Page 99 of Dead End

“No wolf god worth their salt is going to cut down a pack defending its territory,” West said. “That isn’t a god I would ever serve.”

Vaughn stroked the handle of the knife in his hand. “Any more big guns or is it just the bull and the dragon?”

“Consider them all big guns,” I said. “It’s only a matter of whether they’re a Barrett M82 or a Desert Eagle.”

“And they’ll take no prisoners,” Kane said. “Their primary objective is to secure the crossroads by whatever means necessary.”

“So they can use the full extent of their godly powers, butwe have to hold back?” Scoffing, Vaughn shook his head. “You’re asking us to defend our lives with one hand tied behind us.”

Camryn cast a sidelong glance at him. “You have plenty of experience doing jobs one-handed. You’ll be fine.”

Vaughn flicked his knife, and the blade landed beside her, the point wedged in the arm of the sofa.

“Hey, that’s genuine leather,” I objected.

“Debatable,” Gun coughed into his hand.

West pounded a fist on the coffee table. “Nobody is asking you to hold back.”

“You said we can’t kill,” Vaughn pointed out.

“Youcan’tkill them, moron,” Josie said. “They’re immortal beings. What part of that don’t you understand?”

It took me a minute to wrestle back control of the meeting, but I managed. I shared everything I knew about the key figures, and Kami and Libby chimed in with additional details. We set up an emergency alert system, as well as extra eyes on the crossroads thanks to the crows. The moment Bossu and his buddies set foot on Fairhaven soil, we’d be ready and waiting for them.

Otto lingered after the meeting. “I believe I have news that will cheer you considerably.”

I smiled wryly. “You couldn’t have led with that when you got here?”

“You were too preoccupied. Now that the meeting is over, I think you’re in a better position to hear what I have to say.”

Now he had my attention. I joined him on the sofa. “What is it?”

“You didn’t ask why Phaedra failed to show.”

“I assume she has her reasons.”

“She does, indeed. She and I have been busy while you’ve been gone. Remember the vase?”

The vase. The vase. I tried to remember all theknickknacks in his grand house. “The one with the rosebuds on the piano?”

He groaned. “No, Lorelei. The ancient one that I won at the auction house.”

“That basically describes everything you own.”

A tiny vein protruded from his forehead. “The vase that contains the cursed Yanmen Army. Ten thousand souls of one of the greatest armies ever known.”

I snapped my fingers. “From glory to hoary. Now I remember.”

He pursed his lips. “Yes. I’m delighted your joke is what jogged your memory.”

“Okay, so what about them?”

“Ever since you were forced to leave, Phaedra and I have been working together to determine how to break the curse. Think about it, Lorelei. An unstoppable army right at our fingertips.”

The vampire and the witch had been working together on a plan. I’d say I was tickled pink, but that reminded me of Posy, so I quickly skipped ahead to my next thought. “Isn’t that dangerous? If you let them loose, how would you control them? They could end up destroying everything in their path.”

“Ah, but that’s the beauty of research, you see. It’s much like Aladdin’s lamp. Do you remember that story?”

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