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I ignored them, focusing on my final weapons check. The blade at my hip hummed with old magic. Stakes lined my boots, each one carved with runes that would make a vampire's death permanent. The gun at my shoulder held the special rounds I'd been saving, bullets forged in holy fire and quenched in demon blood.

“Here.” I tossed Cade a spare magazine. “Blessed hollow points. They'll punch through vampire armor.”

He caught it one-handed, examining the sigils with too much understanding for a federal agent. “These markings... they're old. Pre-Christian?”

“Older.” I watched him handle them with proper respect, noting how naturally it came to him. More secrets, more questions I couldn't afford to ask. “Try not to waste them. They're a bitch to make.”

“Touching,” Lex drawled. “You two are adorable when you're pretending not to care.”

“Shut it.” But there was no real heat in it. Lex had earned his place on this mission, even if his mouth would probably get him killed someday. “Next time I'm leaving you at home with a coloring book.”

“Target's moving,” Skye reported suddenly. “Northeast entrance. Four guards, all supernatural. They're escorting someone... shite.”

“What?” Cade and I asked simultaneously, then shared an annoyed glance.

“It's Chen. Dr. Sarah Chen. The one we thought was dead.”

My blood ran cold. Chen had been Phoenix's head researcher before her supposed murder. If she was here...

“She's not dead then,” Cade said, voicing my thoughts. “She's working with them.”

“Or being controlled by them.” I'd seen it before, vampires using thrall, demons possessing bodies. “Either way, she's our best lead on what they're really planning.”

“Agreed. We follow her, see what she's actually building in there.” Cade said, his eyes already scanning for the best approach. “We need to understand what they're trying to accomplish.”

“While trying not to get eaten by the army of monsters between us and her?” Lex grinned. “Sounds fun.”

“Remember,” I said again, checking my own gear one final time. “We're here for intel only. No heroics, no challenging the guards unless absolutely necessary.”

“Says the man carrying enough firepower to start a small war,” Cade shot back, a hint of a smile playing at his lips.

“It's called being prepared. You might want to try it sometime.” I patted the array of weapons. “Besides, you never know when you'll need to kill something twice.”

“It's called being paranoid.”

“It's called staying alive, Princess.” I checked my blade one more time. “And it's worked so far.”

“If you two are done flirting,” Skye cut in, “Chen's heading deeper into the building. Third floor, west wing. Looks like they're setting up some kind of equipment.”

I pushed down the urge to argue further with Cade. We had a job to do, personal issues be damned. “Right then. Lex, take the high ground. Cover our approach and watch for reinforcements. Skye, keep monitoring those energy readings.”

“Just try not to die. The paperwork would be hell.” Skye's voice carried a forced lightness that didn't mask their concern.

“Agent Cross.” I turned to Cade, keeping my voice professionally neutral. “You're with me. Think you can manage to follow orders for once?”

His smile was sharp enough to match mine. “Depends on the orders. Think you can manage not to stab first and ask questions never?”

“Jaysus, you're impossible. Anyone ever tell you that you think too much?”

“Someone has to do the thinking around here.”

But before I could respond with something appropriately cutting, movement at the asylum's entrance caught our attention. More guards emerging, these ones moving like they were puppets.

“Show time,” I muttered, checking my weapons one final time. “Try to keep up, fed.”

“Try not to get us both killed, hunter.”

“If this is like the other sites, they'll be preparing the ground for whatever ritual they're planning. That means sacrifices,” I managed to say, the familiar twist of anger in my gut at the thought of innocent lives being used as supernatural fuel.