Page 56 of Silver Claw

I pulled my demon blade, and it was burning so bright and hot that the vampire elder shielded his eyes. The demon elder half rose from his seat, the scarlet of his stare reflecting the fire of the blade.

I thought he might come for it.

I wished he would.

“My dear,” the vampire called. “There is no fight here for you. Take your rage out on the siphoner and the hybrid, and we will return to you your vampire. Go now, while you can.”

I tilted my head and my smile caused even that ancient power to flinch. “Do none of you know me at all? Did you really think I would slink out of here and do your bidding hoping that I could trust you not to hurt him? That I could trust you to give him back to me?” I shook my head. “When I leave this place, it will be with Joe at my side.”

They only stared at me, silent.

“You’ve made a mistake,” I said. “I might have asked Anika to see you. I’d already planned on taking care of Gavin Voss. I’d have brought him to you, because that’s more punishment than death could ever be. But now, you’re the enemy. I’m going to retrieve my friend, and then I’m going to burn this place down. I hope you’re in it when it goes.”

“Kait,” Ael said, almost gently, “we are a council of power. We are the masters of lesser supernaturals. We have rules that govern us, and therefore you have protections in place, beingwhat you are. But that does not mean we cannot hurt you. Stand down, pup, before we send you back to your people in pieces.”

He sounded honestly amazed that I was threatening to take them on. Astonished that I would even entertain for a second the belief that I might be able to hurt them, a panel of elders.

Ti had known, and she hadn’t wanted to watch the fallout.

Coward.

But smart or not, I would never even think about leaving Joe in the hands of a bunch of savage assholes. I would fight for him, and I had to believe I could get him back, or I would crumble.

He’d have done the same for me.

And I would give him my best.

Guards slipped from the back of the dais, some of them standing behind the elders, some of them, dark, faceless shapes, slipping down the steps on either side of the stage. Two of them urged the vampire elder up and rushed him away.

Ael and Kronor the demon stayed put, but the other elder left his seat, almost reluctantly, and walked away. He didn’t seem scared. He glanced at Ael, who shook his head and waved him away.

Apparently, he believed that he and the demon elder were more than enough to teach me a lesson.

I wasn’t planning on staying and fighting the two elders. They’d subdue me, humiliate me, hurt me, then throw me out of the building bloody and half out of my mind. And the demon elder would take my blade.

No. I was going to search for Joe.

If they wanted to get their hands—or their magic—on me, they’d have to catch me first. Much like the hybrid bastard they wanted me to bring them.

I whirled as Ael lifted a hand, a foggy magic beginning to dance around his palm, and ran toward the door. The guards simply watched, waiting for a command that didn’t come.

“Good girl,” Ael called. “Good pup.”

He thought I was running away from him. That I was leaving Joe behind.

“Adorable,” I muttered.

I burst from the room and instead of turning right, I ran left to follow the hallways that led deeper into the building. I shut out all the distant sounds of moaning and crying and screaming. I ignored the shadowy vampires who seemed to lurk around every corner and in every shadow.

I knew Joe, and my wolf had his scent. It was the still lingering human scent, subtle and fading, but still a part of him. And my wolf would be able to follow that scent better than I would.

Reluctantly, I sheathed my demon blade and shifted, then lifted my nose to the air. I pulled in and discarded every scent I got until finally, I latched onto Joe.

It took maybe two minutes before the elders realized what I was doing. I knew, because the supernatural guards wouldn’t have started trying to stop me without orders from their bosses.

Still, as I raced down hallway after hallway, there were surprisingly few attacks. I figured it was because the elders were coming. They’d want me tired and bloody before they kicked my ass and threw me out the door.

I had desperation fueling me, and my wolf didn’t need magic to fight. She had her teeth and claws, her speed and strength, and her need to protect herself. And more than anything else, she wanted to get to Joe.