“Werewolves and vampires. All friendly. Radio your people not to shoot them,” Patrick replied.
“Vampires? Are you serious? I know they can’t be from the Night Courts here because Tremaine doesn’t care about anyone but himself, and none of the other vampires who claim territory in New York City will cross him.”
“The undead can’t feed off demons. They have as much incentive to keep hell off the mortal plane as we do.”
“How did you pull them in?”
Patrick went with the best lie he had. “Their leader is a criminal informant of mine.”
“Jesus.” Casale pried his radio off his belt. “I’ll pass the word on.”
Patrick nodded before asking the question he’d been wanting an answer to since crossing the veil. “Where’s Jono?”
Nadine finished speaking into her comms to the SOA agents about not shooting the friendlies before saying, “I was hoping he’d be with you.”
Patrick’s stomach twisted, and he shook his head. “We were ambushed while setting the coins at the north cardinal point.”
He couldn’t elaborate on how or by whom, not with everyone listening in, but Nadine could read between the lines. She bit her lip, eyes searching out his. “We found Marek’s car at Inwood Hill Park, but no signs of either of you until Marek told me to head to Times Square.”
The thought of Ethan having Jono within reach for even a minute was enough to make him feel ill. A day was too much.
Please don’t let me be too late, he thought.
Patrick looked at Priya. “Are you shielding the nexus right now?”
Priya hadn’t gone into the military, but that didn’t change the fact she was a powerful mage with an affinity for defensive magic. “I have mages creating breakwaters in the ley lines, but whoever is behind this spell has majority control of the nexus. I’m doing what I can.”
“The barrier shield linked to the cardinal points is holding,” Nadine said.
One good thing in this mess wasn’t enough to erase the bad.
“The Dominion Sect will be calling up soultakers. You’ll want ESU to cover any possible exit out of the park in case any of those fuckers get past us. No matter what happens, you keep your people out of the park,” Patrick ordered Casale.
Casale scowled. “We should be in there stopping this.”
“If you inundate the park with police, you’re just asking for a mess of friendly fire. This has been a federal investigation since you brought the SOA on board, which means SOA agents are the only ones going in. They have the training and the magic to handle the threat.”
He hoped. Honestly, Patrick would be far happier calling in an air strike right about now, but something told him the public wouldn’t appreciate that plan of action.
“I’ll hold some of our mages in reserve to help monitor the nexus and prepare for the worst. The rest of our agents will follow you into the fight,” Priya said.
“Let’s hope the worst doesn’t happen.” Patrick never took his eyes off Casale. “You gave me a week, remember? It hasn’t been a week yet. I promised you I’d leave this city still standing after everything was over. I’m keeping that promise, Casale.”
Lightning cut across the sky above, thunder rumbling through the air. Casale let out a heavy breath. The rain fell from the brim of Casale’s police-issued cap like a waterfall. “I’m holding you to that.”
Patrick nodded and wrapped his arms around Nadine’s waist again. “Let’s go, Mulroney.”
“That shield won’t break. We’ve tried everything,” Priya warned.
The last Greek coin in Patrick’s pocket and the heavens-backed dagger strapped to his thigh were the only warm points on his body. He dug out the coin, holding it tightly in his fist.
“Not everything.”
“Next time we’re calling in a tank. Maybe your old team,” Nadine said as she revved the motorcycle’s engine and kicked them forward. “I wouldn’t be averse to some heavy ordnance right now.”
“You and me both,” Patrick shouted over the wind.
She drove them toward Central Park, picking up speed as they followed the curve of the roundabout to the corner entrance. The crowd of police officers flashed by in a blur, backlit by the red-and-blue lights flashing in the streets behind their ranks. Patrick felt the coin burning against his skin, magic seeping out from between his fingers until it looked like he was holding a fiery star.
