It was a touching display of trust from a girl who probably hadn’t had reason to trust anyone in a long, long time. I’d make sure future visits happened on both sides, and I was sure HB would be happy to provide lunch for the girls when Jayla was playing host.

  Jayla smiled the entire ride back to Suerte, a jewelry box on her lap. Every now and then she’d peek inside the box, running her fingers through buttons, hair-ties, necklaces, and keychains.

  While she skipped around the side of the building to her shed, I popped inside, weaving through the crowd of shifters toward the bar. There were cots and sleeping bags along the walls. Children sat at tables, playing board games and doing puzzles. Adults were in small groups, whispering in hushed tones.

  HB slid an iced tea over to me when I sat on a barstool. “Got some folks who want to help out tonight.” She nodded toward one of the groups of shifters. “They want action. We might not be fighting to get their territory back, but I told them once we take care of this plague demon, the warmonger is next on our list.”

  “I appreciate it.” I glanced at the children. “Bishop isn’t back yet. This might be a really rough battle. I’d hate for any of these kids to end up orphans.”

  “There are things worth dying for,” HB informed me. “Every one of these shifters knows that if they go down in battle, we will take care of their children. And when we get their territory back, their children will be the ones to carry on their traditions, to cherish their memories. Life is short. Make it count.”

  Her words hit home. I’d been trying to make my life count. I’d been risking my life to make a better world for others. I’d somehow forgotten that the humans and shifters here in New Hell were willing to do the same.

  My group and several of the police team leads in addition to Juke met at three in the afternoon in Reseda. HB and Isha had managed to round up thirty shifters who’d volunteered to fight. Mathias and Isaac were here with three other mages. Telaney and Poodle had brought two fellow Vultures with them. Juke had fifty officers, and Blister had completely surprised me by arriving with four other Low demons.

  Isaac handed out bags of his lemon candies for the fighters, saying that he and Mathias had been up all night tweaking the formula. I hoped they were effective, because they tasted even worse than the previous version. I noticed that Isaac had leather bands around each wrist that were covered in silver runes, and an amulet around his neck. He might be fighting with conventional human weapons, but Mathias had made sure he was going into this battle with magical protections.

  “We’ve done all we can to evacuate the neighborhood,” Juke told us. “According to our less-than-perfect estimation, about eight thousand people still live here. They’re fairly spread out, and we didn’t have a lot of time, but we’re hoping only a few hundred have chosen to remain.”

  “From what we’ve heard they’re planning on coming down Reseda Boulevard,” Blister said. “It’s a little over six miles, and the demons who can’t teleport were bitching about walking that far, so they got a bus.”

  I stared at her. “A bus? Seriously? Itinder’s army is going to show up in a bus?”

  “Are all two thousand of them in the bus?” Telaney asked. “Because that’s totally going on TikTok. I might die tonight, but that’s gonna be a viral video.”

  Blister scowled at her. “No, they’re not trying to cram two thousand demons in a bus. The ones who can teleport are bringing the others. It’s just the Lows they’re making take the bus.”

  More proof that it sucked to be a Low demon.

  “I wonder how many of Itinder’s army might be ready to bail on him?” I asked. “I’m thinking we should let any obvious deserters go.”

  Telaney nodded. “No sense in wasting bullets on them.”

  “I’ve got informants who are going to text me when they’re approaching and give me an update if they’ve changed their plans in any way. We’re going for the element of surprise here, so take cover anywhere you can. They’ll expect humans to be here, but hopefully they won’t expect us to be prepared and ready to fight back.” Juke’s phone beeped and she glanced down at it. “Five minutes out. Let’s get everyone in place.”

  We ran for our groups, hiding behind houses, bushes, and cars. The few police with anti-magic guns were up front, partnered with two other shooters. My team was behind them, prepared to take out anyone who broke through the line. The mages were at the rear, with a SWAT team of ten to assist them.

