Chapter 21
Beth hummed softly as she stacked bags of prescription diet food on the metal shelving unit. The last light of day cast purple shadows through the lobby windows, and peaceful quiet had settled over the clinic, broken only by Tamera's rustling papers at reception.
"Almost done with those notes, Liam?" Tamera called over her shoulder.
"Just finishing up Mrs. Harrison's chart," Liam's voice drifted from his office. "That cat of hers is going to need dental work soon."
Beth shifted another bag of kidney diet onto the shelf, mentally calculating how many more they'd need to order. The familiar routine of end-of-day tasks felt comforting after the chaos of their busy afternoon.
Whisper's ears pricked in alert just as the front door burst open with such force it slammed against the wall.
The sharp scent of adrenaline and lethal focus flooded Beth's shifter senses as she dropped the bag of food, whirling to face the entrance.
Dimitri stood in the doorway, his caramel features stark in the fading light, every line of his body radiating predatory intensity.
"Get to an inner room. Now." His voice cracked with command. "We're about to be under attack."
Cold dread punched through Beth's chest. Inside her, Whisper came alert, a warning growl rumbling through her mind. "What-"
"No time." Dimitri cut her off, already moving to secure the door. "Backup's coming, but we need to move. Now."
Tamera's files scattered across the reception desk as she bolted upright. "Liam!"
"I heard." Liam emerged from his office, his face grim. "Treatment room three - no windows, solid walls, single access point."
"Move!" Dimitri's sharp command galvanized them into action. He herded them toward the treatment area, his dark eyes constantly scanning the windows. "Stay low, stay quiet, and stay together."
Beth crouched low as they hurried down the hallway, her heart hammering against her ribs. Liam pulled out his phone, his fingers flying across the screen as they moved. "Calling Jacinth," he told them.
Power shimmered through the air like heat waves, making Beth's skin tingle as Djinn magic poured into the room.
A flash of blue light erupted in the hallway, and Jacinth materialized before them, her dark eyes fierce and alert.
Another surge of power brought Arthur beside her, the elderly Djinn's usual gentle demeanor replaced by focused intensity.
"Multiple hostiles approaching down the drive," Dimitri reported, his voice clipped. "Three trucks, with at least eight, possibly more. Well-armed."
Jacinth's lips curved into a dangerous smile. "Come on back to the lobby," she invited, her voice carrying absolute certainty. "You guys are going to want to see this."
Dimitri's brow furrowed. "With all due respect-"
"I've got this." Jacinth's smile turned predatory, blue fire dancing in her eyes. The casual confidence in her voice brooked no argument.
Arthur stood silently at her side, but power radiated from him like heat from a furnace. His weathered features held the calm certainty of someone who had faced far worse threats in his centuries of existence.
"Hit the lights."
Beth hurried to the light switches, and a moment later the lobby descended into darkness.
"Now we can see them, but they can't see us." Jacinth winked, her dark eyes sparkling with mischief despite the tension. "Arthur and I have been practicing," she said, her lips curving into a knowing smile.
The two Djinn moved in perfect synchronization, their hands weaving intricate patterns through the air. The magic hit Beth like static electricity, making her skin prickle and her hair stand on end. Yet she saw nothing - no flashes of light, no visible barriers forming.
"Look." Jacinth pointed toward the lobby windows. Beth squinted, finally noticing a faint shimmer in the air, like heat waves rising from hot pavement. The distortion curved upward, forming what appeared to be a massive dome over the entire clinic.
"Protective barrier," Jacinth explained, satisfaction evident in her voice. "Nothing and no one can get through without our permission."
Liam stepped closer to the windows, studying the barely visible shield with professional interest. "Nothing? Even bullets?"
"Even bullets." Arthur's weathered features creased in a slight smile, the first expression Beth had seen from him since he arrived. His quiet confidence was somehow more reassuring than Jacinth's overt enthusiasm.
Jacinth turned to Dimitri, who still stood alert near the door. "Have your vampires wait in the woods," she instructed. "Let's see how this plays out before anyone intervenes."
Beth's breath caught as twin beams of light pierced through the darkened trees. The vehicles' approach seemed agonizingly slow as they wound their way up the clinic's long drive, their headlights sweeping across the building's front windows.
