Page 148

Dominic threw him a look and jerked his thumb at Dallas. “She’s never going to let that one go, is she?”

“It’s the burning question of the year, Dom,” Maximus replied with a croon. “Macaw or parakeet?”

Dominic’s voice was a bass mumble. “I’m starting to wonder why I let you guys in here.”

He turned into the rec room, where several Angels milled about, two of them—Hanli and Dylan—playing videogames on the flatscreen television, while another two—Nathan and Melanie—were engrossed in a game of billiards. Conrad Valencia was seated at the poker table with Lace and Blue, hands of cards held before them. Ice melted in whiskey glasses, and smoke curled from ashtrays.

Conrad was all business as he held up a finger at their group, bringing them to a standstill several feet away from the poker table. “Quiet,” he said without looking at them. “I’m about to win.” His husky voice was nearly identical to his brother’s. They shared a lot of the same features—same crystal-blue eyes, same brown skin, same square jaw darkened with stubble. One of the only things that set the two apart, aside from the silver ring pierced through Conrad’s lower lip, was their hair; while Dominic’s wore his shoulder-length, Conrad’s was shorter and tousled.

Lace slapped down her cards, a smug smile on her lips. Cinder, her cat Familiar, was curled up on the back of her neck with impressive balance, tail twitching over her shoulder. “Let’s see them,” Lace drawled, beckoning with her manicured fingertips.

The cocky glint in Conrad’s eyes turned to blazing fire as he took in Lace’s hand of cards.

“Come on, Conrad,” Lace crooned, her gray eyes sparkling with triumph. “Don’t be a sore loser.”

“Fucking hell.” He threw down his cards and sat back in his seat, scrubbing his hands over his face. His wings snapped out behind him with frustration, the motion stirring up a rush of heat that fluttered hair and clothing and sent the curtains on the floor-to-ceiling windows tumbling through the air.

Blue was the last to set down her cards, looking entirely unconcerned by the outcome of the game as she smiled up at Dominic.

Lace gave a whoop of victory and threw her fists in the air, earning a disgruntled cry from Cinder. “Pay up, asshole!”

Conrad pushed to his feet and buried his hands in his pockets, digging around for his wallet. He slapped five hundred gold mynet on the table before Lace and pinned Max with a cold stare. “She is not allowed in here anymore,” he said, pointing at Lace.

Max smiled. “Dom was right, you are a sore loser.”

“I’m outta here.” He stormed behind the bar and swung open the fridge door, the inside bursting with cans and bottles of beer. “That’s the third game she’s beat me at today.” Even though every action exuded anger, Max knew the Angel well enough to tell he was joking as he selected his poison from the fridge and kicked the door shut.

Jack was grinning at him. “Drinking and driving?”

“Drinking and flying,” Conrad corrected as he headed for the sliding glass doors. “They can’t ding me for that.” There was no balcony; the doors led straight into open air, which was perfect for a house filled with winged people.

“They can if you crash into something,” Jack said.

“I won’t.”

“Want to bet?”

“Not today, you addict.” He pulled the doors open, and a gust of fresh air swept into the room, scattering the cards. “Catch you guys later.” He held his arms out at his sides and fell backward out the doors, wings spreading out to full length as he spiraled into the city.

Dominic threw himself into Conrad’s seat. “Ladies and gentlemen, my fuckface of a brother.” He gestured to the free stools that were tucked in at the bar. “Pull up a seat, let’s catch up.”

Two minutes later, and everyone was seated around the poker table, save the other Angels, who continued playing videogames and billiards.

Dominic addressed the group as a whole, starting from the beginning of what he’d managed to learn about Blue so far. “She said she was taken from her home by three men who planned on bringing her to Angelthene to look for a colored bird.” Before Dallas had a chance to say anything, he held up a finger. “Do not say a word, Bright.”

Dallas’s hands shot up in surrender. “Not saying any words!”

Dominic continued. “She said she wasn’t the only girl who was taken. They were staying at a motel—she doesn’t know the name and can’t remember the location—when one day they took the other girl out of the room, leaving her behind.”

Blue leaned toward Dominic to tell him something in Ilevyn, making him pause.

Dominic translated for her. “But they didn’t leave her alone. One of the men stayed and guarded her. And when the other man came back, he didn’t have the girl with him anymore. That was how she knew she was in trouble and needed to escape. She believes the men killed the girl.”

Ivy said, “Did she say whether she knew this girl, or was she a stranger?”

Dominic translated the question to Blue, amending a few words until he got it across correctly. His brow creased as he listened carefully to Blue’s reply. She spoke quietly, overly aware of the many eyes on her face. “She said the girl was picked up on their way to Angelthene.” Blue whispered something else in his ear, and then Dom corrected, “Taken on their way to Angelthene.”

Max shared a glance with Dallas.