The globe stopped spinning. “What kind of school has a nursery?” Roth asked.

Unease slithered down my skin. “That’s a good question.”

Zayne shook his head as he lifted a thin sheet. “There’s a company name here. Cimmerian Industries. Have you heard of them?”

“No. But the word Cimmerian—” Roth’s head jerked to the side, and I felt it.

Pressure settled between my shoulder blades, and my head jerked up as Roth lifted his chin, his nostrils flaring.

“Demons?” I asked, reaching for my daggers.

“You can feel them?” he asked while Zayne and Layla stopped riffling through the papers. “And know it’s not us you’re sensing?”

I nodded. “I feel you two, but this is more...intense.”

Roth inclined his head toward me, and I’d swear he pouted. “I don’t feel intense?”

“Wow, Roth. Sensitive, aren’t you?” Zayne planted a hand on the desk and vaulted over in, landing in a crouch. As he rose, he shifted.

The gray shirt split up the center and down the back as his skin turned from golden to deep gray and wings unfolded behind him.

It was a rather impressive sight to behold.

I dragged my gaze from him to Roth. “What I mean is that I can feel you and Layla, but I can feel the presence of...more.”

Roth appeared appeased by that answer.

“Layla, do you have your phone on you?” Zayne asked, striding toward where I stood.

“Yeah,” she answered.

“Can you take pictures of all that real quick?” he asked. “And text it to me?”

Layla whipped her phone out of her pocket. “On it.”

My fingers curled around the handles of my daggers as I strode toward the windows. I could see nothing beyond them. I unhooked the weapons. “Do you think the senator and possibly Bael are returning?” I asked, even though that didn’t make much sense to me. There were no headlights out there. No car coming up the driveway. “Or something else.”

“If it’s Bael, he’s about to get the surprise of his life,” Zayne growled. “Look at this. Can you see it?” he asked, turning to me.

I squinted as I saw what looked like...like fog rolling over the driveway and the front yard, so thick it was like a wave of storm clouds on the ground. “I can see it.”

“This can’t be good.” Zayne’s wings tucked back.

“I got the pictures.” Layla came around the desk, slipping her phone into her pocket. “I don’t see a car coming up the driveway and I haven’t seen a single camera anywhere.”

“Well, what’s coming our way is a crap ton of demons,” Roth said, his voice low. “And I don’t believe in coincidences.”

“The witch told you about the senator,” Zayne said. “Is there a chance that she would’ve given the senator or Bael a heads-up? Thrown us under the demon bus?”

“If she did, she’s not only a stupid witch, she’ll be a dead witch,” Roth snarled, and I saw him shift. His skin thinned as an oily darkness seeped out, turning his complexion from olive to obsidian. His wings were nearly as wide as Zayne’s, but he had no horns.

“Holy crap,” Layla whispered. “How many are there?”

My heart skipped a beat as I strained to see anything in the fog outside. “I don’t see anything...” I trailed off as several shapes began to take form in the thick mist. “Oh, Hell.”

There were...dozens, some tall and some small. Some walked. Others crawled. There were even some in the air. I’d never seen so many demons in one place.

I turned to Zayne. “I thought you said there weren’t a lot of demons around?”

“Yeah,” he drawled the word out. “There weren’t.”

“I think they’re all here now,” Roth said as he glanced at Layla. “If things go south, I want you out of here. Go home to Cayman—”

“Are you high?” Layla demanded. “If things go south, I’m going to kick some butt.”

“Layla—”

She held up a hand. “Do not forget, I’m a badass.”

“There’s about forty-plus demons out there.”

Forty-plus? God.

Zayne towered over me as he spoke. “If you need to use your grace, do it. You got it? If you tire out afterward, I’ll make sure nothing gets between you and me.”

Heart thumping, I nodded. “Got it.”

“If you’re staying, you should get ready, Layla,” Zayne advised as the things in the fog stilled ten or so feet from the house.

Layla shifted then, drawing my attention, and I didn’t understand what I saw. She looked like she normally did, except she had wings—black, feathered wings.

“Feathers. You have feathered wings,” I said dumbly.

“I do.” Layla’s left wing twitched as she grinned at me. “It’s a long story, but the gist of it is that I almost died and, well, this is what happens now when I shift.”

