Impressed by the dispy of magical prowess, Jennifer bowed lightly to Tatum and ran her fingers over the soft pods that had repced the bloodstones. “So, inside each pod is pure powder?” Once Jennifer saw Tatum nod and then sit back down, She walked over to the opposite side of the table where Tatum sat. “How long will the dust work? Does anyone know?”

  Patting the tires on the shoulder, Martin finished expining what shadewraiths were to the young couple. “Unfortunately, I have no idea, Jenny.” He shrugged and picked up a few more stones and crushed them with his enhanced ward strength. Walking to the er where he’d put bottles of blood for vampire use, Martin poured the psma over his hands and rubbed the powder so that his fists were coated in the bloodstone and blood paste. “Let’s hope this works.”

  Tapping Tatum on her shoulder, Jennifer smiled and then asked a question. “Miss Bckwell, how did Sylvie fight the st shadewraith?”

  Turning in her chair to face Jeatum waved her hand again and pulled an image bathed in white for everyoo see. “They were fighting a nasty ohat resided in the body of Haley Grant.” She advahe se until Sylvie turned into a ghost. “This is where Sylvie took the dust and blended with it to fight off the shadewraith. I am not pletely certain how hurt the thing was, si left while ughing and enjoying its own pain.” Tatum then dissipated the image and flexed her hands as the magic faded away. “While Denise casually used magic withard to her own body, I have to watuch I use at once before I eat…certain things. Deraded life for unlife and magic without limits.”

  Waving her hand, Jennifer looked at Tatum sternly. “I didn’t o hear about your bestie. The image of Sylvie was enough for me.” She popped a couple of pods ahe white powder flecked with green and red pour oable. “From what I saw, it art of Sylvie.” She used the ends of the broken pods and formed thin lines and then rolled up a small piece of paper into a tube. “Don’t do this at home boys and girls.” She lightly giggled and expertly she dust as though it were coe. Once all the pods were emptied and lines inhaled, Jennifer pinched her nose and shivered. “I wouldn’t reend this as there is nothing but itg in my nose now.” She rubbed her nostrils in a vain attempt to get rid of the itch the powder caused. “No high either.” She sighed and folded her arms. “Now what? We just wait for them to e get me? That sounds like a terrible pn.”

  “I couldn’t agree more, Miss Rivers. Staying down here will get someone killed.” Tatum poio herself and Jennifer. “I say we walk right out a in my car. I hide you better in my own home..” She paused, “...where I have better resources.”

  “What about the two guests and Caroline?” Martin ftly asked. “She has passed out, and these two don’t have the means to fight them.” Martin tossed a few bloodstoo the vampires. “Crush them, use them, they are your only ce.”

  Whispering to themselves for a few seds the tires smiled, kissed and smashed the rocks to handfuls of dust and shem just as Jennifer did. “She had a good idea, we think..and there is no dowo us sug in the dust.” The guy smiled and began stretg, “I know I don’t have to do this, but it's a habit?”

  Leaning across the table, Tatum gently squeezed Jennifer's hand. “If things seem to go badly, stay near me. I will walk us right out of here, under a bubble spell.” She winked. “Assuming it works, but it’s better than nothing, right?” Tatum released Jennifer’s hand and winked.

  Other thaig of the clocks above them, the few down in the shelter stood and sat in plete silenbsp; After what seemed like forever, Jeood up seds before the group heard knocks at the door.

  “FBI, We have a warrant to search the premises!” The four officers announced loudly. Waiting a couple minutes Deputy Director Powell fshed her diamond eyes. “Do it, cave in the door. We have a few people to…heh..heh…heh…absorb.”

  Nodding to their leader, the three possessed agents battered the front door down without any fanfare. Sprinting ihe house with their guns drawn, the Shadewraiths drew on the memories of their hosts to sound as official as they could. “Jennifer Rivers, Virginia Beach has issued a warrant for your arrest iion to the possession of illegal substances.” The three pretend agents searched the house and found nothing except the drugs that they’d suspected were in the home. “Fleshlings.” One agent-wraith muttered and headed for the front door and closed it. “The one named Jennifer Rivers is not here.”

  Powell-wraith shook her head, a a wave of torture to what was left of the personality within its host, feeding from the terror. “’t you smell them? Always doused in something that ges their barbaric st.” She walked into Jennifer’s room and yahe b off the bed. “Their desire is embedded in this pce.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “There is a nightstalker caretaker in this pce.” Powell-wraith poio the side of the bed Marti on. “That one might be a problem.”

  It was only after the lead Shadewraith poi the bed, did she notice that all four of them were outlined in a shimmering silver-white light. Anger welled up and Powell-wraith let out a horrific howl that echoed through the house. “Human magibsp; Fueled by its inability to have sehe magic, it found an outlet for its frustration by making a fist and pung the closest wall, shattering the bones in its host's hand. The residual pain radiated through its captured body, yet calmed ahe Powell-shadewraith, “I ’t leave this horrible shell..”

  Shoving their useless pistols in their holsters, one by ohe other shadewraiths tried to leave their hosts. Mirr the same terrifying howl, the others affirmed the same situation. “Trapped.”

  “Fug magibsp; Powell-wraith licked the blood from its broken knuckles and stood ihinking. “It ’t st forever. I smell the caretaker…Time for it to perish..” Fshing her diamond eyes and sniffing the air, the lead Shadewraith circled around the hidden lightout door a couple of times before it spotted a small red light. “Look here.” It she panel door and nodded. “They are down below.”

  Two of the shadewraiths charged the door and smashed the wood into splinters, spilling a thin line of sunlight dowairs and into the shelter. “ve.” The two ughed and handed out a few pointed shards from the broken barrier. A sed ter, the two lead shadewraiths were gripped by a pair of tendrils that smmed them into the wall and floor, leaving holes behind where they’d impacted. Powell-wraith spotted Tatum focused on her spell and remembered that it had a human on. F its broken hands to operate, the pai the fuel o draw the gun and fire at Tatum.

  When Tatum heard the hammer of a pistol click, she pulled back her tendrils and made herself a makeshift shield out of the two agents she’d been tossing around. Sh out in succession, and Tatum mao block all but two of the ining bullets. Pierg her arm and upper torso close to her lungs, Tatum fell to her knees and then ft on the floor, unmoving.

  Feeling the magie, the shadewraiths ughed with glee and peeled the human bodies off of their amorphous frame, leaving the bones and flesh in ks all over the floor. “Free…” The three fents started flying in circles around the rest of the people in the basement. One flew to its leader and poio Tatum. “Take the mage, the body’s magic will be a lovely boon.” It ughed and flew down and grabbed Tatum by the throat and immediately found itself tumbling through the air from a bloodstone-enhanced punch.