The smell of burning carcasses choked Cade and made his heart race in his chest. Raquel held him in her arms while Brianne held his brother, Cael, as they flew back to the compound. Given their abrupt departure and urgent race to Brushy Keep, they had no other way to return.

“Be ready. My gut tells me we are heading for trouble,” Cade said into his brother’s mind.

Ever since they asked Brianne to mate them, Cade’s world settled. There was no one he would rather spend his life with than those two. To share Brianne with his twin was a blessing rather than the curse he initially thought.

“You’re right, brother. No doubt that bitch is back at it. Better to hit us while we’re trying to put shit back together,” Cael replied. Cade didn’t miss the grim look that crossed his brother’s face or the direction his gaze traveled.

“We’ll keep her safe. We just found her, and can’t lose her,” Cade answered back. “Is that Nate?” he quickly asked a second later when a loud roar filled the air.

“Yes,” Cael growled then tilted his head back and yelled, “Something is happening at Zeum. Approach with caution. We might need to land at the lake.”

Brianne’s wings stilled momentarily, and they plummeted several feet before they resumed their flight. “¿Estás loco? I’ve had enough of demons for one damn night,” their mate shouted back.

“What did he say,” Raquel asked, her eyes alternating between the sky, her sister, and his brother.

“We believe there’s another battle at Zeum,” Cade called back. Brianne went tense above him before she blurted a string of curses.

It was a typical cold, cloudy night and Cade strained to see in the distance. The moon appeared in bursts and provided light, but they were still too far away for him to make out any details. Cade hoped the only reason he heard Nate was because of his supernatural senses.

It would be a colossal mess if news spread about a wild creature roaming Seattle streets. Nate was new to Earth and wasn’t accustomed to cloaking his presence during battle. Dragons were free to walk, fight, fly, and even fuck in their natural form on Khoth. It was handy to have a dragon on their side, but they didn’t want him exposing their existence to humans.

“Of course there is. Seems fights follow you guys wherever you go,” Raquel quipped.

“You’ve got a point,” Cade chuckled then sobered. “Don’t worry. We will always keep Brianne safe. She’s our entire world now.”

“I know you will. I must admit I was pissed when I heard you were Brianne’s mates. It’s been her and I for so long, and I didn’t want that to change. I loathed you two at first,” Raquel muttered.

The wind whipped around them, making it hard to decipher what Raquel was saying, but her words didn’t surprise Cade. He had the same feelings toward Cael, not wanting the male to take what belonged to him. In fact, loathe was too kind a term. Cade was ready to take his brother’s life at one point. He shook his head, relieved they moved past their ridiculous competition. Brianne belonged to them both, and he and Cael wanted to see her happy above all else.

Cade didn’t have time to respond to Raquel as the compound suddenly came into view. He could see Nate in the air, along with Illianna’s three brothers, and Crocell. The angels’ massive red wings looked like fire in the sky, and their swords of Light reminded Cade of lightning bolts. Illianna’s brothers were the deadliest creatures he’d ever seen. He always thought demons held that title until he met Ayil, Araton, and Abraxos.

“Head to the lake,” he instructed Raquel. She banked right, and his dangling legs nearly hit an antenna of a high-rise office building.

Raquel and Brianne lowered their heads and beat their wings with fierce determination. Minutes later, they were landing on the beach near their property. Gnomes scrambled across the lawn, along with, several of Hayden’s shifters. Just over the top of the house, Cade saw Nate hovering near an opening in their shield.

“Is your barrier visible because of the damage?” Brianne asked as she Cael ran to his side.

“Yes. Follow us into the house then head straight to the basement. The door to the secret tunnels is located at the foot of the stairs and to the left. Along the bottom of the wall, you will see a chipped stone. Push it, and a door will pop open,” Cade instructed.

A ball of fire blasted over the roof and sailed over their heads. Cade grabbed Brianne’s arm and forced her to crouch. That was too close, Cade thought, as his urgency to get his mate to safety had him up and running in the next breath.

“C’mon. Pick up the pace,” Cael urged as he stood and scanned the area.

