“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“Peanut.” Balnore appeared at her elbow, but didn’t touch.
She jerked in surprise. “Hey, Bal.”
“What do you need me to do?” All business then.
She had no clue. They were drowning and she had no idea how to fight this. How to get the key. How to get out of town. How to keep the gate closed. How to end Sven. How to contain Mike Jones. “Go to Dexx. I need to know how bad the damage is.”
Balnore nodded and dispersed.
“Paige.” Brian captured her attention.
She waved him off. “Protect your parish, Brian. I’m trying to piece things together, but I don’t have any answers right now. As soon as I do, I’ll come find you.”
He narrowed his eyes, but then nodded and rose.
What was the next move? The real game?
Where was Lucius? Lucius. How the hell did he play into all this? Why weren’t the pieces coming together?
She was asking the wrong questions.
Goddamnit. What had Sven said?
Xael cleared his throat.
He was still there? “What do you want?”
“Why did you not ask for my help?” Xael leaned his elbow on his knee. “Why do you insist on making things harder for yourself?”
Did he seriously just ask that? With everything going on, that’s the question he asked? “All I want to do right now is punch you in the face.”
“I can see that.” His expression showed no emotion.
The son of a bitch was a fucking angel. Maybe he was so disconnected from the real world to comprehend what the fuck he’d done. “Do you realize what it’s like when you use my gift for me? You reached inside. You took over. You fucking possessed me after I’ve already been possessed by a demon.”
“While I’m in control, you’re safe.”
Safe? He had a loose definition of the word. “I’m safe with me in control. All I need is a shield. I nearly had him. Without you.”
He took in a slow, deep breath, his eyebrow raised. “You did surprise me today.”
“Surprised you. Oh my god. Surprised you?” That egotistical son of a bitch. “Do you know where Sven is?”
The angel shook his head. “How do you plan on dealing with this half demon?”
“Not with your help.”
The angel flattened his lips and sighed.
She needed him out of there so she could think. “What can you tell me about Mike Jones?”
He thought for a silent moment. “Nothing.”
“Is it possible he’s an angel?”
“He is, though what his mission is and who he’s working for, I don’t know.”
“And that doesn’t strike you as odd.”
“Do you know everyone on your police force? Do you know all the officers? All the sergeants?”
The Denver police force was a large operation. Not quite as large as the angel population, she was sure, but she understood his point. “No. I don’t.”
He raised his eyebrows and nodded once.
“Is Roxxie okay?” Her head lay on Paige’s arm in such a way it cut off the blood circulation to her hand.
“I must take her to be healed.”
“Where will you take her?”
“Some things are best kept secret.” He gripped Paige’s shoulders.
Tepid warmth enveloped her. A chill seeped from her bones, getting worse.
The angel bent his head, his neck muscles straining.
Paige took in one breath, then two and slowly began to feel minutely better.
Xael fell back, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he stared at her. “That is the best I can do.”
She shrugged, feeling better. Not one hundred percent, but better. That had to count for something.
Xael gathered Roxxie in his arms and disappeared in a blinding flash of angel light and a storm of flying dirt.
Paige let herself sit there a moment longer. What had Sven said? She didn’t know him. Chaos for the sake of chaos or something. So he had something planned, something specific.
Her phone chirped.
She pulled it off her belt and put it to her ear. “Whiskey.”
“Detective.” Mike Jones’ tone rose with joy. “I have Fanny.”
Paige straightened, her heart racing. “Why? Leave her out of this.”
“You leave me no choice.”
“What do you want?”
“I want the demon, Lucius. Bring him and I’ll give you Fanny back.”
Why did everyone want Lucius? “What assurances do I have that you won’t kill her anyway? You’re a serial killer, Jones. Your word doesn’t mean a whole lot anymore.”
“Are you trying to anger me?” he mocked. “Where’s your negotiating skills?”
“They’re kind of spent.”
Mike chuckled.
Paige needed to buy herself some time. She’d just charged head long into two situations without enough protections or thought or planning. Twice was enough. “I need proof she’s alive.”
He clucked his tongue.
Fanny’s voice came blaring through the phone. “Paige, honey, is that you?”
“Yes,” Paige shouted. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice tinged with fear. “What’s goin’ on?”
“Where are you?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’ve never been there before?”
“No. Ain’t no place I know of—wait. No. Please—”
Fanny’s voice trailed off.
“You have your proof,” Mike said into the phone, his voice crisp. “Now bring me the demon.”
“Where are you?”
“I’ll give you a location when I know you have the demon. Come alone. You don’t want me to bring Sven into it.”
“He’s not with you.” Her mind scrambled as her mouth moved almost on its own. “As a matter of fact, he and I had a lovely conversation. Also, Xael’s here and wanted to say hello.”
Pause. “Well,” he said, his tone tight, “haven’t you been busy?”
Finally. She had something right, but what? “Do you have the key?”
“Of course. How else am I going to open the gate and bring Heaven’s army down on the heads of Man? Get the demon.”
She needed time. “Where are you?”
Silence.
“Mike?”
Silence.
