"This is what?"

'The safe."

"Where?"

He touched his finger to the center of the satin wallpaper. "There."

She shot him a narrowed glare. "Is this some sort of Abbott and Costello routine?''

His lips twitched despite the urgency of their situation. "The safe is set in the wall and has been warded. It's up to you to break the spell."

"Me? I'm no witch."

"Selena was not a witch, lover." He reached out to touch her cheek. "Her power came from the Phoenix."

"A power she had three hundred years to learn to control, not three days."

'You can do this."

Her frown threatened to become permanently engraved. "Easy for you to say. Hell, I don't even know how to start."

'Just concentrate," he urged softly.

"On the wall?"

"On the safe behind the wall." Dante stepped back to watch her closely. He hated putting such pressure on Abby. She had barely accepted that she carried the Phoenix. Now to be expected to wield its magic was rather like expecting a bird to fly only moments after it hatched. Unfortunately, there was no choice. They had to find the witches. A long silence filled the hall, and then her hand lifted, and she twitched her fingers. Dante frowned in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to cast a damn spell."

"By wiggling your fingers?"

"It's a… thing. A stupid thing, but a thing." She angrily blew a stray curl from her forehead. "Now, do you mind? I'm trying to concentrate."

He held up his hands. "Please, concentrate all you need."

There was another silence. A long silence. And then a heavy sigh.

"Damn." She turned to regard him in defeat. "I can't do this."

He grasped her shoulders in his hands. This woman possessed enough power to rip apart the entire city. More power than he could ever dream of. He would not allow doubt to stand in her path.

"Abby, you have killed a hellhound, battled zombies, and escaped from a dark wizard. You can do this."

She grimaced. "What I've done is bumbled from one disaster to another, and the only miracle is that I haven't managed to kill both of us in the process."

"I believe in you, even if you don't believe in yourself."

"Which doesn't say much for your intelligence."

He gave her a slight shake. Why had Viper not warned him that mortal women were as stubborn as Stlantd demons?

"Abby."

She met him glare for glare before heaving a frustrated sigh. "Okay, okay. I'll try again."

Chapter 16

Abby squeezed her eyes shut. Even then she could feel Dante hovering beside her like a vulture. She could sense his tension. His fierce determination.

He was expecting her to perform some sort of hocus-pocus. A joke, of course. She was as likely to sprout daisies out of her ears as she was to magically open some mystical door.

Still, she had to try something. As long as she carried the Phoenix, she would be hunted. And worse, Dante would be forced to protect her, even if it meant the end of his own existence.

So far, stupid luck had kept them alive. But sooner or later, they would come up against something he could not defeat. Then they both would be dead.

She wouldn't let that happen.

Ignoring the feeling she was doing nothing but making an ass of herself, Abby sternly focused her thoughts. She had taken out a hellhound and had burned the zombie to a crisp. Granted, she hadn't known what the hell she was doing, but there had to be something inside her that she could use.

Imagine the wall, she told herself. And in the middle of the wall a safe. A safe like the ones in the old movies she loved. A big, silver safe with a black combination lock and slender handle…

Thoroughly concentrating upon the image, she didn't notice the faint buzzing in her ear. Not until the buzzing became a ringing. And then became a loud clap that sent her tumbling backward in shock.

Opening her eyes, she stared in wonder at the large safe now clearly visible in the wall and clearly open.

"Holy crap," she breathed.

The words had barely tumbled from her lips when Dante was at her side to gently lift her to her feet.

"Are you hurt?"

She pressed a hand to her heart, which she realized was nearly pounding out of her chest.

"I'll live. Is that the safe you wanted?"

'Yes."

"What's inside?"

"Books."

She turned to regard him in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? The woman leaves priceless Ming vases and Picassos lying about like they came off a sale rack at some discount store and she fills a hidden safe with musty old books?"

'They are spell books."

"Are you sure?"

A raven brow arched. "I'm a vampire; I can sense power, but not actual magic. You tell me."

She bit her lip before forcing herself to reach into the murky shadows and pluck out the handful of books.

She wasn't sure what she expected. Ancient manuscripts wrapped in leather and gold. Rolled parchments with heavy seals. Bed knobs and broomsticks.

Anything but the library rejects she held in her hands.

"They look like regular old books to me." She flipped open the top book only to sneeze as a cloud of dust filled the air. "Dirty old books."

"Don't tell me you're a philistine?"

"A what?"

He chuckled softly. "Never mind, lover."

Abby rubbed her nose as she shot Dante a puzzled glance. Once again she was rumpled and covered in dust while he stood there without a hair out of place.

Damn him.

"Will these help lead us to the witches?" she demanded.

"Is there anything hidden in the pages?"

"You mean like some sort of code?"

"Like telephone numbers or names or a map to a hidden coven?"

Well, dub. She busied herself with flipping through the pages to hide her blush. No one had ever accused her of being a budding genius, but she was not usually a total moron.

"No, no names or maps," she muttered. "Just a bunch of really bad poetry. Good God, listen to this stuff—"

"Abby," Dante abruptly interrupted. "I don't think—"

"'Circle of the sacred Chalice,

Turn your power to dark and malice.

Elements of earth and air,

Water and fire combine to share.

Hear our plea and know our cause…'"

Abby was uncertain when the words began to burn like fire upon the page. Or to echo eerily through the air as she mouthed the strange spell. She only knew that a powerful compulsion had suddenly taken her in its clutches, and the world about her disappeared.

She couldn't halt the words from flowing. Not even when a sharp, fierce pain began to pulse deep within her. It was like falling from a cliff. There was no hairing until she hit the bottom.

Even if that bottom meant a jolting, bloody end.

She might have continued chanting for eternity if she had not suddenly been attacked from behind.

Given no warning, Abby found a pair of strong arms wrapped about her. She had time to grunt in confusion before she was being driven to the polished floor. Her head hit the boards with a sharp bang.

"Dammit." She blinked away the stars shooting in front of her eyes before struggling to her knees. "Dante, you could have just tapped me on the shoulder…"

Her words trailed away as she realized that Dante wasn't responsible for her near whiplash. Instead her gaze fell upon a strange woman crouched directly before her.

Oh yeah, definitely strange, she conceded.

Struggling through the fog that still clung to her brain, Abby studied the dark, slender woman.

She appeared human enough. Despite the exotic beauty of her long raven hair and perfectly crafted features, there was a smoldering vitality that seemed more mortal than immortal. And her hard muscles were the sort that belonged to a well-honed athlete rather than the fluid strength of a vampire.

Still, there was a barely tamed danger glowing in the slanted golden eyes and a tension in the coiled body that made her seem…

Deadly.

Covertly Abby cast a glance to the side, her heart faltering as she caught sight of Dante lying on the floor, Ms eyes closed.

Shit.

She didn't know what the creature had done to Dante, but if she was strong enough to knock out a vampire, what chance did a puny mortal stand in overcoming the intruder?

Not a chance in hell.

Her only hope of saving Dante seemed to be in talking her way out of danger. A frightening prospect.

Ignoring the instinct to rush to Dante's side, Abby sternly concentrated upon the woman before her. It had to be a good thing she hadn't already finished what she started.

Didn't it?

Careful to make no sudden movements, she sucked in a deep breath.

"Who are you?"

The golden eyes narrowed. 'You must stop."

"Stop? Stop what?"

The spell. It is dangerous."

Abby licked her dry lips, relieved to note that the wrenching pain that had been destroying her was starting to ease.