“You’re back.” Her voice was husky. Declan looked at the woman with interest. She was one hell of a looker. Long legs, impressive rack, and a heart-shaped face that was milky white. Her eyes were huge round balls of chocolate and they looked at the Seraph with a hunger that was quickly hidden.
She was human.
“It’s been months,” she said softly.
Cale nodded to her. “Lily,” and then walked past without another word.
Declan saw the hurt that crossed her features. It was quickly masked. She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it abruptly. She turned and disappeared once more into the shadows that clung to the corners.
“I didn’t think you’d come, sorcerer.”
Declan clenched his teeth and turned as Samael drifted over from the bar. The demon grinned at him. His tall frame was clothed in head-to-toe black, his arms were bare, and the tattooed dragon that lay upon his neck shimmered in the gloom.
“I hear there’s one hell of a party going on at Club Lilith,” Declan answered. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Samael handed him a glass. Declan arched a brow and accepted.
“Enjoy,” the demon said silkily. “It might be a long time before you sample something so sweet.”
Declan held the glass loosely in his hands and eyed the demon closely.
“The offer is only good once,” Samael said, his tone changing slightly as he stared at the sor
cerer.
Declan tossed back the amber liquid, enjoying the fire as it burned down his throat. The heat sizzled along his veins, spreading through his body rapidly, energizing his cells. He looked at the demon in surprise and was immediately suspicious.
“What the hell was in that?”
Samael took a step closer and removed the aviators that covered his eyes. The swirling liquid that lay behind them began to glow as the demon spoke. He was dead serious.
“A little extra something that will keep the taint of the human realm from your flesh, and cloak you in the scent of demon. You’ll need it where you’re going.” The demon paused. Shadows fell across his face as his mouth tightened. “This will not be easy and we need those children safe.”
Was that compassion Declan saw reflected in the depths of his eyes?
Samael threw his glasses back in place and shrugged his shoulders. “It isn’t foolproof, but it’s all I got. If you don’t succeed, Lilith will never let you go. You know this.” The demon stared at him for several long moments. “You ready?”
Declan glanced at Cale. The Seraph stood a few feet away. His face was dark, seriously intense. Christ, they looked like they were about to attend a funeral. Yeah, mine.
Declan squared his shoulders, ignored the lump of dread in his gut, and nodded.
Let the games begin.
Chapter 17
“Where is he?” Ana’s voice rang shrilly and bordered on the insane but it was nothing compared to the anger that rippled beneath her flesh. She was hot from the force of it and that was saying a lot, considering her vamp skin was usually cool to the touch.
She turned her gaze to Nico, but the warrior was silent.
Kaden shrugged his shoulders and mumbled, “Not sure.” She caught the nervous glance he tossed toward the jaguar shifter.
They were lounging in the kitchen like it was a fucking Sunday afternoon. Coffee and beignets from Du Monde had arrived as if by magic. The smell was making her ill and for that reason alone she wanted to rip someone’s throat out.
Ana whirled around and hissed her frustration before letting loose an impressive torrent of curse words. She’d just come in from outside where she’d been trying to leave her estate for the past hour.
The property line had been charmed with extra stiff mojo, a bitch of an electric pulse that repelled her backward every time she tried to cross. There was no doubt as to who had put it there.
Declan.