by Laken Cane
“The supernaturals—”
“The supernaturals,” he interrupted, his voice hard, “will behave themselves before I have every last one of the bastards exterminated.” He held up his hand up in front of my face, his index finger and thumb half an inch apart. “I am this close to ridding my city of all of you.”
I backed down, because it was the smart thing to do. “As I said, Mayor, I believe you can do anything you want to do.”
Crawford visibly relaxed and shot me an approving smile.
I wanted to glare at him, but again, I controlled myself. Maybe I was growing up. Maybe I was learning how to play nicely with others—especially others who could do bad things to me and mine.
“Frank informed me,” the mayor said, satisfied with my passivity, “that you asked for a title and a badge.” He spread his fingers. “You’ll have them both, as well as the training you need. I’ll give you an office and a couple of employees to aid in your monster-hunting quest. And you’ll be well compensated, I assure you.”
I sighed. The mayor wanted to keep an eye on me.
“Think about it, Trinity.” He leaned toward me and softened his voice. “We need you here, in the city. Not in Bay Town. You’re human. Act like it.”
I got to my feet. “I am human. I’m also supernatural. But mostly, I’m just a woman who will fight what’s wrong to get what’s right.” I leaned over, ignoring the warning in the captain’s eyes, and put my face close to Delaney’s. “And what’s wrong, Mayor Delaney, is you.”
I didn’t scare him. He smiled and moved even closer. So close I felt his breath waft across my lips. “When this is over,” he murmured, “you’ll be on your knees before me, just like everyone else in this lovely city. Do you believe me, Trinity?”
I recoiled as something dark and twisty flared to life in his eyes, and for a second, I did believe him.
And it scared the absolute hell out of me.
Chapter Twenty-One
Two birds, one sledgehammer
“Just think about it,” he called, his voice full of laughter, as I exited the room. The mayor was having a good time.
I, however, was not.
“Trinity?” Al asked quietly, walking at my side.
“He scared me,” I admitted.
“Don’t beat yourself up,” he said. “He’s the master of the city. He’d have to be a little scary.”
“He was stuffing his depravity down my throat, and I was choking on it.” I blew out a quick breath and tried to laugh. “I was scared by the mayor.”
It should have been laughable. It wasn’t.
“He’s going to try to take you, Trinity,” Al said, almost gently, as though he thought I’d burst into tears if he weren’t careful. “If he gets the chance. He wants that control.”
“I know.” I bit my lip and then turned, my eyes narrowing as Delaney and Crawford walked out of the office. I straightened my spine and schooled my features, hoping no one could see my worry.
Crawford gave me a nod as he, the mayor, and the mayor’s muscle strode by us. Delaney didn’t so much as glance at me. “He doesn’t believe us about the rifters. He doesn’t care about the demons. He’ll never retract those regulations. There was no purpose to this meeting,” I murmured, watching them go.
“There was,” Al disagreed.
I glanced at him. “Yeah? What?”
“He wanted to give you a choice, and he wanted to get your measure. And now he knows you better than he did. He’ll act accordingly.”
“How do you know what’s in the mayor’s swollen head?”
He smiled. “Because I know the mayor.”
“The way Crawford knows Jade Noel?”
“Oh, no. Not like that. Jade and Crawford have worked together. They’re acquaintances.”
“And you and the mayor are what? Friends?” I scoffed. “Family?” And then I threw my hands in the air. “And how do you know what’s between Frank and Jade?”
I drew a few glances with my loud attempt to blow off some nervous energy and frustration, but neither Al nor I cared.
“Jade has been my best friend since I was fourteen years old.” His eyes crinkled as he grinned. “She was the one who recommended me to Rhys as his…” He shrugged. “His human assistant.”
“Most of the time I feel like I don’t know any of you.”
“You don’t have to know what we’ve done to know how we make you feel. You know who to trust. You know who has your back.”
“Does Crawford have my back?” I asked him, without meaning to. “Can we trust him, Al?”
He was silent for a few seconds, thinking. “The captain is a good man,” he said, finally. “But he is not without his faults, Trinity. So I guess it depends. Will he help you, protect you, date you? Yeah. He will.”
I felt heat climbing my cheeks and looked away. “Can the supernats trust him? That’s what I’m asking.”
“I’m not psychic. I’m just good at what I do. And one of the things I do is read people.”
“And…”
“And the captain is a good man.”
I sighed. “All right. I guess that’s all I’m getting.”
“That’s all I know.” But as I turned to walk away, he took my arm. “You need protection. It’s not good for you to come into the city alone. Not now. Call me when you need company. Anytime, for any reason.”
I squeezed his hand. “Thanks, Alejandro.”
“What are you going to do now?” As he walked me to my car, Jade Noel fell in behind us, as silent as a shadow.
“I’m going to start talking to the media,” I replied. “And to the humans. I want to point out that the supernaturals are helping, that they can wrap this city up in protection and peace. The humans just have to let them.”
“All you’re doing is proving to them that you’ll come running when they beckon,” Jade said.
“I’m not bringing the supernaturals here tonight,” I told her. “I’m not bringing my hunters here. If the mayor won’t change his rules, we’re not going to protect him and his city.”
