Page 49 of The Phoenix

“I am the best tracker there is,” said the demon.

Cerberus held up a hand before the berserker could argue the point. “You will soon prove to me who is best. A shifter of mine is working with the witch Indigo to find a special sword.”

“She’s crazy.” Ralmon stroked a war braid.

Egral nodded. “As a loon.”

Cerberus bristled, containing himself. “Underestimate her at your peril.” He drew a deep breath. “Anyway, I offer you the same quest. If you find Blood’s Kiss, bring it to me.”

“What if they find it first?”

“The weapon is not truly discovered until it rests in my hands. Do I seem to care how it gets here? There is more. The bounty will be double if you kill Indigo.” Roark reported in the other day, claiming the witch was necessary to the hunt. Thus, he would not kill her. Yet.

Both males smiled at the added incentive.

“Sir.” Egral bowed his head. “Who is this other hunter?”

“Roark is one of us. Do not underestimate his strength. Be wary if you cross his path.”

“What kind of a shifter?” asked Ralmon.

“Raven,” Lort said from the back of the office.

The berserker curled the left side of his mouth into a sneer. “They’re not a powerful breed. What if the male is stubborn enough to require killing?”

Cerberus pushed away from his desk, crossing his legs at the knees. “He’s a good fighter. He will be missed if either of you gets the sword first and must kill him to do it, but others can take his place.”

While Lort smiled, the warlock lord repeated his warnings before he waved the trackers and his general from the room. After he studied his plans for the coming weeks, Cerberus combed fingers through his long hair, rose, and strode into his private chambers. His arousal was stiff, hard, a sensation he rather liked, having felt nothing for years. The re-emergence of his desire was a good sign. He was stirring. Becoming.

Echidna was wrong in this one thing.

He would take a Blood Coven descendant tonight. If he enjoyed her, he would have Lort bring another. There was a certain satisfaction to being the initiator of their powers.

Echidna would see how his desire for a female served the greater good.

Chapter Eleven

Crossing her legs, an unlaced combat boot bouncing up and down, Indigo downed her vino and wiggled her glass for a refill. “Alexandria, Egypt,” she said, answering Braelyn’s question about where she was off to tomorrow.

“Thanks, Lizzy.” Indigo acknowledged the Blood Coven witch beside her who gripped the neck of a full bottle of red to pour. Jarek’s mate had become a close friend after Celene’s rescue. Besides, they both had favorite conjured beasts. Lizzy a Bengal tiger and Indigo a gryphon, Oskar.

Once again, the book club met, invitees passing trays of snacks from one female to another. The cheese, crackers, sliced meats, and assorted goodies their signature meeting dish.

They sat scattered about on three long couches arranged in a horseshoe in front of the massive stone fireplace, gabbing, sharing bottles of wine, and using Margo’s huge-ass coffee table as a footrest. Chairs along with floor pillows held the overflow.

With everyone settled into a spot at the Covenkirk stronghold, Celene stuck a thumb and forefinger between her lips to whistle. Bit by bit, the chatter, noshing, and clinking of glasses stopped. “The Path Book Club will come to order. Jace and I called a last-minute meet today because Indigo is off on a journey tomorrow.”

Jace perched on the edge of the cushion, a closed single volume of the five-book set in her lap. “We’re all here. Let’s start.” She stroked a loving hand across the cover. “In the last selection, Gahya, the royal bitch, visited Ohngel, crowing about how she’d won an important bet. Her Aeternals gained a leg up on us humans.”

Brae cleared her throat, waving fingers through the air. “Reminder. There is no us when it comes to humans. We’re not pure Homo sapiens anymore.”

Everyone snickered.

Jace arched a brow. “So you’ve said. Old habit. Since our ties to humans are strong, we should be concerned about this turn of events.”

Fin, sitting on Indigo’s left, combed fingers through short, tight curls which swept across her forehead, hanging over an eye. “I hope there’s more porn.”

The redheaded Margo chuckled. “That’s the only reason you attend The Path Book Club.”

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