Time and again explosions hit the houses, as the men and puppets marched through the compound, determined to destroy everything. Tariq held the safeguards around the homes, keeping them intact. His last option was to bring water from the lake onto land. He had created a bowl effect that would allow him to flood the entire acreage, sweeping Fridrick’s soldiers away, but with Liv and Emeline in harm’s way, he couldn’t do that.

The blue dragon took to the air with a battle cry, a roar that rent the air. Behind him the other dragons took to the sky, wings beating hard enough to clear the smoke as they circled above the men firing weapons at them. One man put a rocket launcher to his shoulder and took aim at the green dragon. The blond human beside him seemed to stumble right into him, knocking him off-balance, catching Tariq’s attention. The rocket went off far to the left of the dragons. The man with the rocket launcher immediately shoved the blond human who had stumbled into him. The clumsy man lifted his hands and shrugged his shoulders as if to say he was sorry, it wasn’t his fault.

Tariq took note of him. He was one of the men who had shaken his head and frowned when Vadim had thrown Liv to the puppet. He had studiously avoided looking at the master vampire, but had exchanged a long look with a dark-haired man in the group. Tariq tried to spot the other man in the crowd of soldiers. Most had their attention on the dragons circling above their heads. Not one of the dark-haired men, and not Mr. Clumsy. The two broke off from the group and hurried around the puppets toward the replica of the larger mansion – Emeline’s house.

He lost sight of them as several larger men, looking less human and more puppet, took up the screen the two human men had been on. Clearly they were on a separate mission from the others. Tariq realized the soldiers were wreaking as much havoc as possible in the compound, trying to blow everything up and create a diversion. These men were the ones on the real mission. Two broke off and came toward the main house. Two went toward Emeline’s house, and the last two toward the house where the children stayed.

They’re after the women. Emeline. Amelia and maybe Liv. Genevieve and you, Charlotte. All of this is to get the women. The rest of it is for show to throw us off, Tariq told her.

You can’t let them get to them.

They can’t get to them. Only Liv and Emeline are still in harm’s way. So far, no one has spotted Emeline lying so still. They aren’t expecting her out in the open like that. There’s smoke and chaos. But they’d find her. He knew they would. It was only a matter of time.

The dragons are attacking. He heard the worry in her voice. She was afraid they could burn Emeline or Liv in their scorching fire.

Don’t move, Liv. Stay very still, even if they get close to you. The child shuddered and wept silently, her fist jammed in her mouth. Tariq knew it had to be terrifying to see and hear the beasts that had torn into her flesh and tried to eat her alive.

Just as the dragons dove down, mouths yawning wide, fire pouring from them to sweep over the puppets and men in the compound, Tariq’s team of soldiers arrived. They were a small group, but elite, and they carried the right equipment to combat the macabre puppets. Tariq touched the dragons, impressing on them not to harm his security force or Emeline and Liv.

Fridrick’s soldiers were forced to defend themselves, caught between the dragons and the newcomers. The puppets had been programmed by their master and they would fight to the death and beyond if possible in order to carry out their orders. The human males stood and fought as well, something that surprised Tariq when he was rarely surprised by anything. That told him that either they each carried a splinter of Vadim, or they were programed through blood. Or both. In any case, it was a hard-fought battle between the two forces.

Tariq trusted his small but very skilled unit of soldiers, so he turned his attention to the six giants. The first two had reached the children’s house. They didn’t bother to try the doorknob; they simply hit the door hard simultaneously. Sparks flew around their fists and both men jumped back, howling. Two fist marks were burned into the wood. Cursing, they kicked at the door over and over, but all they did was burn the soles of their boots. Finally, one dropped his hand to the doorknob and twisted. The door opened for them because Liv had left it unlocked. The two men rushed inside only to find the building empty. They knocked over furniture, angry that they’d missed their prey.

At the same time, two men rushed into Emeline’s home and the other two into Tariq’s home. They found the buildings empty, too. Furious, they rushed outside. The six men converged in the center of the compound. One turned his head and frowned. Every muscle in Tariq’s body froze as he followed the man’s gaze straight to Emeline lying so still on the ground.

Tariq sent his command to the dragons and instantly they pulled up and flew away from the heavy fighting in an attempt to intercept the six men. Fire rained down. One of the six giants rolled away from the others as five of them took the brunt of the dragon attack. Two caught on fire. One fell to the ground, rolling to try to put the flames out, while the other ran for the lake. Gunfire broke out and two of the giants went down, thrashing, wounded, but not dead. The fifth man tried to follow his partner, but was cut down when Matt, the head of Tariq’s security force, shot him point-blank in the heart.

Tariq turned his attention to the last giant, the one now crouching beside Emeline. He grabbed her hair in his fist and lifted her head. Clearly she was still out. There was blood on the side of her face and on the rock lying on the ground beside her. She’d hit hard enough that it was a huge concern, but now she was in the hands of Vadim’s half human-half puppet.

As he rose, dragging her up with him, the two human males who had rushed to Emeline’s house ran around the porch toward him. At the same time, Liv leapt up, screaming at the giant of a man, determined that he wouldn’t take Emeline.

“No! You can’t have her. I won’t let you.” She shrieked at the man as she got to him, punching and kicking his leg.

The two male psychics Vadim had recruited separated, one yanking at Emeline, dragging her out of the giant’s arms while the other attacked. Snarling, the giant slammed his fist into the blond man’s forehead. The blond man fell over backward as if he’d been hit with a sledgehammer.

Tariq’s soldiers were converging and the dragons circled above them, readying for a pass at the giant. The blond man’s partner stumbled away from the huge, monstrous half puppet, Emeline in his arms. Snarling, the giant reached down, snatched up Liv and turned and ran toward the gates, calling out as he did so. Immediately what was left of Fridrick’s soldiers closed ranks behind him, racing after him, holding off Tariq’s men so the giant could escape with his prize.