Page 20 of Beauty At Stake
Rue, who was still giving Killian little side-glares, waved toward the house. “They went inside.” He looked at Nassar and added, “Looks like she doesn't like guys who offer to open doors for her.”
“A modern woman.” Nassar nodded. “I'm down with that.”
“Enough.” Star straightened out of his lean, his expression going serious. “The order is given, and you will follow it.” We need someone alive so we can find that fucking Demon.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” The Demons came to attention, all of them focused on their king.
Their king looked at me for my next order.
“Can your team lalek the extinguishers past the gate?” I asked.
Star looked at his people and nodded.
“Partner up,” Killian said to the extinguishers. “You know the drill. And let's go already. Those fairies are in there, making us look bad.”
I grabbed Killian and laleked him into the yard, right next to the house. A window was to my right. Leaning over, I peeked inside. There was light coming from the back of the house and the sound of soft conversation. Wherever the hunters were—the fairy hunters, not the vampire hunters—they knew better than to strike without us.
Killian held out his hand. I took it and laleked us once more, this time into the house. As I mentioned earlier, laleking and laruking (the Angel equivalent) came in handy. As soon as we reformed, I sent out my Demon radar, but I still didn't sense any in the house. Only those circling it. I shook my head at Killian. Our prey wasn't on the premises.
Then I saw the glamour of a fairy nearby. I motioned at the hunter and moved toward the light with Killian. We wentdown a corridor, clearing rooms as we passed them, and finally came to a large living room that opened to the backyard. The sound of the ocean rolled in, adding to the soft ambiance of filtered lamp light. Although the living room was lit, the vampire hunters were in the backyard, lounging on wooden chairs and drinking bottled beer as they enjoyed the sparkling ocean view. The three that we had captured earlier weren't with them.
I held back.
“What is it?” Kill whispered.
I shrugged. Then I whispered into my comm device, “Is the property clear?”
“Only five humans in the backyard,” Star's voice came through my earpiece.
“Waiting on your go, Ambassador,” Sullivan said.
“Star, send five of your people to grab the humans and take them back to the vex house.”
“To the vex house where the last bunch escaped?”
“Fine. Take them to Hell.”
Killian's eyes went wide.
Star was silent a moment. Then he said, “We'll take them to the vex house.”
“Good.” I winked at Killian. “Everyone else, stay alert.”
“Copy,” Star said, turning that single word into ear-sex.
Killian rolled his eyes.
I crept to the living room doorway and watched the yard. Five Demons appeared suddenly, each behind one of the humans. The vampire hunters barely had the time to gasp before they vanished in a rain of embers.
No one else moved. We just waited. Watched. We were all professionals, and we knew better than to move in immediately.
After three minutes, I said, “All right, let's search the house.”
Fairy hunters dropped their glamours, seeming to pop into existence, and extinguishers came into the house from the yard. No one had to be told to split up and search the property, nor did anyone get in anyone else's way. It all went smoothly.
Star came in behind the extinguishers. He looked around, then at me. “I'm going back to the vex house to supervise. If the Demon tries another prison break, I'll be waiting for him.”
“I think he's called it a night,” I said. “He didn't come here to warn the rest of his people. So, he's probably with the other three—either ensuring their safety or the opposite.”
