“Did you?”
Dion’s back straightened. “No, I did not. Have I hired hunters to acquire things for me in the past? Yes. Did I hire them to steal wings that your mate does not possess? No.”
Knox twisted his mouth. “From what I’ve heard, you lack the sort of ethics that would hold you back from doing such a thing.”
“I don’t claim to have many morals, but I am not a stupid man. Targeting your mate would be the height of stupidity.”
“It would. But maybe you’re also a man who feels you’re untouchable. Maybe you feel that sending encrypted emails protects your identity.”
Dion’s mouth tightened. “I did not hire those hunters.”
“If it wasn’t you, Mr. Boughton, who could it have been?”
“I truly don’t know. I do not concern myself much with the outside world. I prefer my own company. But it seems obvious to me that the Horsemen would be responsible, whoever they are.”
“Oh, I believe there’s a very good chance that this person is one of the Horsemen,” said Knox. “If I can identify who hired these demons, maybe I can identify one of the Horsemen.”
“I have no idea who it could be. If I did, I would tell you. I don’t like that a group of demons are conspiring against the Primes any more than you do.”
“I’d like to believe you, Mr. Boughton, I really would. But it seems quite a coincidence to me that a person who collects sphinx wings also uses encrypted emails to communicate with hunters… just as the demon who I seek does.”
Flushing, Dion said, “I am not the only person who uses that technique to protect my identity. In fact, I learned it from my old Prime.”
Knox’s muscles tensed. “And just who is your old Prime?”
“Thatcher.”
Son of a bitch.
Sitting on the swing, five-year-old Heidi glared at her brother’s back. She’d told him she was hungry and wanted to go home, and he’d promised her they’d leave in ten minutes. That was ages ago. Robbie was still at the other side of the playground, leaning against the monkey bars, flirting with girls.
Heidi rolled her eyes and pretended to gag. She could hear them laughing, even though it was kind of loud with the swing creaking, the kids shouting, and the parents talking. She’d bet the girls wouldn’t find him so funny if they knew about his “secret” magazine collection.
Maybe she should go over there and tell the girls that he just wanted to “get laid”. Heidi might not know what exactly that meant, but she figured it had something to do with him not being a virgo anymore… or was it a virgin? She shrugged.
Yeah, she’d tell the girls. Then she and Robbie could finally go home. He wouldn’t like it, and that would make it more awesome.
Laughing to herself, she held the bumpy chain links tight and twisted herself around, laughing even louder when the swing bounced back around. And now there was a man standing in front of her, smiling. A demon. She dug her heels into the dirt, bringing the swing to a halt.
“You’re Heidi, right?”
She didn’t say anything. Just stared at him. He had a nice smile, she thought.
“You’re Harper’s cousin.”
He knew Harper?
“She told me about you,” he said. “You really do look like a little angel, don’t you? It’s all that long white-blonde hair, the rosy cheeks, and those pretty blue eyes.”
Her eyes were aquamarine actually, but she didn’t say that. She bit her lip and said in a wobbly voice, “You’re really tall.”
Smiling softly, he squatted in front of her. “That better?”
She nodded and gave him a shy smile.
“My name’s Dean. I’m one of Knox’s sentinels.”
Heidi frowned. “I thought he only had four sentinels.” She’d met them all. Keenan was the funniest.
“He used to, but now he needs more to make sure Harper’s protected. I was just at your grandmother’s house. She asked me to tell you that you need to come back inside. Harper was attacked again.”
Again?
“Hunters tried to steal her wings. She’s okay, but your grandmother is upset and she’s worried.” He reached out to grab her arm. “Come on, I’ll walk you —”
“Stranger!” she bellowed in his face. “Stranger danger! Gun! Fire!”
“Little bitch,” he spat, yanking her off the swing.
Heidi screamed and screamed and screamed until a horrible ringing sound filled the air. Blood started to come out of his ears, and that was why she wasn’t supposed to use that scream – it could burst people’s eardrums and even make windows smash, but Heidi didn’t want the bad man to take her. With a loud shout, he let her go. She hit the ground hard, and stopped screaming.
“Heidi!” It was Robbie’s voice, and he was close. The man ran into the trees, and some people chased after him.
Robbie helped her stand. “Are you okay? He tried to take you?”
She nodded. “My butt hurts.”
Robbie’s face went hard. “I’ll kill him.”
The people who’d ran after the bad man came back, panting. One of them shrugged and said, “He’s gone.”
Robbie growled. “He’s what?”
The human shoved a hand through his hair, looking baffled. “It was like he just… disappeared. He’s gone.”
Leaning forward in the overstuffed armchair, Harper lifted her mug of tea from the mahogany coffee table and blew over the rim. “Thanks, Grams.”
Jolene smiled from her spot on the couch, one leg crossed over the other. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
Harper took a sip of the tea. She’d asked for coffee, but Jolene had insisted that she needed something to help her “relax”. Really, she didn’t need the tea to relax – not when she was at Jolene’s house, even though her head was pounding. It was a place she loved; a place where she’d always felt safe; a place that always seemed to smell of coffee, cookies, and lavender.
If the scent of Jolene’s infamous cookies wasn’t enough to make a person feel welcome, they’d certainly feel put at ease by the homey feel to the place. The earthy colors, throw cushions, fleecy blankets, cherished keepsakes, and framed photos – it was a home, not just a house, and that was no doubt what often drew so many of their family and lair there.
Ironically, part of what made it feel so safe for Harper was that it was a constant hub of activity. Her relatives were always coming and going, and it had always made Harper feel protected and secure. It wasn’t something she could explain – it just was.
Jolene studied her closely. “You seem better today.”
“I feel it.” She was still tired, but not weary. If the headache would just fuck off, she’d feel even better.
“Stress has a powerful impact on the body.”
“I’m not stressed.”
“I would be in your shoes,” said Martina, who was beside Jolene with her legs curled under her. “You’ve been surrounded by danger since Knox walked into your life.”
“You blame him?”
“Not at all,” said Martina. “He’s not at fault for the actions of others. You know better than to think I’d judge him like that.”
Smiling, Harper teased, “You mean because you, the wondrous firestarter, isn’t in a position to judge anyone for anything?”