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Killian led the way because he knew our destination. Unfortunately, with it being a vision, he couldn't share the location with the rest of us. So, we couldn't lalek straight there. Even Demon and Angel Magic have their limitations. So we were in a military convoy of sorts. I was up in the passenger seat beside Kill, and Star had thankfully taken another van with his team. I couldn't deal with him in black leather.

As we passed through a corridor of jungle and came out into the city of Pattaya, Killian said, “They're not going to be happy that you waited to scry them.”

I didn't have to ask him who he meant. My thoughts were already on my other husbands. They had been since I'd spoken to Anu. I suppose it was a side effect of my guilt. “We're busy.”

He snorted.

“I don't want to give them the bad news about Star. There's the brutal truth. You happy?”

“No, I'm not happy. Frankly, I could use the backup.”

I rolled my eyes. Then I remembered we had extinguishers riding with us in the back of the SUV. I glanced back, but they were all looking out the windows. Perhaps with a little too much determination.

“You can't put it off too long,” Kill said. “The longer you wait, the angrier they're going to be.”

“This doesn't involve fairies, so there's no reason to call them. And we have Star's team to deal with the Demon.”

“Uh-huh. Sure. That'll fly.”

“I just can't, Kill. Not right now.”

“At least you're not breastfeeding anymore.”

I glanced back at the extinguishers again, this time pointedly.

Killian just shrugged. “What? It's natural.”

“Could we not talk about parenting issues while on a mission?”

“We're parents.”

“Kill.”

“Fine. I was just saying that it's good you don't have to go home every night to deal with that. We've got a little more wriggle room.”

“Oh. Yeah, that's helpful.”

“Easier to be an ambassador when you don't have an infant depending on you for sustenance.”

“Miri's only six months old. She's still an infant. She's just past the . . . let's stop.”

“All right. But you need to scry them soon, Twilight. I don't want to get shit from them over this too.”

“Oh, I see how it is. Brotherhood.”

He shrugged. “We have a different type of bond than the one we share with you, but it's still a strong one. I owe them the truth and you're making me feel very dishonest.”

I grimaced to myself. He wasn't the only one.

“Let them know we're here,” Killian called into the back.

“On it,” someone said. Then came a click and, “Arrived.”

“Copy that,” several replies came through a comm device.

Killian pulled over and got out of the van. He pulled his swords out from where he'd stowed them and got them onto his back, in their criss-crossed holder. I got out on the street side and checked things out. We were in a residential area with houses right on the beach. Two other vans pulled in behind us and emptied, Demons and vexes spilling out. Our large group converged behind the vehicles.

“That's it.” Killian pointed out a huge, modern house looming behind a black gate.

“Iron.” Lady Malai shared a look with her team.

“We'll get it open for you.” Nassar winked at Malai.

Malai stared back. “I'm sure we'll be fine.”

“Not a lot of houses with iron gates on this block,” Killian noted.

“Coincidence?” Sal drawled.

“I think we all know the chances of that,” I said. “We go in quietly. That Demon has probably prepared them. And if they're prepared for Fairies, they're prepared for anything.”

“Except you, babe.” Killian smirked at me. “No one's prepared for you.”

I grinned at him. “I'm not going to go in blasting Light.”

“You could always use Darkness.” Star was leaning again, this time against a van. His smirk and stance only added to the sexiness of all that black leather.

I glanced away. “I'll use whatever I deem best. But we want to capture if possible.” I paused to send out my spidey sense, feeling for a Demon further out than those beside me. “I don't sense the Demon. He might still be there, out of range for me, but I doubt it, and he's our main target. We need whoever we find to lead us to him. If we don't get a prisoner, this might be a dead end.”

“Literally.” Killian chuckled. Then he saw everyone's expressions. “Because we would have killed them all. Dead end.”

“Understood,” Team Leader Rex Sullivan said—to me, not Killian—then shot a look at his extinguishers. “No fatalities, if possible.”

“Yes, sir!” the Extinguishers said in unison.

“Hey, where did the Fairies go?” Trez asked.

Rue, who was still giving Killian little side-glares, waved toward the house. “They went inside.” He looked at Nassar and added, “Looks like she doesn't like guys who offer to open doors for her.”

“A modern woman.” Nassar nodded. “I'm down with that.”

