Brenna bit back a gag. “So how did you fall short?”
“Excuse me?” Black eyes flashed.
“Gee, Willa. I slept with him once, and he planted the huge old Kayrs marking on my ass. You had five years with him—hungry, weak, and desperate. Yet you couldn’t clinch the deal?” Brenna tapped her foot on the Persian rug. “Pathetic.”
Willa snarled, and waves of pain shot through Brenna’s eyes into her brain. She gasped, her vision disappearing. Only darkness remained.
Slowly, the attack stopped. Willa sipped her drink. “That old marking on your ass really has ruined everything, now hasn’t it?”
Great. Pissing off the psycho demon was a wonderful idea. Brenna took a deep breath, thankful she could see again. “I really don’t know what you mean.”
“Well, I can’t mate him now, even after I kill you.” Willa sighed.
That was true. Matings were forever, and there were no do-overs for the vampires. Brenna concentrated on sending energy to the bottom of her hands. If she kept the power low, could she hide the plasma? “Jase would never have mated you.”
“Maybe, maybe not. But that means he doesn’t get to mate anyone else.” Willa pouted out her lip, looking about sixteen. “He’ll trade himself for you, and then I’ll teach him what a mistake he made. Of course, you’ll die, too. He’ll get to watch that one.”
“If you trade me, you can’t kill me.” The woman was nuttier than Brenna’s aunt Dottie’s cobbler.
“Oh, we’ll do a double-cross at the trade.” Willa frowned. “Or I’ll trade you and then take you out from a distance with Jase watching.” She clapped her hands together. “Yes. That’s a much better plan.”
Whoa. Brenna needed to get out of there. “Does Suri know you’ve made a move here?”
“No. My brother doesn’t see the big picture.” Willa sighed. “Malco does know, however. He’ll do whatever I want.” Her sly smile made Brenna want to puke. “Jase knows Malco. I think Malco blinded Jase for a week once.”
Fury cascaded up Brenna’s spine, and green danced along her arms. She snuffed it out.
Willa stared thoughtfully over her glass. “I heard you lost your powers. Something about a poisoning.”
“They’re coming back.” Brenna smiled sweetly. “Since I mated Jase.”
A knock sounded at the door, and the guard brought in Janie. “Are you sure about this?” he asked Willa.
Willa nodded and gestured toward the other guest chair.
The saliva dried up in Brenna’s mouth. “What are you doing?”
The guard shoved Janie into a chair and zip-tied her hands. “Well, it’s been fun.” He disappeared through the doorway.
Willa blew out air. “So you’re the famous Kayrs psychic?”
Janie eyed Brenna and then Willa. “So you’re the crazy bitch who failed at getting my uncle Jase naked.”
Willa smiled. “Yes, well, you’re his punishment for that.”
“Punishment?” Brenna tried to lean forward.
“Yes. I don’t need two of you for the trade, so Jase’s lovely niece here dies for his transgressions.” Willa set down the glass. “Since she’s a human, I can make her brain explode through her ears.”
Janie paled. “What’s plan B?”
Brenna struggled against the ties. “Wait a minute. Don’t you know who she is?”
“Yes, I do.” Willa held her hands out toward Janie. “In fact, my people are split whether she should be put down or allowed to mate. My brother wants her put down, and I agree.”
“But she’s prophesied to change the world.” Panic had Brenna seeing red.
“We like the world the way it is,” Willa patiently explained. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you the chance to tell Jase all about her death. How fun will that be?”
The chick was seriously nuts. “No—wait. Blow my brains instead.”
Willa wrinkled her nose. “I’d rather kill you with Jase watching.” She pointed at Janie, and Janie cried out in pain.
Brenna struggled against the bindings, kicking out her legs.
Janie hissed, and blood shot from her ears.
Fire lanced down Brenna’s arms, and her ties smoldered away. She leaped across the room to tackle Willa into the bed. They rolled over, and Brenna punched the demon in the nose.
Willa howled and grabbed her face.
Icepicks attacked Brenna’s mind, and she yanked away, her brain weeping.
Willa kicked her in the chin, and she hit the carpet.
Enough of this shit. Brenna drew deep for power, forming a plasma ball in her hands.
Willa slowly turned and wiped blood off her mouth. Images of brutalized people shot into Brenna’s brain. Pain cascaded down her spine.
She threw the plasma at Willa.
Willa jumped out of the way, and the fireball zipped over Janie’s head to crash into the wall. Janie yelped and teetered on the chair.
Shit. “Sorry, Jane.” Brenna leaped to her feet, forming more plasma.
Willa ran toward the door, and Janie tripped her with a foot. The demon slammed headfirst into the wall. She turned around, gasping, and yanked a double-edged knife from her boot.
“Go near my niece, and I’ll burn you alive,” Brenna warned, fire dancing down her arms.
A plasma ball zinged to hit the painting above the bed. Crap. She still didn’t have control.
Willa gasped. “You’re burning your own painting?”
“I never could get the blue hues right.” Brenna angled closer to Janie. She had to be careful not to hit Janie with fire.
Willa clutched the knife and inched toward Janie.
Brenna threw a ball, hitting Willa square in the chest. The weapon lifted the demon, hurling her at the wall above the door. She dropped with a loud thump. Snarling, she lunged at Janie, knife out.
Brenna’s fire fizzled out.
Janie twisted at the last second, taking the cut to the shoulder.
Brenna jumped across the room and tackled Willa, arms punching. The demon wrapped her legs around Brenna’s torso and flipped them over, plunging with the knife.
Brenna turned her head at the last second, and the knife sank into the stone. “You bitch.” She grabbed Willa’s arm and yanked her off.
Willa crab-walked back to lean against the bed. “I don’t need weapons against you, witch.” Lifting her head, she sent out vibrations of energy that cut through the oxygen with a hiss.
A hot poker split Brenna’s brain in two. Janie’s shriek of pain drowned out Brenna’s sob. God. Lightbulbs exploded behind her eyelids. Images of death filled her mind while pain reached for her soul.
Gasping, she forced her eyes open.
Janie’s high-pitched cry chilled down Brenna’s spine. She was a witch and a member of the Coven Nine. No fucking demoness was going to ruin her brain. Her hand shaking, she yanked the knife from the floor.
Willa smiled, sending pain tinged with mental poison to cut through Brenna’s cerebellum.
“Nice try.” Brenna flew across the room, landing on the demoness. Using all her strength, she plunged the knife in Willa’s throat.
Shock filled Willa’s eyes, and she fell to the side.
The images and pain disappeared.
Grunting, Brenna straddled the demon and twisted first right and then left. Blood spurted up to burn her face and neck. Willa’s head rolled free.
Sliding off the body, Brenna turned her head and retched into the corner. The smell of death and vomit made her puke harder.
God. She’d killed.
Slowly, she turned to find Janie staring wide-eyed at her. “Are you all right?” Janie asked.
“No.” Brenna staggered to stand. The room pitched. Sparks shot from her fingertips to start the bedspread on fire. She dashed forward and yanked it to the ground, stomping out the flames.