He spoke calmly, in spite of his mounting rage. “Maya, move your truck and go back home. Take your friends with you. If you do it now, I won’t arrest you.”
Not the way to calm down Maya. She stomped forward, beautiful even in the shapeless coveralls, and planted her fists on her hips. “Don’t even think about arresting me, Nash Jones. I’ll kick your ass.”
“Maya,” I said cautiously. I came forward, my eye on Amy, who was the bigger threat. No matter how innocuous she looked, she might be possessed at this moment by a goddess of ultimate destruction.
Amy was watching me, half confused, half delighted, the two natures warring within her. This might be a dream, yes, but gods had ways of manipulating dreams and reality as they pleased. In this reality, my mother might find a way to connect with me through Amy, to latch on to me and not let go.
I took a breath, feeling the warmth of Mick behind me. My goddess mother could fry him in a heartbeat, and Mick, robbed of his dragon-ness, had no defenses.
Had Emmett planned this? Was it his scheme to loose the goddess from Beneath on us in my dreams? Steal the mirror while we were distracted? Had he taken Mick’s dragon powers from him so we didn’t stand a chance?
If so, why hadn’t Emmett neutralized Nash? Nash, though he might not believe it himself, was probably the greatest danger to Emmett’s power.
Nash, oblivious at the moment, glowered at Maya. “Get back in the truck, Maya, or I swear to God I will arrest you.”
“Go ahead. You know you’ve always wanted to put me in cuffs.”
Nash’s face went from gray to unhealthy red. “Do it. I’ll talk to you later.”
Maya didn’t move. “Not until you get away from her. Come with me, Nash. We’ll talk about old times. Remember? When you used to sleep with me?”
Nash hated to discuss his personal life with anyone, let alone in front of his new girlfriend and three complete strangers. “Maya …”
“Are you happy?” Maya called past him to Amy. “You couldn’t stop at being prom queen and having the whole town love you. You had to steal my boyfriend on top of it. I hope Janet flattens you.”
“Who the hell is Janet?” Nash’s gray eyes were hard as he flicked his gaze to me, Mick, and Drake. “Who are these people?”
“My friends.” Maya said it proudly. “We’re here to rescue you, Nash.”
“Maya, for the last time …”
Nash’s growl was cut off by Amy herself, who stepped down from the porch. “Enough!”
The word rang through the air, tingeing the mild day with harsh coldness. Everything about the Beneath goddess was icy and colorless.
She came on toward Nash and put a hand on his arm. He flinched slightly then tried to hide the flinch. He was hurting.
I stepped beside Maya. I was terrified, having no defenses at the present time against the goddess. I could only hope that she was weakened, being outside the vortex and possessing Amy’s very human body.
Mick came up right behind us, not letting me an inch away from him. I sensed Drake’s aura become more fiery, a dragon gearing up for a fight.
“No,” Amy said. “I don’t think we’ll have that.”
She opened her hand, and sent a shaft of light streaking right for me.
Mick grabbed me and hauled me down. The light sailed overhead and struck Maya’s truck, shimmering electric arcs through it like frenetic blue snakes. Drake hauled ass away from the pickup just before it exploded.
The fireball of the truck roared into the air, a wash of heat swamping me as I lay flat, Mick on top of me. Maya screamed and started to swear.
I struggled to raise my head and look around. Mick eased off, but didn’t let me up.
Drake had moved to take a protective stance next to Maya. He’d pulled off the T-shirt, the dragon wing tatts that hugged his torso moving with his anger.
Nash stared at the burning truck for a heartbeat of astonishment, then he turned around and pointed his pistol at Amy. “What the hell did you just do?”
“Maya,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “You should run.”
“Damned if I will,” Maya said, though she remained close to Drake. “I’m not letting this woman hurt Nash.”
“I won’t let her,” I promised.
“How will you stop her? You’re not yourself, and Mick isn’t either.”
“Mick, let me get up,” I said. At his growl, I added. “Please.”
He didn’t want to. The Mick of the past knew all about the Beneath goddess. He knew exactly how dangerous she was and exactly how vulnerable we were.
Mick, though, knew how to make the most of a bad situation. He growled again but helped me to my feet, keeping hold of my hand. He might not have dragon in him anymore, but he was physically strong, and I felt his earth magics solidly within him.