“Going back downstairs to see what they’re doing to get Misha back,” I told him, opening the door and stepping into the quiet hallway.

Peanut followed me to the closed office door on the first floor. I knocked and Thierry’s muffled voice answered. Opening the door, I found that everyone was still in his office. The DC Wardens had found shirts, replacing the ones ruined when they’d shifted. Thierry was behind his desk and Matthew leaned against the edge of it, face weary.

Thierry didn’t look surprised to see me as I entered the office. “What is it, Trinity?”

“I want to know how we’re going to get Misha back,” I said, stopping behind where Nicolai and Dez were seated. I didn’t look at Zayne, but I knew he was standing by the window. I kept my gaze trained on Thierry.

He leaned back, the chair creaking under his weight. “We’re sending more scouts out in the morning,” he said.

“What if they’re no longer nearby?” I asked. “When the scouts went out earlier, they saw no sign of Misha or the demon.”

“That’s a good question,” Peanut chimed in.

“That doesn’t mean they haven’t holed up somewhere,” Matthew reasoned. “We will leave no square foot unchecked.”

That...that wasn’t good enough for me.

I wanted people out there right now, looking for him. “You know what Misha means to me,” I said, struggling to keep my voice level. “He’s still alive, but the longer we wait—”

“Why do you think he’s still alive?” Zayne asked from where he stood, drawing my gaze. “I hope he is and that would be great news, Trinity, but demons don’t keep Wardens alive unless...”

“They want to play with their prey first?” I finished for him, feeling my stomach twist. “Or use them to draw out more Wardens? I know what demons do to Wardens.”

“I hope they’re not torturing Misha,” Peanut whispered. “He’s always so freaked out when he knows I’m around, but I like the dude.”

Nicolai twisted around, facing me. “I know this may be hard to hear, but the likelihood of him being alive—”

“He’s not dead,” I said. “I would kn—”

“We’re not giving up on him,” Thierry said, interrupting me. “We are still going to look for him.”

A but hung in the air between us. A but that meant they would look for him, but they wouldn’t endanger other Wardens to do so. But meant that, in the end, Misha was disposable, because if he was killed, the bond would be broken but would be reassigned by my father.

But meant that Misha was as good as dead.

“We’re leaving in the morning to return home,” Nicolai was saying. “We will look for him in DC, as well.”

“So, you’ve got your reinforcements and that’s it?” I snapped, unable to stop myself. “You come here asking for our help, but when we give it, you’re just going to bail?”

“You tell them, Trinnie!” Peanut shoved his fist into the air.

“Trinity,” Thierry warned.

“We’re actually not getting reinforcements.” Zayne spoke up once more. “After the massive size of this attack, there’s no way the community can afford to send any new trainees with us.”

“Well, that sucks,” I grumbled, and he cocked his head. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Wow,” Peanut murmured. “You could sound a little more convincing.”

Then it struck me.

Zayne had said he recognized the demon, so there was a good chance that this demon would be taking Misha to DC. And now that they weren’t getting reinforcements, they still had their own problem to deal with—the problem of something killing demons and Wardens.

Nothing against Zayne or his clan—I was not going to rely on them searching for Misha, and I couldn’t go to DC by myself. I’d never been, and I had no idea where to look. Add into that the problems with my vision? I’d need help.

“I want to go to DC,” I said, and got nowhere quick.

Peanut gasped.

“Absolutely not,” Thierry said, placing his hands on the desk. “That is not going to happen.”

I ignored him, turning to Nicolai. “I can help you.”

Nicolai looked visibly uncomfortable as he met my gaze. “Trinity, I know you’re worried about Misha, but—”

“I am worried about him. He’s like a brother to me, and I’m not okay with letting everyone else look for him while I stay sheltered here,” I said, ignoring the way Thierry’s jaw hardened.

“I know you’re trained and you can hold your own,” Zayne began, walking away from the window. “And I’m sorry for what has happened to Misha. We will look for him. I promise you that. But we don’t have the resources to babysit you while you run around DC looking for him.”

“Babysit me?” I laughed, my hands curling into fists. “Are you serious?”

“Oh, no.” Peanut popped his hands on his hips. “Boy is about to get a smackdown.”

