Draven wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but he suspected processing was just a nice term for being put to death. For everything she’d done and tried to do, it would be fitting.
“Wait a minute,” Ricky cut in, lowering his gun. “What the hell are you talking about?”
It was the opening Eliza had obviously been waiting for. The witch chanted a couple words and pointed at Ricky. A flash of light exploded in front of him, the force knocking him on his ass and the gun flying from his hand.
A snarl followed by a yip rent the air and seconds later, a large hyena bounded toward her, the threat of death glinting in his gray eyes. The woman said a couple more words and swiped her arm as if flicking away a fly. A gust of wind slammed into Payson, sending him careening sideways into a tree.
Eliza cackled with obvious glee.
Chapter Ten
Pandemonium broke out.
Vail watched, frozen in terror—funny what years of conditioning could do to a man—as several of his friends shifted, while others herded their human mates farther away. He waffled between shifting and attacking, too, but didn’t want to leave Draven unprotected. When Adam’s tiger collapsed under a branch she’d magically cut off a tree, Vail came to the realization that they couldn’t get near her. She kept batting them away with spells as if she were shooting ducks in a barrel.
“How did you drive her away last time?” he called to his father, almost needing to shout so his father could hear him over the sound of growls, roars, and malicious laughter.
“She was young and inexperienced,” Abbott replied.
Draven pulled a pouch from an inside pocket, and poured what looked like dust into his cupped palm. Lifting his hand to his mouth, he blew the powder into the air. Vail watched in astonishment as the powder solidified and formed vines, which flew through the air toward her.
As she was distracted by that, it gave Kontra’s bear the opportunity to shove Sam’s bull away from her, since she seemed to be having way too much fun popping flash sparks too close to his eyes and blinding him.
Tim appeared by Draven’s side.
Vail stripped and shifted. Draven grabbed his ruff, and he looked up at his mate. “Distract her. I need a minute.” Vail nodded and took a step forward, but Draven’s grip tightened, redrawing his attention. “You be careful.”
He nodded again and Draven released him. Slinking forward, he spotted Payson circling her on the other side. He caught the hyena’s eye and sniffed. Payson chuffed. A glance overhead showed him Luc’s large owl swooping overhead, watching.
From out of nowhere, a massive white buffalo thundered toward the woman. Vail knew how hard it was for Emmett to shift to animal form, since he’d been trapped for over eight years as his buffalo, and so didn’t do it often. Vail appreciated Emmett’s courage now, and took advantage.
The witch had just finished releasing herself from the vine ropes, and she turned toward the ground-shaking buffalo’s charge. She squeaked in surprise at how close he already was—showing the first chink in her façade of armor—and swung her arms as she spewed a couple words.
A three-foot tall sapling two feet in front of and to the right of Emmett burst into flames. The buffalo bellowed and swerved. Vail and Payson used the distraction to lunge at the witch, while Luc dive-bombed her from above.
Pain exploded through Vail’s chest and he found himself flung into a bike, sending both of them crashing to the ground in a clatter of metal, claws, and fur. Vail lifted his head and realized that Payson had managed to get his teeth into her before she blasted him with a spell. Blood dripped down her thigh.
Luc had hold of her shoulder, digging his claws in deep. She cast a spell that sent the big owl slamming into a motorcycle. When he didn’t move, Vail desperately hoped the shifter would be okay.
The witch snarled at Payson where he lay unmoving at her feet. She lifted her hands and opened her mouth, obviously getting ready to blast the downed hyena with another spell. Kontra roared and lumbered toward her. Vail scrambled to his feet and followed, limping heavily on his right hind leg. He didn’t think it was broken, but he’d definitely messed up something.
They were too slow, and the witch fired an electrical charge at Payson. Instead of hitting him, though, it seemed to hit an invisible wall. The shield crackled, revealing a dome around Payson, then it reflected the spell back at the caster.
Eliza screamed as the charge hit her instead, knocking her back several feet. Kontra reached her and slapped her with one big paw. The smell of blood flooded the clearing as she was sent flying through the air. When she landed, she lifted her head and glared at the once more advancing bear.