Chapter 70

CHAPTER 70

Cedar Hollow, Pennsylvania

“ T ell me what she wanted with you again,” Joshua said as he slowly took in the dead shifters and humans scattered around the pool before his gaze briefly landed on the trail of blood that led to the brick tunnel and slowly inhaled.

“She wanted us to bless the pool water,” one of the priests said as Joshua absently nodded, taking in the lingering scents permeating the room until he found the one that he was looking for.

“You turned the pool into holy water?” Joshua asked as he shifted his gaze back to the pool and took in the metal cage that had been ripped open at the bottom of the pool.

“That’s what we were asked to do,” another priest answered while Joshua stood there, slowly nodding as his gaze flickered from the small cage at the bottom of the pool, barely big enough for a small child, to the one on the patio with the key still in its lock.

“Tell me something,” Joshua said as he slowly made his way around the pool, taking in the drops of blood letting him know just how badly they’d fuck up. “Did you know that they were on my list?” he asked, glancing at the priests to find them shifting nervously as they shared a look.

“No,” the third priest said after a slight hesitation.

“You didn’t know the children belonged to Magnus?” Joshua asked as his gaze locked on the metal cage at the bottom of the pool.

“We didn’t know that they were the children that Magnus was searching for,” came the lie that doomed their fate.

“And the vampire couple?” Logan asked, glancing up to find the priests eying the nearest exit before their gazes landed on the armed men surrounding him.

“We were told that the couple was on the Sentinel’s list and that we would be rewarded for their deaths.”

“Were you told that they planned on drowning the children?” Joshua asked as he moved past the priests, taking in the scent of their fear as it began to permeate the air.

“They were marked,” came the answer that had Joshua absently nodding as he began making his way around the pool again.

“I see,” Joshua murmured as he came to a stop across from them as his gaze once again locked on the small droplets of blood staining the tile beneath his feet. “Did you know that she was pregnant with a Pyte?” he asked, allowing his eyes to turn red as he looked up and watched the priests’ mouths work soundlessly.

Gesturing lazily towards the priests, Joshua said, “Kill them and burn the house down,” on a bored sigh as he made his way to the door while he tried to decide how he wanted to handle the next name on his list.

“Magnus promised that we were safe. He-”

“He lied.”