  Five minutes felt like forever. Finally I saw the demons, a giant mob of monsters swarming down the street. Those at the edges darted around parked vehicles, some of them running into houses, then out again as they found them empty. I worried that the miles of vacant houses might tip them off, but so many people had fled the area that it probably wasn’t all that suspicious.

  The police waited until the demons were practically on top of them before dashing into the open and firing. With amazing accuracy, they splatted thirty demons, their partners killing them before the mob realized what was happening.

  The demons reacted quickly, grabbing the dead and using them as shields against the anti-magic bullets. Another of Juke’s colleagues jumped into action. These cops were outfitted in tactical gear with huge riot shields. Each followed by an anti-magic and two other shooters, they slammed into the line, knocking the dead demon shields aside so the anti-magic guns could reach their target. Once more, the shooters did their job, killing every blue-splatted demon.

  Our success was short-lived. The demons began hitting the police with bolts of energy. Others surged over their fallen and mowed down the cops before they could get out of the way, stomping on them and ripping them with sharp claws. I ran forward, redirecting as much energy into me as I could. The demons kept coming, and I feared for the police they’d just plowed over.

  HB, Telaney, Blister, and Isha ran to meet the advancing demons with me. A second line of cops stepped out behind us, shooting any demon they could with anti-magic weaponry. My team took out the disabled demons, while I continued to absorb any energy attacks, redirecting the some into other demons. The streets were littered with bodies, the dead demons outnumbering the deceased humans three to one. But there were too many of them, and as well-armed as Juke’s forces were, they had a limited supply of anti-magic guns. Slowly the demons began to push us back down the street. Then I heard a shout that meant the police were out of anti-magic ammo. They fell back, and the mages stepped up.

  I waved for my team to stand by, but they ignored me, continuing to fight demons that hadn’t been disabled. Trying to make my way closer to them, I was knocked aside by a lizard-lion, and found myself scrambling to get up as demons ripped through my clothes and pummeled me with their energy attacks. I started blasting them back with what I’d stored inside me, giving me enough space to get upright.

  HB, Isha, and Telaney were nowhere to be seen. Blister was back with the mages who were waving wands and reading from scrolls. Bursts of light went off like mini bombs in the middle of the demon army. The mob began to thin out as demons vaporized, but others quickly took their place.

  There were too many. This was a losing battle, but I hoped we’d make enough of an impact to cause significant desertion and make Itinder think twice about this war.

  Plowing into the mass of demons, I absorbed, redirected, and shot, turning as many demons as I could into sand. The whole time, I kept my eyes open for Isha, Telaney, and HB, worried sick that they might be mortally injured, or even dead. Fear for them made me angry, and I recklessly blasted demons left and right, screaming and cursing like a berserker.

  “Garden of Eden!” The zombie-demon from Porter Ranch shrieked “I pledge to your household. I swear to serve you and yours as long as you spare my life.”

  The only reason I spared his life was because he’d dropped to his knees in front of me, and my energy blast went over his head, taking out the two demons behind him.

  “Accepted,” I shouted. “Now get up and help me.”

  The zombie-demon didn’t hesitate. Jumping to his gray, emaciated feet, he stood at my back, blasting down his former colleagues. Demons poured around us, and suddenly there were no more bursts of light. The mages were tapped out.

  I hoped they and the remaining police had managed to retreat to safety. I hoped my team was alive and safe as well. I kept fighting, mainly because there was no clear way to retreat out of this swarm of demons. It was tiring, and the demons were realizing that I was using their own energy attacks against them. They began to switch to a physical assault. Between zombie-demon and myself, we managed to keep killing any that came near, but I knew it was only a matter of time until I ran out of energy reserves. And as scrappy as I was in a physical fight, I was no match for the superior strength, sharp teeth and claws of these opponents.

  I sent a blast at a demon who was running toward me. It sputtered, knocking him down but not killing him. I braced myself, ready to go down fighting, when an explosion happened thirty feet away, throwing demons through the air like confetti.

  There was a second blast. And a third. That’s when I realized that whoever it was launching grenades, they were clearing an exit path for me.

