Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely 4)

He wasn’t going to answer that, not now, and possibly not ever. He held out a hand. “Come. We need to go. Just get in the car—”

“Trouble!” she interrupted. Ani slid off the hood of the car. Her gaze was no longer on him.

He turned so they were side-by-side.

Two Ly Ergs approached, one from either side. Another faery, a female thistle-fey, stood a slight distance away. They were Dark Court faeries, but the Ly Ergs often allied with Bananach. Devlin didn’t know whether they were sent in pursuit or had simply come upon them. What he did know, however, was that they were a problem that needed to be resolved quickly.

“I’ll take the Ly Ergs,” Ani said.

“Not both.” He saw Ani out of the corner of his eye and was aware that the car had shifted into a great reptilian beast. The steed and all of the faeries were invisible to the mortals in the parking lot.

“Come on.” She didn’t look away from them, but her tone was as good as a glare. “There’s only two. You go after her.”

“One.” He tracked the Ly Ergs, watching the calmness evident in the muscles not yet tensed, the heartbeats not accelerating. They were trained fighters, unlike the thistle- fey, who stayed back watching.

“You’re as bad as Irial,” she muttered as she lunged at one Ly Erg, and Devlin was torn between instinct and an unfamiliar urge to watch her. Logic won.

Or maybe a hunger for discord.

When it came to fighting, it wasn’t logic that ruled him. Then, he accepted both sides of his heritage: the precision in eliminating his opponents balanced with glee in the bloodletting.

“Come and get it,” Ani challenged. A long knife was in her hand as she advanced on her target; a second short knife was in the other hand.

Devlin scanned the woods: several other faeries became clear among the trees. He wanted to tell Ani, wished briefly that he could speak to her as her steed did, but as he glanced at her, she tilted her head, sniffed, and smiled. She was more Hound than not. His sight allowed him to know the same thing her sense of scent revealed to her.

“More fun, Dev,” she called as she tried again to skewer the Ly Erg in front of her. “I’ll get at least two after all.”

Devlin reached out, grabbed the Ly Erg in front of him, and before the faery could respond, slit his throat.

“We need to go.” Devlin watched as at least four more faeries approached from their left. The thistle-fey turned and ran—which felt more ominous than victorious. Even if the faeries weren’t there at Bananach’s behest, the fleeing faery would likely report back to her. He needed to get Ani farther away.

The steed bit the Ly Erg, pinning him in one place. Ani darted forward and sliced through the muscles at the faery’s knees, bringing him to the ground.

As she stepped backward, the steed was a car once more, with both doors open. Without a second look at the bleeding Ly Erg, Ani slid into the driver’s seat.

She shot a glance at Devlin. “We could’ve taken them.”

He paused, looking at her, realizing as he did so that she was every bit as capable as a young Gabriel would be—and wondered briefly if they should’ve done so, if they should’ve pursued the thistle-fey. “Perhaps, we might’ve. You’re a worthy partner, Ani.”

Her answering grin was more exhilarating than the fight. “Damn right, I am.”

CHAPTER 20

The fight earlier that morning had left Ani edgy. She shifted in the seat, tapped her hands on the wheel, and could not sit still. Being caged in small spaces had never worked for her. It was worse when she was restless.

Would you like to stop? the steed asked.

He won’t agree, Ani murmured. Devlin sat beside her, silent and unapproachable.

Several turns later, they were on a smaller road. Devlin still did not rouse from whatever contemplation he was in. His eyes were closed.

A thumping noise came from the engine as the steed pulled over alongside the road; beside them a stretch of woods extended into the darkness. Imply that it’s a mechanical thing, the steed suggested. You need a proper run.

“What are we doing?” Devlin opened his eyes and leveled a suspicious glare at her.

“Stopping.” She opened the door and stepped onto the gravel. No cars were in sight. The moon was high in the sky, and the only sounds in the darkness were animals.

Ani took a deep breath.