Free Bound By The Night by Cynthia Eden Page B

waiting.
    Maybe Michael had been their leader, so they’d let him try for first blood. Would they attack now that they realized she wasn’t weak? Would they be afraid—or would they try killing her, too?
    “If they’re smart, they’ll run like hell,” Jamie said as he fired a fast glance toward the wall.
    If they’d been smart, they never would have betrayed her coven.
    Jamie’s head jerked to the right. “One’s running.”
    But she already heard other footsteps. Pounding toward them. “And two are attacking.” Iona rushed away from Jamie as she ran to face the threat. Fury boiled in her, the kind that just made her want to
destroy.
So when she saw the two vampires charging at her with hate twisting their faces and their hands curled around stakes, Iona didn’t hesitate.
    She was within range now. She’d just needed to get close enough—
    “Good-bye,” Iona whispered and flames shot out from her hands.
    Close enough to kill.
    The vampires screamed as the fire consumed them. A fire stronger than anything they’d probably ever seen before.
    My fire.
One fueled by rage and magic.
    They died quickly, though they probably didn’t deserve such a swift death. Not after what they’d done.
Betrayal.
    A hand touched her shoulder. Iona flinched and spun around.
    Jamie backed up, lifting both hands in front of him. “Easy, love. I’m on your side.”
    She wanted to believe that. “The woman…” Iona couldn’t look at what was left of her, but she didn’t need to. Iona remembered Luanne’s face. “She brought the blood to me that last night. Michael and his vamps…they gave me drugged blood.” That was how they’d managed to subdue her. She just hadn’t realized it at the time.
    She’d gone to sleep in her home, and she’d woken in the room that would become her prison, woken just in time to see Latham and Brian. The spell had been cast. The taste of blood filled her mouth—
Latham’s blood.
She’d tried to lunge at them, but her body had refused to obey her commands. 
    If you won’t give me your blood, then I’ll just take it.
Latham’s voice. He’d tried to woo her when they first met. Offered her promises of peace between the vampires and werewolves. He’d been handsome. Charming.
    But she’d seen the darkness in him. 
    Latham had only wanted her blood. Her power. He hadn’t cared about peace.  The werewolf enjoyed his violence and death too much for that.
    I would have put him down.
She’d planned to kill him, but Latham had struck first.  He couldn’t kill her, because then he’d never get the blood he wanted from a corpse. And if he let her live, then he’d known she would attack him.
    So he’d decided on a compromise.
    Bastard.
    “Iona?”  Jamie eased closer to her. “We should get out of here. Latham knows this is where you were going when you left Oregon.”
    “And he’s coming.” No surprise. “When Michael caught the werewolf scent in the air, he thought you were just one of Latham’s army.”
    You thought wrong, Michael.
    She rolled her shoulders.  Weariness beat at her. She’d driven so far, non-stop, and Iona always felt drained whenever she used her fire and magic. 
    She risked a look up into Jamie’s bright stare and knew he could see her weakness.
    “You need to rest,” he told her.
    True, but not likely. 
    But when he offered his hand to her, Iona found herself stepping forward and actually clasping his fingers. So many had betrayed her over the years, but…some had been her true friends. 
Christine.
Iona could still see her so clearly in her mind. Her warm smile. Her perfect, dark skin.  Her kind eyes. “Latham killed my family.”
    “And mine.” Fury vibrated in his words. She could understand that rage. It was no wonder he wanted vengeance against Latham.    
    They were outside of the gate now. A big, black truck waited for them. She frowned at it for a moment.
    Jamie laughed softly. “Ah, love, did you really think I ran all the way