Page 25 of Eternal Sacrifice
It was enough to grab the attention of Ryan, Zeb, and the rest of my pack. Aggie and Springfield’s attention also shifted, but I couldn’t help but notice that their gaze continued to flick back to each other as if they were in the middle of a dance.
“I want to team up again and tackle the big cases. Let the other demons worry about the easier souls while we go out and tackle the real problems. Those spirits have lived long enough.” Jasper gave Ryan a look of challenge. “And maybe the best spell weaver in all of Hell,” Jasper said, looking to Aggie specifically, “can provide us with a small arsenal of spells.”
She rolled her eyes and then slung back her shot.
Ryan nodded his head after taking a moment to consider.
Zeb’s massive arms were crossed over his chest. He was nearly as large as Jasper, but his long brown, wavy hair helped him to look more like a cinnamon roll than an imposing demon. The multitude of runes covering his body from the neck down helped to remind me that he was a force to be reckoned with. Zeb shook his head in agreement.
“Springfield?” Ryan asked when Springfield failed to notice everyone staring at him.
Springfield’s gaze snapped away from his longer-than-momentary glance at Aggie, looking at Ryan like he needed the question repeated. “Hmm?”
“Team up and hunt big bads,” Zeb supplied.
“Oh yeah. Sounds great,” Springfield quickly agreed before checking in on Aggie again.
Jasper looked at the rest of us, clearly pleased, before suddenly remembering that this was the first we heard of his plan. His eyes went wide, like watching the lightbulb in his mind illuminate.
“Unless,” he started.
I smiled, nodding in agreement. But internally, I wasn’t sure I wanted my pack to face off against anything dangerous. Nothing that could put Jax directly in harm’s way.
The guys must have agreed, because a moment later, Jasper jumped into a sales pitch to the other pack concerning the powerful spirits available to hunt. His eyes lit as Ryan and Zeb leaned in to look at something on Jasper’s phone.
If hunts made Jasper this happy, then I could bottle my worry. That and double my effort to find the spell book. I would sleep a lot better at night, knowing that there wasn’t anyone else out there that could have been working with Marlene.
Jasper
Iknewtheothersliked being at the palace because of its additional space. Still, I preferred the intimate solitude of the hunting cabin. Steam swirled from my hot, black cup of coffee as I sat on a stump and watched Mor and Jace face off for their morning spar.
They were practicing the new trick Jace had discovered. Using a combination of demon and vampire powers, they could dissipate into shadow and shift their form. It allowed them to change their appearance more rapidly than a demon could. And they could reform without the need to regrow cells.
Mor and Jace used the skill to turn into part-human, part-animal abominations.
“Fox tails are fluffier, Fox,” Justice said as he inspected her newest attempt.
Mor sat on the forest floor, resembling a cat-sized sphinx more than a fox. Justice hurried over to stroke his hand along the sharp spikes of orange fur that curled around her.
“Think lots of hair,” Justice suggested.
Shadows swirled around her, blocking my view. They whisked away into the woods, leaving a fluffy orange ball.
“Think less hair, Fox.”
I laughed, taking another sip of my coffee before pulling out my phone to research the hunt I wanted to propose to the packs.
“What the fuck is that?” Ryan shouted. He had gotten close enough to look at Mor’s current form.
“That,” I said, pointing while I beamed with pride, “is my mate.”
A combination of disgusted confusion crossed Ryan’s face as he stopped beside me. He watched Mor as she turned back to shadow for another attempt. Behind Mor, Jace flapped his arms, practicing flying motions under Justice’s instruction.
We looked like we belonged in a fucking madhouse.
Springfield and Zeb joined Ryan, staring at my pack.
“I’m not even going to ask if that is what it looks like. Because, honestly, I don’t even know what the fuck that looks like,” Zeb breathed with a puzzled look.
