Free Midnight's Surrender: A Dark Warriors Holiday Novella by Donna Grant

her shoulders and said, “He’s already declined. Don’t make a bigger fool of yourself.”
    Dale shifted so that he was in profile. He met her gaze and gave her a slight nod to let her know he would back whatever plan she had. The idea that no matter what he would be there gave Rennie the courage to use her magic in ways she had never thought to before.
    Harriet’s gaze snapped to her, and the fury there made Rennie smile.
    “You’ll never keep him,” Harriet snipped.
    Rennie shrugged. “I’m not trying to tie him down. It’s Dale’s decision how long he remains.”
    “Let me inside.”
    “Oh, but she’s demanding,” Rennie said to Dale. The corners of his lips twitched, which helped to calm her nerves. She looked back at Harriet and said, “No.”
    “No?” Harriet repeated in disbelief.
    “Do you have a hearing problem now? No. I don’t want you inside, and as a matter of fact, I don’t want you anywhere on my property ever again.”
    Harriet laughed, the sound cold and hollow. “As if you could stop me. You, a mie , against me? You’d lose.”
    “Want to try me?” Rennie knew she shouldn’t have challenged Harriet, but she couldn’t help herself. The woman seriously needed to be brought down a peg or three.
    Harriet placed her hands on either side of the narrow tunnel and glared at Rennie. “Do you even know what’s inside that chamber?”
    “Do you?” Rennie wasn’t about to let on that she had just discovered the chamber and had no idea what was inside it. Whatever Harriet wanted, Rennie was prepared to do anything to keep it from her.
    Harriet’s slow smile sent chills of foreboding down Rennie’s spine. “I certainly do. It’s priceless.”
    “You’ll never get inside to get it, and I’ll never give it to you. You’re just shit outta luck.” With every word Rennie could feel her confidence and faith in herself and her magic grow.
    “You think because I can’t get inside it means that I can’t harm you?” Harriet made a tsking sound. “How very pathetic you are.”
    Rennie stood, her magic rushing to fill her palms when Harriet shrieked and let loose a lob of magic. It hit Rennie in the gut, doubling her over.
    The pain was staggering as it vibrated throughout her entire body. Before she could contain the ache, several rounds of magic struck her, sending her spinning as she struggled to stay on her feet.
    So much for her growing confidence. Harriet had quickly set her back to square one, but Rennie wasn’t about to give up. Dale had conviction in her, as did the ancients.
    Rennie’s legs wouldn’t work properly, but she refused to go down. Somehow she managed to make it to the wall where she propped herself up.
    She drew her magic into her palms once more and flung up her hands as the balls of magic shot toward Harriet. Because Harriet wasn’t expecting them, the two blasts pelted her—one in the neck, the other in her abdomen.
    In a blink, Dale was by her side. “Rennie.”
    “It’s just pain,” she said as she welcomed his touch. “It’ll go away.”
    “She could kill you,” he whispered harshly.
    Rennie looked into his green Warrior eyes, but before she could respond, he spun them away just as a blast of magic hit the wall where she had been.
    She quickly sent off a round at Harriet while Dale kept her moving. It was working perfectly. That in itself should have told Rennie it wouldn’t last.
    One round of magic from Harriet sent Rennie falling to the side as Dale was unceremoniously brought to his knees. Rennie looked to find him with his claws sunk deep in his chest, a low rumbling growl full of fury and reckoning filling the chamber.
    Rennie jumped to her feet and tried to rush to him while keeping Harriet occupied dodging blasts of magic. She reached Dale, but no matter how Rennie tugged, she couldn’t pull his claws from his chest.
    His eyes silently beseeched her to leave him. As if she would. Rennie called up her magic and pressed her hands against