Catching Dragos (14 page)

growled.

With a grimace, Serafina downed the potion.

The ground trembled beneath our feet.

I looked around warily. “That can’t be good.”

“Did Rossi summon another demon?” Fabian tightened his grip on Excalibur.

Grams laughed. “Not demons.”

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Bony fingers poked through the desert floor.

I giggled. “Aw. Would you look at that? Rossi summoned an army of the dead to

take care of us.”

A cold smile formed on Fabian’s mouth. “Guess he forgot you’re one hell of a

ghost whisperer too.”

“What a shame.” Serafina cackled.

Dozens of mummified Aztec warriors crawled from their graves. Their petrified

features peeked out from jaguar skulls, and their bodies were covered in rotted panther

pelts.

How many jaguars had they slaughtered to make their swell outfits? If they

weren’t already dead, I’d want to sic PETA on their asses.

Each warrior gripped a round wooden shield with a few tattered feathers still

attached and a curved obsidian sword. They banged their blades against the shields and

advanced on us.

Summoning my powers, I chanted, “
Gallice material transferm est quaedam
.”

Turquoise blue fireflies danced over the Aztecs, and they stopped.

I could feel their rage and fierce desire for vengeance. “Grams, can you and

Serafina drop them on top of the dragons?”

Poof! The Aztec warriors suddenly rode the Hasais.

“Kill the dragons,” I commanded the warriors.

Their obsidian blades sliced through the dragons’ flesh like butter.

Shrieking, the dragons took to the air, dipping and diving in an attempt to lose the

Aztecs.

For dead guys, the Aztecs were pretty damned nimble. They rode the bucking

Hasais like professional bull riders and kept on hacking them to bits.

One by one, the dragons fell. The earth shuddered from the impacts. An instant

later they crumbled to dust.

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“
Dominus unus morellus vindolan
,” I chanted, freeing the Aztecs’ souls.

Glowing blue orbs shot from the battered remains of the warriors, whizzed

joyfully around us, and shot into the sky.

Grams hugged me. “Nicely done.”

“Thank you.” Some days I really loved being a ghost whisperer.

“Mariah, behind you!” Fabian called urgently.

I spun around and gaped in disbelief. Rossi didn’t know when to stop.

A column of shriveled-up, arrow-riddled conquistador soldiers sat astride

mummified horses.

I eyed their oddly shaped helmets, rusty shields, and rotted crossbows. “I guess

Cortez found the gold.”

“They did, but an Apache raiding party slaughtered them before they could take

it,” Fabian added grimly.

That explained the arrows. I focused my power on them. “
Gallice material transferm

est quaedam
.” Nothing happened. I tried again. “Gallice material transferm est

quaedam.”

Grams announced angrily, “Rossi controls them.”

“Fuck,” Fabian and I said in unison.

A big fanfare of bugles sounded.

The demonic voices from the Cavern of the Damned wailed, “He comes. He

comes. The master comes.”

“Oh, my God, the pompous ass brought the demon king with him,” I groused.

With a thunderous cracking boom, Rossi appeared. A badly mutilated snake hung

around his neck. “Did you think you could defeat the greatest sorcerer that has ever

lived?”

“Yeah, we kinda did,” I muttered.

Fabian’s gaze froze on the snake.
“Is that Asmoday?”

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“What’s left of him,”
Serafina answered.

I patted Fabian’s hand.
“Don’t worry; I’ll protect my honey bunny from the nasty little

snake.”

“Not funny.”

Rossi looked around. “Where are my Hasais?”

“Dead,” Grams responded.

The creepy sorcerer shrieked, “What? That’s impossible!”

“Not as all-seeing as you thought,” I interjected. “Oh yeah, I freed the Aztec

warriors’ souls too.”

With a roar of fury, Rossi shouted, “Kill them!”

The conquistador soldiers obediently raised their crossbows and fired. The badly

decayed wooden arrows simply crumbled.

The stupefied expression on Rossi’s face was awesome.

Fabian laughed. “Did you really expect five-hundred-year-old weapons to still

work?”

“Rossi’s power fails,“ Serafina gloated.

I perked up. “Best news I’ve heard all day.”

Grams gestured, and the conquistadors literally fell to pieces.

