Chapter 5
“Didyou pick up any impression of who could have put up the wards?” Dagan asked Hedori the moment the door shut behind thefemales.
Despite Shae’s mischievous look, which was probably to annoy him or maybe to cover up her shock at what she was capable of, worry took hold. This new ability of hers to teleport would be a problem if she didn’t learn how to lock down herpower.
“No, but I’ll recognize it again, and it’s definitely not demon-borne.” Hedori scooped the sliced carrots into a bowl. “There’s always a distinct signature to the species it comesfrom.”
“Someone like us,then?”
A nod. “There’s more.” Anger seeped into the male’s usually passive features. “One of the bedrooms…so much anguish and despair in there.” His orange-green eyes blazed, which was rare in itself since the Empyrean was more laid back than the rest of them. “Female. And it’s not thegirl.”
Dagan frowned. Shae had said her mother took off. What hadhappened?
The door opened, and Michael strode inside, along with Blaéz and Aethan, back from patrol. Týr followed moments later and dropped onto a chair, his expression tense as if he were riding the edge.Whatever.
“Is she the killer, then?” Blaéz asked, pulling out a chair and droppingdown.
Killer?Dagan hesitated. Her slaying those demons earlier with a dagger didn’t mesh with the more dangerous M.O. of killing with the mind. “I don’t think so. But whether she’s psionic or not, I’m not sure. Echo would need to confirmthat.”
Aethan dragged out a chair then stopped dead. “Where’s thefemale?”
“With yourmate.”
Gunmetal gray eyes sparked a dangerous white. “Dammit, Dag, you let Echo be alone with a killer—a would-be psychic killer?” hesnapped.
Damn pain-in-the-ass mated males. Shae wouldn’t hurt a fly. Hell, she was weighed down with guilt at ending those assholes from the DarkRealm.
“She’s no killer, Aethan,” Echo said, entering the kitchen. “She’s terrified of what’s happening toher.”
“You don’t know that for sure.” Aethan cut her a dark look, sat down and pulled her onto his lap. “Until then, keep away fromher.”
Echo rolled her eyes at her mate’s order as Elytani, their newest Guardian recruit who was still on probation glided in. Despite her six-foot height, with her pale hair and delicate features, Dagan wasn’t convinced she could handle this life. But hell, Shae, a human, had just proven him wrong. However, unlike the other females here, Elytani appeared quieter, didn’t speakmuch.
Darci entered the kitchen behind her. Her unusual sunflower-hued eyes swept over them and settled on Blaéz. “You wantedme?”
“Always,a leannan.” He held out a hand. Frowning, she took it and lowered onto the seat besidehim.
“Echo, will you be able to decipher what Shae is?” Michael asked. “Human with the usual abilitiesor…”
She shook her head and moved off Aethan’s lap to the chair next to him. “Her aura’s too faint for a proper reading. And she’s really scared. Her laptop short-circuited several months ago…” Echo repeated what Shae had told Dagan. “I don’t have to tell you how scary that is to someone who barely had any powers. When Aethan found me, evenIwasn’t prepared for all this—” She waved her hand around them. “And whatfollowed.”
Michael leaned his palms on the enormous table, his shattered blue irises sparking an eerie silver. “We have to know for sure, one way or the other, if she’s responsible for those deaths in the alley before anything else happens. And if she possesses any otherabilities.”
“She can teleport, too,” Dagan said. “Several demons confronted us on the way back. They wanted her. She took them all out in seconds, and there were easily a dozen of them. I think it’s the first time the ability manifested…” Recalling her terror, his gut twisted. He couldn’t protect her from what she was. She had to learn to adapt,fast.
Michael frowned. “So she can also manipulatetime?”
He had no idea—hell, he’d stood there in a dazed awe, watching her. “I don’t think so, but she’s really fast when her ability takes over. There’s more. Her apartment has the kind of protection wards only an immortal would use. No, it’s notdemon.”
“You think it could be this kin of hers?” Blaéz asked, playing with Darci’shair.
Dagan shrugged. “Doubtful. She senses Others, and she would have saidsomething.”
“Maybe. But ask her anyway to be sure,” Aethan said, sliding his hand down Echo’s back as if needing thecontact.
Dagan nodded and wondered if he’d ever want someone as much as these two warriors did their mates. They’d both been prepared to give up their lives for their women. Shae’s face flickered in his mind. No. He’d given up wanting things he could never have long ago. His path was a dark, deadly one, and a mate was the last thing heneeded.
“BTW,” Týr said, tilting his chair back on two of its legs. “Been hearing whispers in the alleys about a man seeing the devil and a white light appearing and bodies disappearing. The cops are trawling the areanow.”