Jade laughed. “He knows you won’t stay in Bay Town while innocent humans are being attacked, Sinclair. We all know that.”
There was that contempt again.
And the sad thing was, she was probably right. Could I stay put while dozens of humans were slaughtered by the very creatures I was meant to kill?
As badly as I might want to, could I deny Crawford when he called for help?
Yeah…no.
Probably not.
“Change won’t happen without some sacrifices,” Jade said. “The humans need to pressure Delaney, and they won’t do that if we rush in to save them every time they’re in trouble.”
“Rifters aren’t just trouble,” I said, fed up. “They’ll rip this city apart and turn every human inside it. Do you want that to happen, Jade?”
I wouldn’t really know what I was going to do until I did it. I wanted freedom for the supernaturals. But I wasn’t sure I could allow innocents to die to get it.
“You’re doing this now?” Al asked me as I got into my car.
“There won’t be a better time.”
He traded a long look with Jade, who sighed and shrugged. “All right.”
“We’ll tag along,” Al said.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know, but if we don’t, Rhys will kick my ass.”
Jade climbed into the front with me. “And as I said, I need to be more visible. Two birds, one sledgehammer.”
“Speaking of hammer,” Al said, from the back, “Where’s Amanda today?”
I began calling my men as Al and Jade chatted, and the only one of them who answered was Shane.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yes. I’m with Al and Jade Noel. We’re going to go tell the humans how awesome the supernats are, and then I’ll be home. We still have to do the hie potion.”
“Might have to do it tomorrow night,” he said. “Some
of the ingredients aren’t exactly easy to get.”
“Are you having trouble?” Shane had to get the ashes of a burned human. I imagined him at a funeral home, trying to burgle a crematory.
“Not enough to worry,” he replied. “Just might take a little longer. I’ll see you at home, baby hunter.”
“Wait,” I said, before he could hang up. “Have you heard from Clayton?”
“Yeah. He and Leo are already back home. No sign of the demon.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, and cut the connection. At least I didn’t have to worry about Shane, Clayton, or Leo. Angus and Rhys were still on my mind, but in the end, I sent them each a text and let it go.
With a sense of urgency, I spent the next few hours talking to every human who would listen. I spoke with reporters. I got on TV, YouTube, the radio.
Both Alejandro and Jade followed me around, my grimly silent bodyguards, and things went relatively well.
Until they didn’t.
I stood on the steps of the courthouse, speaking to the crowd that had gathered, happy to have microphones shoved into my face. I’d picked up a few reporters and some curious followers throughout the day. They walked the city with me, some patting me on the back, when Al and Jade allowed them to get close enough, some of them yelling threats from a safe distance.
When Crawford got word of my actions sent a couple of cops to follow me as well, along with a text telling me not to overstay my welcome.
The city is fragile and volatile right now. The mayor is furious. Don’t hang around, Trinity. It’s not safe. Go home.
I didn’t reply.
“I know you’re afraid,” I told the crowd. “We can help you. The supernaturals want to be your protectors—but they can’t do that if you allow the mayor, the police, and groups of thugs to continue abusing, oppressing, and enslaving them.”
“Not all of us want to see the supernaturals abused,” a man in the crowd replied. “Some of us fight right alongside you for equality. Our voices might not be heard, but we are here. Protect us, Trinity. We’ll help you.”
He was almost immediately attacked by a couple of men behind him, and the fight was on. Police waded into the crowd to break it up, but in seconds, the mob was out of control.
Crawford called me two minutes later. “Get the hell out of there, Sinclair, before you’re arrested for inciting a riot. Go home.”
Maybe my day of entreaties did some good. The humans were scared and hurting. I wanted them to see they had choices. It was a start.
“Call the mayor,” I said, as I’d said all day. TV would pick it up, even if the milling, fighting crowd didn’t. And then I walked away. I hoped they’d aggravate the shit out of him.
I dropped Al and Jade off at his car, and then I went home. It had been a long day, and I needed to touch base with my men. The potion loomed, and despite Angus’s reassurances, I was worried. I didn’t want him to carve off a piece of his flesh to make some damn anti-demon potion. He’d been hurt too much as it was.
And the rifters. It might not be that night, or the next night, or even the next. But the rifters were coming. They were coming, and maybe we were going to die. Maybe trying to convince the mayor not to leash the supernats didn’t even matter. Because maybe the rifters would kill his vile ass.
Clayton called when I was halfway home. “When I returned,” he said, “Angus asked Leo to follow him into Willow-Wisp to take his flesh donation. Leo just returned without Angus.”
And I knew. Immediately, I knew.
“Angus is in trouble,” I said calmly, though my heart was beating out of my chest.
“Yes. He needs you.”
“Leo?”
“He is back in the cemetery. I’ll meet you there.”
Angus was in trouble, and I felt it in my bones.
I didn’t draw a breath all the way to Bay Town.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Atonement
Clayton wasn’t waiting for me when I ran into Willow-Wisp—Amias was. I still hadn’t gotten used to him appearing in the daylight, even if it was only a possibility inside the mystical graveyard.
