“If that’s what it’s like, Dex definitely isn’t my mate.”
Was that sorrow in Onyx’s tone? He’d spoken of finding his mate the least, but that didn’t mean his longing was any less.
“He’s out there, Onyx,” Dante assured him. “I know it.”
“Maybe. It doesn’t really matter.” Onyx sighed, turning his face away. “Let’s hurry up and find this demon.”
They flew the rest of the way in silence.
The waterfront was almost as busy now as it was during the day. Bars and restaurants passed below, light spilling onto the promenade, and people milling about.
A seawall held the walkway back from the sand and rocks, with stairs to access the beach when the tide was low. The most popular spot for humans to gather was on the southern end ofthe beach, closer to the port and river, where all the white sand piled up. The northern end turned rocky as the land rose into the cliffs flanking the city, where Dante’s home perched.
It was an odd place for a demon to hide. There would be plenty of people and relatively easy feeding, but why not fly here as needed and hold up somewhere more private?
Dante and Onyx followed Ash along the shore until they’d almost reached the end of the beach.
Ash turned inland, flying for another minute before landing on top of an older building with dark windows. “They’re inside.”
Onyx landed beside him. “So what’s the plan?”
“We could stake out the place and see who comes out,” Dante suggested.
“That will take too long. Next.” Onyx turned to Ash.
Ash frowned at Onyx. “Not that we’re in a rush, but I’d rather not wait around. If we confront them inside, we won’t have human eyes on us and won’t have to worry about hiding magic.”
That was a good point. “Then let’s search the place. I don’t feel any protective spells, which is odd.”
“Think it’s a trap?” Onyx asked.
Dante closed his eyes and sharpened his demon sense, focusing on the interior sounds of the building. He filtered out all the other noise until he was sure. “I only hear one heartbeat. If it’s a trap, it’s not very good, leaving them three against one.” Maybe they’d expected Dante to come alone, but still.
When Dante opened his eyes, Onyx’s wings were gone.
“What?” Onyx put his shirt back on. “I’m not sneaking around with my wings out. This place looks like it has narrow hallways.”
Ash walked to the edge of the roof. “We’re going to have to enter on the ground floor. Doesn’t look like there’s roofaccess.”
They jumped down the two stories to the street. Onyx landed deftly in a crouch, even without his wings to steady him.
The ground floor of the building housed a closed boutique, but a door to the side was numbered separately, possibly leading to a residence above the shop.
“Let’s start here.” Dante gripped the door handle. There was no protective spell, but the residual tingle of magic pricked his palm. “Seems like they’ve used a spell to break or fix the lock. Feels like the same essence as the magic at the nests.”
Dante turned the handle, breaking the lock, and opened the door. Ash and Onyx followed him into a narrow stairwell. Dante retracted his wings, ignoring Onyx’s pointed sniff.
He could hear movement ahead.
At the top of the staircase stood a closed door. Dante, Ash, and Onyx crowded on the landing, a faint humming reaching their ears. From the smell of it, whoever was inside was cooking.
Again, the door was locked but not protected. Dante shouldered it open, cracking the frame.
He burst inside, the others at his heels.
“Oh fuck!” a woman shouted as a pan clattered to the floor. Not exactly a violent ambush. She whirled around to face them, surprise fading from her fine features. “All three Hounds. My, my.”
Dante growled at the offensive nickname. He was no one’s dog, least of all Lucifer’s. “And who are you?”
