Cold Blooded (Jessica McClain #3)

Cold Blooded (Jessica McClain #3) Page 50

“She attacked me verbally,” it said in a singsong voice. “Revealing a sworn secret is an act of aggression.”

I lunged, but something collided with me at the last moment, knocking me off balance. I tumbled, spinning, landing back on my feet in time to see Tyler change directions and sprint for the Prince of Hell.

He was beautiful in his wolf form, fangs bared, howl ferocious.

He leapt and the Prince caught him around the middle easily, like netting a fish, but not before Tyler’s teeth caught its neck.

Dark black liquid dribbled out of a gash, marring its perfect, shiny, unnatural skin.

The exertion from catching a werewolf didn’t even seem to compute. It didn’t even look flustered as it held Tyler’s massive form.

“No!” I shouted, agony ringing in my voice. “Put him down!”

The Prince’s head snapped to me.

Something new crossed its features. “Ah, you love this one, do you?” it said. “How perfectly wonderful.”

“I said put him down,” I snarled, stalking forward, hands fisted. If it wanted a fight, it would have one.

“I plan to do just that,” it said. “But your version of down and mine are likely not one and the same.”

Tyler squirmed, whining.

Then suddenly he went limp.

I knew what the Prince of Hell was going to do and I switched control to my wolf and sprang. My father and Rourke both lunged forward at the same time, all of us howling our rage.

“Too late,” it cackled. “If you want this one back, you must claim him in the Underworld.”

They both popped out of existence.

29

I cradled my head in my hands. Rourke sat beside me. We had all gathered in the main living room of the Coterie. The Queen hadn’t wanted us here, but my father had forcefully convinced her to acquiesce.

At the heart of it, she still wanted my blood, so she abided having us in her space for the time being.

“Jessica,” my father said. “You couldn’t have known. None of us knew.”

“He’s right.” Tally paced in front of the ornate fireplace still dressed in her battle gear. Her witches fidgeted against one wall, vamps and wolves spread out along the others. The entire room was amped up on adrenaline from the fight, and even though the room was huge, and each Sect had its own space, tension still ran high. “It’s a little known fact that if you draw blood on a demon, it’s free to defend itself any way it wishes,” she told the room. “Marring their skin is considered a high crime against them. I don’t know if I’d call that stuff blood, but it still counts.”

“I don’t care if we didn’t know ahead of time. The question is how are we going to get him back?” I lifted my head. “I’m not leaving my brother there for a moment longer than necessary. They want me. He’s the bait, so I go. Just tell me how to get there.” My Pack knew nothing about demon circles or the Underworld. If the witches didn’t choose to help, I was screwed.

“Getting you to the Underworld is no small task,” Tally said. “It’s a huge ordeal that will take time and planning. We can’t send you unarmed, but only organic compounds can travel across the boundaries. There will be training involved.”

I couldn’t think straight. Grief pounded behind my temples.

As soon as Tyler had blipped out of existence on this plane, his connection to me had vanished. I hadn’t realized having him bound to me had become like second nature, like the best security blanket in the world. Without being aware, I’d known he was alive and functioning at every moment. It was a bond we should’ve forged a long time ago and I desperately missed it.

“I will go with you,” Naomi said, her voice thoughtful. “You need not battle the Underworld alone.”

“Me too,” Danny added. “I’m not going to let my best mate die down there without a fight. I’m in for whatever it takes to bring him back.”

“Count me in too,” Marcy said from across the room. “You just saved my life. I owe you. But more than that, I can help because I’m a witch.” After the Prince of Hell had struck her down, I had poured my power into her and eradicated the last of the blackness. But Tally had already been on it, spelling the mist out with her magic.

It was debatable who had saved whom.

“If she goes, I go,” James said. “There is no reason we can’t all accompany you, Jessica.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Tally said, marching forward with her hand in the air, turning to address the entire group. “It’s all well and good everyone here is dying to jump on board. And by dying, I mean that literally. But none of you are going. Not one of you is powerful enough to survive the journey by circle, much less what you’ll find when you get there. They have pet beasts, demons in every size and color, and all of them can kill you with a small flick of their wrists. The Underworld has the home-court advantage and we have to play this smart if we actually want to bring the wolf back.”

