“Right now none of that matters,” Kynan said, because they didn’t have time to argue. “What matters is stopping Byzamoth. And trust me, you need Wraith to do that.”
Muffled grumbles rose up in the Aegis ranks. Val held up his hand; everyone went silent. “He’s right. We need to concentrate on the situation at hand.”
Kynan swore the house breathed a sigh of relief. Still, the room was way too crowded with mortal enemies. And Serena didn’t look comfortable in bed, where the state of the sheets and the discarded clothes on the floor told an X-rated story.
“Let’s clear out,” Kynan said. “We only need a few players in here.”
There was some discussion between the Elders and Guardians, and then most of them filed out, leaving only Val and his son, David. Gem and Tayla left to keep an eye on things outside. Reaver had come in, stood at the end of the bed, watching Serena with sad eyes.
Calmer now, Wraith sat on the edge of the bed, holding Serena’s hand. Still, he locked gazes with Val, who cleared his throat imperiously.
“The city of Jerusalem is being evacuated. Hundreds of Aegis and military teams will be in place at the Temple Mount in a matter of hours,” Val said to Wraith. “I assume you’ll use a Harrowgate to make it on time?”
“Duh.”
Shade sighed, and Eidolon rubbed his temples.
“You will distract Byzamoth so The Aegis can retrieve the amulet. Should you gain possession of it, you will immediately hand it over to a Guardian.”
Kynan winced as Wraith came to his feet. “Blow me. This isn’t your show, and I don’t take orders from slayers.”
“Josh. Val.” Serena’s thin voice drew everyone’s attention. The dark circles beneath her eyes seemed to have grown ten times worse in the last few minutes. “Just… get the necklace. Don’t fight.”
Wraith nodded and took her hand, and was it Ky’s imagination, or did her arm look thinner, more fragile? “Sorry.” He slid Val a covert glare, as if upsetting Serena had been entirely the human’s fault.
The room fell silent except for the sound of her raspy breaths, until Reaver spoke up. “I’m going with you.”
E cocked an eyebrow. “I thought you couldn’t help.”
“Fuck that.”
“How can you help, angel?” Wraith asked, and both Val and David gaped.
“Angel?” David echoed.
“Fallen. Don’t get excited.” Reaver shook his head. “I can fight him, but I can’t do it alone. He’s stronger than I am. He’s drawing on the power of evil. I, on the other hand, can’t claim the power of the Heavens or Hell.”
Wraith tucked Serena against him and ran his palm up and down her arm. “So we tag team him.”
“We tag team him,” Reaver agreed.
E clapped Wraith on the back. “I’m going with you. Tay, Luc, and Ky are coming with us. There’ll be a lot of casualties.”
They’d decided not to send Shade, because his medical gift would be needed here to care for Serena, and Gem was staying behind to help. All of the Guardians would remain in what was now Central Command. They would be responsible for calling in reinforcements, providing situation reports to Aegis cells worldwide, and basically, acting as the second line of defense should Wraith fail.
Of course, should Wraith fail, a second line wouldn’t make a drop of difference.
“Game on, then,” Wraith said. “We leave together. But Shade? No one takes Serena anywhere.” Wraith glared at Val, his voice dripping with warning. “No one.”
Shade crossed his arms over his broad chest, moved to the head of the bed, and nodded. “No one.”
Wraith kissed Serena so tenderly that something lurched in Kynan’s chest. He’d never in a million years have believed that Wraith could feel so strongly about anyone, especially a human. That the woman was dying only made the situation more unbelievable—and tragic.
Kynan thought of Gem and wondered what he’d do if he found out she was dying. God, he’d probably wither up and die with her.
Screw that. He wasn’t going to lose her to death or to anything else. Not now, and since things here seemed to be under control, he slipped out of the room.
In the living room, he walked into a tension soup. Four Guardians stood on one side of the room, Luc on the other, and all were glaring. The Guardians couldn’t know Luc was a werewolf, but they knew he was there with the Sem brothers, so they’d naturally assume he was some sort of baddie.
Ky pulled Luc aside. “Have you seen Gem?”
“Not my day to watch her.” Luc growled when one of the Guardians not-so-casually drew his stang and tested the edge. “But I saw her go into the kitchen a minute ago.”
Luc’s gaze went right back to a female Guardian standing near a window, and strangely enough, her gaze was fixed just as intently on him.
“What’s going on?” Kynan asked.
Luc smiled, which was little more than a baring of his teeth. “She’s a warg. She knows I know, but I’m guessing her human buddies don’t know. She’s afraid I’ll tell.”
“Are you going to?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
Luc’s voice dropped an octave. “Whether or not she gives me what I want.”