do believe you're ready, young lady." Cane held out to his side, he tapped it twice on the ground. The ends popped out, extending it into a long ivory staff with the bust of a winged angel atop it.
Ivy took the staff, and pulled out what appeared to be an arcphone. Holding the staff before her, she rotated slowly before stopping. "There's a large ley line underneath us like you said, Bigdaddy. I should have all the power I need." She giggled. Calmed herself and took on an expression that seemed far too serious for a girl her age. She set the arcphone on the ground and touched a finger to it. The air around her flickered, tiny particulates of smoke or fog rising from the ground to form complex patterns and symbols circling in the air around her.
Maximus's eyes went saucer-shaped as the patterns took shape. He squirmed and thrashed, all to no effect.
Conroy motioned to the doughy man beside him. "Mr. Bigglesworth, why don't you run upstairs and make ready for our departure?" He retrieved a pocket watch from his vest and looked at it. "It shouldn't be long."
"I'm on it, guvnah." On his way out, he leaned down and picked up Barclay's brain-spattered bowler off the floor. Brushed it off, and perched it atop his head.
I peered closer, focusing on one of the large symbols floating around Ivy, and felt my chest contract. "Oh crap."
"What is it?" Elyssa asked, crouching.
"She's using the mass kill spell. The one that'll wipe out every vampire in range."
"How wide of a radius?"
I shook my head. "I have no idea." Panic rose as I thought of Ash and Nyte upstairs. "For all I know it could take out every vampire in Atlanta."
More of the misty substance swirled from the ground in a torrent, some of it forming a mosaic of symbols in the air, while Ivy seemed to absorb the rest into her body. It took me a moment to realize what the mist was. It was magical energy. I shifted into incubus mode, using the alternative eyesight it gave me. Motes of energy drifted around the room, just like I'd seen while Maximus's prisoner. The energy pouring into Ivy was almost too bright to look at.
Cutting off the sight, I turned to Elyssa. "Do you see the white mist?"
She nodded. "Why? What is it?"
"Magical energy." I let out a breath. "She's drawing in so much, even you can see it."
"What do you want to do?" Elyssa's troubled gaze bore into mine.
Uncertainty clouded my mind. My mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out. I had absolutely no idea how to approach this. Conroy and Ivy had made Maximus their little bitch. Against the two of them, I had no chance. But if Ivy completed the spell, she might kill my friends, not to mention a lot of freshly minted vampires. My heart felt like lead. How could my little sister commit such an atrocity? This was mass murder! What kind of monster had my grandparents turned her into? For all I knew, she'd finish the spell within seconds and it would be too late to do anything.
Power and energy coalesced around her, white and humming and violent. The cavern buzzed like a million bees in my head. The vampling infection in my leg throbbed like an alien organism, pulsing in time with the massive energies racing toward destruction.
There was only one thing I could do. Only one thing.
I turned to Elyssa. Gripped her shoulders, and took in her face one last time. "You have to get everyone out. Tell them to run as far and as fast as possible." A shuddering breath worked through me. "I'm going to buy them time."
Her face blanched. "Buy them time? Justin, you can't—"
I shook my head. "I have to. Don't argue with me, Elyssa."
"But—"
"We don't have time." I kissed her, pulling her hard against me. Savoring the feel of her soft lips against mine. Wishing to god I didn't ever have to let her go. Before she could say another word of protest, I dashed down the right wall of the cave, keeping low and circling around behind dear old Granddad and my sister.
I grabbed a couple of rocks off the floor. Conroy stood behind Ivy and to the side. If, by some miracle, I could conk him on the head, I might be able to knock out Ivy as well. I hated the idea of hitting a little girl, but I was out of