something?”
“Yes,” she said. “Or it could be a vision. Something that could happen in the future.”
I stood on wobbly legs.
“Where are you going?” Lailah asked.
“I don’t know. I… Crap on toast. This can’t be happening to me.” Kat gave me a pitying look, and I just about lost it. “Don’t look at me like that. Jeez.”
“Sorry,” Kat said.
I flopped back into the chair, too frustrated to do anything else.
“Okay, just relax,” Lailah said. “It’s probably the curse. Once we figure out how to get rid of it, you’ll be fine.”
“And how are we going to do that? We have no idea who cast it.”
“We know it was an angel, and that’s a start. Now, why don’t you tell me exactly what happened in the angel realm?”
“What do you know?” I fingered the piping on the armchair.
“Not much. Once you went missing, I stormed the angel realm to talk to Chessa, but she wouldn’t see me. And when I insisted, she spelled me back to earth and banned me from the realm until further notice.”
“What a bitch,” I said without any heat. I was beyond being outraged by what the high angel did.
“Pretty much.” Lailah shrugged and poured herself a cup of tea. “But I’m dying to hear what happened.”
I sat back and explained how my own father had insisted we be kept in the room where time stood still and how it had felt like we’d only been there for minutes before we busted out, presumably with the help of Jasper.
“Jasper is Chessandra’s assistant?” Lailah’s light eyebrows shot up her forehead. “You’re kidding.”
I shook my head. “Nope. That’s what he said. Why?”
She chewed on her lower lip. “Well, she’s usually really particular. I’ve never known her to choose a male assistant, either, since she forces them to do everything, including help her get dressed. It’s unusual is all.”
“Do you think he’s lying?”
“Probably not.” Lucien added, “It would be too easy to check. I’ll do it now.” He got up, whipped his phone out of his pocket, and disappeared into the kitchen with the phone pressed to his ear.
“Who’s he calling?” I asked.
“Chessa’s office, I suppose,” Lailah said.
“He can do that?” How come I hadn’t known that?
“Only through the Witch’s Council. He has connections there.” Lailah rose from her chair, crossed the room, and dug out a notebook. “What else did Jasper say?”
“He thinks Chessa’s up to no good and wants to be our informant with the understanding that we help him find Avery. She’s his fiancée.”
Lailah’s eyes gleamed as she scribbled something down. “You know what this means?”
I shook my head.
“We just got our first lead.”
Chapter 11
Kane
Malstord lunged forward, swinging wildly. I jumped back, gratified when he fell off balance and stumbled headfirst right into my path. With a quick jab, I slashed, leaving a deep cut across his ribcage.
He let out a loud roar, the sound echoing through the warehouse.
“Is that all you got, crater face?” I taunted, referring to the deep wrinkles of his leathery skin.
Green fire danced in his eyes as he circled me. Then he balanced on the balls of his feet and reached out an arm with lighting speed, his talons slicing through my shirt and the skin beneath. I barely felt it with the adrenaline fueling me and twisted, catching him just above the hip with one of my daggers.
Despite the hit he took, the demon twisted with me and clamped his claw down on my forearm, yanking my arm behind me, no doubt attempting to either break it or bring me to my knees. But instead of fighting, I went with it, throwing both of us to the floor. Limbs flew, each of us receiving our share of blows.
By the time I scrambled away from him enough to get back on my feet, blood was pouring into my left eye and pain pounded in my right knee. There was no time to regroup.
The demon came at me, his arms out as he reached for my neck. I feinted left, ducked, and
“Yes,” she said. “Or it could be a vision. Something that could happen in the future.”
I stood on wobbly legs.
“Where are you going?” Lailah asked.
“I don’t know. I… Crap on toast. This can’t be happening to me.” Kat gave me a pitying look, and I just about lost it. “Don’t look at me like that. Jeez.”
“Sorry,” Kat said.
I flopped back into the chair, too frustrated to do anything else.
“Okay, just relax,” Lailah said. “It’s probably the curse. Once we figure out how to get rid of it, you’ll be fine.”
“And how are we going to do that? We have no idea who cast it.”
“We know it was an angel, and that’s a start. Now, why don’t you tell me exactly what happened in the angel realm?”
“What do you know?” I fingered the piping on the armchair.
“Not much. Once you went missing, I stormed the angel realm to talk to Chessa, but she wouldn’t see me. And when I insisted, she spelled me back to earth and banned me from the realm until further notice.”
“What a bitch,” I said without any heat. I was beyond being outraged by what the high angel did.
“Pretty much.” Lailah shrugged and poured herself a cup of tea. “But I’m dying to hear what happened.”
I sat back and explained how my own father had insisted we be kept in the room where time stood still and how it had felt like we’d only been there for minutes before we busted out, presumably with the help of Jasper.
“Jasper is Chessandra’s assistant?” Lailah’s light eyebrows shot up her forehead. “You’re kidding.”
I shook my head. “Nope. That’s what he said. Why?”
She chewed on her lower lip. “Well, she’s usually really particular. I’ve never known her to choose a male assistant, either, since she forces them to do everything, including help her get dressed. It’s unusual is all.”
“Do you think he’s lying?”
“Probably not.” Lucien added, “It would be too easy to check. I’ll do it now.” He got up, whipped his phone out of his pocket, and disappeared into the kitchen with the phone pressed to his ear.
“Who’s he calling?” I asked.
“Chessa’s office, I suppose,” Lailah said.
“He can do that?” How come I hadn’t known that?
“Only through the Witch’s Council. He has connections there.” Lailah rose from her chair, crossed the room, and dug out a notebook. “What else did Jasper say?”
“He thinks Chessa’s up to no good and wants to be our informant with the understanding that we help him find Avery. She’s his fiancée.”
Lailah’s eyes gleamed as she scribbled something down. “You know what this means?”
I shook my head.
“We just got our first lead.”
Chapter 11
Kane
Malstord lunged forward, swinging wildly. I jumped back, gratified when he fell off balance and stumbled headfirst right into my path. With a quick jab, I slashed, leaving a deep cut across his ribcage.
He let out a loud roar, the sound echoing through the warehouse.
“Is that all you got, crater face?” I taunted, referring to the deep wrinkles of his leathery skin.
Green fire danced in his eyes as he circled me. Then he balanced on the balls of his feet and reached out an arm with lighting speed, his talons slicing through my shirt and the skin beneath. I barely felt it with the adrenaline fueling me and twisted, catching him just above the hip with one of my daggers.
Despite the hit he took, the demon twisted with me and clamped his claw down on my forearm, yanking my arm behind me, no doubt attempting to either break it or bring me to my knees. But instead of fighting, I went with it, throwing both of us to the floor. Limbs flew, each of us receiving our share of blows.
By the time I scrambled away from him enough to get back on my feet, blood was pouring into my left eye and pain pounded in my right knee. There was no time to regroup.
The demon came at me, his arms out as he reached for my neck. I feinted left, ducked, and
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