She scratched my hands and then ripped my sweater, her talons digging into my arms.
Searing, hot pain flashed like white lightning through me.
I dug deep for my banshee scream, but I couldn’t breathe. She was extremely strong, and the weight of her body felt like that of a grizzly bear.
Mind control. Make her red eyes bleed or something to get her off you.
I envisioned her gouging out her eyes, but I was having trouble concentrating while fighting her at the same time.
She growled, the sound reminding me of a mountain lion I’d heard on a National Geographic show.
Kicking and squirming, I shoved her. The more I fought, the more aggressive she became as she sank her fangs into my ear and tugged hard like I was her fucking chew toy.
I screamed, but nothing came out.
Feet slapped on the tile somewhere nearby. “Rianne!” Jordyn’s tone was sharp and deadly. “Get the fuck off her.” She must’ve thrown something at Rianne because I heard glass shatter somewhere near me.
I grabbed Rianne’s temples and shoved my thumbs into her eyes.
She let out a guttural roar as she swatted my neck, and once again, her deadly claws scratched deep into my skin.
I pushed and shoved with all I had as I continued to press my thumbs into her eye sockets. Nausea was creeping up and into my throat.
She rolled off me, giving me a small window to scramble to my feet on unsteady legs.
Rianne was blinking rapidly, trying to clear the blood coming out of her eyes.
Jordyn ran behind me and into the new wing.
“It’s time to say goodbye, Rianne.” I bowed my head, conjuring up any magic within me that I could as I imagined her stabbing herself with her long talons. Not that the act would kill her, but it would at least slow her down until help arrived.
She stood on all fours partway down the center aisle, angling her head one way, then the other, as if she was trying to figure out who I was, or maybe she couldn’t see clearly anymore.
Still, my mind control wasn’t working, and maybe it didn’t on animallike creatures. Just my luck.
The only spell I remembered was how to start a fire. If I did that, the room would blow up because of all the chemicals and reagents stored nearby. I also had another problem. Dizziness was setting in. I was sure I was losing blood. I could feel it slithering down my neck and face as the wounds on my body felt like someone had stuck a hot poker against my skin. The sensation rivaled a thousand beestings.
Rianne’s nostrils were flaring as she sniffed the air. The blood in her eyes coagulated as if she was healing right before me.
We faced off like two gunslingers at the O.K. Corral.
I swayed to one side. Too bad I didn’t have the power of a Mystic. Or the ability to wave my hand like Abbey and throw Rianne around or even snap her neck with a flick of my wrist. I was a fucking witch, for fuck’s sake. Why couldn’t I do something?
You haven’t practiced. You need schooling.
The only weapon I had was my banshee scream, since mind control wasn’t working on her.
The second I inhaled, I heard Sam’s voice. I glanced past Rianne and saw Sam rushing through the double doors in the distance.
“Rianne!” Sam roared.
As if responding to a mating call, my sister spun around.
I anchored myself to a lab bench.
Sam widened his stance, fangs out, silver eyes scorching with rage as he waited for Rianne to attack him.
She ran on all fours—literally on her hands and feet like an animal in the wild. The moment she leapt at my husband, he snapped her neck in one move. She fell like a rag doll to the floor.
