Page 82 of Another Damned Storm
“Yeah, but it’s not like that makes them anymoreof a threat, does it? I mean, they already want us dead.”
He tipped his head back and drummed the fingers of one big hand on his opposite arm. “I believe it might make Lapalme more dangerous,” he said, before meeting my gaze again. “The terms of his exile are that he cannot return to the Brethren until the human bloodline he created ends. Naturally. Until that time, he is not to interfere in any way. No contact. No influence.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “That ship has sailed.”
“So it would seem. If he is doing as you say…” He shook his head. “His exile from the Brethren will be made permanent.”
That sounded ominous. How would a band of ancient immortal demons go about permanently exiling one of their own?
Hook pulled me into his side a little tighter, and I was too damned tired to put up a fuss about it. “Lapalme has nothing left to lose,” he said.
“Yeah,” Matt added. “If his goal was to be reunited with his brothers and he knows he got caught breaking the rules? He’s gotta know he’s toast.”
I shook my head. “He only knows that Hook and I know, not that Emerson does. But that’s not everything. Back when this all started for us, someone had to summon Petra from the Nassa. It wasn’t Matt,” I said, tipping my head toward my brother. “And it wasn’t me.”
The ancient demon leveled me with a look. “You think it might have been Lapalme?”
“Who else would know how? Or have a reason to?” I shrugged. “I mean, when I fought her in the park that very first night, she knew I was a Darling. She said the name.”
“You’re certain? It’s been a long time.” His words were skeptical, but there was no disrespect in his tone.
“That was less than a year ago for me,” I reminded him. “And if you don’t trust my faulty human memory, ask Lily. She was there.”
The tigress dipped her head and let out another reassuring chuff.
“Well.” He inhaled deeply through his nose, his wide chest expanding. “That is certainly an interesting theory.” Something in his voice sent a ripple of warning skittering across my skin.
“You don’t believe us?” I asked.
“On the contrary, I believe Lapalme is more than capable ofdoing the things you suggest.” He glanced between us. “I was able to track his recent movements and discovered he’s been flashing to Charleston almost daily over the last several months. As well as to several other locations where we’ve been seeing unusual spikes in demon attacks and uprisings.”
“Is he raising an army or something?” That was the last fucking thing we needed.
Emerson shook his head. “Doubtful. An army would draw too much attention to one place. These hotspots feel more like distractions than anything.”
“Stretching the Brethren’s resources thin,” Hook said.
He pressed his lips into a flat line. “Essentially. I think that’s how he’s been able to keep the rest of us from noticing what he’s been up to in your neck of the woods.”
“Well, army or not, we have to do something. He and Thrain can’t just be allowed to rain hell down on my city,” I said.
But it wasn’t really my city anymore, was it? It belonged to the people who had been there, like Matt and Lily.
“Do you understand how much power you’ll need to take on a rising god and a primordial demon yourselves?” Emerson asked.
I glanced between Matt and Lily, but it was Lily who spoke up. “We have people and power, but any kind of attack or operation will only work if the humans are willing to work with us, instead of us sticking to our designated parts of the park.”
An expression I couldn’t read darkened Matt’s face. “Only a handful of them are purists.”
“You mean anti-shifter,” she corrected. “And anti-magic.”
He ground his teeth. “I’m not having this argument again, Lily. Some people are afraid of what shifters and witches can do, but it’s not just that. It all came out at once. Shifters, demons, witches, magic. It’s a lot to accept when the city isbasically under siege every day or every other day. It’s going to take some people more time to come around than others.”
“And some people just hate us because we’re different,” she fired back. “Which, in case you’ve forgotten, makes them a threat to you too.”
He clenched his jaw so tight a muscle in his neck started to twitch. “I haven’t forgotten anything,” he bit out before breaking eye contact and rolling his shoulders back. “I will talk to them. Given what Thrain and Lapalme are up to, I should be able to convince most of them that working together will give us our best shot of ending this nightmare.”
“What about the ones who won’t?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