  “Go,” I shouted at zombie-demon.

  He tilted his head. “Run? Isn’t that cowardly?”

  “Surviving is never cowardly. Now, go,” I told him.

  We headed down the path, shooting, blasting, and punching any demons in our way. Grenades continued to go off, not always leading us in a straight line. I trusted whoever it was, because I really had no other option at this point. Zombie-demon and I weaved down streets, encountering fewer and fewer demons. Finally we were in the clear. I slapped zombie-demon on the shoulder, and pointed down a side street I recognized. We ran, me leading us to my bike.

  And there, standing next to my motorcycle with three other Lows, was Blister. She still had two grenades strapped to a bandolier, cluing me in that she and her pals had been the ones who’d helped us get to safety.

  I nearly hugged her. The only thing that held me back was the knowledge that Blister really hated any sign of affection, and would probably doubly hate it in front of her friends.

  “Have you seen Telaney? HB? Isha?” I asked her.

  She grinned. “Yep. We managed to get them out as well. The shifters looked pretty battered, but nothing they can’t heal. Telaney’s limping and covered with blood, but she said she’ll be okay once she gets a bath and a beer.”

  I slumped with relief. “Did you see Juke?”

  She shook her head, her face grim. “The mages got out okay, but the police took heavy losses. We saw some of them retreating, but none of us noticed Juke among them.”

  Feeling sick I pulled out my phone and texted Juke first, sending the others e-mails afterward. When I was done, I remembered the zombie-demon standing by my side.

  “What’s your name?” I asked him.

  He bowed. “Reginald.”

  Reginald? I’d expected something tough like Smasher or Shredder, not Reginald.

  “Blister, can you take Reginald with you, and give him the 101 orientation? He’s a new member of our household,” I told the Low.

  “She’s a Low,” Reginald squeaked.

  I frowned at him. “Blister is a valuable member of my household. You should treat her with the same respect you would me.”

  I didn’t think that meant much, but Blister’s eyes widened.

  “Yes, Mistress,” Reginald replied, his head bowed.

  I winced. “Call me Eden.”

  “Yes, Garden of Eden.” He bowed again and followed Blister and her friends as they walked down the street toward her car. It would be a tough fit in the tiny vehicle, but being smashed in with a bunch of Lows would give Reginald a good idea of what being in my household would entail.

  My phone beeped, everyone checking in except Juke.

  I got on my bike and headed back to Bea’s, hoping that she was alive and safe, and that she’d reply soon.

  Chapter 30

  I turned the corner to Bea’s street and panicked. Blackened buildings and burned foliage greeted me. As I passed through the area where the wards had been, I noticed they were down. Passing by the burned buildings, I saw the charred husks of bodies littering the streets and the lawns. I speeded up, then slid sideways into a stop as I saw Kellen sitting a few houses down from Bea’s

  In my rush to get things organized for the attack on Reseda, I’d completely forgotten about Kellen. In my defense, I’d just met the guy this week, and hadn’t spoken to him since I’d dropped him off from Suerte. Still, I felt bad that I’d left him out of the plan. We could have used him.

  But…why was he here?

  Kellen stood, walking up to me.

  “What happened here?” I asked him as I scanned the other houses. Outside of the ones at the edge of the neighborhood, the others seemed to be undamaged. But that didn’t mean the people inside were still alive. Thinking of the plague demon, I pushed down another wave of panic.

  “I was at home when I had this weird, urgent feeling. It was like something psychic. I got Mosi and Lucas into the car and we rushed here. I’ve never even been here before. I had no idea what was going on, but when we arrived, we saw a couple dozen demons trying to batter their way through some magical wards. Mosi and Lucus went through the wards to assist the humans on the other side, but it hurt when I tried to get through, so I stayed outside and fought the demons. I must have died three or four times, but I kept healing and fighting. It was crazy.”

  Demons had attacked my neighborhood and I hadn’t even known. Where had that sixth sense gone that had let me teleport here in the middle of the night?

