Page 30 of Rites of Passage

Alicia’s human appearance meant she often forgot who the FBI agent really was.

I wonder if she’ll meet Azazel this time.

According to the Soul Reaper queen, no one in Hell had seen her father for centuries, Na Ri and Ran Soyun’s deaths having apparently driven him to the depths of despair. The last time he was spotted, he’d been making his way to the lowest levels of that dimension, a place devoid of light and hope.

Bryony cleared her throat.

“By the way, Mae,” she said carefully. “Have you told them yet?”

The High Priestess cut her eyes to Nikolai and Vlad.

Mae’s stomach sank.Shit. I totally forgot the most important thing about yesterday!

“I, er, haven’t had time,” she mumbled guiltily.

Vlad’s tone cooled a fraction. “Tell us what?”

Nikolai’s expression hardened.

Mae knew this wasn’t going to go down well with either of them.

“I’ve been summoned to the Annual Grand Meeting, in Philadelphia. The, hmm, High Council insisted on my presence there.”

A deathly silence befell them.

“Is it me or did the temperature in the room suddenly drop?” Miles muttered to Violet and Jared out the corner of his mouth.

Nikolai rose to his feet, a scowl darkening his face. Vlad’s eyes shrank to slits as he uncrossed his legs and followed suit.

“You’re our queen,” the incubus said icily. “You answer to no one.”

“Exactly,” Nikolai said between gritted teeth.

Penley jumped onto Bryony’s lap. The witch sighed as she stroked her familiar. “We all know that. But I’m afraid coven politics means Mae has to make an appearance at the covenstead.”

The air around Vlad trembled with a wave of demonic magic. “I can always take care of that problem. Permanently.”

“You can’t go around killing everyone who pisses me off,” Mae protested.

“I can try,” Vlad ground out.

“Seriously, between you, Hellreaver, and Brimstone, I’m gonna get a goddamn ulcer,” Mae grumbled.

An expression she didn’t care for darkened Nikolai’s face.

“I’m coming with you,” the sorcerer stated.

“What?” Abraham snapped. “Hell no!”

Mae’s belly clenched as she watched the stubborn light brightening Nikolai’s eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You have a lot of enemies there. Besides, Bryony hasn’t formally revealed the truth about your powers to the High Council yet.”

Nikolai flicked a dismissive hand. “It’s not like we’re gonna be able to keep it a secret forever.”

“By the sounds of it, you’ll have many enemies there as well,” Vlad told Mae mulishly. “He’s right. I’m coming too.”

Abraham pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m starting to get a headache.” He turned to Bryony. “Please, stop them.”

Bryony ignored the aide and steepled her hands. She observed Nikolai and Vlad shrewdly above her fingers. “If you accompany us, it will be under the aegis of my coven. Which means you’ll have to obey my orders.”

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