Page 35 of Pitch a Witch
“Danika.” Biting back the other words I wanted to say, I focused on what I’d heard as I walked in. “What does the master vampire have to do with all of this? Apart from sending his lackeys to attack everyone, I mean?”
“Straight to the point.” Alex chuckled, and I smiled thinly when I saw the concern he didn’t voice in his gaze.
“We’ve already wasted enough time on nonsense while they come at us from all sides, don’t you think?” Sissily was curled on the overstuffed loveseat, so I plonked down next to her, avoiding my grandmother’s intent stare.
“Time passed more than it should’ve, yes, but I wouldn’t say it was wasted.” The Alpha leaned back on his chair and stroked Amber’s thigh where she was perched on the armrest next to him. “Meanwhile, we learned many things we didn’t know.”
“Is this where you remind me that a good predator is an informed predator?” I wiggled to angle myself strangely just so I could pointedly avoid not just Danika’s but River’s peepers, too.
“Not just a good predator, but an alive one, too.” Alex grinned like a proud parent at me. I couldn’t help it when I snickered along with Sissily.
“Listen, Alex.” Scrubbing a hand over my face, I sighed into my palm. “No matter how many times I say sorry, it never seems like enough. None of this was your problem, but we … I brought it to your doorstep, and your mate and child almost ended up hurt. Maybe it’ll be better if I go back home after everything.”
Danika stayed silent wisely, and I knew the Alpha called everyone because whatever news she brought was important, but I had to say my peace. The more I thought about it, the more the guilt drilled a hole the size of Texas into my gut.
“According to the recent development, I would have to disagree with you, young lady.” Alex kept eye contact so I could see the truth in his mismatched gaze. A tremor raked my spine since Amber was nodding from next to him with a grave expression on her sweet face. “It would appear whoever is behind this started from the top and plans to follow the food chain until the field is left open for the picking, for them alone.”
I blinked.
“As I was saying …” Danika drug her calculating gaze from me back to the Alpha. “Destin is in close cahoots with the demons. We thought it had been isolated nests of his kind using the price on Hazel’s head to attack the coven. The mistake was mine for jumping to conclusions. One I have no intention of repeating.”
“Why would he kick the hornet’s nest?” Alex leaned his forearms on the desk and clasped his hands in front of him until the skin on his knuckles turned lighter. “As the Master vampire of the northeast region, he had it as good as you and me. The same as Leviathan, too.”
“Speaking of which.” I finally looked at my grandmother, who sat ramrod straight like a queen. “Did you find your buddy, the Fallen? What did he have to say for himself?”
“He must’ve been promised something better than the agreement we had between each other.” Danika ignored me like I hadn’t spoken. “Which brings to question if the angels have decided to return. Or better, if the Fae are about to crawl out of their hole.”
“Why is no one involving the magi police?” My question was for Alex since he was the only one listening to what I had to say. “We do all their dirty work, yes, but they should get off their pompous asses and help clean up this mess.”
You could hear a pin drop.
“I don’t get it,” I told the room at large, speaking to no one in particular.
“The magi police do not look kindly on mixed bloodlines or combined powers.” River was the one who took pity on me. Judging by his own mixed bloodline, I could see how he would know. “When something attacks me, I make it my business to learn all I can about it.” His words from the car, which felt like a lifetime ago, ping-ponged in my head. “Most of their agents are either vampires or mages. There will be no help coming from them.”
“So, no matter what way we look at it, we are screwed either way? Is that what you’re telling me?”
“Whichever way we turn and however we look at it, the demons are in the middle of it all.” Danika smoothed invisible wrinkles on her black, floor-length dress. “I’ve exhausted all my resources in search of Leviathan, with nothing to show for it. It’s like he’s vanished from the face of the realm.”
“Hazel should know what we found after the battle with the Blackwood pack.” Amber nudged her mate, and I smiled at her gratefully.
“Yes, my love. She needs to know.” Rubbing his forehead harshly like he was developing a headache, Alex never looked so tired before. Not even when he had his t-shirt inside out. The proud Alpha seemed to have aged since the first time I saw him ripping wolves in half with his bare hands and sitting behind his desk.
“Hit me with it, big guy.” Hoping to make him smile, I curled my fingers in invitation. “It can’t be as bad as what we just spoke about.” The flattening of his mouth said it might be worse.
My heart skipped a beat.
“None of the Blackwood pack survived.” I felt all the blood rush from my face. “More than half of them had demonic spirits leaving their corpses the minute they died.”
“Possessions,” I whispered faintly, and Sissily hummed from next to me, only adding to the dread.
“Possessions,” Alex confirmed with a sharp nod. “Which tells me that the vampires might be carrying passengers, as well. They sure fought like they did in the attack on the coven.”
“What are we waiting for, then?” I searched all their faces. “We should go directly to them and deal with this once and for all.” When no one spoke, anger surged through my numb limbs. “I’m not planning on living my whole life looking over my shoulder or hiding like a coward. One of you might as well just kill me now. If we go to them, we either fix this or we don’t. I die, or whoever pulls the strings dies. It’s quite simple, really.”
“You staying alive now is more important than ever,” Danika told me primly. It only irked me more.
“Oh, crap. That screwed up your plans, didn’t it, Grandmother?”
