Declan frowned. He didn’t like being in the dark but wasn’t about to ask the question. “Are the two of you done walking down memory lane? Because last I checked we have a situation brewing”—he glanced toward Nico—“and when we don’t return with the boy you can bet your ass the Seraphim will come looking as well.”
“Boy?” Nico sounded surprised.
Declan nodded. “Our target isn’t a man but a teenager.”
“So you’ve found him.” The jaguar studied him closely, “and we’re not bringing him in because?”
Ana stepped forward. The tips of her fangs peeked from between her lips. She stood as tall as her five-foot-two frame allowed and hissed as she faced the jaguar warrior.
“First off you’d have to go through me, jaguar, and secondly, Declan has agreed to protect him.”
Nico glanced his way and Declan winced at the fury in his eyes. Shit, here we go. With his newly shorn Mohawk, the jaguar looked like a deranged serial killer. “One word,” the warrior hissed. “Purgatory.”
Declan clenched his hands into fists, at the ready, just in case. He was never going to live down the Church
of the Holy Fiasco but for fuck sakes he was getting sick of hearing about it. “Look, the whole purgatory thing was a mistake, but can we please move on? How the hell was I supposed to know the ladies were pure? That they’d been chosen to serve?”
Nico snorted, disgusted. “They were living in a fucking convent. That might have been your first clue.”
Declan narrowed his eyes and faced the jaguar. “I will not hand him over. You know how the Seraphim work. Their motives aren’t always pristine. We can’t guarantee Kaden’s safety.”
“Kaden? You have a name, too?” Nico paced the length of the room and the air around him blurred. He’d always been volatile, and living on the edge of humanity for the last several years hadn’t done him any favors.
Declan pulled up the energy that thrummed inside his chest.
Ransome growled a warning but it was Ana who defused the situation. She was at Nico’s side before anyone could move and placed her hand upon his arm. Declan watched closely, his hands at the ready. He didn’t give a flying fuck that Nico was his partner, one of the Seraph. If the jaguar laid one paw on Ana he’d tear him apart.
“Nico.” Her voice was soft, entreating. “He’s a boy. A sixteen-year-old boy.”
“Why do they want him?”
Ana exhaled slowly. “He has this mark.” She paused and looked back toward Declan. “I don’t understand all of it but he’s one of seven who have it.”
Nico’s lips were tight as he glanced toward Declan. “It would be great if you could explain a little better than that.”
“He’s the fifth of the mark of seven.” There it was. There would be no sugarcoating.
Silence greeted his words, long moments that stretched taut until Declan felt it clawing at him.
“Holy fuck.” Ransome looked stunned. “This changes everything.”
“The mark of seven,” Nico repeated. The jaguar began to pace once more. “Shit.”
Declan watched the jaguar closely. The mark meant nothing until Kaden joined with the others. Only then would the true power that was the mark of seven be revealed. The question, of course, was would they gravitate toward the dark or the light? Or hang somewhere in the middle.
“You do understand why we can’t hand the boy over?” Declan’s question was aimed at Nico, but he glanced at Ransome as well. The wolf was out of his chair and downed the remainder of his bourbon before meeting Declan’s gaze.
“Where are the others?” Ransome asked. His eyes were flat and he was dead serious. “Because if you’ve dragged them here to my city, I’m going to insist that you leave.” He bared his teeth and nodded toward the door. “I warned you that I want no part of a holy war.”
Declan eyed the wolf carefully. “In answer to your question, we have no idea who the remaining six are, but as to the other . . .” His voice trailed off and he glanced at Ana. Her face was white, her lips pale. She turned to him, her eyes huge, and the worry that hung there tore at him.
He knew her. Knew how strong she was. To see the vampire so upset set him on edge.
In that second he knew nothing had changed for him. Who the hell was he kidding? He thought he’d use this whole exercise as a means for seduction? Fuck that. He’d walk through fire for her.
Ransome stepped around his desk, his dark eyes centered on Declan. “As to the other?” he prompted.
Declan pushed thoughts of Ana away. No distractions. “It’s too late. We’ve already got a demon lord on our ass, and though he’s yet to show his face, he’s close by.”