“How the hell did you know that?”
“I’m becoming clairvoyant.” He heard her laugh, but before she could say anything else, he asked. “What are the details?”
“A bunch of vampires are out there, partying with some flame. Easton wants you to check it out, subdue them if you can.”
“Is the canal water still flowing down there?”
“So you knew that as well, huh? But, yeah. They blew enough of a hole to set the water flowing beneath the bridge. That’s all I know. Did Vaughn reach you?”
“Yep. But listen, Lily, would you tell Easton something for me?”
“Sure.”
“Tell him to go fuck himself.”
Lily didn’t say anything for a moment. “You sure that’s what you want me to do?”
“Oh, yeah. Tell him to go fuck himself and that after I take this call, I’m turning in my badge.”
“It’s about time. I’m hanging up now because I intend to deliver this message personally.”
~ ~ ~
Iris dressed slowly and with great care. She put her hair in a ponytail, donned a pair of black jeans, a reinforced belt, and a hot pink t-shirt because she was pissed. Both their bosses were happy to sell them down the river.
Fine. Whatever.
And Connor had been right to resign. She was thinking about doing the same.
She checked her Sig then clipped on her holster. Her nerves were jumping by the time she met Connor in the dining area.
Damn, but he looked good. The size of his muscles stood out along with his tattoos. He was in full warrior mode with his fighting energy pulsing through the room.
He hadn’t changed his clothes since he was basically in uniform already with a black tank, leathers, and heavy boots. He’d pulled the top half of his hair back in a leather strap, the rest of his dark wavy hair touching his shoulders.
He clipped on his Glock and his short-sword, the length more like a long dagger. But the width gave it a deadly weight. The handle and cross-guard were both silver, the sheath a tooled black leather. It was a beautiful, frightening weapon. She hoped he wouldn’t have to use it tonight.
As she moved toward him, he nodded. “You don’t have to go. In fact, I wish you would stay here and let me deal with this monster.”
“I’d like nothing better but my witch instincts are shouting at me. I need to go, so I’m going.”
He nodded again. “And we’re going to do everything we can to survive.”
She drew a deep breath as she watched him buckle on his wrist guards, also in black leather and also heavily reinforced with steel. “I need to show you something before we leave.”
“Lead the way.”
She headed toward the open French doors and waved for him to join her.
Once standing in the middle of the grass, she looked up and swept her hand in a path over the night sky. “What do you see?”
Connor came up behind her and settled a hand on her left hip. She loved the contact, despite the battle they were headed into.
“I’m not sure what I’m looking at. Do you mean the spell?”
“Yes.”
“Huh. I’m seeing a silver pattern that wasn’t there before. What is it?”