The ground around the belabored party of elves suddenly began to shake in a radius of what Omega decided must be over six miles. Jungle lifted and fell in waves like the surface of a green ocean, trees falling as a crack opened in the very surface of the planet.

A plume of red hot magma shot into the air, falling in a curtain of liquid stone to one side of the elves.

Another two screens went black.

“Pull back, Omega. That’s the elemental. She must have called it to her,” Father said, but the AI had already sent his surviving orbs, both small and large, up and out of the immediate area.

More jets of orange and red liquid death erupted from the jungle floor, spraying an uneven perimeter around the Summer Queen’s party, the wet green vegetation bursting into steam and smoke as a veritable moat of fire was created. Clouds of white ash bloomed all over a four-acre parcel of forest, effectively screening the elves from sight.

“Didn’t she just trap herself inside that little firestorm?” vampire Lydia Chapman asked.

“Makes no sense. It just bought her some time,” vampire telepath Nika said.

“Unless she’s got some way to create a portal,” Father suggested.

“Or someone!” natural born vampire Tatiana Demidova said.

Chapter 47

“What an unmitigated disaster you’ve whipped up, sister dearest,” Queen Morrigan of the Winter Court said by way of greeting as she stepped out of thin air with her troll bodyguard and deadly daughter in tow.

Fire and smoke surrounded the royal party, the magical shield of Zinnia’s power keeping the air fresh even as it was lit up with occasional beams of azure light flaring in blue pools at various spots on the arc.

Jungle burned and steamed. The ground still shook and rumbled as regular eruptions of magma continued to provide both protection from assault as well as concealing steam and smoke. Ash fell like snow.

“Just get me out of here,” Zinnia said, her face covered with dirt and soot.

“Us out of here,” her daughter Eirwen said urgently.

“Yes, well I see you’ve taken things to a whole new level, even for you, Zinnia. And now you demand my assistance? How do I know those metal horrors won’t follow you back to my realm?” Morrigan asked.

“Because you already have an agreement with the witch. The machine will abide his wishes,” Zinnia explained.