“Damn it.” Paige checked her phone. It flashed and showed two big buttons, one red, one green. He’d hung up on her. She pulled herself to her feet, using the car behind her as a prop. Xael had helped a little. She was getting old—and she was out of shape, magickal shape.
She needed a damned plan. Quick.
Time to talk to Malika.
PAIGE SQUARED HER shoulders and stormed through the police station. Her booted footsteps echoed in the nearly deserted rooms. “Malika.”
The woman leapt to her feet. “Paige, what’s going on? Where is everyone?”
Paige stopped within arms’ reach of the bars and looped her thumbs in her belt loops. “You don’t know?”
“How would I? I’ve been in here. Where’s Mike?”
“He left you.” Paige rubbed her chin where a zit was claiming territory. When was the last time she’d washed her face? With soap? And water? “He ran, leaving you in here. By yourself. He’s trying to open the gate right now.”
A startled chuckle escaped Malika’s lips, a frown flittering across her brow. “Not without me.”
Paige snorted, scanning the front area through the door. She had no idea what Mike would do next. Call? She hoped, but she’d been thrown ten too many surprises for one day. And she still had Sven to deal with. What was he planning? “I’m here for one very pointed reason. Mike has Fanny.”
“He wouldn’t leave me.”
Paige turned her head to look at Malika. “He abandoned you, Malika. I need to know where he is.”
“I won’t tell you.”
Malika’s brown eyes rounded with betrayal, her lips pursed in a wavering conviction.
Trust and loyalty scorned. Paige could empathize with that. “You have no reason to protect him.”
“You don’t know anything. We love each other.”
“He left you here.” Paige pointed to the ground with her finger to emphasize her points. “To take the blame? To take the fall? To get you out of his way?”
Malika’s breath shook. “He’s protecting me.”
“In jail.” Paige released a breath of derision. “Right.”
Malika blinked, her shoulder sagging.
“All the evidence points to you. You’re going to get the death penalty because right now, all the evidence points to you. Mike set you up.”
Malika’s gaze unfocused, her lips rounding as the full brunt of her situation came to light.
“Malika.” Paige scanned the area. Quiet. Still. Empty. Her spidy senses said nothing. Safe. For now. “You had the key passed down to you through the generations. Mike came to you because of that. Not for love.”
“Mike was always there.”
“Because of the key.” Paige kept her attention glued to the doorway, not sure why or what was setting off her survival instincts. Her hand went to her gun. “He used you. Sven used you. Your use is gone. They don’t need you anymore. They have what they want. They have your key. They can open the Gate.”
“They need the demon. Lucius.”
“I know.”
Malika stepped into Paige’s peripheral. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. We were supposed to come here, reclaim Lucius’ soul, have a little fun, and then open the gate. Bring Heaven to Earth.”
Paige’s eyebrows shot up. “And you thought it would be fun to prepare this town by spilling blood?”
“I’ve read the Bible, Paige. Angels are nothing if not blood thirsty.”
Paige could disagree.
Malika took in a steadying breath. “He’s at Stanley’s barn.”
Paige narrowed her eyes. That seemed a bit sudden. “Is it a trap?”
“If he’s taken a friend of yours—”
“I barely know the woman.”
“—or anyone he thinks you’ll come after, it’s a trap.”
Paige couldn’t say the idea surprised her. It didn’t. “What can I expect?”
Malika shook her head, her gaze glazed, and shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s an angel.”
“But you thought he’d loved you. Surely that means you meant enough for him to show you things; his abilities, his magicks.”
“No. He—” She rested her forehead against the bars. “He said he was protecting me by not showing me what he could do.”
“Awesome. Well, I don’t know where this barn is.”
“Few people do.” Malika gave her directions. Finished, she sat on the lone cot, her posture slumped.
Paige paused, looking at the woman, but turned to leave. Whatever happened to her happened. No matter how she’d been manipulated, the woman was still a murderer.
“Paige,” a male voice said with a lilt.
She paused at the front door and frowned at the demon standing directly behind her. “Lucius. Where have you been?”
He raised a dark eyebrow. “I heard Sven has the woman at the inn.”
“That doesn’t answer where you’ve been.”
He quirked his lips. “I’m guessing the angel wishes to bargain? Yeah? My life for hers?”
Paige opened the door, the bright sunlight stabbing her in the eye. “Yeah. He wants you. Do you have a plan because I don’t. He has the key. I have nothing. No way to kill him. No way to fight him and walk away. I’ve got nothing.”
“Take me to him. I’m assuming you know where he is.”
“I do and the answer is no. Both Mike Jones and Sven want you. I don’t know why, but they do.”
“I’m a very powerful demon myself, love. Trust me. I can hold my own.”
“Ri-ight. Right. Right. Because you did so well at the paper mill. Ran away from that one. Yeah. Yup. Yup.” She stopped at Jackie’s driver’s side door. “You were a freakin’ hero.”
“You appear upset.”
“Wow.” She glared at him over Jackie’s roof. “You could be a frelling detective.”
“You mock me.”
