“Holy halfies,” Dawson murmured.

No sooner than those words popped out of my brother’s mouth, a blue and red and white form followed the path of the door, zooming across the road and slamming into a pine. The ancient tree rocked. Needles fell to the earth as the blur dropped face-first onto the ground.

Sadi.

My wide eyes swung back to the limo as one small, delicate hand appeared on the asphalt, and then a slender arm followed, revealing the short sleeve of a black sweater.

Kat pulled herself out of the busted opening where the door used to be. Pushing to her feet, she brushed long hair out of her face. Blood trickled from her mouth and her right pant leg was ripped around the thigh, covered with red.

I started toward her. Two words stopped me.

She looked at me, dragging in a deep breath as the white light, tinged in red, powered down both her arms. “They know.”

Dawson cursed as understanding rippled over the two of us. Dee shouted as I slipped out of my human form. It was like taking off a jacket. Game over. The only thing I was capable of thinking at the moment was getting those I cared for the hell out of here.

I whipped around, unleashing the Source on the driver before he had a chance to go all special Luxen on our asses.

Our kind wasn’t the easiest to kill. We were like alien Energizer Bunnies. We kept getting up and we kept coming. The blow had to be catastrophic to the system. Kind of like with zombies—an analogy Kat would approve of—taking off the head was one way. A blow to the heart was another. One blast of the Source wouldn’t always do it.

The driver stumbled to his feet, rearing back to unleash his own little ball of happiness, and I hit him again, and then again, right over the chest.

Multiple hits from the Source would do the trick.

White light flared over the driver, pulsing through the network of veins, and then all the light went out as the driver toppled over like a paper sack in the wind.

Dawson was taking out a lot of pent-up aggression as he went after a Luxen in officer’s clothing. Kat had turned back to the limo, arms raised, flipping the crumpled car back on its wheels.

Dayum.

The tall Luxen who hardly spoke rushed out of the car, and I started toward him, easily dodging a blast of light, but drew up short as the long lengths of Kat’s hair lifted off her shoulders. Static crackled into the air around her.

A blast of the Source left her hand smacking into the Luxen and launching him into the air. She didn’t stop, sending another and another until he crashed back down on the hood. A shimmery, incandescent pool of liquid rapidly formed under the still form.

Oh, parts of my body got all kinds of tingly seeing that go down.

Kat whipped toward me, her eyes glowing from within. In that moment, she looked like a goddess—a goddess of vengeance.

If we weren’t in the middle of a fight, I’d have you up against a tree right now.

One side of her lips curled up. You’re such a— Behind you!

I spun, catching the Luxen’s arm.

Trataaie, it seethed, branding me a traitor.

Whatever. Twisting to the side, I gripped the Luxen hard as I lifted it up and tossed it like a Frisbee of Fun. The Luxen whirled through the air, connecting with a telephone pole. Wood splintered. Lines snapped and electricity arced, sending sparks flying.

Kat rushed past me, letting loose on a Luxen who was sneaking up on Dawson while he finished off two others. The newcomer whirled on her, howling as he clutched his shoulder and then charged her.

Baby held her ground.

Dipping to the side at the last minute, she slammed her knee into his midsection and then slapped her hands down on his bowed head. The Source crackled from her palms, cascading over the Luxen in a direct headshot.

Another down.

Damn, she was freaking glorious.

By the side of the road, Sadi was up and stumbling forward. She planted a hand on the hood of a cruiser, holding herself up.

Kat stalked over, determination set in the lines of her pale face. She swooped down, picked up the damaged car door, and swung it like a baseball bat. The door caught Sadi in the chest, knocking her away from the car and down onto one leg.

“That was for being a complete bitch!” She caught Sadi in the back, pushing her forward. “And this is for even thinking it was okay to touch me.” The final swing came from the front, snapping Sadi’s head into next week. “And that is for even speaking Daemon’s name.”

Sadi toppled over onto her ass, knees folded under her, and Kat, breathing deeply, turned to me.

Damn, Kitten, you’re badass, almost scary, and yet so freaking hot.

She tossed the door to the ground. “I don’t think she’s dead.”

She looks dead.

Her lip curled up. “She’s an Origin. I don’t even know how to kill one of them, but I really want to find out.”

Before I could process that revelation, a Luxen raced from the rear of our little caravan, wanting to get in on our party of awesome ass-kicking. Taking a step back, I looked around and tapped into the power inside me as I spied the perfect weapon.

An intense wave rippled out from me, cracking the asphalt and throwing a cruiser onto its side. Sirens went off as the roll hit the pines lining the road. Two trembled violently and then uprooted. Thick roots hung, dirt clinging to them, and the scent of rich, old soil filled the air.

Get down! I sent the message, and Kat and Dawson hit the ground like pros.

The pines flew across the road like a giant clothesline, catching and picking up the line of glowing figures, carrying them across the road into the other thick stand of pines.