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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Heat exploded inside Vlad’s body as the dolls burned brightly and turned to ash on the ground before him. The tidal wave of energy that surged through his veins from his reawakened core made him gasp and arch. His blood sang and his heart soared as his incubus magic roared back to life, filling the void that had left him feeling hollow these past days.

The bond he’d shared with Tarang since they were small flared like a supernova. The tiger stirred and rose, shaking himself off as if waking from a long sleep.

The triumphant roar that left his familiar brought dust down from the rafters. Tarang’s eyes blazed crimson, demonic energy crackling across his white fur.

Vlad’s pulse raced with elation as their cores connected, the power that was theirs and theirs alone to wield the sweetest thing he’d ever tasted. His gaze found Santana as he rose, his brief moment of joy replaced by a fury that made the very air around him shimmer.

“You tried to kill my familiar.” His voice dropped dangerously as he faced the crime lord. “You tried to kill me . And you almost succeeded.”

Delphine pulled back to give them space, a small smile playing on her lips as she watched him.

Vlad’s heart clenched at the look in her eyes. The super soldier’s steady gaze was full of confidence that he would see this through and something else that made a different kind of fire lick through his veins.

There was motion opposite him.

Santana backpedaled across the ground, his face draining of color as he registered the red aura surrounding Vlad. His gaze darted to Manuel’s unconscious form.

“Uncle!” Fear cracked his voice. “Manuel! Wake up! ”

“He can’t help you now.” One of the diamond studs in Vlad’s ears transformed at his silent command, the gleaming sword humming with deadly intent as it dropped eagerly into his hand. “No one can.”

Santana grasped his saber with trembling fingers and pushed up to his feet.

“Stay back! Stay away from me, you monster! ” he shrieked.

Vlad narrowed his eyes. “You think I’m the monster? Then allow me to demonstrate exactly what this monster can do.”

Tarang’s pupils blazed with unholy fire as he lent Vlad his strength.

Vlad moved.

Santana barely managed to block his first strike. The second shattered his saber into a dozen pieces. The crime lord tripped and stumbled, terror overwhelming whatever magical ability his uncle had granted him.

Tarang’s snarl filled the air as he circled behind their enemy.

“Please!” Santana dropped to his knees, his body quaking. “I’ll give you anything you want! Money! Power!” He gazed pleadingly at Vlad.

“I already have both,” Vlad growled. “What I want is revenge.”

Santana screamed as demonic magic detonated around him, the crimson tide lifting him off his feet and slamming him into a stack of crates. Wood splintered. The crime lord slumped to the ground with a groan.

“Get up.” Vlad stalked toward him, his blade trailing scarlet static on the concrete floor. “I’m not done with you yet.”

Santana staggered to his feet and tried to run.

Tarang cut off his escape. Santana whirled around wildly, only to find Vlad right behind him.

“You know what the worst part is?” Vlad gritted his teeth. “You made me feel helpless.”

His fist caught Santana in the jaw. The crime lord flew across the floor and struck a support beam with a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed from his lips.

“You made me doubt myself.”

Vlad’s next punch drove the air from Santana’s lungs.

“And, of all the stupid things you could have done”—he grabbed the crime lord by the throat and lifted him off his feet—“you hurt my friends.”

Santana clawed weakly at Vlad’s fingers, his face turning purple.

Tarang issued a warning growl that made the incubus pause.

Delphine frowned at the shadows in the west end of the warehouse.

“DEA’s here.”

Figures in tactical vests emerged from the gloom, weapons trained on them. Navarro was in the lead. The agent slowed and lowered his gun when he saw them, his face relaxing slightly.

Vlad frowned. “You said you’d give us eighteen hours.”

“I lied,” Navarro said, unabashed.

“More like he was worried about us,” someone said. “If the Black Devils heir died on his watch, there’d be hell to pay.”

Vlad’s head snapped around.

Cortes was limping toward them. He was covered in dust and sported a cut above his eye. Popo looked similarly disheveled on his shoulder.

Relief lightened Vlad’s chest. “I thought you were dead.”

“Almost was.” Cortes grimaced. “That explosion buried us under half a wall. If it wasn’t for Popo manifesting a shield at the last second?—”

“My Enrique would have been squished like a bug!” the parrot declared proudly.

This earned the bird wary looks from several DEA agents.

Navarro jerked his head. “How about you let him go before you kill him?”

Vlad turned. Santana’s eyes had rolled back in his head.

He curled his lip and dropped the crime lord.

Santana crumpled to the ground with a wheeze.

Navarro cuffed him and read him his rights while another agent arrested Manuel.

“Boss,” someone called out.

Vlad turned. One of the Black Devils was jogging toward them, the rest following in his wake.

“What’s our men’s status?” the incubus asked tensely.

“Some broken bones, a few scratches and bruises.” The guy shrugged. “Nothing that won’t heal.”

Vlad breathed a sigh of relief.

The DEA agents eyed the nanorobot vests the Black Devils were wearing with envious looks.

“Those must have cost an arm and a leg,” Navarro muttered.

“I called in a personal favor with Gideon,” Delphine said dismissively.

The DEA agent made a face. “How come he doesn’t do those for the US government?”

“Because you guys can afford to be bled dry,” the super soldier said succinctly.

“Ouch.” Navarro eyed the tiger circling the warehouse before glancing guardedly at the dark sword in Vlad’s hand. “So does this mean you have your powers back?”

“I do. And I have you to thank for that, even though you were actually responsible for me losing them in the first place.”

Navarro sighed. “You’re never gonna let that go, are you?”

Vlad arched an eyebrow. “And lose the chance for the DEA to owe me a favor?”

One of the Black Devils approached, his cell in hand and his expression mystified. “Hey, boss? There’s a crazy lady on the phone asking if you got your juju back yet.”

The sound of enthusiastic yipping issued from the speaker.

“That’s gotta be Mrs. Son-Ha,” Cortes muttered.

Vlad took his cell out of his back pocket. It was smashed to pieces.

He frowned. “How did she even get that number?”

Another guy put his hand up warily and showed them his phone. “Er, boss? Someone claiming to be the head of a coven is saying you’ve got ninety minutes to sunrise, so how about you get your ass into gear and break that curse pronto.”

Cortes snorted. Vlad muttered something under his breath.

“Your friends are charming,” Navarro remarked.

Delphine’s phone buzzed. She checked the screen. “It’s Yuliy.”