He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaledwearily.
Dagan?
Not in the mood to talk to Kaerys, he willed the gateway closed. Unfortunately, he’d have to relent soon since he needed her blood to keep his fucked-up DNA working and his power level recharged before his abilities flatlined. In his line of work, he had to be at fullstrength.
A sudden wave of power, though tamped down, briefly surrounded the island. The archangel hadarrived.
Dagan dematerialized and took form near the imposing stone castle covered in ivy. A streak of gray rushed through the open rec room doors, only to skid to a halt on the terrace. Its fat belly dragging on the granite tiles, Echo’s pet crouched, the warning to stay the hell away from him clear in those unblinking ambereyes.
What?Dagan remained where he was, two stairs down, and stared coolly at the feline with the ginger ruff.Think I won’t biteyou?
With a plaintive meow, Bob slunk sideways from him and sprinted to the other side of the terrace, disappearing into the bushes to watch Dagan from behind a potted shrub. Since scared cats weren’t on his menu, Dagan jogged up the steps and into the rec room, retrieved his black cigar case from the wet bar, and made his way to the Arc’s study. The French doors were flung wide, and the cool breeze, a mixture of the briny Atlantic Ocean and flowers, drenched the smallroom.
The leader of the Guardians wasn’t at his desk but outside on the small patio, his inky hair pulled back in a haphazard half-ponytail. Michael sat on the edge of the wooden table, stroking a euphoricBob.
He looked up, his shattered irises appearing as if prisms of light were glowing from them. “Everything okay withyou?”
No, just fucked in every way.“Yeah.Fine.”
The Arc’s eyebrow lifted, but he didn’t ask questions. After all, Michael had seen him at his worst, a monster held in the throes of bloodlust. He hadn’t judged, instead found a way for Dagan to survive without killing again. So, yeah, he owed him bigtime.
Footsteps echoed. The others appeared momentslater.
Aethan leaned against the doorjamb while Blaéz claimed one of the wrought-iron chairs. Týr, the other. Dagan didn’t even glance athim. The enmity between them was too old, and something that could never be put to rights or healed, not with the spilled blood of innocents betweenthem.
“Any repercussions since taking out the skin club?” Michael asked, folding his arms. And Bob let out a disgruntledmeow.
Dagan recalled that particular incident from a year ago at Club Illudo—or the Sin Club as it was called. An immortal had been killing human females through autoerotic asphyxiation. Dagan had finally caught the bastard in action before Aethan turned everything to dust inside the club—demons included—with his formidable power of whitefire. The Fallen had been badly burned and close to death, and still he’d threatened Dagan with retribution. He was probably well acquainted with Purgatory bynow.
“I checked it out tonight.” Aethan freed his bound hair. “It’s exactly as we left it, just rats and ‘roaches occupying the place now. Can’t believe the shit some of these immortals resort to for ultimate gratification, killing theinnocent.”
Dagan’s stomach heaved. He’s been responsible for far, farworse.
Retrieving a cigar from his black case, he lit it and inhaled deeply. Even the sedative smoke couldn’t dull his remorse. He understood if he fed on a human again, he would revert back to that repugnant creature he’d once been, steeped in endless bloodlust. And, this time, he’d suffer theconsequences.
He leaned a shoulder against a wooden trellis covered with thick, creeping vine. “The psychic killer’s back,” he said, changing the subject. “Two more bodies tonight, the third a demon, but he’d already been pulled back to the Dark Realm when I got there. A homeless man got caught in the middle of the fracas, suffered a stab wound. Said something about Satan killingpeople.”
“Yeah, I came across him after I got rid of the bodies—called me the devil,” Aethan added with a wry smile. “Probably caught a flicker of mypower.”
“Nah, it’s the hair.” Týr smirked, reaching out to stroke an abandoned Bob. The feline rose and dove onto his lap, settling there with a happypurr.
Snorting, Aethan continued. “The vagrant was still mumbling about Satan using his weapon for revenge, then about someone stealing his worldly goods. The guy reeked like a defunct distillery. He was probably hallucinating from the blood loss. I healed him and sent himoff.”
Michael’s brow furrowed. “So, two humans and a demondead?”
“No.” Dagan blew out a spiral of smoke. “One of the dead was aFallen.”
“That’s a first. Why would the killer target Fallens now?” Blaézasked.
Dagan shrugged. Hell, he had no idea what the fucker was up to. “There is something else…” He frowned. The girl’s scent reminded him a lot of the psychic killer’s, but gut instinct said no. And as much as he didn’t want to talk abouther, he had a job to do. “While tracking the killer last night, I came across a female. Human. She smelled almost identical to the one at the deathsite—”
“Rage?” Aethan cut in, his gunmetal grays narrowing. “Think she could bepsionic?”
Dagan understood why he asked; his mate was the first of the Watcher’s descendants to rise. Mortals born with vast powers from long-dead angels, something no human should everpossess.
He shook his head. “Not sure about that, though I did pick up a faint psychic impression fromher.”
Why else would he react the way hehad?
