Page 30 of Wicked (Dark Delights #5)

Isaac studied Talon with a sharp eye. Slightly shorter than Shadrach, he wore dark-wash jeans and a leather jacket over a simple black T-shirt.

His hair was shorter than Shadrach’s, his skin pale and flawless.

This was the demon that started it all, the one that tempted Alex away from the guild and set them all on the paths that led them here.

The one who inadvertently introduced Isaac and Shadrach and set them both on a far more personal path, as well.

“You’re the one who captured me,” he said.

Talon bared bone-white teeth at him. “You’re lucky I didn’t gut you where you stood. ”

That might’ve frightened a lesser man, but in truth, it had merit. “Maybe you should’ve.”

“What?” Shadrach’s voice was higher-pitched than he’d ever heard it.

Isaac shrugged. “It would’ve been cleaner, wouldn’t it? Even I can admit that.” Perhaps there would even be peace after death, not more punishment. “Things are far more complicated for all of us than they were before that day.”

Shadrach looked back and forth between them. “It—but—no?—”

Isaac cast him a weak smile. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

The demon’s eyes narrowed into a teasing glare, and he leaned in, his nose brushing Isaac’s ear with a rattling growl. “Pushing it.”

God, he hoped so. He wanted to see how far he could push Shadrach. For the first time in his life, he was free. Where were the limits? How far was he allowed to go? What would Shadrach do when he pushed too far?

“Oh, fuck me, I don’t want to see them making eyes at each other,” a red-eyed halfling with long hair and a sidecut said.

“Too fucking bad,” Shadrach said. “I’ve had to watch you guys make eyes at each other for months . Besides, we’re here for a reason. We’ve got some things to discuss, and I think we should do it while drinking. Killer, can I get you a beer?”

He tilted his head thoughtfully. “I’ve never had a beer.”

“Appalling,” Shadrach declared. “You’re trying a beer.”

Shadrach clamped down on Isaac’s shoulders and steered him into the…

arcade area? Meeting area? There were papers and laptops strewn across the air hockey table in the middle of the space.

A sofa sat against one wall, surrounded by folding metal chairs, which was where most of them we re.

He pushed Isaac down onto the sofa beside Ira and then went to fetch him a beer while the others joined them.

Isaac’s eyes snagged on a pair of teenagers, both with dark hair and dark brown eyes.

“That’s Zach and Angie,” Ira supplied. “They’re… recruits.”

If the guild knew the Sentinels were recruiting, they’d lose their shit. He wondered if they realized how much danger they were actually in. If they hadn’t before, they probably did after the paladins attacked.

With everyone sitting or standing around in a loose circle, drinks in hand—Angela with a hot cocoa and Zachary with a soda—no one seemed to know how to break the silence.

Isaac took a long sip of the beer, and Shadrach, standing beside the sofa next to him, watched him curiously.

The flavor was bitter and bubbly but not at all unpleasant, and he took a second sip with Shadrach’s satisfied smile warming his profile.

“You came back,” Nathan finally said. He was sitting across from Isaac, in a metal chair with his elbows on his knees and a tumbler of whiskey and soda clutched between his hands.

He looked pensive, and the white-haired demon sitting on the floor beside him wrapped one large hand around his ankle, as though grounding.

Isaac looked from face to face, uncertain now that they were all waiting for him to speak. The words left him without thought.

“I should apologize for the things I’ve done. I betrayed you all, and I’m sorry.”

Sighing heavily, Nathan softened. He took a long sip of his drink and then asked, “Why’d you do it? Why did you spy for them? ”

Isaac didn’t know where to start. Everything the guild taught him was so tangled up in his head.

It couldn’t be right, not if he was meant to be with Shadrach, but he couldn’t just clean the slate.

Those lessons couldn’t be erased so easily.

He looked up at Shadrach, at his comfortingly dark eyes.

Shadrach drifted closer, perching on the armrest and laying one hand flat at the base of Isaac’s neck.

Grounding. With a deep breath, he found his voice.

“You know what they say about me there. As far as I know, it’s true.

Because my circumstances were different, they used a different approach with me.

I was taught not about goodness and doing what’s right, but obedience.

I was meant to do whatever they told me, no matter what.

Sloan’s word was the highest authority. They said it was because I had no moral compass of my own, so Sloan was meant to be mine.

When I did something they deemed wrong, I was punished.

