Page 70 of These Deadly Dreams

Cade laughs, but it’s lacking in humor. “Yeah, tell me about it. He almost got both Connor and me. We need a plan.”

“What if you two distract him. There is no way he can defend himself against two magical attacks and me. Right?”

“Fuck. I hope not.” Cade relays this information to Connor, who is apparently in the same room as him “Okay. We’ll wait for your signal. Keep low and to the right. We’ll aim our attacks high and to the left.”

“Alright. Let’s do this.”

I slide my phone back in my pocket and creep to the edge of the door. With my hearing, I can tell the mage is shifting back and forth on his feet. I wonder why he hasn’t made a move to attack us? He has to know where we are. As I peer around the doorframe, the mage is staring down the hall, and his eyes … I shudder when I get a good look at them. They are eerily blank. The blue of his magic sizzles through his irises like lightning, but there is no thought, no life, behind them. This guy is like a fucking robot.

I catch Cade peering around a door further down the hall behind me, and I nod my head. Red and violet light spears straight for the mage as both he and Connor jump out from the room. I dart into the hallway, keeping low, and rush the mage. He’s distracted keeping Cade and Connor at bay, so I drop to my knees and slide behind him, twisting at the last second. I pop up and grab his head, twisting until I hear his bones snap. I drop him like a sack of stones.

“Is he dead?” Connor asks?

I stare at him for a moment longer, just to make sure. With that dead look in his eyes, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him rise from the ground. “I think so.”

“Ellis?” Cade asks.

“In Sterling’s cell.”

We run down the hall, and I push open the door, stopping in my tracks.

She’s kneeling next to him. Golden flames billowing from her body. Her hair floats around her head, the atmosphere in the room reminding me of the way the air feels right before a lightning strike. And her beautiful amber eyes are streaked with gold light.

She’s a fucking goddess.

Her beauty freezes me. The power that radiates from her makes my blood sing. My fangs ache as desire sweeps through me. I want to shove her against the wall and fuck her sensless. Cade shoves me to the side and I snap out of the hold she has on me. My gaze drops to Sterling and my heart sinks to my stomach. No.

Cade falls to his knees and hovers his hands over Sterling’s still body. His magic flares then stutters outs. He turns to me with concern creasing his brows. “We need to get him out of here. Now. I can’t risk healing him where we can be caught. But every second is going to count.”

I can read between those lines, and I wish I couldn’t. Grimacing, I bend down to pick him up. There isn’t a part of him that hasn’t been beaten, cut, or burned. This is going to hurt him. Before I can scoop him into my arms, Ellis growls. Her flames flare brighter and she fixes me with her golden stare.

I raise my hands and back away. “Whoa. It’s okay, Ellis. It’s me.” I keep my voice calm and soothing. No thrall, though. For all I know, when she’s like this it will only make things worse. ‘I’m not going to hurt him. We need to get him out of here so Cade can heal him.”

Her body is tense, her gaze unwavering from me. With her top lip peeled back in a silent snarl, I expect to see fangs descending. Maybe one day she’ll get them. How hot would that be? Not the fucking time, asshole.

“Baby girl,” I whisper.

At the use of my nickname for her, she blinks and recognition flares in her eyes. “Kai.” She glances behind me. “Cade.” Tears pool in her eyes, and it’s like they calm the fire inside her. The flames wink out in the blink of an eye. She sags to the ground and Cade rushes to her and wraps an arm around her waist.

“Okay,” he says. “Get Sterling, and let’s get out of here.”

I scoop Sterling into my arms as carefully as I can. Still, he moans slightly as the burns on his back touch my leather jacket. “I’m sorry, bro. I’m so fucking sorry.”

With Sterling in my arms and Cade holding Ellis’s hand, we follow Drew as he flies through the building. We make it up the steps and onto the first floor before trouble finds us. Ellis stumbles as her gaze lands on Sam standing in the middle of the hallway.

He grins at her. “Ellis, doll. I’ve missed you so much.”

A soft whimper escapes her, and if it weren’t for me carrying Sterling, I’d destroy the fucking bastard on the spot. Cade tucks Ellis behind him, and Connor steps around us, getting between Cade and Sam.

Sam ignores Connor, his gaze glued to my beloved. “I’ve missed that warm, tight, pu?—”

Cade blasts a beam of magic around Connor. Sam ducks, and when he stands back up, his grin is gone.

“I’ve let you have your fun with my fiancé. But your time is up. I’ll be taking her back now.” He extends a hand in Cade’s direction, but he doesn’t get a chance to fire off his magic.

Drew swoops down from above, beak aiming for one of Sam’s eyes. In his moment of distraction fending off the crow, Connor attacks. Cade doesn’t wait to see how this game will play out. He drags Ellis into a room and I follow. The sounds of battle from the hallway chase us as we run to the window and Cade shoves it open. He climbs out first, then helps Ellis. I glance behind me as Connor rushes into the room.

“Go! Hurry!”

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