Her coven would be next in line to face the full wrath of the King of Death and whatever the hell Night was.

She was starting to suspect he was with the Preux Chevaliers, but not as one of the rank-and-file soldiers. He had reacted badly to her damning warriors who slipped through the shadows and set traps, and she had the feeling it was because he did that.

Which would make him what?

An assassin?

It would certainly explain the reason she had been able to gather so little information on him. He was probably a master at covering his tracks, at taking down enemies using stealth so no one ever witnessed his kills.

An assassin.

Lilian shivered. In a good way.

“Who’s next?” The female voice dragged her focus away from Night and her gaze to the doorway.

Polly stood there, her shadow streaming down the sandstone steps towards Lilian and her petite figure silhouetted by the warm glow of the foyer lights.

Lilian focused back on her task. “You and Alex. I’m sending you both to the same hotel.”

Because she had noticed that Alex had a thing for Polly and she was meddling, trying to throw the two of them together. What better catalyst for love was there than a dire situation? Alex would naturally protect Polly and Polly would fall head over heels for her daring knight.

Lilian wished them better luck in that department than she had. Her Night had run off and left her to fend for herself. That wasn’t strictly true. He had wanted to protect her and she had panicked and had ended up driving him away.

She wanted to say it was for the best, but she didn’t feel it.

Alex squeezed past Polly with a bag in each hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

Polly followed him to the last car and Lilian checked her phone. It was another twenty minutes before the next taxis were due to show up. The petite blonde slipped into the backseat while Alex loaded their bags into the boot and closed it.

He looked at Lilian as he rounded the car and flashed her a wink. “Thanks for teeing me up.”

Lilian waved him away, holding back her smile.

It wasn’t difficult when she sensed a shift of power in the air and her magic rose to the fore, coming to protect her.

“Go!” she yelled at the driver.

Alex leaped into the back of the car and it peeled away, spraying gravel in its wake.

The power she could feel building in the air grew stronger and her eyes flew wide as the black car reached the tree-lined road that would take it to the gate. She could only stare in horror as two huge bare-chested demonic males appeared in black smoke there, dropping out of the air, one of them landing just in front of the vehicle.

On an ear-splitting roar, he spread his leathery onyx wings, leaned forwards and slammed his meaty fist into the bonnet. The rear of the car jacked up off the road, metal screaming as it crumpled under the force of the blow. Sparks exploded into the air, highlighting the demon’s smooth black horns that curled through his wild obsidian hair and illuminating the hard planes of his face as he flashed fangs at the vehicle.

Magic rose to her fingertips and she ran towards the car, her heart drumming a sickening rhythm against her ribs.

She needed to help Alex and Polly.

Smoke billowed from the bonnet of the car as the demon eased to his full seven feet and he beat his wings, sending it swirling in the air.

Lilian chanted a protective spell, one that would form a barrier between him and the vehicle, buying the humans time to escape. She launched the glowing blue sphere at the demon.

Too late.

He grabbed the car by the wheel arches and hefted it into the air as if it weighed nothing, and she screamed in fury as he swung it at the nearest tree.

Crushing the rear of it.

No.