with the gun Michael had given me, but it seemed overkill when I could probably sneak up and knock him out.
Making my way past the cages outside the leyworm's room, I stepped over the cable and dashed for Dash. Ten feet. Seven. Five. I raised my fist. An alarm wailed. I smacked into something very invisible and very solid, rebounding like a baby off a sliding glass door.
The Arcane jumped out of his chair and turned to me, one hand extended in front of him. His eyes widened. He smiled. "You came back to us, I see." He flicked his wrist and a cage in the back area opened. Another flick of the wrist sent my gun flying to land on the table behind him. "I'll just put you away and deal with you later."
An unseen force clamped around me. I couldn't move. I could hardly breathe. It pushed me toward the cages, and there wasn't a thing I could do to stop it
A beam of brilliant purple speared toward Dash. It hit his invisible barrier and slowed, burrowing through after a second, and struck him between the shoulder blades, knocking him to the floor. The pressure on me vanished. I stood and saw Bella, staff extended, continue to blast Dash with the purple light.
The man, still crouched, waved a hand through the air. Bella's energy refracted and washed across the barrier, no longer penetrating it. Dash stood up, teeth bared in anger, his white hair standing straight on end like static-charged cotton. "Think you can come into my house and beat me, bitch?" He held a hand toward the Tesla coil. A jagged bolt of bright light raced to meet his fingers. He aimed his other hand at Bella. Energy crackled from his fingertips. Bella ducked behind a crate as the beams splintered wood and blasted parts of the stone floor to dust.
I knew there was no way I could help. My magic skills were crap, and I couldn't physically reach him. I considered letting the vampling and cherub loose, but they'd probably chase me in circles before going for him, and then what? I'd be toast.
On the other hand—a suicidal notion gripped me, but I could think of no other way to cut the Arcane off from his source. I just had to hope it worked. I ran back into the back room and offered an uneasy smile to the leyworm.
"Hey there, buddy. I can help you out if you promise not to eat me or my friend. Can you do that?"
It roared in my face hard enough to blow my hair straight back.
I suddenly wished I still had on adult diapers. "I'm going to take that for a yes." I examined the straps. They were a foot wide and layered with jagged edges that bit into the leyworm's scales and kept it from slithering out. I stood at the edge of the closest strap and prepared to flee the moment it was loose. Leaning down, I extended a finger. Touched the strap. Leapt away. The creature's eyes swiveled to follow me. The strap, however, remained in place.
The big red eye rotated to meet my gaze. The pupil shrank to an angry pinpoint of black.
The leyworm made a strange growling noise like a dog trying to speak humanese. Or maybe it was just hungry. I touched the strap with the palm of my hand. Still nothing. It was all I could do not to shout in frustration. I might need Maximus's or Dash's blood to open the stupid thing. Gripping the strap in both hands, I tugged.
And almost fell on my butt when it parted.
The leyworm twisted, but still couldn't get free. I jumped back as its flailing body nearly slammed into me. The next strap split, but only after I touched the entire width of it where I wanted it to part. Before the creature could use its new freedom to gobble me up, I raced to the last strap and slashed my hand across it.
The snakelike dragon roared and twisted. The terminals swiveled and rocked with sick, wet sounds in the monster's flesh. The creature's eyes widened, probably in agony. I found the farthest corner of the room and watched in sick fascination as it struggled. It jerked once, twice, three times. The bladed terminals slid from the leyworm's body in a spray of crimson, and clanked to the floor. I heard the Tesla coil snap, crackle, and pop one last time before it faded to