X

“Pops. focus.” Sauda says and everyone turns to her. “Why did he order his men to take Ashleigh and Shaw? And yes,” She nods, “I know that each question is a boon.”

“I guess Dix will be last,” Maddox sighs.

“Báthory, like Báthory Erzsébet—Elizabeth Bathory, his ancestor. He uses her book of magick and blood magick to make himself young.”

Malik scoots closer, looks back at Dix, and then stands up and striding closer to Sauda and Adorna. “He’s bathing in the blood of virgins like the fountain of youth.” Malik slowly walks into the room, not knowing where to go. He looks a few times before deciding to sit next to Samuel Dean. He sits with just a small gap between them. He reaches a hand out while looking at Samuel Dean, asking for permission. Samuel Dean nods his head and purrs when Malik runs his hand through his fur and Sauda smiles. Malik, looking more comfortable than Maddox, says, “My brother isn’t a virgin, though.”

“I don’t know why they took him.”

“All right,” Sauda stands up straighter, putting her arm tighter around Adorna’s shoulder. “Please heal Dix over there,” she points to them, “of all physical wounds, old and new, and help him regain consciousness immediately.”

“No loopholes, my Lord.” Samuel Dean leans into Malik’s hand.

Sauda’s father stands up, Maddox leans away, and Malik settles into Samuel Dean’s side. Andras walks across the room, gait like a predator. Maddox tenses but doesn’t move. Andras kneels down, one knee up, and rests his arm against it as he examines Clinton.

“Nothing too bad.” He lays his hand on Dix’s chest. “Bruised bone, a little crack to the head, ruptured organ, internal bleeding, and some old scar tissue on the knee. Piece of cake.”

Nothing could be seen, but all the preternatural creatures in the room feel it. That pulse of magic, like an invisible wind blowing from that corner of the room.

One blink and Dix is quiet, sweating. The next, his eyes bulge and he roughly inhales. “The fuck was that!”

“That, my human friend,” Andras stifles his laugh as Clinton jumps at the sight of him, “was a miracle.”

“Dad. You do not do miracles.”

“I used to. Fallen angel and all”. Andras shrugs his shoulder and pulls Dix to a sitting position. Dix just stares.

“It's... nice to... meet you? Sir? I’m Clinton Dix.”

Dix holds up his hand to greet Andras, and instantly the entire room is deadly quiet. With a quick laugh, Andras thrust his hand forward and shook Clinton’s happily.

“Do you know how long it has been since someone shook my hand just to shake my hand. Life without human touch-demon touch-any kind of touch without ulterior motives,” Andras sighs, “is lonely even for a Marquis.” Andras continues shaking Dix’s hand, sandwiching them in between his.

“He’s like a big evil puppy,” Adorna says, her brows drawing in. Andras quickly stands, the smile disappearing as he smooths out his suit. He clears his throat.

“Demons have feelings too, Succubus.” Andras glares at Adorna. “Or do I have to remind you what you said to me.”

Adorna looks away, wiggling into Sauda’s side.

“I’m sorry,” Andras turns back to Dix, “Did you say your name was Clit... and Dicks?”

Jordan lets out a gruff of air like a laugh from his long muzzle.

“Clinton. Dix. D. I. X.”

“Ah.”

“Let’s get back on the topic,” Maddox says, drawing the attention back to the middle of the room. “Now that we have the rest of our team conscious, we still have two members in need of retrieval and a target that needs surveillance.”

“No. He needs to die.”

Maddox looks at Sauda and she glares right back at him. The Demon-Castor’s magick shredded her favorite jeans up her thigh and her ribs sore despite their healing. “He took mine, and now his life is forfeit.”

“You cannot just kill a man for the fun of it.” Maddox snarls, “we have a mission.”

