Deryn and Paul were already shucking their clothes to turn to wolf. Charles, who'd tossed aside his own jacket and tie, was rolling up his sleeves. Kifirin took the lead and we all followed him toward the line of vampires when Dragon appeared, both blades in his hands, prepared to join us. Dragon was in full battle gear, dressed in leathers, head to foot. Only the tattoos on his arms were visible—his vest was sleeveless, his hair braided tightly and swinging at his back as he joined our ranks.

"I owe Lissa," he said, when Griffin raised an eyebrow. Griffin nodded, not saying anything.

"Hi, honey," I said to Dragon. He gave me a grin. There were now thirteen of us, to fight the horde.

"We come at Xenides' bidding," one of the vampires spoke. "We are Saxom's children and follow his first child, now that our sire is no longer among us." He didn't need to tell me they were Saxom's get; I could smell them from where I stood. And a number of them—a good number of them, had Dark Elemaiyan blood.

"You threaten me and you threaten my Queen and the ones she cares for," Kifirin spoke for us. I wondered if that irked Wlodek just a little. "If you choose to leave now, I will not pursue. Stay to fight and I will not leash my wrath."

"Who the bloody hell are you?" One of the rogue vampires, Irish in origin I could tell, spoke now.

"I am Kifirin, the one chosen to create the balance, maker of the Dark Worlds and High Lord therein. Once all vampires knew me and knew to bow before me. Now you know nothing, as your sire failed to train you properly. If you attack me, I will not allow you to live."

The first one who'd spoken burst out in harsh laughter. "You expect us to believe your bluster?" he shouted. A bit of smoke curled from Kifirin's nostrils. I don't know if the vampire saw that or not. He didn't step back, I know that much.

"What is he going to do?" Gavin leaned down and whispered in my ear.

I blew out a breath. How could I describe what I'd seen Kifirin become on Refizan? "Gavin, have you ever seen a demon?" I asked.

"My sire described them to me once; he said they were humans that had been bitten by the same kind of creatures, turning them to demon as well," Gavin spoke quietly.

"Those aren't really demons," I whispered. "Those are Ra'Ak spawn. If Kifirin turns, you'll see what a demon looks like, I think. He told me once that the High Demons were made in his image. I understand they're slightly smaller, though. And if Dragon turns, just get the hell out of the way," I warned.

"Does he become demon as well?"

"No. He becomes a dragon," I replied with a shrug.

"Enough of this!" Wlodek was now taking charge and shouting at Xenides' army. "Are you leaving or staying to fight?"

"We were instructed to kill you, old man," the vampire sneered. "We will not leave until that has been accomplished."

"Very well," Wlodek nodded. I don't think the lead vampire ever saw Wlodek attack, he was so swift. Wlodek kept his seat as Head of the Council, Blood King or whatever his title was, because he was able to keep it. Saxom's vampire child dropped to the ground, headless, as did the two that flanked him before Wlodek became anything other than a blur. I wasn't about to let him fight alone—I went to mist, and had six heads lopped off before that line of vampires ever knew I was among them. The battle was joined, then; I saw Dragon off to the side, fighting with both blades and shouting in his native language while he did it. Merrill was also in hurricane force; any vampire that came against him died. Gavin? Nobody wanted to mess with him. He had to chase some of his opponents; they were running away from him.

Deryn and Paul teamed up with Charles, forming a triangle; the wolves were attacking and tossing vampires onto the ground and Charles, efficient as ever, relived them of their heads. Rolfe was wading into the knot of Saxom's get, René and Tony with him, and they were doing fierce battle. Kifirin was in his smaller Thifilathi form and if any of the vampires touched him, they burned. Screams went up around him—the screams of dying vampires. Kifirin was a great surprise but the biggest surprise, I think, was seeing Griffin fight. Now I knew what he'd been before. Dragon told me that he was once Warlord on Falchan. Griffin—I didn't know what his homeworld had been but he had been vampire before becoming Saa Thalarr. He had fangs and claws out and he was something to see. Eventually he was fighting alongside Wlodek; nothing lived if they attacked and nothing got past them, either. My job was easy, that night. If a rogue tried to get away, I misted after him. Finally, I went to help Charles and the werewolves. Deryn and Paul had taken a few hits and were bleeding sluggishly. They were glad of the help I think, as we did away with the very last of Xenides' army. I only wished that Xenides and Rahim Alif had been there; I would have taken a great deal of pleasure from removing their heads.

* * *

"A very productive evening," Wlodek examined the slice in one of his sleeves; the silk shirt was hanging in two tattered pieces off his right arm. Otherwise, he looked as if he hadn't been touched. Rolfe had a wide slash across his chest but he was holding Charles away from him with one hand.

"It will heal with the sleep," he kept telling Wlodek's assistant. "I always said you were a Queen," Rolfe grinned at me as I came to pull Charles away from him.

"And you were right," I gave him a hug. Rolfe put one large arm around my shoulders and squeezed before letting go.

Charles put both arms around me and hugged me tightly, kissing my forehead before he released me. "I don't get to fight often," he said. Griffin and Dragon were tending to the two werewolves, Tony standing beside them, watching his brother get patched up. The Saa Thalarr have healing abilities of their own; I learned that. Merrill was talking with René while Gavin and Kifirin came to find me. Well, more fur might fly, I suppose.

"You will feel no jealousy toward me," Kifirin informed Gavin. Gavin blinked for a second and then seemed all right with that. Well, la de da. Is that all it took? Kifirin had become his usual self the minute the battle ended, and now leaned down to give me a warm kiss. A bit of smoke escaped his nostrils as he pulled away and offered me an angel's smile. Piles of vampire ash lay all around us as I stood on tiptoe and gave Kifirin a second kiss before smiling back. Somebody had a mess to clean up on Wlodek's lawn and I wasn't about to volunteer.

"Does vampire ash have good fertilizing properties?" I asked Kifirin. He burst out laughing and then hauled me into his arms, giving me another huge kiss. A cell phone rang somewhere nearby.




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