  “Is everyone okay?” I asked Kellen.

  He shook his head. “A lot of people died. I fought off as many demons as I could, but the last time I died, I was out for a while. When I came back to life, the demons were gone, the wards were down, and those houses were burned. Mosi and Lucas are okay. They’re going house-to-house to help the injured people.”

  My family. Kellen had never met them, so he wouldn’t know if they were hurt or even alive.

  I left my bike and ran to Bea’s house, pausing when I saw Addy sitting on the front step. She had a velvet bag clutched in one hand, and was rubbing her forehead with another. Bloodstains led from her nose down to her chin, and she had bruises under each eye.

  “Are Bea and the girls okay?” I blurted out, feeling a little guilty that I hadn’t led with “are you okay?”

  She nodded, her eyes welling with tears. “Genevieve is dead. We fought them as long as we could. Her wards were amazing. The woman was so talented. But at the end they didn’t hold, and she’d given too much of herself trying to save us. The wards fell, and she dropped. I couldn’t revive her. She’s gone. The only mage friend I have, and she’s gone.”

  I dropped down and held Addy as she cried, feeling her grief as if it were my own. The woman was so alone in this world, and there was nothing I could do to help her. We couldn’t truly be friends, not with our strange bond. She and Telaney had a love-hate thing going on. Hopefully she’d be able to make mage-friends through Mathias and find her place, because Addy really needed to belong somewhere.

  Finally she lifted her head and wiped her eyes, pulling away from me. “How did everything go with you all?”

  “We killed a lot of demons but had to eventually bail. There were just too many of them,” I told her. “Telaney, HB, and Isha are injured but they’ll be okay. I haven’t heard from Juke yet.”

  “I’m so sorry, Eden.” Addy gave me a watery smile. “I know she’s a good friend of yours. You must be really worried.”

  I was worried. But Juke was tough, and I still had hope that she would text me soon saying she was okay.

  “When the wards fell, that werewolf family came out to assist, along with the humans who live here,” Addy said. “We all fought, but it was a losing battle. When it became clear that we weren’t going to make it, one of the neighbors ran to get the children together and to safety. We were all going to hold the demons for as long as we could so they could get away. Ten humans died. Two of the werewolves died.”

  Her voice hitched and I rubbed her shoulder. “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done here. Fighting to protect people you don’t even know? My family? I’m really in your debt, Addy.”

  She cleared her throat, then took a deep breath. “We were all going to die. I knew we were all going to die. I just wanted to make sure the children made it first. So I fought, figuring I’d end up burning through my magical energy and my life force just like Genevieve. I was ready to die fighting, and then the dragon appeared.”

  “What? What?” I stared at her, open-mouthed.

  “I know.” Addy laughed. “I couldn’t believe it either. I didn’t even see the thing coming. Out of nowhere there’s some giant lizard with wings, kicking ass and taking names.”

  “A dragon,” I repeated, still not understanding why the hell the dragon had shown up here, in my neighborhood.

  Addy nodded. “It burned up all the demons. All of them. Fried them to a crispy. Dead, dead, dead. Unfortunately it torched a few of the houses as well, but I’m thinking that’s an acceptable price to pay. Oh, and it somehow incinerated the disease one of the plague demons had launched. Burned it all up, then flew off.”

  I was absolutely shocked. “Did it eat anyone?”

  “Nope. Didn’t kill any of the humans either even though everyone was running and screaming.”

  What the fuck?

  I might be able to believe that the dragon downtown had somehow gotten my scent and traced me to my neighborhood, even though I hadn’t stolen anything of his and had left right after I’d seen him in that mall. But he’d shown up and defended my little neighborhood in the Valley against some attacking demons. And left. Without eating anyone, even the charred demons.

  I’d seen that dragon for all of three seconds, but he hadn’t struck me as the altruistic type. I’d thought dragons viewed humans as well as demons as enemies or a convenient snack. None of this made any sense at all.