Nodding, Dare turned to Scotty and the others. “Sheoul-gra’s construction requires the use of dimensional crystals—” He broke off when they gave him blank stares. “They’re rare elements leftover from the creation of the universe. When Azagoth destroyed Sheoul-gra, the crystals were scattered. It’s why it’s taking so long to rebuild. Not all the crystals have been located, and it’s not like they’re easy to replace. But,” he said, “it seems that the Nosferatu are in possession of at least one.”
“And what do these things do in the wrong hands?” Scotty asked.
“They can open rifts to other dimensions. Parallel and alternate realities. In the wrong hands, the damage could be catastrophic. Our one consolation is that the Nosferatu are unlikely to know what the crystals are or how to use them.”
Grinning, Mace cracked his knuckles in anticipation. “Sounds like another opportunity to save the world.”
“Or end it,” Tayla warned. “So don’t fuck this up.”
“We never do,” Mace said.
Yikes.
While Scotty wanted to agree, she casually reached under the table and knocked on wood.
Chapter 19
“Motherfuckingbastardassholes!” Mace bellowed, then added a few more choice expletives as the molten sting of a vampire’s machete sliced through his jacket and nicked his shoulder. He fell back against a stone wall just as Blade swooped in like a damned superhero and lopped off the vamp’s head in one powerful swing.
Blade landed in a crouch, and as he straightened, he gave Mace a scathing look. “Dumbass.” He wiped his blade clean on the dead vamp’s coat. “We told you not to enter a room without us.”
Just a couple of days ago, Mace would have taken Blade’s insult as friendly banter and would have responded in kind. But shit was different now. Ever since he’d learned what Blade and Scotty had done, Mace had been on edge, his happy-go-lucky personality taking a leave of absence.
“I told you I was going in,” Mace snapped. “You were too busy joking it up with Scotty to hear me.”
Blade wheeled around, his expression stormy. “You were being reckless, as usual—”
Scotty and Dare charged into the room. “Any sign of the hostages?” Scotty asked and then frowned at Mace’s bleeding shoulder. “You okay?”
I’m horribly injured, so maybe you should have sex with me to make it better.
The bitter thought shamed him. A little. And it reminded him that he’d need to inject himself in an hour or so. “I’m fine.”
“Where are we?” Dare poked his head around a darkenedcorner on the main level of Leap Castle. He’d entered from beneath the building, through a tunnel dug into the restored oubliette.
“We’re in the old keeper’s living quarters.” Mace glanced down at his comms unit. He’d been checking the thing for nearby signs of life, but so far, he hadn’t seen anything. This time, though, several little red dots appeared on the screen. “I got something. Ahead. Looks like they’re coming from inside one of the tunnels.” He gestured to his team. “I’ll take the lead.”
Blade stepped in front of him. “Better if I go first.”
“I called it first,” Mace snapped. Why was Blade being such a dick? Showing off for Scotty?
“I can cloak myself in shadows,” Blade shot back. “In the tunnels, I have the element of surprise.”
Okay, sure, that made sense. But Mace didn’t feel like admitting it. “And if we run into trouble, the fact that I can pass as a vamp might help.”
It was a lame argument, given that his only vampire trait was being able to convert blood into energy. He didn’t need it to survive. Plus, vampires would sense his very-alive body.
“Whatever.” Scotty shoved past them and started down the tunnel. “I’ll go. The rest of you, take my six.”
Blade shot Mace an accusatory glance, as ifhewas responsible for forcing Scotty into the lead. Not that Scotty couldn’t handle any situation. She was as strong—if not stronger—than either of them and had the whole immortality thing going for her. But something kept both Blade and Mace putting themselves in harm’s way instead of putting her there. And it was more than just chivalry.
It was Scotty’s father.
If anything happens to my daughter because you guys fucked up, I’ll make you wish your fathers had been eaten at birth.
Blade said Ares was exaggerating, but Mace took the Horseman’s words to heart. Dude was scary as fuck.
Nothing was going to happen to his little girl on Mace’s watch.
