Page 154 of Halfblood Deceived

Andreas rolled his eyes.

Sebastian chuckled quietly.

Aylana shook her head, lips set in a wry curve.

“So, don’t you think we should strike before they magic the ruins of that church again?” Lex asked.

Aylana gave him a wickedly amused, canine-displaying smile. “Actually, that’s exactly what we’re waiting for.”

“Aylana here got some fun spells from Lizzy, one of her moms,” Sebastian explained, smiling at his soulmate as he always did—as if she were the rising sun after an endless night. “She encapsulated them in a few runestones and we hid them in the church.”

“The foul energy tainting the church and Ancora, in general, would have devoured the magic in the crystals in two more nights,” Aylana confirmed with a shrug. “Luckily, we didn’t have to wait that long.”

Lex wrinkled his nose. “I’m not sure fighting a dozen gargoyles can ever be considered as lucky, but alright.”

Kam hummed. “Agreed.”

“Look at that. They’re getting their spell books ready,” Evan murmured.

The three middle-aged priests were indeed holding their grimoires open, standing outside the church in a semicircle with the gargoyles beside them.

Kerian clicked his tongue. “Fucking predictable, the lot of them.”

“But such predictability can be good sometimes,” said a familiar voice right behind them.

They all turned to find Diana approaching. She wore loose fighting leathers, her eyes bright with red magic, which she’d used to cloak her presence from them.

Sebastian had told Zeydan one of Diana’s skills was to mask her presence from gargoyles and supernaturals alike for short periods. Something unusual, but all rules were off with halfbloods.

Kam blinked at Diana. “What are you doing here? Didn’t I leave you in charge of Hecate?”

Diana leaned her shoulder against the wall next to Kamilla, crossing her arms. “You did, and you also hugged me and told me you were happy to have met me.”

Mari grinned. “Aww, the sentimental dumbfuckery runs in the family.”

“Need I remind you that you are risking your teeny, tiny arse to protect all of us sentimental idiots, Mari?” Zeydan asked with an arched brow.

“Looks like there’s a heart in there somewhere, Marigold,” Andreas drawled.

Mari leaned in so close to Andreas that their noses brushed. “I am going to turn you into a rainbow-colored pig.”

Andreas flashed his canines at her. “No, you won’t.”

“At this point, I think any flat surface available would be enough for you two,” Lex said wryly.

Andreas and Mari turned to glare at him.

“So in sync,” Kerian teased.

“You are not convincing us not to ship you,” Evan commented.

“Mari and Andreas, sitting in a tree,” Sebastian chanted under his breath. “K. I. S. S. I. N. G.”

Aylana’s shoulders shook with contained laughter. Kam and Diana grinned at a still-scowling Mari. Andreas flashed his teeth at Sebastian and hissed.

The distant sound of three voices chanting in Latin sobered them all.

“It’s starting,” Diana muttered.

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