I stared at her. “You look like an...an angel. If an angel had black wings.”

“I’m no angel.” She lifted a shoulder. “I’m just...unique.”

“That you are, babe,” Roth replied, extending his hand to her. She took it, and they stood side by side in front of the window. He leaned down and whispered, “I know you’re a badass. Won’t ever forget that.”

I looked away from them just in time to see one of the tall forms come toward the window. It stopped too far out for me to make out details.

“It’s an Upper Level demon,” Zayne explained, knowing the features were nothing but a blur to me. “It’s not Bael. I’ve never seen this one. What about you, Roth?”

“Like I said before, I’m not friends with all demons.”

Zayne snorted.

“Hello?” the demon outside the house called out, sounding like he was there to sell Girl Scout cookies or something. “We know you guys are in there.” He lifted an arm and waved. “Hiya! What do we have? A...half-breed daughter of Lilith. A demon prince who’s been very, very bad. A Warden who keeps strange company, and an actual, living and breathing...Trueborn?”

“Well,” I said, brows lifting. “Is there a breed of demons that have X-ray vision?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” Roth muttered.

“Are you wondering how we know?” the demon called out, and I rolled my eyes. “I’d be happy to tell you guys, and I hope we can make this a pleasant experience for everyone involved. Let’s start by me introducing myself. I’m Aym, but some know me as Haborym. I’m a handsome little devil, but don’t let my pretty face and charming disposition fool you. I’m a Grand Duke of Hell, ruling over twenty-six legions of demons, and half of them are here with me tonight,” he purred. “I’ve burned castles and entire cities to the ground, leaving nothing but ash and death in my wake when I don’t get what I want. Just, you know, a heads-up.”

Roth yawned.

“Oh, and you could consider me...Bael’s personal assistant,” Aym continued. “So, now that we know who I am, do you have any questions?”

“Yeah,” Zayne called out. “Why did we have to get stuck with such a damn talkative demon? This makes killing you so much more time-consuming.”

“For once, Stony, you and I actually agree on something.” Roth laughed.

There was a deep, rumbling laugh that rattled the windows, causing my eyes to widen. “The Warden speaks first. Interesting. You don’t want to chat? Fine. We’re here for the Trueborn.”

“No shit,” Roth muttered.

“Give her to us and we’ll let you all go about your merry little ways.” Aym paused. “Pinkie swear.”

“Not going to happen,” Zayne replied. “You might as well move on to option B.”

“Well, option B is you all die. Starting with you, Warden. I’m going to burn you alive.”

My stomach twisted sharply while Zayne seemed not at all affected. I stepped forward and called out, “What do you want from me? To cut me up and give to the witches?”

“Ew,” Layla murmured.

“Not at all, my dear little nephilim,” cooed Aym, and I stiffened. “We just want to love you and hold you and become the very best friends ever.”

“Wow,” I said, hands tightening on the dagger as Layla and Roth exchanged a look. “Where is Misha?”

“Your Protector?” he asked. “Why, he’s right here, waiting for you.”

My heart might’ve stopped in my chest. It felt like an eternity that I was frozen, and then I reacted without thought or hesitation.

33

It all happened so fast.

Zayne spun and I heard him shout as he launched himself at me. Roth and Layla both turned, but none of them were as quick as me. Not when I didn’t want to be stopped.

I was at the door that led outside before any of them could reach me. There was no sense of reservation as I gripped the doorknob and turned, snapping the lock into pieces as I tore the door open.

Humid night air washed over me as I flew outside, scanning the line of demons. I didn’t see Misha, but then again, I wouldn’t have been able to see him in the first place in fog even the full moon couldn’t penetrate.

“Where is he?” I screamed, spinning toward Aym.

The demon was suddenly in front of me, and he was handsome. Tall and blond, impeccably groomed. “He said you were impulsive,” the demon said, and my breath caught. “Gloriously so.”

He reached for me just as something large slammed into him, knocking him back into the fog.

Zayne.

A tremendous shift to the air took place as the mist scattered. The liege of demons charged, so many so fast that for a moment I was stunned.

Nightcrawlers.

Hellions.

Imps.

Ravers.

It was a damn demon party.