A yell from behind made Cade’s head swivel, and he caught sight of Nate tossing a fireball. A Sheti demon emerged from the lake and was headed straight for them. The dragon’s fire hit its target, and the lizard demon burst into flames.

“How’s that thing still moving?” Raquel asked through panting breaths.

“Because it’s an amphibian demon with thick skin. It won’t last much longer,” Cade explained. As he spoke, the demon faltered and fell to its knees.

Rushing through the patio doors, the four of them hurried through the kitchen and down a long hallway. “Here,” Cael instructed as he pointed to a door at the end of the corridor. “You’ll be safe down there.”

A loud trumpeting rattled the windows in the house. “Come with us,” Brianne pleaded.

“We can’t. We’re needed out there,” Cade replied and kissed her hard and fast. When he released her, Cael was latching onto her and kissing her senseless.

“Be careful. We have a mating to plan, and I’ll be pissed if I lose you,” Brianne insisted.

“We will,” Cade and his brother said at the same time. They watched the females disappear down the stairway then headed to the front door.

Tristan was inside the house, peering out to the action on the front lawn. He was bouncing on his heels, clearly agitated. From this angle, Cade noticed the gates leading to Zeum were destroyed, and laying on the ground. Black patches dotted the pristine lawn. The gnomes were going to be furious, he deducted. Angus used to heal the grounds after battles, but Nate’s powers still weren’t under control. After turning the lawn bright blue, the gnomes insisted they take care of it.

A flash of fire followed by ash obscured Cade’s view for a second. “What’s the status?” he asked the newest male recruit.

It was more difficult for Cade to accept that Tristan slept with his mate than it ever was that his brother did. He wanted to obliterate the male for spending weeks with Brianne and forced himself to take several breaths, calming his possessive urges. Cade would have to control his temper around the male. Tristan had no idea Brianne was their Fated Mate. He was merely a horny stripling going through his transition.

“Crocell brought a dozen Behemoth demons, and they teleported right into our fucking shield. Zander is convinced Crocell tricked the demons by giving them the wrong coordinates. That’s why their bodies are sheared in half. She’s one cold-hearted bitch,” Tristan declared.

“Are the females and stripling safe?” Cael asked.

“Yeah, all but Mack and Breslin. You know they insisted on getting in on the action,” Tristan stated. “Now that you’re here, you can keep watch, and I’ll join the others. I’m tired of guard duty. I’m ready to slay some fucking demon.”

“Not a chance, Fabio,” Cade growled and rushed toward the door.

“Hey, don’t hate me because I’m beautiful,” the male shouted to his back.

Cade stepped outside and felt like he entered an apocalypse. The ground was covered in grey ash and decomposing demon bodies. Demons didn’t turn to ash like skirm, but they decomposed faster than humans and left behind an awful stench.

Every available Dark Warrior was engaged and fighting to protect the females and children. For Crocell to go to such lengths, she was without a doubt desperate to reach the stripling. Cade knew what it was like to be close to a sibling, but he would never comprehend her insanity.

Cael shouted, and Cade turned in his direction and spotted a Sheti demon barreling his way. The clawed hand was in motion and slashed out seconds later. Searing pain erupted as the demon’s poison entered his system.

Unable to see, Cade closed his eyes and snatched his sword from his back while kicking out at the demon. His foot hit something solid. He blinked several times, and his vision cleared, but the pain remained. Fucking demons, Cade thought.

Picking up a sgian dubh from the ground, Cade tossed it at the Sheti’s head. He heard Mack shout her killboard number while Kyran sifted from skirm to skirm, ashing them with a blade to the chest. An injured Behemoth demon jumped through the hole in the shield and landed on Nate’s back. The beast was standing on the barrier while tossing weapons to the ground. Nate bellowed as claws raked furrows through the demon’s flesh.

Dragon scales were impervious to most weapons. Demon claws were one exception. It was the acidic blood and secretions that cut through the sturdy material. One of his wings faltered, and Nate flipped to his back. As the massive beast started falling through the air, Crocell shouted and pumped her fist in victory.

