to a point because that went without saying.

Supernaturals tolerated each other for brief interludes when it was mutually beneficial. Tally blamed me for Marcys disappearance and I owned that. I shouldve been more diligent. I couldnt keep running around pretending the Prophecy wasnt real and the supernatural race wasnt going to notice me. My negligence had put people I loved in danger and I owed it to Marcy to cooperate with her aunt.

I dont care where they goTally flicked her head toward the groupbut youre coming with me. We head back to my Coven and gather information, including from the wolf who you say is tracking her. Regardless of what we find, we move in two hours. Im not leaving my niece in the hands of the Baldies any longer than necessary.