Her fingers pressed against the cool glass, the invisible shield tingling against her skin like static electricity. The barrier shimmered faintly where her hand touched it, rippling like water disturbed by a gentle breeze.
A soft chime broke the tense silence. Dimitri glanced down at his phone, his brow furrowing as he read the message.
"Arthur." Dimitri's voice was low but urgent. "Can you create an opening in the shield at the back door? Tyr's here and..." A faint smile touched his lips. "Well, he's rather insistent about getting in."
Arthur's weathered features creased in understanding. "I assume he's in his raptor form?"
"Yes."
"Tell him to come to the back entrance." Arthur's hands traced a subtle pattern through the air. "I'll let him through."
Beth's heart skipped at the mention of Tyr. She turned away from the window, her gaze drawn toward the back of the clinic where she knew he waited, somewhere in the darkness beyond the shield.
A rush of winter air announced Tyr's arrival as he burst through the back door, his vampire speed carrying him straight to Beth.
Familiar arms enveloped her, bringing the scent of leather and winter pine she'd come to associate with him.
The desperate relief in his embrace told her everything - this ancient, powerful vampire had been genuinely afraid for her safety.
He'd been terrified something would happen to her.
"Are you alright?" His voice rumbled against her ear, low and urgent.
Beth nodded into his shirt, her fingers curling into the soft fabric.
The tension in her shoulders eased, replaced by a profound sense of security.
She trusted Jacinth and Arthur's magical barrier completely - she'd seen enough of Djinn powers to know they were well-protected.
But having Tyr here, solid and real against her, settled something deep in her chest she hadn't even realized was unsettled.
"I'm okay," she whispered. He drew her more securely against his chest, and she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head.
The approaching headlights grew brighter, but Beth found she didn't care quite as much anymore. Tyr's presence grounded her, pushing back the fear that had been threatening to overwhelm her since Dimitri's warning. She breathed in his familiar scent, letting it calm her racing pulse.
"The barrier will hold," Tyr murmured against her hair, though whether he was reassuring her or himself, Beth wasn't sure. "Jacinth's magic is strong, and Arthur... well, he's forgotten more about protective spells than most Djinn will ever learn."
Beth nodded again, not quite trusting her voice. She knew all this, but hearing Tyr say it somehow made it more real, more certain. She stayed within the circle of his arms, drawing strength from his solid presence as they waited to see what their attackers would do next.
Three large pickup trucks rumbled to a stop in front of the clinic. Her fingers tightened in Tyr's shirt as men spilled out of the vehicles, their movements a mix of aggression and disorganization. The last rays of sunset glinted off metal as they pulled rifles and handguns from the truck beds.
"Look at them," Tamera's voice dripped with disgust from her position near the reception desk. "They're not even trying to hide what they're up to."
Beth counted at least twelve men, most dressed in mismatched tactical gear and camouflage.
A few wore red armbands with some symbol she couldn't quite make out.
They moved with the confidence of predators, but lacked the discipline of true soldiers—some wielding their weapons with practiced ease while others handled them awkwardly, compensating with extra aggression.
"Of course not." Jacinth's tone remained casual, almost bored, as she watched the men coordinate their positions.
"They want us to be afraid." She leaned against the wall, examining her perfectly manicured nails as if the armed men outside were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
"That's the whole point of this little display. "
Beth felt Tyr's chest rumble with quiet agreement.
His arms remained secure around her as they observed the scene unfolding before them.
Through the invisible barrier, she could hear muffled voices as the men called out positions and commands to each other, organizing themselves for what they clearly expected to be an assault on the clinic.
Beth's breath caught as several men hauled red plastic containers from one of the truck beds. Her stomach dropped as she recognized the distinctive shape of gas cans.
"They're going to set fire to the clinic!" The words came out in a horrified gasp. Her fingers dug deeper into Tyr's shirt.
"They can try." Tyr's voice held dark amusement.
Jacinth stepped closer to the window, pointing to where the barrier shimmered faintly in the air just beyond the glass.
"Shielding, remember?" Her dark eyes danced with mischief as she turned to face the gathered shifters.
A grin spread across her face, making her look more like an impish teenager than an ancient Djinn.