Page 44 of Wicked Little Tricks

I neared the bright lights and the smell of junk food, just as three vampires stepped into my path. I recognized two of the men from the night before, along with the blond vampire whose nose was still bleeding.

I looked back over my shoulder to see more coming up behind me. Great, they had only let me go so I could walk directly into their ambush.

I looked around for an escape, then jumped as someone appeared behind me, wrapping a protective arm around my chest, partially pinning my arms.

“That will be all,” Sebastian’s voice announced near my ear.

I glared back at him. “Took you long enough.”

“I needed to see everyone who was playing the game. One must always take measure of one’s opponents.”

The game?I thought, turning my attention back to the vampires as they closed in around us. The celestial woman had also mentioned a game.

“You know Ivan is going to win,” the blond vampire growled, though he didn’t rush us. I was surprised. Even when facing a devil, six vampires were formidable. “Just let us question her, and we will be on our way.”

“Perhaps you will find Celeste, but it won’t be through Eva. She has a contract withme. You know what that means.”

“You devils and your contracts,” the blond vampire spat.

Sebastian tsked. “Would you violate the order of things? Would you label your master an enemy of devils?” He lowered his voice. “An enemy of all beings from the hells?”

The vampire looked reluctantly at his comrades, who had moved back a few steps while Sebastian spoke. The vampire aimed a final glare my way. “This isn’t over.” He turned with his companions, walking toward the bright lights out front.

I pulled free from Sebastian’s grip and turned to face him. “What. The.Hell. What is this game everyone’s talking about? It has something to do with Celeste? And why were you talking to the angelic who tried to kill me?”

“There are some things you are better off not knowing.”

I stepped forward and shoved him, for what good it did. It barely moved him. “My life was almost normal before I met you. Then I saw you in that room, and now vampires and angelics are all after me. What is this game? What does it have to do with my mother?”

He studied me for a long moment, then finally answered, “We are searching for a female celestial,aptlynamed Celeste.”

I rolled my eyes. I had suspected she was a celestial once Mistral claimed she wasn’t in this realm. “Yeah, I got that. But why? Why do you want her? And what does she have to do with my mother?”

His jaw twitched. “There is a bounty on her head, but the reward is not monetary. The reward is an item many of us would greatly like to acquire. It has become a bit of a game, everyone searching for Celeste, trying to find ways to reach the near realms where she is likely hiding.”

“Okay, but what does that have to do with me?”

His eyes shifted to someone walking up behind me. I turned to see the two angelics approaching.Great.

I stepped back toward the wall, wanting to keep everyone in my sights.

“What he’s not telling you,” the blond angel—thewoman had called himLucas—drawled, “is that he recognized you the night of your delivery. Unfortunately, Celeste looks quite different these days. We did not comprehend the resemblance, nor did we realize she had a daughter.”

I threw up my hands. “What the hell are you all talking about!”

“Celeste is your mother,” Sebastian sighed, probably knowing the angelics were about to finally reveal the truth anyways. “I knew her long ago, thus, I recognized you, even though you changed your name.”

“Yes,” Lucas cut in while my mind reeled, “the name change was our folly as well. We would not have tried to kill you had we known.”

While my eyes were on the angelics, Sebastian moved closer, though I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to. I obviously couldn’t trust him either. “They are working for your mother,” Sebastian explained. “I was not sure of their plan until tonight, but they are killing any night runners that the rest of us might use to reach her. Any who can travel to the near realms.”

My pulse thrummed steadily in my throat. Of course this was about my mother.Of courseshe had almost gotten me killed, even from a distance. “WellIcan’t go to the near realms. I can’t find my mother. Trust me, I’ve tried.”

Sebastian’s hand alighted on my shoulder. “Perhaps not, but you share her blood. Did you not once admit toan investigator that you would sense her if she was near?”

I inhaled sharply. That dirty rat. I had told Monroe that in confidence. “How did you find that out?”

“Once your identity was revealed, it was not difficult for me to find more information. Nor for anyone else. I will explain the rest to you later.” He glared past me at the two angelics. “If you don’t mind, I would like to escort her to safety before the vampires return with more of their minions.”

---