Over Isaac’s shoulder, Talon met Shadrach’s eyes.
Yes, Shadrach thought. Talon trusted everyone here. He just didn’t want to admit it, because he thought it would give Isaac leverage in the argument.
“You’ll all be right there with us,” Isaac went on, “waiting for Lilith to show herself. The minute she does, you swoop in and take her out. Alex will be fine.”
Talon’s jaw worked for a moment, and Isaac tilted his head, studying him.
“Why exactly do you not like me?” he asked. “Is it just because I was reporting to Sloan there for a while? Because I feel like that was paladin business, and maybe you don’t care as much about that as you claim.”
Talon’s eyes narrowed slightly, and Shadrach stilled, waiting.
“You’re right,” Talon admitted. “You reported on people these humans are friends with, but no one I directly care about.”
“Then what is it?”
Talon looked away. Finally, he lifted a hand, drawing a straight, horizontal line across his chest exactly where Isaac had wounded him during his first desperate bid to escape.
“You drew blood,” he said. “It’s been a very long time since anyone has been able to do that. You’re good, and that makes you dangerous.”
Isaac straightened, glancing over his shoulder at Shadrach. He looked—hunted, and Shadrach didn’t understand why until he spoke again, his voice soft.
“Would it help if I said I was… completely and totally in love with Shadrach?”
In love with Shadrach. The words repeated in his head over and over.In love with Shadrach. He’d hesitated to say it back last night, but here he was, declaring it in front of everyone.
Begrudgingly, Talon looked between them. “It helps, actually, yeah.”
Shadrach wrapped his arms around Isaac from behind, tucking his face in the curve of his neck and sinking his teeth into the muscle. Isaac let out a short laugh, gripping Shadrach’s hair and tugging him insistently away.
“Don’t do that, I’m trying to be serious right now.” But he pecked a quick kiss to Shadrach’s smiling lips.
Talon swung his gaze toward Alex, whose face was soft in a way it only ever got when he was looking at the demon. “I still don’t want to let Alex go anywhere near Lilith.”
Alex sighed, smiling, and pushed himself to his feet. “I’ll do it,” he declared, drifting over to wrap his arms aroundTalon, who, like Shadrach, buried his nose in his human’s hair, his dark eyes closing in contentment—or defeat. “I don’t relish the idea of having to pretend Talon is dead or that I’ve been kidnapped by someone I consider a friend, but if it means getting rid of Lilith, I’ll do it. Our lives will be easier with her out of the picture.”
Talon took a sharp breath. “I don’t?—”
Alex covered his mouth with his hand. “I know, Tal. Believe me. You made it clear. But you’ll be waiting in the wings, right? You’ll have eyes on us the whole time—or almost the whole time. You and Shadrach can appear as soon as Lilith shows her face, and like you guys said, you can take her in a one-on-one fight, no problem. I’ll be perfectly safe. Besides, you forget I’m not some fragile little human who needs rescuing. I’m a demon hunter. I know how to defend myself—stop looking at me like that!”
Talon’s soft, pursed smile was patronizing at best.
“You’ve had his blood, right?” Isaac piped up.
“Yeah, of course,” Alex said, his face flushing.
“There. Far less fragile than you would be without it. Right?” The last part was directed at Talon, who begrudgingly nodded. “He’s a functionally immortal human, then. Not exactly fragile.”
“Still,” Talon began.
“No,” Alex said, poking him in the chest. “I’m doing this. We just have to figure out what our plan is.”
Isaac cleared his throat. “I tie you up in the trunk of the car and take you to the address Magda gave me. Present you to Lilith. Hopefully you can cry on cue and convince her Talon’s really dead. Talon and Shadrach show up with the cavalry and remove Lilith’s head from her shoulders. We all go home happy.”
Talon looked murderous. “You arenottying him up and putting him?—”
“Sounds good to me,” Alex loudly interrupted. “Good thing I’m not claustrophobic.”
Luke useda satellite map online to get a better look at the address Lilith had given Isaac. It was a private cove north of Los Angeles, and based on the satellite imagery available to them, there wouldn’t be many good ways to approach the beach without being seen. Shadrach didn’t like the idea of letting Isaac walk into a meeting with Lilith without him close by, but it seemed they didn’t have much choice.
