Free Dante (Blood Brothers Book 5) by Eve Vaughn

teleporting. It made her dizzy, but she’d have to do this in order to accomplish her task. Adonis had gone too far this time. She clasped on to the witch as instructed and squeezed her eyes shut . When she opened them again, she was inside a spacious penthouse apartment. Three women sat at the large dining room table, one of whom was one of the few people she considered a friend , Christine Grimaldi.
    The women, who had been in the middle of what appeared to be a serious conversation, were immediately aware of their presence.
    “Nya! What are you doing here?” Christine jumped out of her chair and ran toward her. Her movements were swifter and more fluid since she’d become a vampire. She threw her arms around Nya. “I was so worried about you. I haven’t heard from you in weeks.”
    Most times, she was uncomfortable showing affection toward anyone , but she returned her friend’s hug with a brief one of her own. “It couldn’t be helped unfortunately. I’d like to introduce you to my associate. We’ve come to help. This is Liliana .”
    Christine gestured to the other two women who now stood on either side of her. “Nya, these are my sisters-in-law, Maggie and Sasha.”
    The petite brunette narrowed her brown gaze as she stared Nya and Liliana up and down. “Whose side are you on, exactly? Aren’t you working for Adonis?” Sasha spoke with a thick Russian accent.
    It dawned on Nya she’d seen this woman on the night Giovanni had intervened on Adonis’s behalf. She should have known she’d meet some resistance, but her conscience wouldn’t allow her to walk away without at least trying to convince them of her sincerity. “No… I mean, it’s more complicated than that.”
    Sasha raised her brows in apparent disbelief. “Not really. You either are or you aren’t. The only reason why I’ve haven’t blasted the both of you is because you’ve somehow managed to get past the ward I put on this penthouse, which means you have no ill intent…for now. But don’t think I trust either of you, not after you helped that bastard escape. ”
    “Of course you have every right to be cautious under the circumstances, but as you’ve just pointed out, we mean you no ill will or else your ward would have kept us out.”
    The woman called Maggie, an attractive, pleasantly plump black woman, gave Nya a long, hard stare , seeming unimpressed with her explanation . “So why are you here?”
    Christine intervened before she had a chance to reply, moving to stand between Nya and the other women. “ Look, things are tense right now, but I trust Nya. If she really wanted to hurt us, she could. She’s much older than all of us, and any witch who can get past Sasha’s wards is probably no slouch herself. Let’s at least hear what they have to say.”
    Nya had never been more grateful than this moment to have an ally like Christine. “Thank you, Christine. I have to be quick because there’s not much time before he sends someone to find me.”
    “Who?” Sasha demanded.
    “Adonis , but there’s no need to worry . Liliana can get me out of here before that happens.”
    Sasha tapped her chin with her index finger. “Hmm.”
    Christine touched Sasha’s arm. “ Just give her a chance. For me.
    The witch sighed. “Fine. I suppose you’re right about them being able to get past my ward.”
    Liliana chuckled as if something amused her. “That’s a powerful spell, baby witch.”
    Sasha narrowed her eyes and held up her palm to reveal a birthmark that resembled a flower.
    Liliana gasped at the sight. “The mark o f Hecate.” Nya didn’t know what it meant but the older witch seemed impressed by it.
    Sasha nodded, lowering her hand. “My brothers assisted me with the ward. However, in time, I’ll be able to handle such spells on my own. I’m still trying to get a handle on my complete power. Baby witch I may be, but I’m certainly strong enough to handle the likes of you and to protect my family.”
    “Then why