Wicked Road to Hel (League of Guardians 1)

“A demon . . . lord.” Ransome’s face darkened.

There was a loud rap on the door and it flew open before the werewolf had time to allow entrance. “LaPierre, what the hell is going on?” A tall woman strode into the room, a towel over her shoulder and a cigarette dangling from between her teeth. She was hard-looking, with tired pale features and lanky blond hair that hung from a loose ponytail. She wheezed and took a long drag before exhaling loudly. “I just had Benny kick out three more wolves, and it ain’t even a full moon.”

“Benny?” Nico asked.

She turned toward the jaguar. “Yeah, the big-ass bouncer.” She swung back to Ransome and put her hand on her narrow hips. The jeans that hung there were held up by the slimmest of belts, and the tank top she wore was emblazoned with the word MOFO. “Something weird is going on.” She nodded back toward the door. “Can’t you feel it?”

Ransome tossed an angry look at Declan and grabbed up the phone. “Hold on,” he growled into the device. “Sarah, go back to the bar. Tell Benny to close up as soon as he can empty the place without starting a riot. Get Asher to—”

“Asher’s left for the night.”

Declan watched the way Ana flinched at the mention of the wolf. The two of them shared a history, one that involved the mysterious Jean-Charles. He wouldn’t be able to rest until he knew the details, but first things first.

Ransome let loose a string of profanity that didn’t abate until he barked orders into the phone and slammed it back down.

He glared at them all, and Declan moved toward Ana as the energy in the room darkened. The werewolf had gone from pissed off to deadly anger in less than a minute.

“Fuck me, O’Hara. Who the hell have you dragged to my town?”

“It’s not his fault.” Ana swallowed and took a moment. “I led the dark lord here. That’s on me but I didn’t know where else to go.”

“The dark lord,” Ransome repeated. “What is this? Harry fucking Potter?” The wolf glanced around the room. “Anyone here, I dunno, willing to give up a name?”

“Samael,” Ana answered quietly.

Ransome stopped, speechless. He ran his hand through the tawny length of hair that hung across his forehead. “The demon of chaos,” he whispered softly. Another loud crash sounded outside his door. Ransome shook his head and growled. “No shit.”

“So what’s the plan?” Nico asked.

Declan glanced at Ransome and the two men stared at each other for several long moments. They’d been through a lot, back in the day, and he hoped it would count for something.

He turned to Nico. “You on board?” he asked the jaguar. “I won’t turn an innocent boy over to the Seraphim.”

“How do you know he’s innocent? From what I understand not much is known about the mark of seven other than the fact that once the pieces are put in play, look the fuck out. It’s anyone’s guess which way they’ll swing.” Nico laughed harshly. “Do they kick-start an apocalypse? Do they end one? We don’t know.”

“He’s just a kid and I’m not willing to hand him over until I know more.” Declan’s voice hardened.

“He’s under Bill’s protection,” Ana interjected. “That should be good enough.”

“Bill?” Nico snorted. “I’m not sure I trust him, either.”

Ana was silent. She looked tired.

They needed to get back to the house. She had to feed.

“We will protect him and find the others before the Seraphim do. But first we need to deal with Samael.” Declan nodded toward the werewolf. “Can we count on your help?”

Ransome ran his hand over the rough stubble that shadowed his jaw. He took his time, walked around his desk, and straightened a few papers that lay there. When the silence became unbearable he finally looked up at Declan.

“The necromancer that called forth the ghouls last night . . . I’m assuming whoever the hell he is will be tied to Samael.”

Declan had him. He tried not to smile, and nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. The ghouls were the bastard’s first strike. Demons are notorious for getting others to do their dirty work.”

“He was testing me,” Ana murmured, “with the demon, vampire, and the ghouls.”

“Yeah, and you passed.” Ransome shook his head. “He’ll be coming at you with big guns next time.” The wolf glanced at Declan. “Or he’ll come himself.”

“The necromancer might know who else is on the list.” Declan raised a good point and they all nodded in agreement.