Chapter 29

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

A ngelo

I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake allowing Luigi to guard Serenity. If he failed me again, he wouldn’t leave my interrogation room alive.

Enzo and Dimitri flanked me as we headed to the living room.

Pascal trailed behind, guarding the rear.

“No, I don’t want anything to drink,” Trystan was growling in the living room when we walked in. He and Keir were seated on the couch. Elena held a tray loaded with sweet tea and cookies, her hands trembling slightly as she stood before them. Southern hospitality, even in the face of supernatural tension.

Anger rose in me like a tide of black ice as I entered the room. The wolf king thought he could come into my home and threaten my people? In New Orleans—my city, my territory? I let my predator surface, feeling my fangs descend. The temperature plummeted as darkness gathered around me like a cloak of shadows. “I hope you’re not threatening my staff in my own home, wolf.” My voice carried four centuries of lethal authority. The last person who’d threatened my people in my territory now fed the gators in the bayou.

I let my fangs descend. “I hope you’re not being rude to my staff, wolf.” My voice carried four centuries of lethal authority.

Keir glanced between Trystan and me. “Gentlemen, please. We have far bigger problems than any petty differences between you two.” His expression was grim. “We found Gage and Balthazar at St. Christopher’s Church. They’re performing some kind of ritual that could threaten all three of our families. The power readings are off the charts.” He hesitated. “Petar was there, too.”

The rage that exploded through me turned my vision red. Petar. The traitor who’d helped Balthazar and Gage take Serenity, who’d betrayed loyalty for power. The marble fireplace cracked under the force of my fury. I could still see the marks Gage had left on her, still smell her fear from when she’d been their captive.

“There’s something else,” Keir said. “A dark power. It’s not demonic, but it’s extremely powerful.”

A power that wasn’t demonic?” I thought of Serenity’s blue flames of holy power, and Balthazar’s demonic corruption. If some other force was at play here, something neither angelic nor demonic... “Explain.”

Keir ran a hand through his hair distractedly. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s... ancient. Cold. Like staring into a void. When it pulses, it’s like all the light gets sucked out of the air. Even Balthazar looked to be wary of it.” His eyes met mine. “Whatever they’re doing in that church, that power is at the center of it. And it’s growing stronger.”

“He’s telling the truth, Angelo. I can feel it.” Serenity’s soft voice behind me made every muscle in me stiffen.

I groaned and turned around. Through our connection, I felt only exhaustion from her—none of the visceral reactions her angelic blood had to demonic presence, like the nausea she’d experienced when Balthazar’s blood message had triggered her powers. That meant Keir and Trystan were clean. But I didn’t want them knowing about her ability to detect demon magic—they’d be too tempted to try and steal such a powerful weapon for themselves.

Pascal’s face paled. “I’m sorry, boss. I didn’t see them coming.”

Idiot. I should have known. Gianna had my blood and could be quieter and move quicker than Pascal.

Serenity stood behind us with Gianna supporting her. My sister shouldn’t have brought her here—not when she was this weak, not when we didn’t know who to trust.

Keir’s eyes narrowed, studying Serenity with cold calculation. “What does she mean that she can feel that we’re telling the truth?”

“Nothing,” I growled. “Gianna, take her back upstairs. She’s exhausted.”

“But she can help you, brother.” Gianna’s chin lifted in defiance.

“Take her back up. Now.” My voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.

“But I can help.” Serenity started, meeting my angry gaze.

“You’re not fooling us, Angelo.” Trystan rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his eyes never leaving Serenity. “It’s her Nephilim powers, isn’t it? She can sense deception.” His lips curved. “Or is there even more to it?”

“Angelo,” Serenity rubbed her forehead tiredly. “I felt something. Something outside.”

I focused on our connection, letting her sensations flood through me again. Whatever she’d detected wasn’t demonic—there was none of that oily darkness that had made her sick earlier. This was different. Through her, I felt something ancient stirring, like a distant storm gathering power.