“One,” Sauda starts off, uncoiling herself from Adorna, “It is not just for the fun of it. Make no mistake about this, this kill will be fun, but for a reason.” Sauda glides, putting every ounce of raw power into the sway of her hips. “Ashleigh is an innocent who has hurt no one. Forced onto this team by men who want to exploit whatever they can. She is under my protection and I will kill anyone and everyone in my way of protecting her.” Sauda can feel her ebony skin shift and darken. She knew the obsidian hide of her demon flesh was showing. She knew how beautiful it looked, glowing like the moon was shining on it, and so dark.

She felt the parting of her skull as the horns nestled beneath grew and curled around her like a crown. Something so envied among demons and so frightening to humans. Maddox’s eyes stayed glued to hers as she knelt down in front of him.

“Welcome to the supernatural Major. If you’re too scared to play a little evil, then stay in the back and hide safely, little human. We will gladly kill the few to save the many.”

“I’m not scared. But you’re not killing the few to save the many, you’re killing because he kidnapped two of ours.”

“I’m killing him—the few—to avoid killing many. I’m sure he’ll deserve it. He’s a Demon-Castor and thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” Sauda turns her head to Malik, choosing to ignore the relief in the Major’s eyes at her choosing to focus somewhere else.

“They took my brother. I’m not scared. I’m in.” Dix looks at him outraged, but Sauda just smiles.

“I like him,” Andras chimes in.

“I know, right!” Adorna smiles.

“I’ve never killed anyone outside of official orders,” Malik whispers, leaning even more into Samuel Dean, who adjusts to put his head in the young man’s lap. Malik raises his arms to accept him and then scratches behind his ears. Sauda tries to hold the smile in.

“I’m not asking you to randomly kill people because we’re upset. We’ll go in and try to rescue whoever needs to be saved and anyone who tries to stop us by trying to kill us, we’ll kill them first. I promise, a priority is to extract every victim, if it doesn’t put them in harm's way. If he’s using Elizabeth’s grimoire, then he has tons of virgins waiting for their turn to die. Probably using their blood a little at a time until they’re not of use.” Sauda looks him in the eyes, glad that his eyes look unwavering as he looks to her. “We won't kill if we don’t have to. Except for Adrian Báthory. We’re going to murder him.”

“I have dibs on the virgin killer,” Adorna spits, “he took my bonded.”

“Bonded?”

Adorna looks over at her ex-husband and raises her eyebrows.

“Dad.” Sauda walks towards him and loops her arms through his. “Will killing this man affect any deals with him? Not a boon, just curious.”

He places his hand on hers at the crook of his arm. “Not at all,” he laughs, “I already got my end of the deal, I’m just upholding my end until he dies. If he dies early, then better for me.”

“What exactly is your end of the deal?” Malik asks.

“Protection.”

“Protection?” Sauda asks.

“Oh yes,” Andras smiles, “the poor fool only asked for protection without being specific. So I have been protecting him... from sexually transmitted diseases and infections!”

“Incorrigible.” Adorna stares at him, trying to hide her smile. Any sign of happiness caused by him will lead to heavy teasing, walks down memory lane, and potential light petting.

“All right. Next boon. Give us the location of our Castor, psychic null, and our target, please.”

“Boon granted.”

A sound pings and Adorna pulls her phone from an inside pocket of her jacket. “Thanks,” she says as the screen lights up.

“You fighting Sammy?” Sauda asks.

“Mmm,” he nods, “Is this shifter going to stay cuddled up to me during downtime?”

“Probably,” She nods. “Okay, Daddy. Last boon for now. Send me a demon you trust with me, your only foothold of destruction on earth. And preferably someone that can help us with this.”

“A demon I could trust with the only daughter I like? That’s hard... but done. Let me just,” He pulls out his phone and starts texting. “Boon granted.”

Before Sauda can even make a joke about demons in hell with cellular service, a knock sounds at the door. Everyone tenses up and Malik snaps to attention and into a fighting stance.

“My lord?” comes the knock.

“Oh, hell no!”

“I trust him with your life,” is all Andras says before disappearing before their eyes.

“Who is it?” Maddox asks.

Sauda looks down to the ground, trying to quiet the pounding of her heart. “Someone that’s going to complicate things.”