Six hours to prevent a demon lord from potentially taking over Las Vegas.Well, that should be simple enough.
Not.
“We’ll have to split up,” he said, then moved closer to the table where Pru’s laptop rested so he could study the map in detail.“If we can disrupt even a few of the remaining ritual sites, it should be enough to throw off the entire summoning.”
“Agreed,” Ty replied.“But we need to be strategic about which sites we target.Some locations will be more critical to the overall pattern than others.”
Delia had been studying the map as well, her expression tight with concentration…and worry.“It looks like Angel’s Dream is right in the center of all this.If they’re building a city-wide summoning circle, that chapel is probably going to be the focal point.”
Oh, crap.In all the chaos of the morning’s revelations, he’d temporarily forgotten about Delia’s cousin and the wedding that was now only two days away.If Angel’s Dream was indeed the center of the ritual….
“We need to get your family out of the city,” he said at once.“All of them.Today.”
But Delia was already shaking her head.“You know they won’t go.Not without a really good reason, and obviously, we can’t tell them the truth.Olivia’s parents, Alec’s family — they’re all flying in for the pre-wedding events, and Olivia and Alec’s flight is supposed to get here a little after one o’clock.”
“Then we have to make sure the ritual never gets completed,” Caleb said, knowing he sounded a lot more confident than he felt.“Whatever it takes.”
Pru glanced away from her laptop.“I’ve been trying to track the attack patterns, and I think I can predict which sites they’ll hit next.”
“You ‘think’?”Caleb asked dubiously.
Ty, on the other hand, didn’t seem too worried about the lack of a ringing endorsement.“Show me,” he said, shifting his position so he could more easily look over Pru’s shoulder.
As the two of them began coordinating tactical details, Caleb pulled Delia aside.Now that they were away from the others, he could see the strain in her face more clearly.The dark circles under her clear, blue-gray eyes suggested she’d gotten even less sleep than he had, and there was a tension in her shoulders that spoke of deeper worries than just the supernatural crisis they were facing.
“How are you holding up?”he asked quietly.
She managed a small smile.“I’ve been better.I keep thinking about what will happen if we don’t stop this, and….”The words trailed off there, and then she seemed to gather herself.“My parents are going to be at that wedding, Caleb, along with a lot of other family members.If something happens to any of them — ”
“Nothing’s going to happen to them,” he said firmly as he reached out to squeeze her hand.“We’re going to stop these bastards before it gets that far.”
“You can’t promise that,” she replied, but she didn’t pull her hand away.“We’re not even sure what we’re really up against yet.For all we know, this could be the opening move in something much bigger.”
She wasn’t wrong.The level of coordination they’d seen so far suggested resources and planning that went well beyond what a few rogue demons plotting their usual mischief could accomplish.Someone with serious power and influence was orchestrating all this — maybe the demon lord Vinea, maybe someone even worse — and Caleb had a sinking feeling that they’d only scratched the surface of what was really going on.
“Then we’ll learn more,” he said.“But we’ll do it together, and we won’t give up.No matter what.”
Before Delia could respond, Pru called out from across the room.“Guys, get over here.I just heard something important.”
They hurried back to the computer setup, where Pru had a set of earphones half on and half off so she could listen to them and monitor the police scanner at the same time.
“Multiple units are responding to a disturbance at the Little Chapel of Hearts,” she went on.“That’s one of the venues Delia suggested as an alternative for her cousin’s wedding.”
A chill ran down Caleb’s spine.“What kind of disturbance?”
“Witnesses reported seeing figures in dark clothing entering the building around dawn.When the first responders arrived, they found the front doors standing open and signs of some kind of ritual activity inside.No perpetrators on scene, but….”Prudence paused there so she could turn back to her laptop and open up a new tab.“Then they found this.”
The screen switched to a photo that had apparently been taken by one of the responding officers.It showed the inside of the chapel, with chairs overturned and what looked like arcane symbols burned into the carpet.But it was the message scrawled across the wall in what appeared to be ash that made Caleb’s blood run cold.
THE HALF-BREED KNOWS OUR WORK.LET HIM COME TO US.
Ty folded his arms.“It sure looks like they’re actively trying to draw us out.”
“Or specifically trying to draw me out,” Caleb replied.The reference to a “half-breed” was clearly meant for him, even if technically he wasn’t a half-breed at all, but a quarter-breed.
Delia moved closer to the screen, her expression even more troubled.“If they’re targeting the alternative venues, too, that means even if we convince Olivia to change locations, she — and the rest of my family — still won’t be safe.”
“Unless we stop this entire operation,” Caleb told her.“So we need to take the offensive instead of just reacting to their moves.”
