In the back was a big red door. If he were to walk through it, he knew he would enter the club, where there were small cages hanging from the ceiling, and poles stretching from individual tiers. A thump, thump of rock music shook the very foundation of the building.
I should be offended, William said, having noticed Thanes darting gaze. Ive done nothing to earn your distrust.
You live. You breathe. Thats enough.
William had shacked up with the Lords of the Underworldimmortal warriors fighting to free themselves from the dark urges of the demons that oppressed them. He had spent centuries locked inside the prison Tartarus, both for his philandering ways and his savage temper. He would kill anyone at any time for any reason.
Without a doubt, he wasnt the most trustworthy of males. But intel was intel, and Thane wanted to know what he knew.
Thane had asked some of his shadier connections at the Downfall what they knew about the six demons responsible for the travesty in the skies, and while he had learned several interesting things, he hadnt learned anything of value.
Clearly I got your message, William said. You wanted to meet, so here we are. What do you want?
Many things. They would start with information. You are Lucifers brother.
For a moment, the affable mask William sometimes wore fell away, revealing the vicious warrior at his core. Hes my adopted brother. Adopted. Were not blood.
You were both fostered by Hades, the keeper of Sheol.
A pop of his jaw. Yeah. So?
So they both thought the same way. Surely. Where are his minions? The six demons responsible for my kings death?
How should I know?
An evasion. One that wouldnt be tolerated. The demons are now living among the humans. You are now living among humans. They are evil. You are evil. They came from hell. You spent many centuries in hell. You should know where they went.
Far from offended by the description, William puffed up. They could be anywhere. Everywhere. Youll have to draw them out.
How?
Do I really need to do your job for you? William shrugged wide shoulders. Fine. I will. There might be a whole pack of you guys on their tails, but that doesnt mean youll find them. So, put a bounty on their heads. Even their mothers would turn them inif they had mothers, of course.
Every warrior instinct he possessed rebelled. And take the kill out of my own hands?
But the job will be done, so I dont really see the problem.
Of course William saw no problem. He thought only of the goal, not the collateral damage. The job may be donebut it may not. I wouldnt know for sure, since I had no part of it. And demons lie. They are never to be trusted.
The girl finished with the foil, and William waved her away.
If I fail to destroy their forces, Thane added, someone else will step into their role. Their plans must be stopped at the root.
William snickered like a teenage boy. You said root.
This is one of the many reasons I kill demons. This right here. No, William wasnt actually a demon. Hed even fought and escaped hell, allowing light to shine in the darkness of his soul. But hed since begun to race down the road that led back into the darkness. So, he qualified.
Look. I have a feeling youll be a little too busy shopping for bras to set a trap for the demons you want killed, William said. Youre a what? Forty-two C? Lakeysha over there will give you hers, I bet, freeing up your time and allowing you to do as I suggested.
Thane had to admire his courage. As I said, demons lie. Demons cheat. I will never trust them to do the job for me. I or someone I trust will make the kill. What can you do to aid me?
Nothing.
Perhaps the warrior would reconsider. I know you have always desired to know who your real parents are.
William stilled, and for a moment, he appeared to stop breathing.
I can help you with that, Thane said. Aid for aid.
A sharp inhalation of breath, proving the action hadnt malfunctioned permanently. Fine. Ill set a meeting with Maleah. Youve heard of her, Im guessing?
Maleah. Who hadnt heard of her?
Once a Sent One, she had been the most decorated soldier in their realm of the skies. She had been so decorated, in fact, that scheduling a meeting with her had been harder than scheduling a meeting with the king. Then, one day, she was gone, fallen, and no one had known why or what had happened.
Set the meeting, Thane said. As for the information I owe, check with the Sent One named Axel. I think youll discover something very interesting during your first conversation.
* * *
THANE, BJORN AND XERXES armed themselves for war.
The meeting with Maleah was scheduled to happen in half an hour. William had worked fastand the childish male would have snickered had he heard Thanes thoughts on the matter.
Thane had returned home with just enough time to bed a new female in an effort to clear his mind and ease the growing pressure to succeed. Afterward, he had alerted his boys. At least Kendra wouldnt be bothering him again. Yesterday, hed done the unthinkable.
Hed given her to her people.
The number of Phoenix had severely declined over the centuries, since very few of their women were able to conceive. That was why the males continually hunted the females. If one was ever found, she was immediately whisked to a Phoenix campand kept there forevermore.
By now, Kendra had been wedded to a warrior. By now, she was once again a slave.
Thane should feel guilty.
He didnt feel guilty.
He probably never would.
Ive felt the tension in this realm of the heavens, as well as the earth, and knew it was a prelude to the coming war, Bjorn said. I knew an enemy was planning some kind of attack, but I assumed that enemy would spring from the Titans trying to overtake and rule the world.
Titans...demons...whats the difference? Xerxes said.
Not much. I wouldnt be surprised to find out theyre working together.
Thane finished snapping the metal on his arms, each etched with number after number to represent the Most Highs promise for strength, then tugged on his gloves and smacked his friends on the shoulder. He preferred this armor over that formed by his robe. No one comes to our territory and hurts our people. The demons wanted a war, and so we will give them a war.
To the king, Bjorn said.
He hadnt yet finished his course, Xerxes said, but hes now at peace, his spirit in the Most Highs realm of the heavens. A far better place.
They shared a moment of silence, each remembering the good the king had done them over the years.
Together, they stalked out of their suite and to the roof of the club. Thane flared his wings. A darkened sky stretched all around him, stars glittering prettily.