Rourke stood, growling, his eyes blazing, arms folded.

Tally sized him up. “Well, except you. You’d survive the transition, but you still can’t go.”

“My daughter isn’t going alone,” my father interrupted, standing in front of his seat, before Rourke could tell Tally what he thought of her fantastic plan. “I will fight with everything I have to get my son back.”

“Sorry, but you can’t go either,” Tally said, dismissing him. “It’s a noble undertaking, but not advisable.”

“What?” My father’s voice jumped and power whipped around the room. Several of the wolves growled. “Are you saying I wouldn’t survive the transition?”

“No, Callum, you’d survive just fine. You’re a Pack Alpha,” Tally said in a patient tone. “Arguably the most powerful one in the world. But you know as well as I do that because of that, your signature is well documented. If you land in the Underworld, dinner bells will ring. The demons would have something delicious planned just for you. If we do this, and give Jessica the best shot at saving your son, she has to go in the back way. One with no alarms.”

My father nodded his head in agreement. “I hadn’t thought of that. But you can’t tell me my daughter isn’t documented as well,” he said. “And if that’s the case, she’ll be tossed into the same trap I would.”

“I believe it may be different in her case, which is a lucky break,” Tally answered. “The demons want her, and obviously have information about her signature, but from what I’ve seen firsthand, her powers are somewhat malleable. That gives her an edge the rest of us don’t have. With our help, she can learn to muddle her signature enough. And, no, she’s not documented in the Book … yet.” Tally glanced at me. “But I suspect she will be shortly. Power like that is not ignored by the Coalition for long.”

“How do you know she’s not in the Book?” my father asked. “It can take centuries to find out what’s in the Book of Records.”

“My daughter is an oracle,” Tally said patiently. “Every time there’s a new entry, she draws me a picture. There’s only been one in the last year. And it wasn’t female.”

Tally’s voice dared my father to disbelieve.

Instead, he nodded, satisfied.

I had no idea what the Book of Records was, but it was clear it noted powerful supes. “It doesn’t matter if I trigger their alarms. I’m going regardless,” I said. “And the demons already know I will go after Tyler, so surprising them may never be possible.”

“Jessica,” my father said, turning toward me. “You’re not going alone. It’s too dangerous. Tally’s right—my signature will be a disadvantage … one I’m not willing to risk. The element of surprise is all you’ll have. But I’ll be damned if I let you go without backup. And if my signature is documented, so is your mate’s.” He addressed Rourke. “There’s no way you’ve gone unnoticed all these years. Even if you were not the Alpha of your kind, you are the last and have been for some time.”

“I am Alpha,” Rourke ground out. “And I’ve never had reason to look in the Book, so I do not know what is written there. But I agree with you, there’s no way Jessica’s going without adequate protection, so it doesn’t matter. We will find another way in.”

“If you insist on going,” my father replied, “you put her in the same peril I would. If she has to go in through the back door—if there is such a thing—she has to take someone powerful enough who won’t be noticed.”

“She can only take two others,” Tally said. “The circle holds three. When they come back, we’ll have to summon them in twos, but it adds risk. Calling someone back from the Underworld takes time and energy, but my recommendation is she still take two others. That gives them the best chance of survival.”

Before Rourke and my father volleyed again, I stated evenly, “I don’t understand why there’s so much importance placed on the Book. I told you, I’m going even if they know about me and have a welcome squad waiting.”

The Queen rose from the high-backed chair she’d been sitting in. She was edgy and reserved. All eyes in the room landed on her as she moved forward. “I find it amusing you are so very uneducated about our world. And that our well-being must lie cupped in the hands of your vast ignorance.” She swept past me in a new gown, this one black with silver accents. “When a supernatural is the strongest of its kind, there is a record of it. You can access the Book of Records by appealing to the Coalition directly. I did it on occasion long ago. The Prince of Hell also has access. We, in this room”—she nodded grudgingly to Tally, my father, and Rourke—“are the strongest of our kind. Our power is noted in detail. The demons live for information. They likely have thick files on all of us and will have our signatures monitored at all times. Our presence will alert them to our arrival like shooting off a flare gun in a library. Sending one of us would be asking the demons to end our lives.”