“You two need to go into hiding. The Brotherhood will get to the bottom of this. I’m going to call the others, see if they can dig up any information about demonic or angelic activity. In the meantime, we can’t ignore other possibilities. You might want to talk to a fellow drakon and find out if any of those societies that hunt your kind are active. No low-level angel would dare disobey Heaven, but maybe they managed to use magic to control one to do their bidding. There’s a number that’s been circulated. I’ll text it to Raine.”

  A drakon purposely giving out contact information—he never thought he’d live long enough to witness such a thing. Secretive and suspicious were the two words used most when referring to drakons, but it was a line to tug for information, and Maccus was right. They couldn’t afford to focus solely on an angel being the mastermind. Humans had used magic to control his kind for centuries. It was possible they’d found a way to do the same to a lesser angel. If it were just himself, he wouldn’t make contact, but he had Raine now. Her safety and well-being were paramount.

  “Contact me if you hear anything from the others. I’ll speak to them personally when all this is over.” He wasn’t about to put any more of his Brothers in the crosshairs of his unknown enemy, if he could help it.

  Nothing was adding up. It didn’t make sense why an angel would be behind this. He’d never harmed one, not until today. And he hadn’t really hurt Gabriel. Just ruffled his feathers a bit.

  Whatever was going to happen, it was coming sooner rather than later. He could feel it in his bones.

  …

  Gabriel stared at the empty Manhattan office. Where was that administrative low-level angel? She’d screwed things up royally. This was a simple job. One that didn’t require much intelligence.

  Contrary to what some people might think, angels were like people—not all were created equal. Some got the prime jobs. Others, like this one, were office drones. In human terms, he was the CEO with the penthouse office. He planned to stay there.

  He rubbed his neck, even though it didn’t pain him. The insult of being held immobile by an abomination, a creature that shouldn’t even exist, was too much. Not to mention he was weaker than he should be.

  “You had one job.” He stared out the squat window at the city skyline. “You’re a paper pusher, a nobody.” Why couldn’t he sense her?

  “I’ll find you. There’s nowhere you can hide from me. And when I do, you’ll pay.”

  Leaving the empty office behind, he returned to Heaven. He needed to recharge before he began his search, but there were other things he needed to do first. This insult could not go unanswered.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “I need to get another phone.” Her gaze darted all around.

  The streets were teeming with a mass of humanity. Any of them could be working with the angel who’d targeted them. The guy buying a hot dog from the street vendor looked sketchy. Maybe the woman wearing a chili-red designer coat and carrying a white Chanel bag? Perhaps the homeless man sitting against the wall was really in disguise?

  And maybe I’m losing it.

  “Why?” Looking badass and sexy in his borrowed clothes—black was a good look—he seemed unconcerned, even relaxed. She could almost hate him for that. Her hair was lank and damp, her clothes wrinkled. Nerves were making her stomach jump, not to mention she was sweating despite the cool evening air. In other words, she was a mess.

  “If Maccus had a guy hack into my phone, there’s no reason to believe an”—she broke off, leaned closer and whispered, even though no one seemed to be listening—“angel wouldn’t be able to do the same thing. Someone could be tracking us right now.” It was impossible to tell if anyone was following them. There were just too many people, inhaling too much of the air until it was almost impossible to breathe. “We need to get out of the city.”

  “Then that’s our plan. We’ll get a new phone, head back to the hotel for our things, and leave.” He started to put his arm around her, but she stepped aside. If he hugged her, she’d break. As it was, she was hanging on by her fingernails. He deserved a partner courageous enough to handle the danger facing them, not one who wanted to run screaming.

  “Good.” She nodded decisively. Having a plan took her anxiety down from the red zone to high orange. “And we need snacks.” Worry always made her hungry. As did sadness, fear, and any other negative emotion. She’d always wished she was one of those women who lost their appetite at such times, but no such luck.

  He slowly lowered his arm down by his side, a fierce frown on his face. “Where do we get a phone?”

  She stopped on a corner and paid attention to the stores instead of the people. When she didn’t see anywhere likely, she pulled out her phone and did a quick search. “Should be a convenience store two blocks down.” The new text reminder stood out like a beacon. “Are we going to call that number Maccus gave us?” Would another drakon even help them?

  They crossed when the light changed. Whether from fear or awe, people got out of Lucius’s way, making the going easier. It also made them standout. She picked up her pace, eager to be on their way.

  “I don’t know.” He was wearing his stony face again. She much preferred to see him happy. “They might not help us.”

  It couldn’t be an easy decision for him. There was so much about his past that remained a mystery, but she understood how difficult it would be for him to reach out and ask for help.

  The thread of pain running through his reply made her want to seek out those drakons who’d hurt him and—not much she could do to them, but she wouldn’t mind giving them a piece of her mind.

  Yeah, that will scare them.

  They’d laugh their asses off and probably decide she’d make a decent snack. Maybe calling them wasn’t such a great idea, but it was a lead, something they were short on.