And now we will finish our course. Thane dived into the night, heading down, down, down, and angling west. Air whipped against his skin, tangled his hair, becoming warmer the closer he got to the ground, even when the snowcapped Sierra Nevada came into view. There was a wealth of pine trees, and a lake as clear as crystal. Human ski huts. Humans trudging through the snow.
And there was Maleahs place. A cabin comprised of stone and ice, hidden in a cliff. Sent Ones liked to dwell in the elements, and the fallen female must have clung to the habit.
Thane misted through the walls and found himself inside a room lacking any sort of comfort. There were computers, TV screens, radios and all kinds of other equipment, but no couches, cushions or blankets. No photos.
A female hed heard about but never seen manned everything with a sharp eye and a constant tapping on a keyboard. She looked like a Goth princess, with her white skin, long white hair, multiple tattoos and piercings. A thick sweep of bangs hid her forehead and framed her big blue eyes.
Bjorn and Xerxes landed beside him.
Pretty, Bjorn said, looking her over. I hadnt heard that fact.
If she cooperated, perhaps he would take her to the Downfall for a few days of fun. If not...
He couldnt kill her. That would be against the rules. But he could do other unpleasant things.
I expected you sooner, she said suddenly. Her chair swiveled around, and she pinged Thane with an unwavering stare.
She shouldnt have been able to sense him. Just then, she was human.
And pretty failed to do her justice, he realized. Her features were bold, sensual. She had a thick fan of white lashes, and heavy-lidded eyes. A strong nose, with a piercing curling from both nostrils. Well-defined cheekbones. Lush lips, with two barbells beneath the lower. A stubborn chin.
He stepped into the natural realm. Impossible, he said. You knew exactly when I would come.
I knew when you were scheduled to come. I thought youd be in a bit more of a hurry. Her gaze swept over him, taking him in. Whether or not she liked what she saw, he couldnt be sure. Her hardened expression never changed. William said you were a cocky one.
She hadnt heard of him while shed lived in the skies. He was somewhat offended. Are you his lover?
She chuckled with genuine amusementbut she never confirmed or denied.
Bjorn and Xerxes joined him in the natural, and she gave the warriors the same once-over. Again, her expression remained blank, unreadable.
Armed for war, I see, she said. Against me? There was no fear in her tone. Only acceptance.
Why did you fall? Thane asked.
Another chuckle bubbled from her. Yeah. Watch me as I dont talk about that.
Very well. He would find out later. What do you know of the six demons
Now hiding here on earth? she asked, one brow arched.
He stepped toward her, hands fisting. Yes.
Ill show you. She turned back to her monitors, began typing. New York is a high crime area, right, but it ebbs and flows, and theres very rarely a huge and sudden spike. Things usually build. Well, last night there was a spike unlike any Ive before seen. Murders, rapes, thefts, beatings, but most happened in the privacy of human homes and have gone unreported. And it wasnt just in a select area, but widespread.
That proves nothing, he said.
She snorted. As you know, the mere presence of a demon causes the very atmosphere and energy of a place to change.
True, but that doesnt mean the spike was caused by demons.
Whoever killed your king would now be weak. Germanus would have fought, and fought hard. The demons would have known you guys would soon be on their heels, and so they would have wanted to rebuild their strength quickly. As they fed on evil, they would have sent their minions to do the most damage possible.
Stunning and smart. Yes, he wanted her. So they have spread out.
Definitely. She pointed to a map of the world on a separate screen, tapping her finger against the reddened areas. Each of these places had a similar spike.
There are twelve places, Xerxes said, yet only six demons.
She rolled her eyes, saying, You know as well as I that we arent unwise to the schemes of the enemy. They would have known we could track them this way, and they would have wanted a way to circumvent that. Hence the minions I mentioned.
We, shed said, as if she were still part of an army. You think theyre commanding their forces to attack other areas, away from them, to divide our efforts.
Exactly.
He, Bjorn and Xerxes shared a look. She was probably rightand they should have figured that out on their own.
So where do we start? Xerxes asked, his voice whispering through Thanes mind. They could communicate with every member of Zacharels army this wayif they so chosebut they preferred to speak only with each other.
I dont think it matters, Bjorn said. No matter where we go, well be destroying part of a demon army.
True. But the six leaders will be concentrating their efforts on gaining control of the humans. The more humans they recruit, the less we can do to fight back.
So again, where do you want to start? Xerxes asked.
Hasnt anyone ever told you that its rude to mind-talk in front of a girl? Maleah muttered.
Thane ignored her. He thought for a moment. Well split up, each take an area. If one of the six is discovered, the finder will alert the others and well go in together.
Bjorn nodded.
Xerxes stiffened. Very well.
Since their rescue from that demon dungeon, they had spent no more than a single night apart. They had always had each others backs. But to stay together now was to slow their search, and they owed the former king more than that.
Ill take New York, Bjorn said.
Ill take the Highlands, Xerxes said.
Las Vegas was the second-biggest red dot, but...
Ill take Auckland. I have a house there. Thane protected what was his.
He clasped Bjorns hand and pulled him in for something the humans called a chest bump. Then, Bjorn flared his wings and was off. He did the same with Xerxes, and he, too, darted away.
Thank you so much, Maleah, the girl muttered with a shake of her head. You helped us tremendously, Maleah, and we couldnt have done this without you.
That has yet to be proven, Thane told her.
She tossed him a scowl. You better learn some manners before you approach me again. Otherwise, I wont give you any new information.
A promise?
A threat.
He fought a grin. He had yet to meet a female who could resist him for long. And that wasnt pride talking, but truth. Too many ladies had a weakness for a pretty face, and he had a face prettier than most. He would have been saddened by the fact that so few cared to look beyond the surface at the man inside if hed ever actually wanted a female to see the man inside.