The methods differed sometimes. They would take away my dinners or send me to Hawley, who would give me lashes for my disobedience. ”

Shadrach growled lowly, his fingers curling possessively.

“So when Sloan asked me what people were saying about everything that was happening, of course I told him about the meetings Nathan had arranged. And when he asked me to continue going so I could report back to him, it didn’t even occur to me to disobey. I’d been conditioned not to.”

“Jesus,” Luke said under his breath.

“I don’t think he had a lot to do with it, no,” Isaac quipped, and Luke obliged him with a reluctant chuckle.

“I apologize for my part in what happened last night. When I learned that Sloan had sent two teams here, all I wanted to do was stop them. They’ve probably found Hawley by now, but even if they haven’t, I’m not ever going back. I’m done with them.”

“Whoa, whoa, wait,” Alex said. “Found Hawley? What do you mean?”

“Oh, I killed him,” Isaac said brightly. “He tried to stop me from leaving, so I killed him.”

“You… You killed Father Hawley,” Nathan said dumbly.

“Trust me, he deserved it,” Shadrach said coldly. “He deserved a hell of a lot worse. He’s lucky I never got a chance to get my hands on him.”

A little shiver went down Isaac’s spine at the dark promise in his voice. No one had ever cared so much for him before. It was thrilling to know Shadrach did.

“They’ll know you did it,” Talon said. “They’ll know you were the one who killed him.”

“I know,” Isaac said.

“That could bring more heat down on us,” Talon said.

“With all due respect, I’m not sure that’s possible,” Isaac replied. “Shadrach says you’ve got halflings and paladins both coming after you, right? And the reason why Sloan was finally able to send people here is because he arrested the council. There’s no one standing in his way anymore.”

Nathan gaped. “ What? How did he get away with that?”

“He controls the paladins,” Isaac said. “They follow his orders. He ordered them to do it, so they did. Anyone who voted against coming after you was arrested. I don’t know what he plans to do with them, but it’s safe to say he’s taken control of the whole guild now.

Anyone who stands in his way will be treated the same. ”

“Jesus,” Luke breathed. “What do we do?”

“Batten down the hatches,” Talon said. “We can’t do anything about the inner workings of the guild, you guys. If Sloan is taking over there, so be it. That’s not your circus anymore. We just have to be ready when they come for us again.”

“I’ve been in contact with a mage,” Wolf said. “He’s putting together some ingredients for a spell that Ira should be able to perform. We can protect the Rink and our homes that way. It’ll keep out anyone who isn’t invited in, even humans.”

“That would be fantastic,” Alex said. “No more nights like the last one, please. My heart can’t take it.” He leaned his head on Talon’s shoulder, and the demon nuzzled his hair.

Nathan offered Isaac a tentative smile. “We’re lucky Isaac showed up when he did.”

Talon heaved a sigh. “Yes, yes, I suppose so. Of course, he’s the reason why they found us in the first place.”

“But we won’t hold a grudge about that,” Alex said pointedly. “Will we, Talon?”

Talon shot Alex an exasperated look, tempered with mirth. “Some of us won’t.”

Alex elbowed him lightly, and Talon smiled.

“What’d you do with the stones?” Isaac asked.

Ira gestured to the training area. “We put them in a bag over there. We weren’t sure what to do with them.”

“They’re very powerful Enochian sigils. Hawley told me they’re normally locked away in a vault.

The fact that they brought them out to deal with you guys tells me exactly how dangerous they think you are.

Put them somewhere safe and don’t let the paladins get their hands on them again. Like maybe the bottom of the Atlantic.”

“Is it safe to assume that’s not the only trick up their sleeves?” Wolf asked .

“Absolutely,” Ira said, a sobering voice to them all. “But we’ll weather it. Don’t worry.”

“What now?” Luke asked. “Are you… staying?”

Shadrach’s hand slid up, curling around the back of his neck possessively. Isaac fought a smile at the touch, ducking his head to hide the twitching of his mouth.

“I’d like to,” he said. “If you’ll let me.”

Shadrach growled again, and Isaac tipped his head back to look up at him.

“I’m staying with you no matter what, but if they don’t want me working with them, that’s their right.”

The humans exchanged some weighted glances with one another, debating, and then Nathan said, “You can stay, Isaac.”

“He can’t be trusted,” Talon said.

“Yes, he can,” Ira said calmly. “Give him time.”

Talon grumbled.

Isaac smiled. He was grateful they were giving him the chance to prove himself.