Page 29

“You two aren't going alone,” Star said.

Killian and I had just finished speaking to my husbands and were entering the living room where our huge team was waiting.

“I can't twilight a Demon,” Kill said.

“Yes, well. You can take Seren, and then she can immediately lalek back for the rest of us.”

Killian looked at me. “Why didn't I think of that? Oh, right. I remember. Because we'll be fine without you.”

“You don't know that.”

“I'll come back for you.” I ended the argument with a look at both men. “We don't have time for this.”

“She's right. Twilight's coming,” Kill said. “The rest of you get ready to lalek.” He glanced out the window, though that was unnecessary. Every Twilight Fairy knew when twilight arrived.

Sure enough, the power rushed through me mere seconds later. I inhaled and closed my eyes to enjoy that shimmering magic as Killian took my hand. We could have gone out to the beach—that was an in-between place—but it was easier to simply levitate. So, we floated up a foot or so. Just high enough to access the In-Between, and then Killian twilighted us to the location he'd seen in his vision.

It had been a while since I had twilighted. I'd forgotten the rush of it. The feeling of flying without moving. The power that sang in my blood. I'd been so wrapped up in the dramas of Heaven and Hell recently. It was good to remember that I was a fairy too. Not just Anu's child. I belonged to both Gods. And frankly, I was liking Danu better at the moment.

I opened my eyes to find a basement. It was dark, but our eyesight was good enough that it didn't matter. Still, Killian flipped the light switch. A length of fluorescents came on overhead and started that low, annoying buzzing that always accompanies their illumination.

The space was large enough to hold several worktables and shelves. I cursed when I saw more Fey remains on those shelves.

“Shh!” Killian whispered and pointed up.

That's when I heard the creaking. And then a muffled voice.

“She's here!” I whispered back.

“Do you want to get the others?”

“That's a hard no. Let's get her while we have the chance.”

“That's my girl!”

We crept up a short flight of wooden steps, Kill in the lead. I often forgot that Killian was nearly as large as Raza. Tight quarters reminded me of the fact. His shoulders brushed the walls as he climbed to the door at the top. Then he carefully turned the handle. A soft click came. He waited. The voice had gotten louder, but it didn't pause in its flow. So Killian slowly opened the door. Just a crack. He peered through.

Looking over his shoulder, Kill nodded at me. He opened the door, crept out, then waved me after him. Using two fingers, he pointed in the voice's direction, at himself, down toward a doorway, and then at me. We were going to circle our prey. I nodded and dashed to the doorway.

Peering through, I saw a kitchen. Just past the kitchen, on the other side of a banquette, was the living room. A blond woman paced there, a cell phone to her ear. She turned, and I saw her face. It was the sorceress.

I nodded at Killian.

He held up three fingers and lowered them one at a time. With the last one, we launched into action. I ran through the kitchen while he went straight into the living room.

The sorceress saw us and dropped the phone with a shriek. Someone on the other end shouted. But it was too late. Killian grabbed her left arm and wrenched it behind her back. Meanwhile, I pulled out the pair of Demon handcuffs I always kept on me when on a mission. They weren't made of iron, but they suppressed all magic, not just Fey, so I liked them better than the cuffs extinguishers used.

“Got you!” Killian said.

“Do you?” The sorceress smiled. “Or do I have you? Alexa! Engage!”

“Alexa?” Killian asked.

Meanwhile, iron shutters clattered down over the windows and doors.

I paused, staring at the cage. Then I looked at Killian. “She thinks we're Fairies.”

“Well, she's nearly right.” Killian grinned and reached for the woman's other hand.

The sorceress twisted free and backed away from him. “What do you mean—nearly?”

“Bitch, you don't get to ask questions,” Killian said. “You'll be finding out soon enough that you fucked with the wrong people. Did you really think you could cut apart Fairies and abduct Witches with no one coming for you?”

“You're Witches, aren't you? So, iron doesn't work on you.”

Killian snorted and dove for her.

She darted away.

“Alexa, disengage,” I said.

Nothing happened.

“Worth a shot,” Kill said. “And how funny is this shit, babe? She actually has Alexa operating her security system.”

“Seems imprudent.” I looked around.

“Alexa, escape!” the sorceress called out.

A hidden door popped free of the wall right beside the sorceress. As she dashed through, she called back, “How imprudent is it now, bitch?”

“Oh, you're gonna pay for calling my wife a bitch.” The door slammed shut just as Killian reached it. He looked back at me. “I have to admit it's not bad as far as parting lines go. Such a shame she still doesn't know who she's dealing with.” He punched the wall, and the door cracked in two. “Damn it! This shit is narrow.”

“Move, babe!” I dashed past him and into the dark passage.

I could hear the woman scurrying up ahead like a rat. Doubtless, she heard us too. Kinda impossible to not hear Killian breaking through a wall. There was no light, but again, that hardly mattered to me. I ran after the sorceress, coming to a corner after a couple of seconds. Up ahead, a door opened, silhouetting the sorceress and letting light into the passage for a few seconds before she slammed the door closed. I sent a blast of Light after her.

The door burst outward, and I heard a startled cry. I ran for the exit and emerged just as the sorceress got to her feet. She looked back at me, eyes wide, then pulled something out of her jacket. It looked like a remote.

Seeing it brought a flashback of Korea to mind—chasing a pearl thief. A second pearl thief. The first had been a nice guy. This one—not so much. He set off a bomb so he could escape us.

A bomb!

“Killian!” I shouted as I turned back to the house.

“I'm coming, babe! Fuck this fucking tunnel!” Killian called out.

“Kill, run!”

I heard a beep from behind me, but I didn't give a shit about the woman anymore. I ran for the house. Killian appeared in the exit just as the explosion went off. I grabbed his hand and laleked us away.