She looked at Spencer and shook her head. “No, I mean, we make sure Takoma has the support he needs when he goes after Adler tonight and sends her to whatever hell she is cozying up to.”
Spencer slumped back in the armchair and pressed the heels of his hands over his eyes. “That is the worst plan. Theworst.”
“Seattle is our master’s territory. He will fight for it as he always has.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
Takoma wokeat the barest hint of twilight, shaking off the dregs of the restorative sleep the blood magic initiated during the day. The bed beside him was empty, which was no surprise. He wasted no time leaving it and getting dressed. He grabbed his phone off the nightstand before entering the code to unlock his bedroom door. When it swung open, he came to an abrupt halt, staring at who stood in the hallway to greet him.
“Hello, Master,” Alyona said with a tremulous smile.
Takoma’s gaze flicked to where Spencer stood beside her, wearing the clothes he’d set out for the mage last night. He could smell blood on them, which was unexpected. Spencer smiled tightly. “So, shit went down while you slept, but the good news is we got Alyona back.”
Alyona stepped toward him, tilting her head to the side to bare her throat. “Please.”
The hunger he always woke with could only be sated by blood. It powered the blood magic that gave vampires their continued existence, Ashanti’s legacy flowing sluggishly through their veins. One could learn to ignore it for a time, but not for long, and never forever. Takoma drew Alyona close and didn’t hesitate to sink his fangs into her neck over the scars already present in the skin of her throat. She shuddered against him, curling close with a soft little sob as he drank from her, the warmth of her blood coating his tongue.
She tasted different. The change was subtle but there, almost a sulfuric taint to her blood. He knew without asking what that meant, and he was careful not to let his rage show in the pressure of his bite. He drank from her just enough to take the edge off his hunger before releasing her throat and putting her at arm’s length, gaze raking over her body.
“You taste like you had a demon in your soul,” Takoma said, licking blood off his lips.
Her mouth trembled before firming up, eyes blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay. “Yes, but something worthwhile came from it. I have information about Adler.”
Takoma released her so he wouldn’t dig bruises into her skin from his anger. He looked over at Spencer, who grimaced at him. “You’re going to need to hire a contractor to fix your house.”
“What?” Takoma bit out.
Spencer jerked his head toward the stairs. “Come on. Show-and-tell time.”
The moment Takoma made it to the first floor, he knew what had happened. The lingering scent of bleach couldn’t hide the underlying presence of a large amount of blood that had been splattered through the hallways and rooms of the mansion. Scorch marks, bullet holes, cracked walls, and a host of other damage now decorated the first floor.
“We moved the bodies into the garage to dispose of tonight,” William said when he met them in the main living room overlooking the back patio. “The handful of hunters who survived have been interrogated. They’re still capable of speaking if you want to see them. Otherwise, Stasya said to kill them.”
“I didn’t hear that,” Spencer said sotto voce.
“I did,” Wade said.
Takoma stayed silent, his rage at the realization the heart of his Night Court had been breached a viciously hot, terrible thing that felt like it actually warmed him. “How did they get inside?”
Alyona flinched, gaze dropping to the floor. Spencer cleared his throat, catching Takoma’s eye. “Alyona got possessed on the Cascade Coven’s property. The demon used her knowledge of your Night Court’s command triggers to get past your security and wards and bring a team of hunters inside just after dawn. I was still here and sealed off the second floor so no one could get to you and anyone else asleep upstairs. Wade showed up with William and Makai halfway through the fight. We took out the hunters and the possessed mage that had come with them, but you need to know they came here specifically for you.”
“William didn’t mention the mage.”
“Yeah, because I took custody of her. And before you get all pissed about that, her being alive is going to ensure the government doesn’t come down hard on your Night Court if you go after the Cascade Coven.”
“What do you meanif?” Takoma asked derisively. He looked at William, the warlock giving him a grim nod. “Where is Haitao?”
“The Seattle penthouse. No other locations were targeted, and the god pack has had werecreatures guarding our properties. They still are,” William said.
“Good.”
“Spencer suggested setting up a meeting between the Night Court and the Cascade Coven to draw them out. Alyona agreed to the plan, with Haitao appearing on your behalf.”
“No. The second Haitao is awake, have him call me.”
“You need an excuse for them to attack first,” Alyona said.
