Chapter 25

The familiar strains of static filled the room before the tape clicked off, leaving me and my companions in uneasy silence. My office wasn't unnecessarily large or garish. But with the three of us contained within the walls, it felt small. Perhaps it was the weight of everything we'd learned bearing down on us. We were nearing the end of this little mission, and we were still missing crucial pieces of the puzzle.

"Do you think she knows?" I asked, my question not aimed at anyone in particular.

"Knows what?" Gabriel asked. The angel was perched on the corner of my desk, his legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles.

"Are you thick? Did God drop you on the head when you were created?" my Drystan spluttered. "Does she know he's Hades? We can only assume these last few happened prior to the previous box of tapes based on the way she was talking about her subjects. So, by now, has she figured it out? Clearly Hades knows who he is. Shifty bastard."

"Thank you, Crombie. I wasn't speaking to you," Gabriel sneered, but I ignored him.

"If we're going off the information we've gotten from these recordings, I think she suspects, but doesn't truly know who he is." I stood and began pacing the floor, my spiked heels clicking with every step. "We need to get to the bottom of what Death is doing at Blackwood. She's pulling the strings, that much is obvious, but how?"

"She's much more subdued than the other two were. Almost invisible," Gabriel muttered.

"Of course she is. Death comes quietly to every mortal creature, no matter what. She doesn't have to herald her arrival like her sisters. War is loud and brash, bloody and terrible. Pestilence... well, doesn't that stand on its own? She starts with a sneeze and ends with a rapid deterioration and ugly demise." Drystan followed behind me, only stopping when I did, and he caught up to me. "She's hiding at Blackwood, unassuming and probably right under all our noses."

"But to what end?" I muttered in exasperation. At the looks on the men's faces, I rolled my eyes and clarified. "Yes, the apocalypse, obviously. But how? What is her goal here? Why Blackwood? Why Dahlia? What are we missing?"

Gabriel sighed and rolled his eyes. "We know exactly why Dahlia. She's Death's child. Created for this very reason."

"Fine. But what about my other questions?"

"Blackwood is the perfect place to build an army where no one can see. As much as the wards keep them contained, they also keep most of us out. Those who might be able to make a difference, anyway. I have to give it to her. She really did come up with a brilliant plan," Gabriel mused.

I blew out a frustrated breath. He wasn't saying anything we hadn't already known for months. Ever since he overheard her little meeting with the other horsewomen. We'd planned our defense to the best of our ability, sending sweet Merri in as our very own Trojan horse to act as our eyes and ears on the ground. Her cover story was perfect, based in truth as it was. And after her little episode in the rec room—that orgy was no accident; it was a well-executed plan—no one paid her much attention at all, giving her the wide berth required for her to sneak around and pilfer these session recordings. And the gala had provided the perfect opportunity for her to hand them over. It gave Drystan and me a reason to be on the grounds, and when we snuck off, no one had been the wiser. All in all, Merri had played her part perfectly. She was an exceptional spy, though I expected nothing less. Our kind were uniquely equipped to ferret out secrets.

"So far these tapes have given us insight into how Masterson conducts her sessions and how each of Dahlia's and her mates' power has grown, but we're no closer to finding out who Death is masquerading as. My money is on Bruno. No man is that handsome and nice unless he's trying to get something," Drystan grumbled.

"Why has no one mentioned the best friend? Kiki is Dahlia's only connection to the outside world. She is the reason Dahlia ended up at Blackwood, and she's been instrumental in putting Dahlia and her mates together." Gabriel stood and stretched before turning his gaze on me. "They won't leave her, Lilith. I tried. I spoke to Hades and Caspian both, and neither one would heed my warning."

"Did you really expect them to? Who would willingly give up the answer to their every prayer?" Drystan scoffed.

I couldn't help but agree with my fae prince. Though Gabriel hadn't been willing to listen to reason. He was one of those who had to learn for himself the hard way.

"Is it really that serious, Gabriel? Do you think she's going to win? You never allow yourself to intervene like this. You always wait until the final battle." A chill ran down my spine as I thought of the strict rules he'd adhered to all these years.

"In those instances, we knew they'd ultimately fight on our side. This time we don't know much of anything, save that every player is a wild card. They could just as easily fight for her as for us. She stacked the deck in her favor, and we are woefully unprepared for what's to come. I don't think we've ever been this outmatched."

"This is... Bloody hell, angel, are you telling me she might very well win?"

"It's always a possibility, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, but..." I started, the defeat in his words bringing me up short.

"This isn't going to be a battle like the others, Lilith. There might be an army, but it likely won't be ours."

"I never thought I'd be the one telling you not to lose hope, Gabriel. The Belladonna coven is already at work on the wards. As soon as they fall, you'll be able to hand off your sword and?—"

"Hand it off to whom?" he asked bleakly, his shoulders slumped.

"Ye of little faith," Drystan muttered. "You can't seriously be giving up now. Yes, we're way behind the ball on this round, and yes, we may all die because of it, but you're the fucking Messenger of God. Aren't you fueled by faith and optimism? If we find out who Death is wearing and are able to infiltrate Blackwood, we could still stop this and save our skins. I personally would prefer that option since it keeps me with my Lilypad."

I offered my pet a warm smile. He really had grown by leaps and bounds since he'd shown up bloody and broken on my doorstep. Submission had done him a world of good.

Gabriel dragged a hand through his golden locks and returned to my desk, slender fingers picking up the final tape we had in our possession. "Perhaps you should consider bringing your little emissary back home," he suggested, worry creasing his brow.

I wanted to. In fact, I'd nearly brought her home with me from the gala, but the truth was, we didn't have what we needed, and if we failed, there wouldn't be anywhere for her to return to. "Not until we're certain we have everything. Merri is there for a purpose. She's all we have inside. If we take her out too soon, we will lose any advantage we may have."

A sadness filled Gabriel's eyes, but he nodded. "Very well." Holding up the tape, he cocked one brow and looked to the player. "Shall we?"

"Let's hope this one reveals something we can act on," I said as Gabriel inserted it into the device.

"Only one way to find out," Drystan added, settling back into his chair. "Well, what are you waiting for, angel? Hit play."