My glower intensified. The absolute audacity. She didn’t think I could do worse than the horsewoman? Maybe she didn’t know as much about me as she thought. I gritted my teeth, but that was fine. I could let the insult slide. This time. We had more important matters to attend to.
“Well, come on then,” I said, gesturing for them to come closer with my head. “Take a hand so we can get out of here.”
“You just said we can’t teleport out of here,” Sunday said.
“I saidyoucouldn’t. I never saidIcouldn’t.” I leaned closer and lowered my voice as if imparting a secret. “This is my domain, after all.”
Sunday took my outstretched hand first, her power a tangible thing as soon as our skin made contact. I saw now why they would want her. Why they would want all of them.
“Come along, Pandemic. It’s time for you to meet someone special.”
Pan cut me a confused look. “Who?”
I smirked before reaching out and snatching his tail. “Your daddy.”
Chapter
Twelve
MALICE
The five of us had found our footing with the members of the resistance, settling into an easy, if thin, camaraderie with the leaders of each faction. The vampires had been the hardest to gain trust with, but that was part of their nature. They trusted few and sparingly. You might assume the angels would be the holdouts, given that they’d seen what we could do and had their biases when it came to us. But ultimately they were a mercurial sort, their alliances shifting along with their needs.
“I’ll see your twenty and raise another hundred,” Hades drawled, tossing a few black chips into the center of the table.
Sin groaned and flung his cards down. “You’re cheating. You have to be.”
Hades was impossible to read, the bastard, and I couldn’t tell if Sin was on to something or if the god of the underworld was bluffing. My gut told me he was a dirty liar.
“Call,” I muttered. It wasn’t real money, and I needed to see if my instincts were right.
Grim pressed a kiss to Merri’s shoulder. He’d won the last round and claimed her as his prize before tugging her down onto his lap. Ever since he’d learned he could touch her freely, he’dtaken every opportunity to do so. Not that I could blame him; it was essentially the same for all of us.
Still mostly focused on Merri and her soft giggles, Grim pushed his chips forward while nibbling his way up the side of her neck.
Chaos glared in their direction before folding.
“Afraid of a little challenge?” Hades asked, eyebrow raised at Chaos.
“I’m not going to lose to any of you.”
Sin cleared his throat. “Technically you are losing because you f?—”
His words were cut off by the unexpected arrival of three figures and a rather incredulous voice shouting, “Daddy?”
I shot to my feet, sending cards and chips flying as the table toppled over.
“Christ,” Hades snapped, jumping out of the way and grumbling, “you don’t have to be a sore loser, Mal.”
But my attention was no longer on them; it was locked entirely on the purple demon who was currently glaring daggers at the devil.
Pan.
My son.
My. Son.
I sucked in a harsh breath just as someone else shouted, “Oh, thank fuck, Sunshine!” There was a blur in my periphery as several figures raced toward the newcomers, but my focus was still locked onto Pan.
