Page 122 of Enchanted

And fast.

I stayed silent as Micah filled the Gaunt brothers in. The whole time, I searched for Ethan using the mark.

But there was nothing.

“Wherever he is, it’s heavily warded,” I said, cutting through the discussion abruptly. “I’m not getting a read on him at all.”

“Okay, well that actually makes it easier,” Micah said as Benji walked in, a map under his arm. He unrolled it over the centre of the table, revealing the city. “Assuming he’s still in London?”

That question was directed at the brothers. Elias nodded. “Yes. He doesn’t like to take his victims far. Especially in this situation, when he knows he’s going to be hunted.”

“That’s what I don’t understand,” Quill said, sounding as frustrated as I was feeling. The fact that he was even here was testament to the impact my mate had had on him. Ethan had been living in his house for only a couple of weeks, but it had been enough to persuade Quill to step outside his comfort zone. From how his hands were shaking, it was taking a toll on him. “Why would he take Ethan, knowing he’ll be bringing down the wrath of the Seraphim?”

Not just the Seraphim, but the demons in the room too. Their very natures demanded vengeance. Like the rest of us, they wouldn’t rest until Damien had been executed.

“Because he doesn’t like to fail,” Erik said heavily. “We can assume the wards around Ethan’s house were in place prior to Rami meeting him, which means he’d already chosen him as his next victim. Discovering he’s the fated mate to a Seraphim will just have added an extra challenge. It’s made the whole thing more…exciting.”

“He sounds like a real cunt,” Nate said darkly.

“He is.” Elias gave him a grim smile. “Trust me, we know that better than anyone.”

“Then why haven’t you killed him already?” That question came from Theo, who was glaring at Elias like he was deciding how best to murder him.

“You’re underestimating how strong he is,” Elias replied. “It’s going to take all of us.”

“No,” I said softly, my power crackling around me. I’d never been more grateful to be an arch before, my stores replenishing fast despite the earlier drain on my powers. “It’ll just take me.”

Of that, I was certain. Damien Gaunt was going to pay the ultimate price. That had been set in stone the instant he’d first set his sights on my mate.

I was going to be the one to collect it.

“Be that as it may, we’ll all be fighting alongside you,” Micah said firmly, looking up from the map. While we’d been talking, he and Benji had been drawing grid lines across it. “Okay, we’ve divided the city into fourteen. Each of us will take a section. You’re searching for blank spots.”

“Fourteen?” Ezra said, his eyes skating over the angels and demons assembled. “There’s eighteen of us.”

“You can’t fly,” Benji said. “Carrying you will only slow us down.”

“Then what are we meant to do?”

“We need you to stay here,” Micah held up his hand to silence them. “As a favour to us. Ezekiel has a human mate. He’s in our panic room right now, but we can’t leave him here undefended.”

From the thunder on Ez’s face, he wasn’t thrilled about the vampires being the ones to protect him. But I knew he wasn’t protesting as he wanted to help find Ethan.

For me.

I reached over and squeezed his shoulder in thanks. He gave me a clipped nod before speaking to Ezra. “If any of you so much as insult Sam, you’ll pay with your immortality.”

Emerson rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “We’re vampires, Ezekiel, not monsters. We’ll both respect and protect your mate.”

Some of the tension left Ez, but not all of it. That wouldn’t happen until he was back here with Sam in his arms.

Just as it wouldn’t for me until Ethan was back in mine.

If we get him back.

We would. We had to. And if we didn’t?

Then my soul would depart this plane the same moment his did.