confused.
It was Cayman who answered. “The Alphas aren’t the biggest fan of the Wardens, even though they created them. Isn’t that right, fearless leader?” When Abbot didn’t respond, the infernal ruler grinned. “The Alphas will see the existence of a Lilin as a sign of the Wardens’ inability to handle things, making them useless. They’ll wipe them out as punishment, right along with the rest of us.”
Oh my God, Alphas didn’t mess around.
“So we need to work together,” Roth stated.
Maddox laughed harshly. “Work with demons. Are you on crack?”
“Like I’ve said before, the Boss frowns on drug use while on the job.” Roth’s expression slipped into his bland look. “And you’ll have to get over your bigotry. We’re in a city that has over a half a million people in it, and that’s not counting the suburbs. The kind of damage even one Lilin can create is astronomical.”
“So we’re back to where we were two months ago?” Zayne said. “Except instead of a lovesick demon, we have a Lilin—a Lilin that can strip a soul from a human—”
“Wait.” Maddox turned sideways, finally taking his eyes off the demons. “If the ritual succeeded in birthing a Lilin, then wouldn’t Layla actually be the mother? The demon was born from her blood.”
“Ew.” I swallowed the sudden taste of blood. “I am so not referring to the Lilin as my kid. So none of you even attempt to put that on me.”
“The Lilin was born from Lilith’s blood, too, so...” Roth sighed, shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter, you heavenly reject.”
Maddox snarled. “Excuse me?”
He ignored the Warden.
“Just what we need to contend with—a Lilin or something similar,” Abbot murmured mostly to himself, and I frowned. What the Hell did that mean? He shook his head. “We have to find and stop this Lilin.”
“We’re sure that Lilith can’t be freed?” I asked, still unsure of how I felt when it came to the fact that my mother was bound to Hell.
“The Boss isn’t going to let that happen.” Roth watched Abbot, smiling tightly.
The tension was palpable between them, and instinct told me it ran deeper than the fact they were enemies. “The thing is, we don’t know a lot about the Lilin.”
I felt like I needed to sit down. “You don’t?”
“No. There might be info in the Lesser Key, but—” Roth inclined his head at Abbot “—you have the Lesser Key.”
“And it will remain safe with us,” he replied.
“Safety is subjective,” Roth murmured.
“We already know what the Lesser Key has to say about the Lilin,” Nicolai said.
“Care to share?” Roth grinned. “Because sharing is fun.”
Abbot shifted his weight. “There’s nothing new. Only vague references to the time they ruled the Earth. Nothing that we don’t already know. This is serious,” Abbot said after a few moments. “Serious enough that we won’t hinder your investigation into the matter.”
Meaning the Wardens wouldn’t go after Roth and his crew, which was huge. Maddox and the other Wardens got their undies in a bunch over that, but Abbot silenced them with a wave of his hand.
“As the leader of the D.C. clan, this is my decision,” he said, casting a fierce look at all of them. “The possibility that we have a Lilin topside is not something we can allow.” He turned that deadly look on the demons. “But if I even begin to suspect that this is some sort of trickery, I will personally hunt each of you down.”
Roth shrugged. “All we need is for you all to be extra vigilant while you’re out on your...hunts.”
“I can’t believe we’re entering into an agreement with demons,” Maddox said, taking several steps back.
Neither could I, but a Lilin was a big deal.
“It’s the way it is,” Abbot said, dragging in a deep, heavy breath. “We will keep an eye out for any suspicious reports. Our contacts within the police departments and hospitals should prove helpful in this case.”
Cayman nodded in agreement, and the fact we all were having a pretty civil conversation was monumental. “We will also keep our ears to the ground. A Lilin will most likely seek out other demons. You know, to bond and make friends. Hopefully, there will be one that it trusts.”
“Good,” Abbot said, shoulders squaring. “But for now, get the Hell off my property.”
A misty cloud of air puffed out from between my lips as my stomach dropped. They couldn’t leave yet. No way. I stepped forward, ignoring the piercing stares of the Wardens. I didn’t care. They could take their bigoted ideals and shove them so far up their—
“We’re on our way, but...” Roth finally turned to me. Our gazes collided, and it was like a punch to the chest. “We need to talk.”
I almost rushed Roth right then and threw my arms around him, but a low growl rumbled from behind me. At first I thought it was Abbot’s response, but when I realized it was coming from Zayne, I couldn’t move.
Roth tilted his head to the side, watching me as a slow, roguish smile graced his lips. “Are you...seriously growling at me, Stony?”
“I’m about to do a lot more than growl.”
He chuckled. “That’s not very appreciative.”
I turned to Zayne and my heart leaped into my throat, stopping whatever I was going to say. He glared at Roth in a way I couldn’t understand, especially not after what Roth had done for him, as if it... I shook my head.
“It’s all right,” Abbot interrupted, surprising me. “Let them talk.”
Wait. What? He was okay with me talking to Roth? Abbot’s appeasement knocked me into motion. My heart did another leap.
Zayne opened his mouth and then clamped it shut. Our gazes held for a moment and then he nodded stiffly, resigned. “I’ll wait for you.”
I wanted to tell him that it wasn’t necessary, but the oddity of the statement stole my words. Taking a deep breath, I turned to Roth.
“Let’s walk?” he suggested.
There was a coldness laced through his words that left me unsettled. I told myself it was only because we were around so many Wardens, but my knees felt weak as I walked toward him. His unique scent invaded my senses, causing my skin to flush in spite of the chilled air. He turned as I reached his side and started toward the faint path Zayne and I had worn into the ground over the many years we’d traveled to the tree house in the nearby woods.