  “Maccus must think whoever it is will help. I can make the call. I’ve woken a drakon and contacted a fallen angel. I can do this.” Giving into her need for contact, she slipped her hand into his much larger one and gave his fingers a squeeze.

  She might be human, but she had determination on her side. And love. As crazy as it seemed, she’d lost her heart to an immortal drakon. Talk about a recipe for heartbreak. “You’d do that?” His eyes began to glow, but he blinked and they went back to normal. If having pink eyes were normal.

  “Absolutely.” There wasn’t much she could do to protect them. That was all on Lucius. Her contribution, her specialty, was her ability to talk and ask questions. The pen might be mightier than the sword—although she doubted it applied in this situation—but getting answers was a skill she possessed. And she wasn’t afraid to wield it.

  “There’s the store.” She hurried to push the door open and get inside. Not that it was any safer. Just less exposed. In no time, she had two prepaid phones paid for with cash. Their money supply was being eaten quickly. Maybe a stop at an ATM was in order. If someone was tracking them, it wouldn’t matter because they’d no longer be here in another hour.

  Lucius was frowning by the time they left. “Why two?”

  “We have no idea where we’ll end up or who we might have to contact. As the saying goes, ‘two is one and one is none.’”

  “That makes no sense.”

  “It’s a military saying, or I think it is. I read it somewhere. Or maybe saw it on a Netflix series or a movie. Could have been a documentary. Doesn’t matter. It means you can’t always depend on your equipment, so a backup is sensible.”

  With a grunt that might have been agreement, he plucked the phone from her, manifested a long claw, and tore through the packaging like it was nothing. Handy, like having a built-in box cutter. A woman passing by them stared, her eyes wide with horror.

  Before she could scream, Raine smiled. “Cool special effect, right? We’re making a movie.” There were always movies and television shows being shot in the city.

  The woman relaxed and laughed. “It’s realistic.”

  When they’d passed by, she hissed at him. “Don’t do that in public again. There are people and cameras everywhere.”

  He grunted—whether in agreement or to appease her, she had no idea. After handing her the phone, he took the second one and did the same thing. Raine contemplated banging her head against a nearby brick building but decided it wouldn’t help. Her drakon gave “stubborn” new meaning. She took the packaging and tossed it in a nearby garbage can.

  She quickly input Maccus’s number into both and texted him their new numbers before tucking one of them into her pocket and offering Lucius the other. “You take the second phone.”

  “I don’t need it.”

  “If I lose or break mine, you’ll have one.” And if something happened to her, she wanted him to be able to reach out to his friend. “Take it.” When he hesitated, she gave a huff of exasperation and shoved it in the back pocket of his jeans. Maybe she copped a feel while she was at it. Probably not appropriate, given the situation, but she was only human and his ass was perfect.

  “You did that on purpose,” he said.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Totally not admitting to that one. “We can catch the subway up ahead.” They’d get back to their hotel faster. Fast was the goal. She was more than ready to put the city in their rearview mirror.

  He hovered behind her as they paid their fare with the MetroCards they’d purchased on their earlier trip and made their way to the platform. It was busy this time of the evening, but they found a place by the wall to wait for their train. A glance at the screen told her it would be here momentarily.

  “We should call the number. Waiting doesn’t make any sense. We can ditch the phone on the way to the hotel. We’ll need to stop by an ATM for cash.” She tapped her toe against the floor, a sense of urgency making her antsy.

  His answer was a low growl. Choosing to take that as a yes instead of a no, she pulled out her phone, took a deep breath, and plugged in the number. It rang several times before it was answered by a machine. “Leave a message,” an abrupt male voice ordered.

  She ended the call without leaving one. “We’ll try again in a few minutes.” Whoever was on the other end didn’t sound friendly. Were all drakons like that? Lucius was currently glaring at anyone who came within six feet of them. It was like standing in the middle of some force field that kept everyone else at bay.

  The train rolled in, the doors opened, and people flooded out. “Let’s go.” Grabbing him by the hand, she tugged him forward. No surprise, a path cleared. She made a beeline for an empty bench seat in the far corner. As they pulled away from the station, she studied her phone, her finger hovering over the number.

  “You should wait.” Lucius stared at everyone around them until they all were inspired to move toward the other end of the subway car. He had her boxed in, almost squishing her against the wall, his legs extended into the aisle. The bench seats weren’t built to accommodate someone of his size. His two hands were curled around the back of the seat in front of them. Metal began to bend.

  She placed her free hand over his. “It’s better to get it over with.” Waiting wasn’t going to help. “It’s like pulling off a bandage. It’s better to do it quick.”

  “I’ve never worn a bandage.”

  Of course he hadn’t. He was a drakon with awesome healing powers. “I have. You’ll have to trust me on this.” But a glance at the phone told her they’d have to wait. “Crap, there’s no service.” She tapped her foot, impatient to get this over with. Finally, the train pulled into their stop. As soon as they hit the sidewalk, she pressed the number and held her breath as it rang through again. “Come on. Come on,” she whispered.

  “Who the fuck are you, and how did you get this number?”

