He cannot feel.

He has to feel something or he wouldn’t know. He wouldn’t be so gentle and focused on her, she protested. She had to believe Val would save Liv no matter what. All the while she connected so intimately with Tariq, she watched those whirling leaves. The moment Fridrick materialized right by the warehouse door, she stepped into view, “Genevieve” right behind her.

Fridrick spun around, saw them and carefully looked for their escort. Charlotte shook her head. “I was able to rise before Tariq and made my way here. I knew where to come because two of your men were captured and they said you had taken Liv here. I’m asking you to allow me to trade places. Genevieve is willing as well.”

“Genevieve” pressed trembling fingers to her mouth, but didn’t say anything at all. She did shift just slightly, still a couple of steps behind Charlotte but also to her left. Charlotte was well aware Blaze was giving herself room to attack should she have to.

Fridrick continued to look around, scanning the area, looking for anything that would tell him the women were bait. “Why wouldn’t I just take you without freeing that horrible little brat?”

“Because I’m willing to die and I have a knife in my hand. So does Genevieve. I can kill myself before you make it to me. You have to know Tariq converted me. I may be new at this, but I’m fast.”

“You would kill your lifemate as well,” he pointed out.

“She’s a little girl.”

“She’s nothing.” Contempt was written on Fridrick’s face. “Food for the master’s puppets. So many children – sometimes for fun we put them in the hold of the ship and let the puppets in with them. So amusing. I will allow you to watch the show, just for not coming to me the first time I told you to.”

“We don’t have much time,” Charlotte said, her chin up. She couldn’t think about children down in the hold of a ship screaming as the puppets were let loose on them. She just couldn’t. Right now, it was all about Liv.

“Tariq will be coming after me any minute. I won’t give up Amelia, and Emeline has a concussion. She can’t be moved. So if you want to make the exchange, it’s for Vi and me and you have to do it right now before the hunters come. They’ll come in force, and once they do, you know Tariq will never negotiate. I’m his lifemate. He won’t give me up.”

She sounded convincing. Very convincing. Tariq was proud of her. She appeared as she had in the parking garage, a woman of courage who had no idea who she was squaring off with. She treated Fridrick as she might a human male threatening her. Blaze, in Genevieve’s form, hovered behind her just as Vi had done in the garage.

Fridrick smirked at her and beckoned with one long-nailed finger. “If you want her, come to me then.”

“I’m not moving until I see her,” Charlotte said stubbornly. “Compulsion doesn’t work on me and time is flying by.”

Charlotte! What have you done? On cue, Tariq sounded the fearful and outraged lifemate, left behind because he couldn’t stand the sun. Do not give yourself to the undead. I forbid this. He used the Carpathian common telepathic path. I am coming for you. Get away from him.

The corners of Fridrick’s mouth widened, not so much into a smile, although it was certain he thought he was smiling, but more like an open gash where his mouth was, revealing his teeth. He wasn’t bothering with his appearance and his teeth were not nearly as white as they had been in the parking garage.

“How sad for a once-great warrior that he cannot control his woman.” Still smirking, Fridrick began to unweave the safeguards on the warehouse. His hands flashed with blurring speed as he removed them and flung open the door. He turned to wave Charlotte and Genevieve inside.

Tariq struck, materializing in front of Fridrick, his fist slamming into the vampire’s chest, fingers grasping at the withered heart. Fridrick screamed, blood and spittle spewing from his mouth.

“Kill her. Kill her.” The vampire shrieked the command even as he bent his head to tear at Tariq’s flesh, trying to get to an artery before Tariq could extract his heart.

Val and Dragomir pushed past into the warehouse, Siv and Nicu flanking them. Puppets rushed them. Two of the giants turned toward the cage where Liv huddled, making herself as small as possible. Lesser vampires appeared, one after another, rushing into the warehouse at Fridrick’s bidding. Blaze leapt into action, following the vampires, Maksim materializing at her side.

The scent of brimstone filled Charlotte’s lungs. It was ghastly and stung her eyes.

Hyssop oil, Charlotte. I need it now – pour it over me. Quickly.

Charlotte’s breath caught in her throat. I have no idea what that is. She didn’t. Tariq was calm, but he clearly needed the oil and fast. Fridrick writhed and fought, punching and kicking and biting, trying to keep Tariq’s hand from extracting his heart. Finally, in desperation, he caught Tariq’s arm with both hands and exerted all his strength to keep the hunter from withdrawing his heart.

The ground shook. Inside the warehouse Charlotte could hear screams and curses, the sound of agony and victory, but outside the air was heavy with the scent of burning asphalt and all insects had gone quiet.

Suddenly a pot of oil was at her feet and she looked around to see Dragomir striding toward her, a bow and arrow in his hands. He looked grim, even for him. He tossed her a bow and arrow as well. “Pour the oil over your man and dip your arrows in the pot. If you have to, cover yourself in oil. They’ll be fast. Faster than you can imagine, but you’re Carpathian. That makes you fast.”

She’d never shot a bow and arrow in her life, but something horrible was coming and she needed to keep Tariq safe. Even as she flung the pot of oil over him, Fridrick’s brother Georg leapt from the roof onto Tariq’s back. Dragomir was on him in seconds, moving so fast he was a mere blur. Instinctively she flung oil over Dragomir and turned to face whatever was coming at them.

What is it? She had to know.

Hellhounds are coming.

Hellhounds? She didn’t know what they were, either, not really, but it didn’t sound good. Her stomach dropped as the ground shook as if an earthquake were trying to shake the asphalt apart.

You can do this, Charlotte, Tariq said, as calm as ever, as if he weren’t fighting for his life. The pot will always be full of the oil. You’ll need it. Aim ahead of them and let them run into the arrow. Go for their eyes; that’s the kill shot. A throat shot will slow them down.