It was a possibility, but there was little else we could do. Without a trail to follow, we had no way of knowing where the cult had truly gone. It was this or nothing. And no way in hell would I give up. Not when there was even the smallest chance we could stop them from killing anyone else.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
The four of us found an alley between two looming brick buildings. After we landed, we spread out into the streets to hunt for any sign of the cult members. We’d seen a few of them that fateful day Charlie had lured us into the basement beneath their warehouse. I remembered several faces, and I’d never forget Andrea’s wicked eyes. If all we managed was stopping her, I’d consider this mission a success.
My gut churned as I pressed through the crowd, scanning every face I passed. The seven of us—if I included Morax—had spent centuries protecting mankind. We’d faced a lot of shit, including Lucifer—before he’d regained his soul. But something in my gut told me this could get bad really, really fast.
Especially if the cult truly worshipped Lilith. She was the very essence of chaos, destruction, and rage.
I shuddered just thinking of her. It had been a very long time since anyone had ever needed to concern themselves with Lilith of The Great Pit. Lucifer had made certain of that. She was trapped in Hell. Rightfully so.
But what if these demons had found some way to release her?
The world would be torn to tatters. Ruled by demons. Engulfed in eternal flames.
I shoved those thoughts aside and spent the next hour searching the streets, coming up empty. If the Cult of Lilith had ever been in Times Square, they were gone now. When I met the rest of the Legion back in the alley, I learned they’d found the same. No sign of newborn demons anywhere in Midtown.
Bael shoved his hands into his hair and spoke in that insistent British accent of his. He hadn’t lived across the pond in over a century, and yet he still clung to his accent as if it were part of his very soul. “So, what the fuck do we do now?”
Valac landed beside us and folded his wings into his back. “The trail is still cold. Can’t get a whiff of them anywhere nearby. It’s like they’ve become smoke.”
“Less than smoke,” I muttered. “More like mist. At least with smoke, there’s a scent to it.”
“We’ll get them next time,” Stolas said with a firm nod, though I could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t believe his words. The members of this cult had escaped us time and time again. With unknown witchcraft on their side, there was no telling what they would do next. We needed answers. We needed to understand everything they could do. Until we did, they would keep outrunning us like this.
A heavy sigh rumbled from my chest. “Come on. Let’s head back to my loft and check on Eva.”
Bael shot me a sharp glance. “You don’t think they’ve gone there, do you?”
“No, I don’t. Something in my gut tells me she’s fine. But you know how Phenex is. He might be driving her up the wall.”
“Unless he’s just sitting there punching the wall.” Stolas cracked a grin. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”
The four of us chuckled, but we all sounded tense. We’d failed at tracking down the cult, which meant the murderous newborn demons were still out there. And they wouldn’t cease their violence until we put a stop to it ourselves.
* * *
As soon as I opened the door, I could tell something was wrong. It was a scent on the air, thick and cloying and tangy like blood. I rushed into the loft, fear clenching my heart like an iron fist. I’d been wrong. The cult had set their sights on Eva and—
Eva slowly stood from my sofa with a pale face that matched the clouds in the sky. Her friends sat on either side of her, their expressions pinched tight. Phenex stood against the wall beside the bay of windows, arms crossed, jaw flickering.
“Hi,” she whispered, and then swallowed hard.
“What’s going on?” I whipped my gaze from face to face, trying to understand why it looked as though I’d just walked into a funeral. “Did the newborn demons attack you? Is everyone alright?”
Everyone looked okay. No blood. No broken limbs. Just...fear.
Eva shot a nervous glance toward Phenex, and my stomach flipped. She almost looked as though she was afraid to tell me...
“Come on in and shut the door.” Phenex nodded as the rest of the Legion filed into the apartment. Tense, I just stared at his wooden face. The click of the door echoed through the silent loft.
“Tell me what’s going on,” I said through clenched teeth.
“Eva,” Phenex said. “Go on. It’s alright.”
She swallowed hard again, her neck bobbing.
I shook my head, crossing the room toward her, but she took a few hasty steps back.Away from me. A sharp pain jolted my heart. “You’re scaring me, Eva. What’s happened?” I whipped my gaze toward Phenex. The only other time someone had looked at me like that... “You told her about what we did in Hell.”