“Enough.” Star straightened out of his lean, his expression going serious. “The order is given, and you will follow it.” We need someone alive so we can find that fucking Demon.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” The Demons came to attention, all of them focused on their king.

Their king looked at me for my next order.

“Can your team lalek the extinguishers past the gate?” I asked.

Star looked at his people and nodded.

“Partner up,” Killian said to the extinguishers. “You know the drill. And let's go already. Those fairies are in there, making us look bad.”

I grabbed Killian and laleked him into the yard, right next to the house. A window was to my right. Leaning over, I peeked inside. There was light coming from the back of the house and the sound of soft conversation. Wherever the hunters were—the fairy hunters, not the vampire hunters—they knew better than to strike without us.

Killian held out his hand. I took it and laleked us once more, this time into the house. As I mentioned earlier, laleking and laruking (the Angel equivalent) came in handy. As soon as we reformed, I sent out my Demon radar, but I still didn't sense any in the house. Only those circling it. I shook my head at Killian. Our prey wasn't on the premises.

Then I saw the glamour of a fairy nearby. I motioned at the hunter and moved toward the light with Killian. We went down a corridor, clearing rooms as we passed them, and finally came to a large living room that opened to the backyard. The sound of the ocean rolled in, adding to the soft ambiance of filtered lamp light. Although the living room was lit, the vampire hunters were in the backyard, lounging on wooden chairs and drinking bottled beer as they enjoyed the sparkling ocean view. The three that we had captured earlier weren't with them.

I held back.

“What is it?” Kill whispered.

I shrugged. Then I whispered into my comm device, “Is the property clear?”

“Only five humans in the backyard,” Star's voice came through my earpiece.

“Waiting on your go, Ambassador,” Sullivan said.

“Star, send five of your people to grab the humans and take them back to the vex house.”

“To the vex house where the last bunch escaped?”

“Fine. Take them to Hell.”

Killian's eyes went wide.

Star was silent a moment. Then he said, “We'll take them to the vex house.”

“Good.” I winked at Killian. “Everyone else, stay alert.”

“Copy,” Star said, turning that single word into ear-sex.

Killian rolled his eyes.

I crept to the living room doorway and watched the yard. Five Demons appeared suddenly, each behind one of the humans. The vampire hunters barely had the time to gasp before they vanished in a rain of embers.

No one else moved. We just waited. Watched. We were all professionals, and we knew better than to move in immediately.

After three minutes, I said, “All right, let's search the house.”

Fairy hunters dropped their glamours, seeming to pop into existence, and extinguishers came into the house from the yard. No one had to be told to split up and search the property, nor did anyone get in anyone else's way. It all went smoothly.

Star came in behind the extinguishers. He looked around, then at me. “I'm going back to the vex house to supervise. If the Demon tries another prison break, I'll be waiting for him.”

“I think he's called it a night,” I said. “He didn't come here to warn the rest of his people. So, he's probably with the other three—either ensuring their safety or the opposite.”

“You think he killed them?” Kill asked.

“If he was going to kill them, he could have done that at the vex house and saved himself the trouble of disposing the bodies.” Star narrowed his stare around the modern home. “But he took them. That tells me he's not done with them yet.”

“But he left five more to deal with us alone?” I shot back.

“He wouldn't have known that Killian had psychometry, and we'd be able to find this place so quickly.”

“What? Demons don't know about me?” Killian smirked. “I thought I was famous on Hell.”

“Hardly.” Star strode to the kitchen. “And that's a good thing.” He started opening cupboards and then the fridge. “They're fully stocked.”

“Yeah, this is their headquarters,” Kill said.

Star looked at me.

“Yup.” I went to the light switch and flicked it off.

“What the fuck?” Killian asked.

“If this is their headquarters, the Demon will eventually show up.” I clicked my comm device. “Speed it up. We might have a Demon incoming.”

“Copy that,” came through my earpiece.

“Maybe I should stay.” Star followed me into the corridor.

“We're good.” Kill came in behind him. “We have Seren. Your people might need you.”

Star looked at me.

“He's right. We're good here. Let us know after you've secured the prisoners.”

“And let me know if you need me to return.” Star vanished in a fall of embers.

“I really wish I could do that,” Killian muttered.