“Why not?”Pru asked.
For a moment, Ty looked almost uncomfortable.Did he not like admitting that the side of the angels wasn’t as omniscient as it seemed, that maybe demons were still able to pull a trick or two on them?
But then he said, “Whoever’s in charge at the Styx Group, they’re very good at obfuscation.Our best guess is that the company has all sorts of subtle wards running, the sort of thing that makes it impossible to pierce the corporate veil, so to speak, and get a real glimpse of what’s going on there.So you being able to discover that the shell company buying properties here in Las Vegas is connected to them is something of a feat.”
Pru didn’t exactly squirm in delight, but Caleb could tell she was pleased by this praise.“Well,” she said, her tone now deprecating, “I think they got a little sloppy.Most likely, they probably didn’t think anyone would be able to put two and two together this quickly.”
“We were thinking that maybe the other reason the chapels were a target is because of the emotional energy that concentrates in those kinds of spaces,” Delia put in, and Ty immediately inclined his head toward her in agreement.
“That’s exactly why,” he said.“The demons will be able to turbocharge the energy they’re summoning, for lack of a better word.And the Angel’s Dream chapel sits right at the intersection of two lines, so it’s probably their primary focus.”
Caleb had to admit it was sort of ironic to think that a place with such a name might be the location of a hellmouth opening in the middle of the city.
“So…what can we do about it?”he asked.Theories and speculation were great, but if they couldn’t come up with a plan to keep the demons from harnessing all that energy, then they — and everyone else in Las Vegas — were going to be in a world of hurt.
“My cousin is getting married at that chapel,” Delia said.Although she sounded brisk enough, Caleb thought he caught just the slightest waver at the edge of her voice.True, it didn’t seem as if the two women were very close, but most people probably wouldn’t be too happy at the prospect of one of their relatives getting trampled by demons as they were exchanging vows.
Ty didn’t seem too startled by that revelation, seeming to signal that he already knew Olivia Gunderson was in harm’s way.“You need to find a way to get her to change her plans,” he said.“There are other chapels in the city that are safe, so all you have to do is convince her that she needs a venue change.”
This admonition obviously didn’t sit very well with Delia, since she crossed her arms and sent the half angel a flat stare.“And can you tell me exactly how I’m supposed to do that?It’s only a few days until the wedding, and I assume I can’t just come right out and tell Olivia that she needs to go elsewhere because a bunch of demons want to open a gateway to Hell in that particular location.”
“You’re a persuasive woman, Delia,” Ty replied, unperturbed.“I’m sure you’ll think of something.In the meantime, about all we can do is monitor the situation and do our best to keep as many people out of harm’s way as we can.”
“There must be something else,” Pru protested.“Sitting around on our hands isn’t going to help anyone.”
“I didn’t say we should just ‘sit around,’” he returned calmly.“But without a few more facts in our pocket, I don’t know what else to do.”
“Are the other people getting married in those chapels in any danger right now?”Caleb asked, and Ty frowned.
“I’m not sure…but I don’t think so.May thirtieth is a full moon, one that takes place while Mercury is retrograde, and I think that’s why that particular day is going to be the most dangerous.”
Delia’s cousin had definitely picked a doozy of a date for her wedding ceremony.
Next to him, Delia sat up a little straighter, chin lifted in a position he knew all too well.
Maybe the odds were stacked against them, but Caleb knew she would do whatever it took to keep her family safe…and the rest of Las Vegas as well.
ChapterFour
There didn’t seemto be much to discuss after that.They all agreed to meet back at her house when they came up with some actionable information, and then Delia walked Ty and Pru to the door.She halfway wondered if the two of them were going to go somewhere together after this.
Apparently not, though, since Prudence got in her beloved Mini Cooper and Ty climbed into a white pickup truck parked at the curb, and they headed off in opposite directions.
Oh, well.Delia couldn’t help thinking there was a spark of attraction between the two, but she sure wasn’t going to play matchmaker.
At the moment, she had plenty of other drama to keep her busy.
She returned to the living room, where Caleb was waiting for her on the couch.
“Not very welcome news, huh?”he said, and she allowed herself a sigh.
“Not really,” she replied, then sat down next to him.By that point, it was nearly seven, and she supposed they should be thinking about dinner.The snacks she’d put out had helped a little, but she knew she needed something a bit more substantial to eat than a couple of mini quiches and half a slice of pizza no bigger than her hand.
Most likely, she was thinking about food because that was easier than trying to figure out how she could possibly tell her cousin Olivia that she needed to change wedding venues.
“What do you want to order in?”Caleb asked, and she wanted to hug him.
How did he always seem to know what was going on in her mind?