In the next instant, Zander came running by and jumped, launching his body off Nate as the dragon fell. Zander soared through the air, his arms extended with a blade clutched in each hand. Nate hit the ground with a loud boom, causing the earth to tremble like a cataclysmic earthquake. Zander landed on Crocell, and her startled yelp echoed as one of his blades drove deep into her chest.

The world seemed to slow to a snail’s pace as Cade watched Zander. He arced his other arm, and Cade knew the king aimed to behead Crocell. His heart galloped in his chest with anticipation. This was the moment they’d waited for all these months. To rid the world of the vile archdemon, once and for all. And then, in the next blink, Crocell disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

Distracted, Cade was knocked off balance. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around a neck before his head turned and assessed the danger. He heard a grunt and looked down to see Gerrick snarling at a rage demon that was headed their way.

“Sorry, bro,” Cade muttered and released his fellow warrior. Gerrick was the most efficient and ruthless warrior when it came to killing their enemies.

“No problemo,” Gerrick replied before charging the creature.

Cade returned to the fight, eager to get back to his mate’s side. Now that Crocell vanished again, they’d wrap things up quickly and defeat the remaining demons.

Cael wiped the black blood from his forehead and limped back into the house next to his brother. His only solace was the fact that no demons managed to get past the warriors, and inside Zeum.

“What the fuck are we going to do now? We can’t stay here. She knows our location,” Kyran demanded.

Zander pulled out his phone and tapped out a message before turning to his brother. “We’re going to hunt her down and stop her. She’s fucked with the wrong family one time too many.”

“Great plan, but what if our daughter gets killed in the meantime?” Elsie asked coming around the corner.

They were all gathered in the war room, and it was full to bursting. Nate remained in dragon form so his critical injuries could heal. A dozen gnomes used their power to lift his body and carry him into the spacious ballroom.

“I willna allow that to happen. I promise, a ghra,” Zander vowed.

Cael wrapped his arms around Brianne’s waist when she entered the room, and Cade joined them, placing a kiss on her lips. They stood off to the side of the area, and Cael noticed Mack staring at them from the other side. When he saw her mouth open, Cael shook his head and drew his finger across his throat. Now was not the time to discuss their mating ceremony, let alone the developments in their relationship.

“You can’t make that promise, Zander. Isobel’s been hunted from the moment I conceived her, and I’m exhausted. I’ve been fighting for too damn long. I just want my daughter to have a normal childhood,” Elsie sputtered as she clutched her neck. The queen’s shoulders sagged and purple rings darkened beneath her blue eyes.

“How normal is her childhood going to be? Her best friend is a cambion, her playmates include kippies from another realm and magic-wielding gnomes. You want to take all that away from her?” Cailyn countered. “You want her safe, and I get that. I do, too, but you can’t protect her from everything. She’s the daughter of the Vampire King and Queen.”

Elsie let out a heavy sigh. “I know, you’re right. But, we must keep her safe, and the only way I see to do that is if she isn’t on Earth,” Elsie explained.

“What are you suggesting?” Zander growled.

“I’m saying that we need to take her to Khoth. When we were there for Angus’s mating, we didn’t detect one demon. Not even a malicious presence was felt. She won’t be hunted while she’s there,” Elsie replied. The room fell silent at hearing her words, and every mouth fell agape.

“I canna leave the realm, a ghra. I am the fucking Vampire King!” Zander shouted. “My people need me. I have a responsibility to them and the Goddess.”

“We have to try, Zander. I refuse to allow my daughter to suffer and hide in the basement while her father continuously risks his life to protect her,” Elsie begged.

“You can’t live there full-time,” Hayden interjected. “Vampires without a leader will wreak havoc.”

There were times Cael hated the shifter Omega. The big bastard held the essence of all animals and wore a perpetual snarl. When Crocell and her sister showed up on the scene and started targeting human populations, Hayden wanted to out the existence of supernaturals. That was a disaster in the making, and it pissed Cael off. That Hayden made sense right now only served to stoke that anger even more.

“Doona tell me how to rule my people, Hayden. I know what they need,” Zander retorted.

