Page 61 of The Witch Queen of Halloween (Immortals After Dark 20)

Rökwhirled around with widened eyes. “Poppy, don’t move!”WithAnnelisein his sights, he raised his sword, like he was about to swat a lethal bee.

“Demon, wait.”Aseven more visitors took shape, her body began to vibrate. “Something’shappening.”

Poppybacked fromRök, urging him away from the entry.Witheach of her steps, the stone floor cracked beneath her vibrating body. “Come.Iwon’t let those ghouls take you from me.”

Herwords recalledMariketa’s:Ifyou find your prize . . . don’t let them steal it from you.

Rökhad never planned on stealing her prize; hewasthe prize.

Thosewho thought to steal from a witch didn’t live to regret it.

“Poppy, the door’s about to open.”Howconfused he must be! “We’vegot bogeys front and back.Useyour power against the visitors, soIcan do whatIneed to.”

Hervoice was unrecognizable. “That’snot the mission, love.”

TWENTY

Poppy’shair streamed around her radiant face, and her lavender eyes shone with menace, even as her smile was as brilliant as the coming dawn.Herbody vibrated until her steps cracked stone.Lookinglike a terrifying goddess, she continued to back away from the door.

Hecouldn’t stop his feet from following her.He’dfollow her forever.Buthe needed to defend against the coming blitz—against a primordial and more. “Hey, what are we doing here?”Hadshe been taken over by these visitors?Theywere everywhere, more appearing at every second.

Stonegrit swirled aroundPoppylike a cloud of his smoke. “Don’tyou see,Rök?Iamthe scariest thing in this castle.”

CAWWWW!cried the raven.

Thefront door swung wide.

Rökwhirled around as the primordial charged inside with a roar, the others on its heels. “Staybehind me!”Hegripped his sword?—

Outof the corner of his vision, he spiedPoppywave her arm in sync with the doll on her shoulder.

Hisjaw slackened when the ghouls’ bodies left the floor—the primordial’s included.Suspendedin the air, they thrashed their limbs, claws whistling with each useless strike.

Rökpivoted toPoppy, thunderstruck. “You’recontrolling the visitors?”

Slownod.Movingher hands,Poppytelekinetically turned their foes this way and that, like a ghoulish snow globe.

Mesmerizingto watch, but . . . “We’reon a clock, witch.”

“Verywell.”Anotherwave ofPoppy’sarm launched the ghouls out of the castle.Theyhowled as they sailed all the way to the distant cemetery.Tombstonescracked like dried mud when they landed, dazed.

Sheturned to theHorseman. “Doyour thing.”

Swordraised, he spurred his steed and raced through the doorway.Alegion of others followed—scuttling, tumbling, loping after him—like he was a cavalry officer mounting a charge.

Rökcould imagine him yelling,Tothe cemetery, villains!

CAWWWW!cried the raven.

“That’sthe second one,Red.We’vegot to go.”

Poppy’svibrations eased until she was able to walk naturally.Whenshe tookRök’shand and they started into the crowd, the mass of visitors filing out of the castle parted for her like a current around a boulder.Togetherhe and the witch hurried to the door.

Heheld his breath as they crossed the boundary.“Free.”Trappedno more, tension flowed from him—until the ghouls recovered to speed back toward the castle.

Poppy’seyes glowed even brighter, and a wall of vampire bats materialized to intercept them, blocking their vision.Gremlinsclung to their legs, slowing them for the werewolves and skeletons to attack.

Whenthe witch cricked her neck, aliens tackledTruller, stabbing him with their tails, treating him like a sword dummy.Greenblood spewed.

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