Relief spread through me when I saw him. I didn’t question it. I barely even thought about it. But it was there.
“Come.” He grabbed my hand and hurried me deeper into the graveyard.
“What happened, Amias?”
“He hoped to atone for his crimes, but he cannot cut away his mind.”
“What crimes?” I cried.
“You knew he was not the same.”
I had. I had known.
“But what happened?” I asked again.
He didn’t answer, just pulled me grimly on.
I heard Angus before I saw him. He lay on the ground as his beast, thrashing weakly, and Leo knelt as close as he dared, his face a mask of horror.
The giant held up his blood-drenched hands when he saw me. “What have I done?” he bellowed. He pointed at the crimson-stained item that lay beside him. “What have I done?”
Clayton stood a few yards away, silent, motionless.
I stepped on a bloody bone saw as I ran toward Angus. I stumbled to a halt, my hand over my mouth, unable to tear my stare away from the grisly tool.
A fucking bone saw.
“He couldn’t have known,” Clayton said, finally walking to me. “When he asked Leo to cut off the discolored halves of his horns, he couldn’t have known what it would do to him.” He met my stare. “Could he?”
“No,” I said, barely able to speak. “No.”
I dropped to my knees, not caring if Angus hurt me while in the throes of his mindless thrashing. His animalistic moans were constant and so very tortured, and I knew he was beyond hearing me.
I spoke anyway. I lay atop his huge, gleaming form and held on tightly, and I told him I loved him. I didn’t know what else to do.
He needed to know I was there.
As I buried my face against the roughness of his neck, Leo knelt beside us and told me what happened.
“He wanted me to cut off the changed horns,” Leo said, loud over Angus’s raw moans. “He planned to use them in the potion. I shouldn’t have agreed. I—”
I lifted my face. “This wasn’t your fault. And right now we just need to help him.” But none of us had a clue about how to do that.
His enormous, shifted body shuddered beneath me, trying to get away from the pain, one horn untouched and perfect—except for the discoloration he’d picked up in prison—and the other, injured one swollen and gushing blood.
It pulsed like a heartbeat, violently red, somehow soft looking, as though I could squeeze it and it would give like clay. Black lines like lightning ran from the base of the horn to streak over the bull’s enormous head, leaving crisped, cracked skin behind.
When I looked into his eyes I saw only endless, blind agony.
At that moment, he was not Angus. His shifter had taken over and he was simply a pitiful, beautiful animal in severe distress.
He moaned.
“You’ll have to put him down,” Amias said. “End his suffering, Trinity.”
“Clayton,” I begged. “Can’t you do something?”
“I can kill this vampire,” Clayton said, his narrowed, angry stare on Amias.
Amias took a quick step back. “That would not benefit the werebull.”
“Don’t advise her to kill him again,” Clayton said, his voice tight.
Angus moaned, and thrashed, and slipped deeper into his world of pain.
Trying to cut off his horn was not like trimming a nail. It meant his life. If we couldn’t help him, he would die an agonizing death.
Somehow, he hadn’t known that.
Had he?
No. He wouldn’t have left us that way, and he wouldn’t have deliberately accepted such suffering. No matter what he’d done. No matter what he’d needed to atone for.
And he wouldn’t have put that on Leo.
“I don’t know what to do,” I cried. I wanted to cov
er my ears. I wanted to run away. I wanted not to hear what was coming from his mouth. But I stayed there with him, on him, as his movements became slower and weaker, and part of me wished he would die so his torment would end. I stayed there with him.
It was the hardest thing I’d ever done.
And there, into the midst of our vulnerability, the demon came.
He came into Willow-Wisp, stunning me. I hadn’t thought the graveyard would accept him. I’d thought we were safe there.
But he slammed to the ground hard enough to shake the earth, breaking and scattering tombstones when he landed. He had grown even larger since his last defeat and was at least twice the size of Leo.
Immediately, he sent a stream of fire at me—and the helpless werebull upon whom I lay.
It wasn’t like the fire he’d immersed me in the last time. That had been a fire of power, and I’d embraced it. I’d absorbed it.
And he’d learned from his mistake.
The fire he sent toward me was simply…fire. Hot flames crawled up my legs, eating away the fabric of my jeans, scorching my flesh.
It caught Angus’s tough shifter hide, burned away his hair and scorched his flesh, but his moans didn’t change. He was too agonized to hurt more than he already did.
I scrambled off him and rolled, smothering the flames crawling up my legs, then beat at the tiny fires caught in Angus’s hair.
Silverlight burst free and I stood in front of Angus, encircling us both in the sword’s silver halo. But the demon was not a vampire. The silver arc might hurt him, but it wouldn’t kill him.
And even as Leo lifted his fist, fell to his knee, and smacked the ground with his killing power, more demons appeared.
Seamus Flynn had brought backup.
I flung Silverlight away from me, having no choice as the demon’s Blacklight streaked toward Clayton.
As Miriam streaked toward him.
I needed to defend Clayton against Blacklight and Angus against the demons, and for a moment, I was overtaken by doubt.
Silverlight fought Blacklight, and though the demon’s new sword was powerful, it was not old. It was not Silverlight.