“You’re damn straight.” She jingled the keys in her hand. “What are you going to do? Because I really need a good plan. I know where Mike is, but I have no way of getting that key back. I need that key, Lucius. I need to get out of here. I don’t know how to win this one.”
When Lucius didn’t respond, she slid into the driver’s seat. The keys remained in her hand as she watched the police station. She knew where she had to go. She just didn’t know what to do. She had no weapons. She was going to end up dead.
Leah.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Paige didn’t have the luxury to end up dead.
The passenger door opened. Jackie groaned under Lucius’ weight before the door slammed shut. “He has my brother.”
“Yeah.” She ran her thumb along the key. “I know. He’s powering the key with the souls of the guardian demons.”
“I have to get them back.”
“You go to Mike right now, without a plan, you’ll lose and your soul will be added to the key.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“No.” She started the car and put her in reverse. Staying in the parking lot wasn’t helping anyone. Moving was better than nothing.
Maybe.
She followed the directions Malika gave her and parked Jackie next to Mike’s silver sedan.
A dilapidated barn leaned against a tall bank of wild grass in the middle of nowhere. No one would hear anything unless there was an explosion. Screams for help would get her nowhere. Not that she was the kind of person who would scream for help. She was on her own with a demon who could set off the key, open the gate, and lose her everything.
What options did she have? She pulled her aching body out of the car.
Lucius appeared at her side, the sawed off shot gun in hand.
“Don’t let the gate open, Guardian. Okay?”
He nodded and gestured for her to lead.
She approached the barn as low to the ground as she could while walking. The grass was tall, not much of a cover, and there was no way Mike hadn’t heard Jackie. Being stealthy seemed silly, but instinct told her to stay as low as possible.
Mike opened the barn door, his arms wide. “I was just about to call you.”
Paige sighted down the barrel on him. “You sounded serious on the phone.”
“You brought the demon.”
“You asked so nicely.” What was she supposed to do? Shoot him? Would that even buy her time?
“Where’s the ruddy key?” Lucius demanded.
Mike tipped his head, his eyes narrowed.
“Let me repeat the question,” Paige said. “Where’s the key?”
“With me.” A smile slid into place onto his face. He leapt.
Paige pulled the trigger. The shot gun roared, kicking into the saddle of her shoulder.
Mike stumbled, red blooming on his chest.
Lucius growled, his arm outstretched.
Paige cocked the shotgun and re-sighted.
Lucius caught Mike by the throat, slamming him to the ground.
Mike gripped the demon’s large wrist. The other disappeared into his pocket.
Fucking shit, goddamnit! Paige advanced, not sure what else to do. “Lucius, he’s going after the key.”
Mike extricated it from his pocket, his lips moving.
The force of Lucius’ grip on his throat prevented his words from issuing forth.
Mike slammed the key onto Lucius’ shoulder. His mouth widened in a silent scream.
The world rocked. The wind kicked. Water slammed into her from out of nowhere. Fire leapt from cracks in the earth that hadn’t been there moments before. The world tore at itself.
Shit, shit, shit
. But if the angel or the key or the demon or who the fuck ever was pulling on Earth magick, Paige could play. She focused on the wind, whispering to it, coaxing it to her will.
It turned on Mike, pummeling him, breaking his hold on Lucius.
The key tumbled to the grass.
Nothing changed.
Lucius released his hold on Mike and stumbled away, his hands covering his ears, his mouth open.
Goddamnit.
Mike lay on the ground and laughed, the sound of it barely audible over the screeching of the wind. The blaze of the fire sweeping around them singed her arm hair.
Not knowing what else to do, she grabbed Mike’s shirt, intent on beating the crap out of him with the butt of the shotgun.
His laughter stopped as his gaze captured hers. His palm landed solidly upon the scabbing wound on her chest.
Pain. Light. Blasting. Rending. Fear.
She latched onto his wrist with both hands, dropping the gun. She fought, trying to figure out what he planned on doing with her.
He picked himself off the ground, his face twisted in victory. His hand never left her chest.
Piercing, stabbing, shooting pain.
Rip. Burst. Raze. Rent.
The power ripped through her, tearing at her limbs, threatening to rip her into pieces.
She reached within herself and found her gift.
What was an angel but a different kind of demon?
Her fingers clawed, fighting the wind and the surge of power surrounding her. Her nails dug into his arms. Blood pooled and slowly dripped, running down her fingers, along her palm, to her wrist before falling, falling, falling to the rich earth below.
Mike stared at her, his eyes widening in horror.
She yanked. Hard and fierce, pushing him toward the gate he’d opened.
A single sound. A piercing scream.
And then absolute silence.
Paige fell to the ground. The bright blue sky greeted her, the slight breeze dancing upon her skin. Mike was gone. Where? She had no clue, nor did she really care.
Holy shit. She’d done it. She’d actually done it.
Holy shit.
PAIGE LAY ON the ground, spent. After all the worrying, all she’d had to do was send him back nearly the same way she would a demon. She really needed to get into magickal shape. She couldn’t afford to be taken so off guard again.
For now, though? She turned her head, scanning the grass. She should have the key.
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