Page 44 of Queen of Darkness
“You’re also carrying the first child of a shifter god to be born in millennia,” I countered, crossing my arms.
If there was one person in the world who outstubborned Dani, it was me, and I wasn’t about to cave now.
“I’m also a god now,” Dani ground out. “I can take care of myself.”
“Gods can die,” I whispered, reminding her of how she’d come into her power. “I won’t be responsible for that. Not unless absolutely necessary.”
“And this was necessary?”
“This?” I said, waving at the bodies. “This wasn’t what I called you for, though your assistance in cleaning it up would be appreciated.”
Dani tilted her head at me, eyes narrowing. “Whatdidyou call us for, then?”
I swallowed. “You’re not going to like it.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“You’re right,” Dani said, scrutinizing my face. “I’m not going to like it. How bad is it?”
“Bad,” I whispered, looking behind us as the building began to smoke, the fires from the underground storage area finally making their way to the surface.
“We need to clean up and get out of here,” Aaron said, coming up to me and holding my hand.
Dani’s eyes darted swiftly to our joined hands, though she didn’t say anything. I knew I’d get the fifth degree about it later. When there weren’t any boys around. Presumably, Aaron and Vir would exchange a few grunts about it, too, or whatever it was guys did to acknowledge changes like that.
“Give us a second,” Dani said. “Just your friendly neighborhood cleanup crew, that’s us.”
“Next thing I know, you’re going to start charging for this service,” I said as purple magic began to glow from Dani’s hands.
“Good idea,” she muttered, focusing most of her attention on the magic. “But do we charge by the body or by the hour?”
“As long as there’s a friends and family discount.”
She glanced back at me. “You planning on racking up some more or something?”
“Not on this realm,” I whispered as she cast her power over the nearest body, searing it cleanly into ash that swiftly blew away on the night breeze.
Nearby, Vir was doing the same.
“Where’s this one?” Dani asked, pointing at a giant pool of blood lacking a body.
“Shit,” I muttered, picking up a shell casing from nearby and pocketing it. A quick search nearby revealed two more.
“Shit,what?” Dani asked.
“They took him with them,” Aaron said. “Which means he isn’t dead. Tough bastard.”
“Who?”
“Corvis,” I spat. “Elenia’s chief fixer.”
“The Black Nacht,” Aaron supplied when Vir looked confused at the term. “Head of her personal guard.”
“I’d really hoped we were rid of him,” I said. “It was so satisfying watching you shoot him like that. Such a lame way for him to die. I found it fitting.”
“I guess we’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way,” Aaron growled, looking down at the pool of blood before Dani scorched the pavement, removing the last signs of battle. There would be questions, but none that could be traced back to us.
Flames licked up from inside the building now.
