“Yeah.” Sutton had explained, in great detail, the way muscle memory worked. We spent close to a year working on nothing but defensive drills. From there, he trained me every single day until I moved back to Durham.
“Anyway, my sister hates us both for leaving her. I can’t blame her. She was only ten when we left.”
“I’m sorry.”
I shrugged. “I need to talk to Mary’s coven leader. And then I need a drink.”
Vas nodded. “Sounds good.”
I found an empty spot a few streets from Meredith’s. I’d walk home after a few drinks if I had to. Within a few minutes, I was parked at the bar, brooding into my drink. Next to me, Vas drank water. He’d said one of us had to stay sober and alert. After all, I hadn’t exactly been making friends recently.
Meredith’s was busy. Mere was hurrying from one side of the bar to the other, and I watched sightlessly as I ran a finger around the edge of my glass.
I had no leads, demons were still dying— and being turned into puppets with a kind of magic I’d never seen before— and I’d burned any semblance of a bridge with the witches.
And my bounty? I snorted. I was useless there too. I’d called Jessica Walker on my way to the bar. According to her, Mary dropped out of the coven with no warning several months ago. Jessica has smugly told me that Mary had already been replaced with a witch who’d moved here from New York for a chance to be a member of the Walker coven.
Then there was my sister. The first time I’d seen Evie since I told her our mother was dead, and I’d scared the shit out of her with power I couldn’t control. I should give myself a pat on the back. It took work to fuck things up as well as I had.
“You want to talk about it?”
I glanced at Vas. He was leaning against the bar, facing the rest of the room, long legs stretched out in front of him. He looked like a bodyguard, his gaze sweeping the room as he talked to me.
“Not really.” I signaled for another round.
Vas was quiet and I surveyed him. He seemed just as at home here as he did in Samael’s tower. And if I had a demon to question, I may as well use him.
“Does Samael have any enemies?”
Vas shot me a look like I was being particularly dense and I sighed. “Okay. Does he have any demon enemies?”
He tilted his head.
“His most powerful enemy is in the underworld.”
Well I sure as hell wasn’t going anywhere near the underworld. “Could that enemy control a demon in this world while he was there?”
He shrugged, but after a moment he shook his head. “It’s unlikely. When we travel through a portal, our wings disappear, and so do most of our ties to the underworld. I haven’t experienced it myself, but if his enemy had the power to control demons from the underworld, he would strike Samael directly.”
I chewed on my lip. “What about demon enemies in this world?”
“Sure. Samael controls most of the United States, and there are hundreds of high demons who would love to take that power from him.”
“Who’s the second most powerful demon?”
He opened his mouth and I held up a hand. “Wait. Who’s the second most powerful demon who isn’t loyal to Samael?”
“Elathan.”
“Where does he live?”
“San Diego.” Vas shook his head at me. “Samael would never allow you to go to California without him. Entering Elathan’s territory would be seen as an act of war. Besides, Samael would have considered whether he could be behind the attacks. He likely has his spies in place watching him.”
And another theory bites the dust.
“Who’s this enemy in the underworld?”
Vas shifted in his seat. “You should ask Samael about that.”
