Dark Possession(59)

Good for you. MaryAnn flashed Jasmine an approving smile. The girl had spunk after all. She wasn't going to give up on Solange.

Jasmine flashed her a small, conspiratorial smile, and MaryAnn realized she was glad she'd come. Both women needed her. She was a born counselor, she helped people find their way and she was good at if, proud of her ability. Solange seemed more lost than Jasmine because she'd given up on life. On people. On everything.

Solange suddenly lifted her head, coming to her feet, her body still, Jasmine pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle a cry of alarm.

"It's okay, baby," Solange assured.

"They're here," Jasmine whispered. "Outside the house, and it's another couple of hours until sunset."

"Take MaryAnn into the safe room," Solange instructed. "Wait for me there."

"MaryAnn will be just fine helping you out," MaryAnn said. "I'm not hiding from these men. If they dared come here to harm you-"

"They'll rape and kill. That's what they do," Solange said, her voice hard. "We live by the law of the forest here, kill or be killed, and you have to be prepared to do just that. Go with Jasmine."

Jasmine pushed back her chair and reached under the table for the gun taped there. MaryAnn's eyes widened. They'd obviously been prepared for an attack.

"I'll take the upstairs," Jasmine said. "You defend down here, Solange. MaryAnn, they won't be able to breach the safe room. If we get into trouble, we'll fight our way back to that, so leave it unlocked as long as possible."

"I'll stay with you," MaryAnn said. "I know how to shoot a gun."

"Riordan and Juliette set safeguards on the house," Solange said, not bothering to waste time arguing with them. "Jasmine, see to the windows. Stay back out of sight. If they see and recognize you, it might make them do something crazy to get in, but if they breach the window, shoot to kill. Do you understand me? Don't you hesitate."

"I won't," Jasmine assured.

"I'll be with her," MaryAnn added. Jasmine looked so young and frightened. Her pregnancy made her even more vulnerable.

Solange caught Jasmine to her, stared into her eyes. "Be safe, little cousin."

"You too." Jasmine brushed a kiss along Solange's cheek and then turned and hurried up the stairs.

MaryAnn followed her, but paused to watch Solange move through the huge kitchen toward the hall. The woman looked like a jungle car, sleek and powerful and deadly. It was impossible not to admire her-or believe in her.

"She'll get us through this," Jasmine assured her.

"I have no doubt she will." Still. It was always better to have a backup plan. They had to hold out until Manolito, Riordan and Juliette managed to wake and get to them. She glanced at her watch. A little under two hours. The safeguards should hold that long.

"Uh oh," Jasmine said, peeking out the window and ducking back against the wall. "They've got someone out there and he looks like he knows what he's doing."

MaryAnn risked a quick look. The man was no jaguar; his build was all wrong. He was short and slender, his close-cropped hair blond. He stood facing the house, hands in the air, weaving a graceful pattern. She had only seen something like that once before and it chilled her to the bone. "Mage." She whispered the word.

"He's taking down the safeguards, isn't he?" Jasmine said.

"It looks like it."

Solange swore. Once again she'd crept up behind them. "I counted four of the jaguar-men. I recognize one of them. He's a tough fighter, Jazz. He knows our scent. The one you identified as a mage I've never seen before. He must have been brought here specifically to unravel the Carpathian guards."

"And that means they're here for a reason," Jasmine said, choking on fear, voice shaking. "They came here deliberately for us, didn't they, Solange? For me."

"Calm down, baby," Solange said. "You know they hunt any women with jaguar blood, particularly those who can shift. Both of us are of the age to have children; we carry purer bloodlines and we can shift."

Jasmine shook her head. "Not me. I can't."

"You don't want to. That isn't the same thing. Give me the gun, Jasmine." Solange held out her hand.

Jasmine shook her head again, this time much harder. "No. I need it."

"I mean it. Give it to me."

MaryAnn winced at the steel in Solange's voice. "Jasmine, there's no need to panic. It will take time for the mage to unravel the safeguards. After Juliette and Riordan put the locks in place, Manolito came with me in the early morning hours and he added to the safeguards. Give Solange the gun and let's get ourselves something cool to drink and we'll wait downstairs near the safe room. If we block off or rig some kind of alarm on the stairs, we won't have to guard them. We can concentrate on defending the downstairs, a smaller area. It will be easier and we can leave a clear path to the safe room. No matter what, we'll be fine until the Carpathians get here."