I poured all my power into our connection, forcing my thoughts through our mental bond. Serenity, don’t share anything in front of these two. You’ll only make yourself more vulnerable.

Her response came immediately, exhausted but stubborn. Understood, but you can’t hide me.

I ignored her plea and focused instead on Keir and Trystan. “Did you see anything out of the ordinary outside?”

Keir met my gaze, a predatory gleam in his eyes. “She is powerful, Santi. Being able to sense dark magic or a dark presence is something we can use against Balthazar and Gage and whatever they are conjuring at St. Christopher Church.”

My power surged through my tensed muscles, making the air crackle with barely contained violence. The mere suggestion of using Serenity as a tool made my fangs itch to descend. “She’s not going anywhere near there.” I forced my voice to stay steady. “I’ll ask you again—you didn’t see anything out of the ordinary outside?”

Trystan shook his head. “No, not unless you consider seeing King Nico and the headmaster of Red Rose Academy out of the ordinary. They were walking down the street in a heated discussion.”

“Well, isn’t that interesting?” Dimitri drawled, swirling his bourbon. “Our dynamic duo having a lover’s quarrel. Those two are usually joined at the hip.” His smirk didn’t quite hide the calculating look in his eyes.

I thought about it for a minute. “They might be concerned about what’s going on at St. Christopher’s Church.”

Enzo met my gaze. “They might also suspect it has something to do with the murdered girls.”

Trystan cocked his eyebrow. “According to Ivan’s mate, Shannon, Balthazar admitted he’s been killing the murdered girls. You didn’t tell King Nico?”

I sighed heavily, feeling every year of ruling this territory in my bones. “I didn’t think he or Headmaster Tarus would believe me. They have already convicted me.”

Trystan leaned back on the couch and rubbed his chin. “Interesting.” Behind his casual pose, the wolf king’s eyes glittered with deadly purpose.

Keir, always logical, drummed his fingers on the armrest. “We need to move fast. We don’t want Balthazar, Gage, and Petar to grow stronger. And this thing, whatever it is, might soon become more powerful than us.” It was the first time I heard a slight tinge of fear in his tone.

He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at Serenity, who had remained silent during the exchange. I had enough of the Unseelie king’s obvious focus on her. She sagged against Gianna, her exhaustion a reminder of how vulnerable she was right now. She needed time to heal.

“Gianna.” My voice dropped to a deadly whisper. “I am only going to say this once more. Take her back to my room now.”

Gianna opened her mouth to protest, but Dimitri shook his head almost imperceptibly and she clamped her mouth shut. For once, Serenity didn’t argue with me either. She understood this wasn’t the time or place to challenge me in front of Trystan and Keir.

Gianna escorted Serenity out of the living room. I tilted my head and Enzo moved into position to guard the hallway that led to the stairs up to mine and Serenity’s bedroom. He held the Void Chain in his fist.

Trystan glanced at Enzo then at me, incredulous. “You’re seriously not going to use her? She could be our greatest weapon against our enemies.”

I growled, my fangs descending. “Absolutely not. She was taken from me once. No one is going to take her from me again.”

Trystan rolled his eyes. “You’re hiding our biggest asset. According to Shannon, Balthazar fed on her repeatedly, and each time, Serenity was able to heal her. We need her.”

Anger surged through me, my power threatening to explode. It took every ounce of control I’d mastered in centuries of ruling not to hunt down Balthazar right now and tear him apart for torturing my mate. My hands curled into fists as the truth sank in. That sick bastard had forced Serenity to heal Shannon over and over, knowing her compassion wouldn’t let her refuse. He’d used her own kindness as a weapon against her soul. I refused to let her go through that again, no matter what advantages Trystan thought it might give us.

Dimitri and Enzo looked to me. Their pointed states carried unspoken questions about how much I would reveal.

I stated bluntly, “We need to do this without her.”

My vision tinged red as centuries of carefully controlled power threatened to explode. The temperature in the room plummeted. How dare they try to use my mate like this? Serenity wasn’t some magical detector they could deploy at will. She’d already suffered enough at Balthazar’s hands.