“I don’t think he meant to say it the way it came across,” Dez said.

“Actually, I did mean it that way,” Zayne said.

“I didn’t ask for your opinion,” I said.

“I’m freely giving it to you,” he replied.

“While Zayne could have phrased that much better, he is right,” Dez continued, his voice rising above ours. “We have a significant issue at home and without reinforcements—”

“Without reinforcements, you and I both know you won’t be going out of your way to look for Misha, and there’s a good chance this demon will take him to DC. You all said you’d seen him there.” My heart started pounding as I turned to Nicolai, who would ultimately have to agree for me to be able to go with them. “You have a problem, and I can help you better than any Warden can.”

“Trinity.” Thierry started to rise. “Don’t—”

Matthew reached behind him, placing his hand on Thierry’s arm, halting him.

“I have no choice,” I said, voice thready. “I will not stand by and let something happen to Misha when I can do something about it.”

“Oh, no...” Peanut drifted to the ceiling. “Oh, no, Trinnie, what are you gonna do?”

I was going to show them exactly how I could help them.

Thierry saw it written on my face as I took a step back. He lifted his hands as if he could stop me. “Your father—”

“I don’t care what he thinks. You can’t stop me, Thierry. Neither can he. I’m eighteen and there is no law that supersedes the fact that I’m an adult,” I said, welcoming the warm glow sparking alive deep in my stomach. “I love you—I love both of you, but I have to do something.”

Then I let the grace take over.

19

Warm, heady power lit up my veins and turned the corners of my vision from darkness to light, and I saw the exact moment those in the room saw that I wasn’t who they thought I was. For some reason, I focused on Zayne.

His eyes widened as he took a step back from the glow that was starting to radiate from my skin. His arms unfolded to hang limp at his sides.

“What in the Hell...?” someone whispered.

“More like the opposite,” I said as I extended my right hand and felt the whirl of white fire erupt and swirl down my arm, forming the sword that had been very much like the one the statue of the battle angel had held.

“Holy smackeroos,” Peanut whispered from somewhere above me.

The sword was heavy and warm in my palm, spitting and dripping white fire as I pulled my gaze away from the awestruck expression that had planted itself on Zayne’s face to those of the older Wardens from DC. The glow from my grace danced over their faces.

“I can help you defeat whatever thing is killing Wardens,” I said, fully aware of the fact that Thierry and Matthew looked like they were seconds away from having a heart attack. “This sword can cut down a fully shifted Warden within a heartbeat, leaving nothing behind. The same for a demon—any demon.” I lifted the sword, bringing it near my chest, causing both Wardens to flinch. I turned my head to where Zayne stood. “So, as you can see, I do not need a babysitter. You all need me.”

“That’s enough.” Thierry’s voice was weary as he sat back down in his chair.

“Is it?” I challenged, scanning the room. “Because I just want to make sure everyone in here realizes I’m not a liability. I’m an asset.”

“I’m confident everyone in here now realizes that,” Matthew said, sighing. “Please, Trinity, pull it back. I think you’re starting to frighten them.”

Smirking, I drew in a deep breath and forced my muscles to relax. The white fire around the sword flared and then flickered before the sword collapsed into itself, leaving a fine shimmer of golden dust that evaporated before it touched the floors. I knew the exact moment they could no longer see what existed in me when the corners of my vision returned to the vague, muddy darkness.

Feeling itchy in my own skin, I crossed my arms and lifted my chin. “You help me find Misha and I’ll help you deal with your problem.”

“What...?” Zayne cleared his throat, and when I looked at him, I inherently knew he had no idea what I was. No one could fake the shock settling into his face. That didn’t mean I trusted any of them entirely, but he truly hadn’t known. “What are you?”

“She’s a Trueborn,” Thierry answered, sounding more tired than I’d ever heard. “Half human—”

“Half angel?” Nicolai finished, his eyes wide as he stared at me with a mixture of wonder and...something else, something far more potent. Fear. “You’re a nephilim.”

“I prefer to be called Trueborn,” I said. “Nephilim is so...outdated.”

Peanut snorted, reminding me that he was still lingering in the room.