Elsie came up to her mate and wrapped her fingers around his forearm, drawing his attention. “We don’t need to discuss this right now. What’s more important is whether, or not, we move out of the compound. It would break my heart to lose our home.”

Zander leaned his forehead against Elsie’s for a moment before turning back to the room, focusing on the Rowan sisters. “Is there any way to reinforce the barrier again and ensure they canna do this again?”

Pema sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. The blonde High Priestess was one-third of the prophesized Rowan triplets. “We can restore the barrier, but not until nightfall. We need to replenish our energy. But, I believe you will be safe after we do that. You shouldn’t be forced from your home. After yesterday’s attack, we anticipated Crocell’s next move, and the three of us cast a memory spell and interlaced it with the barrier.”

“Och, you brilliant witches!” Zander exclaimed. “Will it erase her knowledge of our location?”

“Yes, it will. That’s why we could help more after she attacked. It took a lot of energy to cast such a wide net, but rest assured, every memory of the encounter was erased as soon as she left the premises. Crocell could be standing two feet from the drive and not know where you were,” Pema explained.

“Gods, that’s a major relief,” Tori, Santiago’s mate, blurted then blushed when all eyes turned her way.

Cael watched her shift sideways and hide her mangled right arm. His eyes immediately went to her wing. She nearly lost them both when she was injured in a fight. Because of her sacrifice, the Goddess offered to mend one of them. Cael would’ve picked his arm over his wing. Not having a functioning arm limited movement, and for Cael that would mean he couldn’t’ be a Dark Warrior. Just the thought made his gut lurch.

“Does it affect all demons or just the ones that came through the shield?” Zander asked, taking the attention off the Valkyrie.

“Only the ones that contacted with the barrier. It will confuse the others enough that they won’t have an exact location. We need to anchor the spell to something, and the ground won’t work,” Pema shared.

“Good to know. Thank you for your foresight and assistance,” Zander shared and then turned to Cade, Cael, Brianne, and her sister who stood awkwardly off to the side. The king looked them over and lifted an eyebrow. “Please tell me you have good news, other than the status of your relationship.”

Cael shifted from foot to foot now that all eyes were on them. Cade cleared his throat, and Brianne turned bright red. Tugging her closer and tucking her into his side, Cael addressed the king. “We have great news. I’m surprised Ayil didn’t tell you sooner.”

“I’ve been a bit busy,” Ayil muttered dryly. “My blade needed sharpening, and I had several demon volunteers. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” he muttered in his best gangster voice.

“I love that movie,” Raquel interjected then smiled sheepishly at Ayil.

“My guess is it can cut through marble now,” Cael acknowledged. “Anyway, we forced the demon from Aurora’s body. The harpies didn’t understand their leader was possessed and sided with the Crow Tengu at first. The demon was able to use Aurora’s body to open a portal and allow demons to come through.”

“How the fuck was she able to do that? Lower demons canna open portals, can they? That’s one reason Lucifer uses his archdemons,” Zander demanded.

“It’s their powerful blood,” Pema interjected. “On its own, a lesser demon can’t open the portal, but when they possess a harpy they can because harpies are half-breeds. I imagine it would be the same with cambions.”

“Is there anything we can do to protect our people from further possession?” Brianne asked.

“I have no idea,” Pema replied and looked to Jace.

Jace narrowed his eyes, and a second later a massive tome appeared in his hands. Cael recalled the last time they summoned the book. It was to research how to break his mating to Brianne. Thank the Goddess they hadn’t followed that line of thinking. He and his brother would have a life of misery if that happened.

“I vaguely recall my father talking about a protection spell. I’ll see what I can find, and let you know,” Jace said as he paged through the book.

“Does this mean we have a mating ceremony to plan?” Elsie asked, a smile coming to her heart-shaped face.

“Absolutely,” Cade replied immediately and tightened his arm around Brianne. Cael allowed his joy to show on his face and nodded his agreement.

“You really are magically delicious,” Mack said and laughed.

The females began chatting about dresses, and shoes and Cael smiled, allowing himself this moment of happiness before the demons came crashing back in and destroyed everything.