Beth’s laughter filled his ears. “Bad mistake. You just traded your life for theirs.”
Because he’d given the bitch the perfect moment to strike. Shit. And he still had to focus his power, use his energy to protect the others, because she’d let the fire loose and it was racing for Catalina. And Catalina-she stood frozen, staring at the flames with eyes too wide, terrified, as—
Jana jumped through the hole he’d knocked into the wall.
“Zane!”
No, shit, no! “Get out!”
More laughter. “Oh, no, she’s just the one I was hoping to burn. Payback’s coming,” Beth said.
Jana’s gaze widened. The flames were spreading too fast. Eating the floor, the walls …
And burning like a bitch at his back.
Hold it … control it … He couldn’t focus his attack on Beth. Not with the fire so close to the others. He pushed against the fire, but the flames kept flaring higher. Her fire’s stronger than-
Jana ran for Catalina. She grabbed the witch’s arm and yanked her. “Move!”
Catalina shook her head and finally seemed to snap back to reality. She turned and hauled ass, dragging her shifter with her.
Yes…
“The man on the floor-get him!” Catalina screamed to
Jana.
Um, not a man, not really—
Jana dove over the flames and grabbed the vamp’s hand. “I’ve got him. Zane-stop Beth! Save yourself!”
She did have the vamp. She grabbed both his wrists and she started pulling him toward their new escape hole.
So Zane turned his attention back to the woman who was trying to burn him.
“No!” Beth screamed, and the fire flared higher, hotter. “She’s not getting away!”
“Yeah, she is.” But you’re not. He could concentrate just on her now. And he knew how to stop an Ignitor.
The flames circled them, caging him and Beth together. Her eyes were so red he couldn’t even see her pupils anymore. Red as fire. Her body trembled and drops of blood splattered from her nose.
“You started the fire at Night Watch, didn’t you?” he asked. Another Ignitor, it made sense now, it—
“Yeah, yeah, I paid the assholes to torch the place.” Her voice rasped out. More blood flew from her nostrils, and she began to shake. “My plan, my call-and it would’ve worked fucking perfectly! The FBI was going to grab Jana, more of the paranormal assholes were going to burn-killing two fucking birds!”
His hands clenched. Before he ended this, he had to know … “Who is your boss? Who set this whole nightmare up?” Who was behind Perseus?
She laughed at him. Laughed with madness and power echoing in the wild sound. “I am Perseus. A human killing the monsters.”
He didn’t want a lesson in Greek myth. “Who’s your boss?” he roared over the flames. Who’d begun the chain of death? He had to know, he had to—
“My game,” she told him with a sick smile. “What? Don’t you think a human could do it? Don’t you think a human could take down demons? Could send them to hell?”
“I think …” Shit, it was hot. Sweat trickled down his face and back. “Humans can be damn dangerous.”
Another laugh. The fire leapt higher. “Yes … we can.”
“Your fire is getting out of control.” Wait… just wait. He had to give Jana time to clear out with the others before he struck. Perseus was about to explode.
Implode.
Her eyes widened. “Scared, demon? Because you know I’m stronger than you? You can’t stop my fire!” That circle of flames closed tighter.
“No, I’m not scared.” He shook his head. He didn’t hear Jana’s footsteps anymore. Couldn’t, not over the crackle and roar of the flames. “But you should be.” Only one way to stop an Ignitor’s fire. He sent his own fire and power plunging right at her. The blast hit Beth in the chest, and she stumbled back, screaming.
The fire went wild. Uncontrolled, for that brief moment, the circle broke and the flames licked back toward Beth, turning on her. Delicate human flesh.
Beth didn’t get up.
But a scream rose above the flames. Pain filled. Afraid. Female. Not coming from inside—outside. Jana.
She’d gotten out, but what-who-had been waiting for her? Fuck, fuck!
Another scream broke the air. Then, “No, dammit, stop!”
Zane lunged for that hole in the wall, shouting her name. The smoke and flames chased him as he burst outside.
He flew forward, sucking the fresh air into his lungs.
“Jana!”
There. Jana was near the swamp. On the ground … with that asshole vampire over her. His teeth in her neck. She was pounding his back, kicking, shoving, while her right hand struggled to reach a gun that was just a few feet away.
But where was her fire? Why hadn’t she just burned the asshole to ash?
“Get the fuck away from her!” He roared.
The vamp didn’t stop. Snarling, Zane lunged forward and closed the distance between them in seconds. He grabbed the vamp by his neck and hauled the bastard back.
Jana cried out, and he saw the blood dripping down her neck. Her blood.
He threw the vamp into the muddy swamp water. “Baby, fuck, baby, are you okay?” Her face was stark white, and she was shaking.
And crying. Jana—crying?
He’d kill that bastard, and he’d make sure the vamp stayed dead. His fingers trembled when he touched her neck. Her blood stained his fingers.
The world went red.
Zane surged to his feet and locked his stare on the vamp. The bastard was rising from the water, his eyes open, his fangs bared.
Jana’s scream. Her blood. Fucking bastard!
Chapter 13
“No!” Catalina flew in front of him. Zane shoved her to the side. Now wasn’t the time for the witch to—
She grabbed his arm and held tight. “He didn’t know what he was doing, Zane! They bled him nearly dry! It was instinct. He needed to survive, he needed—”
“He attacked her.” And where the fuck had Catalina been while the vamp shoved his teeth in Jana? Water dripped down the vamp’s body as he sloshed toward the shore. His stare was still black and his fangs glinted.
Rip. Him. Apart.
Catalina’s nails dug into him. “Please, Zane, he-he didn’t mean—”
“Screw what he meant.” Jana’s voice. Strong. Angry. She ran up beside Zane. “I’m not on the damn menu.” She shot the vampire, blasted him right in the chest with a bullet from the gun she held in her trembling hands.
“ No!” Catalina screamed.
Too late.
Blood blossomed on the vamp’s chest. He stared at Jana a moment, his eyes flickering between blue and black, and he whispered, “S-sorry …” right before he toppled back into the water.
Catalina ran after him, chanting, whispering her spells- they wouldn’t do much good. Not with her being so weak. And if that vamp rose again …
He’s mine.
Jana’s hand was shaking so much. Damn blood loss. Zane caught her hand and took the gun.
An explosion rocked the ground. Jana slipped, tumbling to her knees. Zane glanced over his shoulder. The Perseus buildings had just blown to hell and back. Guards were running, screaming, and that fire was blasting out of control as—
Fuck me. Beth was running out of the building. The flames were chasing after her, and she was headed right for him.
He grabbed Jana, pulling her to her feet. He’d protect her, make sure that—
Those flames raced toward them. Beth shrieked, “I can’t stop it! Help! Make it stop! Make it—”