“Way to go, Grams.” I turned my attention to the fucking nuts sorcerer. “Your

army is gone. What are you going to do now? Go to one of those theme parks and

terrorize the crowds?”

For a brief moment, fear flickered in Rossi’s eyes. “I’m going to eat your virgin’s

heart.”

Here we go again. “I. Am.
Not
. A virgin. Dickhead.”

“You’re lying!”

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“No, she isn’t.” Fabian lips closed over mine in a toe-curling kiss. He raised his

head and smirked. “Just ask Asmoday; he knows the truth.”

The demon king quickly dropped to the ground and slithered away.

His face bright red with rage, Rossi screamed, “You fucked her?”

“Repeatedly.” Fabian nibbled on my ear.

“I need a virgin. I need a damn virgin,” Rossi shrieked hysterically.

Grams snickered. “Don’t look at me.”

“Or me,” Serafina added with a chuckle.

Xero hid behind Fabian’s leg.
“Me virgin.”

I patted her silky head.
“The virgin needs to be human, sweetie. You’re safe.”

“‘Kay.”

Fabian taunted, “What’s got your panties in a twist, Rossi? Lucifer after your sorry

ass?”

Rossi stomped his foot. “Lucifer fears me. He doesn’t dare touch me. He knows I

can destroy him with a thought.”

My jaw dropped. “Holy hell. He actually believes that.”

“He’s a fool,” Grams agreed drily.

Serafina’s head came up. “A fool who is about to die.”

The sun turned bloodred.

Lightning exploded from the earth and crackled wildly around Rossi.

He yelped as the bolts struck him repeatedly in the butt. “I’m not afraid. I’m not.

I’m the most powerful wizard that has ever lived. No one can defeat me.”

I snorted. “The most powerful wizard just wet his pants.”

A chaotic mass of black clouds roiled over the ground. The rotting corpse of an

Apache warrior stepped out of the swirling mass. He lumbered clumsily toward us. A

cloud of flies buzzed around his head.

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We all took an involuntary step back as the stench hit us.

Serafina cried in amazement. “That’s the Apache Thunder God.”

Nausea rose in my throat. The Apache was beyond gross. “I thought you said

Asmoday ate him?”

“He did.” Fabian eyed the Apache Thunder God warily. “My question is, who

resurrected him?”

“My money’s on Lucifer. He needs a powerful minion, and the Apache meets that

qualification.” I watched in amazement as the Thunder God snatched up Asmoday and

shoved the squirming snake in his mouth.
Chomp.

“Guess Lucifer’s a bit pissed Asmoday partnered up with Rossi,” I declared.

Asmoday’s tail wiggled frantically.

Chomp
. The tail disappeared.

The Apache Thunder God belched.

My eyes began to water. Lordy. That was rank. My special mouthwash couldn’t

even begin to compete.

Rossi vanished.

Ten seconds later he reappeared in the exact same spot. The sorcerer’s eyes

bugged in horror. He disappeared again.

Pop! He was back again. Rossi let out a wail. “Nooo! It’s not possible.”

“You cannot escape Lucifer’s wrath,” the Apache Thunder God boomed.

“
Quibusdam proceribus potuero
,” Rossi squeaked and gestured. An itty-bitty energy

bolt shot from his hand and struck the Apache in the chest.

The Thunder God’s laughter shook the surrounding hills.

Rossi took off running.

A flock of crows attacked him, driving him back toward the Thunder God.

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The Apache gestured and thousands of black beetles swarmed over the sorcerer,

tearing at his flesh.

“As much as I enjoy seeing Rossi getting his comeuppance, now might be a good

time for us to leave,” I said.

Grams nodded. “We do not want to draw the Thunder God’s attention.”

“Me no like big scary,”
Xero whined.

Fabian scooped her up.
“Smart girl.”

Poof! We were back in the motor home.

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Chapter Fifteen

I let out a breath of relief. We were safe.

Fabian grabbed four beers out of the refrigerator. “Any chance of the Thunder

God coming after us?” He handed one to me.

“Thanks, sweetie.” I patted his taut butt.

Serafina took an offered beer. “No. He can’t leave the Superstition Mountains.”

“Yay, magical boundaries.” I popped the top off and took a long drink. The cold

liquid rolled down my throat. Pure ambrosia.