  Raine jostled so badly, she fumbled the phone, managing to catch it before it hit the sidewalk. “Ah.” She licked her lips, her mouth gone dry. All she could hear over the line was heavy breathing. A muscle flexed in Lucius’s jaw.

  I can do this. I have to do this.

  “Maccus Fury gave it to me.”

  …

  Lucius wanted to reach through the phone and rip out the throat of the male on the other end. This whole thing was a bad idea. His kind had always shunned him.

  His already bad mood had taken a nosedive when Raine had moved away from his attempt to hug her. The pain of her rejection had nearly sent him to his knees. Fire had almost burst over his skin. Hurt and angry, his drakon had wanted out. He’d wanted to roar his fury at the heavens. He feared she was having second thoughts about their relationship. His despair had lightened when she’d taken his hand, but he was under no illusions. She was his mate, but getting her to make a permanent commitment wasn’t a given.

  “Why would he give you my number?” While he disapproved of the tone, he could relate to the suspicion.

  Her fingers tightened around the phone and her chin rose a notch. “He believes you have information I need.”

  With his keen hearing, Lucius could hear everything, including the click of computer keys in the background.

  “I don’t talk to just anyone, Raine Carson, professor of folklore.”

  She held the phone away and glanced at him. “That was fast,” she mouthed. When he reached out for the phone, she yanked it back to her ear. “You know me, but I don’t know you.”

  “And that’s the way it’s going to stay. Talk or I hang up.”

  “I have a particular problem. Or rather, a friend of mine does.”

  “Does that friend have a name?”

  “Lucius.” He spoke aloud, keeping his voice low, knowing full well if it was a drakon on the other end he’d hear him just fine.

  There was more frantic clicking. “Impossible.” The voice had hardened even more. “He hasn’t been seen in a very long time. If you’ve hurt him in any way, I’ll kill you.”

  “Glad to hear it.” She looked so pleased with herself, he wanted to kiss her, but managed to control himself, unsure if she’d welcome it.

  Dead silence. Lucius’s lips twitched. She did have that effect on a drakon.

  “You’re glad?” The male asked the question slowly, as though addressing someone who might be mentally deranged.

  “Absolutely. In a nutshell, I woke him up from a really, really long nap. He was cranky.” She playfully nudged him with her shoulder. “After he got over wanting to kill me, he rescued me, but we ran into trouble. We’re still looking into some things, but Maccus suggested we check with you to make sure there aren’t any groups out there who might be searching for my friend. People with the resources to set up an elaborate operation.”

  When she finally took a breath, there was dead silence.

  “What you’re suggesting is impossible. If that is Lucius, put him on the line.”

  They stopped beside a parking garage, and he held out his hand. It wasn’t exactly private, but there weren’t too many people around. He took the phone and put it on speaker so she could hear. “This is Lucius. Who the fuck is this?” he flung the words back at the male on the other end.

  Instead of hostility or anger, he got laughter. “Tarrant.”

  He searched his memory. “I’m not familiar with you.” He’d met only a handful of his kind, all with the same result.

  “If you’re who you say you are, I’m very familiar with you. We need to meet in person if you want information.”

  His hopes plummeted. “Not going to happen.” This had been a mistake.

  “Wait,” he said before Lucius could end the call. “Let me call and confirm. I do not want to piss off the Brotherhood. I’m enjoying the quiet life. I’ll call you back if everything checks out.”

  When the line went dead, he handed her back the phone. “That went well.” Her chipper tone made him frown. “Could’ve been worse,” she reminded him with a pat on the arm. “There’s an ATM.” She pointed across the street. “I’ll get some cash and we can be on our way.”

  They’d barely finished crossing the road when the phone rang. “That was fast. Hello, Tarrant.” She continued to the bank machine, tucking the phone between her ear and shoulder as she plugged her card into the machine.

  He shook his head in wonder. She never seemed to be still, had a boundless energy that drew him. Watching her lightened his heart.

  She stopped and shook her head. “Here, you take it.” Putting the phone back on speaker, she handed it to him and went back to getting her money.

  “Maccus is a man of few words.” The dry reply made his mouth twitch. “It’s really you, Lucius?”

  “Yes.”

  “I always wanted to meet you, but you were even more reclusive than I am, and that’s saying something. I respected that.”

  Shock held him immobile. Mistrust quickly followed. Maybe this was a plan to lure him somewhere so Tarrant could try to kill him. Wouldn’t be the first time a drakon had attempted such a thing. “Why?”

  “Why did I want to meet you?”

  “Yes.” The drakons he had met had feared him.

  “Knowledge is power. I wanted to learn from you. You’re the best of us and we need all the skills we can get to fight our common enemy.”

  He’d never thought of it that way before. “Not all share your beliefs.”

  He gave a derisive snort. “Drakons can be idiots too. About what you asked, there was a particularly nasty group that’s been around a long time. Their latest incarnation was called the Knights of the Dragon. They used magic and technology to ensnare several of us. Some have been freed, others died. The group was destroyed from the inside a few years back. All their known assets were seized or destroyed, but I wouldn’t discount them. They’re highly motivated.”