Page 137 of Cursed Heirs

“Shit.”

“Maybe a bolt of two of angel magic,” I said, wincing as I recalled it.

Tal shifted his weight in bed and asked us, “Did you get him?”

“Constantine is still out there,” Ore said. “But he’s being tracked now and monitored closely.”

“No, not him. I mean, I figured if the big guy had been put down, the three of you wouldn’t have those forced smiles strapped to your faces and you wouldn’t be looking so worndown. There would be a whole lot of major relief and excitement in the air.”

We frowned at one another.

Ore stroked his cheek and Tal turned into it, basically purring for him. “Who do you mean, baby bird?”

“Cornwell.”

Ore drew back. “I thought we agreed we’d deal with that properly once all this was over and done with?” He smiled out at Alena. “Besides, our little angel put the fear of Hades into him the last time.”

“No. Not that. Although, that’s played a part in why he’s doing this, why he came at me.”

“Came at you? When?” I asked. “I left you for under ten minutes and I didn’t hear anything either.”

“He cloaked himself and all that. He was there in my room. Well, my bathroom. He pinned me against the door with his magic and said all this shit to me. He provoked me over and over.” Emotion swam in his eyes. “I tried to hold it, but he kept coming, he kept… saying things… I couldn’t… I’m so sorry.”

Ore climbed onto the bed and wrapped him up in his arms, kissing the top of his head. “It’s not your doing. Shh, it’s all okay now. You’re okay. We’re all here with you.” He looked out at me and Alena, his eyes darkening, the promise of punishment coming through loud and clear.

“He was at Constantine’s mansion,” Alena spoke.

Orpheus eyed her. “What? When?” I could see his urge to demand why she hadn’t said anything sooner. But to his credit he managed to hold off, because it was beyond clear by her quiet and melancholic demeanor that she was still reeling from it all.

“A couple of days before you showed up and got me out of there. He was the reason I didn’t make it out after I broke through Constantine’s hold. He delayed me and then it was too late, the monster returned.”

“So he’s fully turned,” Orpheus mused.

“He provoked Tal to bring him to Constantine and use him for the spell,” I determined.

“He’s definitely fully defected,” Alena told us. She looked down at her nails as she revealed, “I may have alsomeltedhim a little like I’d threatened.”

That perked Talon up and he looked out at her. “Good. He deserves nothing less. For betraying us all, for what he did to Ore, for fucking all of it.”

“That won’t be the end of it,” Orpheus seethed.

This meant war.

Not just the war that the supernatural world was fighting as a whole against Constantine, but our own war.

One that would earn justice.

One that would deliver punishment.

And, above all, one that would destroy all those who’d made the mistake of coming at us.

29

~Talon~

Two weeks had gone by since I’d woken up in the infirmary and found the three people I cared about most in the world gathered around me, right there for me when I’d come to.

When I’d needed them the most.

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