Grams raised her bottle. “To Rossi’s and Asmoday’s defeat. May they rot in hell

forever.”

“And not be resurrected.” I tapped my bottle against Grams’s.

Fabian clinked his bottle to mine. “No more fire-breathing dragons.”

“To happily ever after.” I wrapped my arms around Fabian’s neck and melded my

mouth to his. Our tongues dueled for supremacy.

“I expect a grandbaby in nine months,” Serafina pronounced.

What?
I broke the kiss. “Baby? It’s a little too soon to be thinking about children.”

Serafina retorted, “You’re twenty-six, Mariah. It’s time you started a family.”

“Enough, Nonna,” Fabian said adamantly.

Grams added in her two cents, “She has a point.”

Presto! We were in my bedroom.
“Not funny, Grams.”

Fabian pulled me close. “How do you feel about sandy beaches, warm tropical

breezes, and turquoise seas?”

“Are you talking about Tahiti?”

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“I am. I own an island there.” Fabian nibbled his way down my neck.

“Color me happy. Let me pack a bag.”

“Step away from her.” The command was followed by the distinct sound of a

shotgun being racked.

I peeked around Fabian’s shoulder and met my father’s furious gaze. “Put the gun

down, Dad.”

“Step away from her,” my father repeated.

When Dad had his scary cop’s face on, bad things happened. “He won’t hurt me.”

“He’s Dragos,” my father spat.

I threw up my hands. “I know that, but he’s my Dragos.”

A low growl rumbled deep in my dad’s chest. “Dammit, Mariah, did you sleep

with him?”

“Like that’s any of your business.”

“Answer me!” he roared.

“Don’t yell at my mate,” Fabian snarled.

Oh, hell. The cat was out of the bag.

My father’s finger tightened on the trigger. “Mate?”

“Yes, Mariah’s my mate and blood-bound slayer.”

“Slayer!” Dad bellowed.

Fabian locked a possessive arm around my waist. “The ritual has been completed.

There’s nothing you can do to break it.”

“Isn’t there?” A nasty smile curved my father’s mouth.

Holy shit! My father had lost his mind, and my mate had a death wish. Wiggling

out of Fabian’s hold, I placed myself in the line of fire. “Easy, Dad. Remember what the

doctor said about your blood pressure.”

“You made me a promise, Mariah.”

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“I know I did, but shit happened and—”

“Shit happened? What kind of piss-poor excuse is that?”

My temper flared to life. “Excuse me? I was doing my fucking job.” I poked my

father in the chest. “My. Job. Do ya get that?”

“And you just had to hook up with a Dragos enforcer to do your job?”

“Believe it or not, he was my job, but things kinda went sideways, and without his

help, your little girl would be dead as a doornail.”

Dad snorted. “Why didn’t you ask your grandmother for help?”

“I did, but we were dealing with a murderous sorcerer, a demon, some fire-

breathing dragons, Asmoday, the serpent king, and the Apache Thunder God. It took

all our powers to defeat them.”

“Fire-breathing dragons, huh? You expect me to believe that load of manure?”

“Yep.”

Xero appeared and attacked my father’s pants leg.
“No hurt Myee.”

“What the hell is that?” Dad tried to shake Xero loose.

Fabian answered, “That’s Xero, our familiar.” He snapped his fingers.
“Xero. Off.

He’s family.”

Our little demon obediently stopped chewing.
“Family?”

“He’s my father.”
I scooped her up.

“Why he mean to Daddy Fabian?”

“‘Cause he’s silly.”

Dad eyed Fabian with a distinct lack of favor. “Your mother warned me about

him.”

“Any Dragos or just Fabian?”

“She said if I allowed you to become a slayer, a Dragos would claim you.”

Whoa! Mom had predicted it? “It’s a done deal, Dad. Can’t you be happy for me?”

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He scowled and jabbed his shotgun at Fabian. “Once you’re married, I’ll be tickled

pink.”

I rolled my eyes. “A shotgun wedding is a little old-fashioned, don’t you think?”

“He screwed you, he marries you.”

“Dang. That’s a bit rude. You owe me an apology.”

Without a hint of remorse, Dad responded, “Do I?”

“Show Mariah the proper respect, old man, or—”

My father punched Fabian in the mouth, knocking him down. “You think you can