Unfortunately, things didn’t work that way—at least not with the Reaper. Luke couldn’t control him. Another deal, long ago. But he didn’t reveal that truth to Leo. Instead, he said, “Summon him? Why? So you can try and take her away from me? Try and convince her—once more—that she should fear me? Hate me?”
Leo stared him straight in the eye. “She should. She should fear you. She should hate you.” His shoulders sagged. “Just as she should hate me.”
Because they both knew the truth.
“We will destroy her,” Leo whispered.
And, one day…each other.
“Sometimes,” Luke said as he tipped back his head and glared up at the black smoke. “I fucking hate prophesies.”
Chapter Ten
“Summon the fucking hunter,” Leo snarled.
His twin was always so impatient. Didn’t he get that was a major character flaw? One of many that Leo possessed?
“Stop jerking me around. He’s one of yours, so call him.”
Luke sighed. “Yes, the Reaper is one of mine.” Which meant he should be able to control the bastard. But…Doesn’t work that way. So instead of a big confession about how he’d made a previous deal—or a few previous deals with the Reaper, Luke lied. He was good at lying. “I think her magic is affecting him.”
Leo stood in the middle of that wreckage. “What?”
“I suspected it would happen when I sent him after her.” Luke tapped his chin. “Only to be expected really. I mean, she paid for magic to hide herself from us.”
Leo growled. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
There’s plenty you don’t know, brother. “We can’t find her unless we’re ten feet in front of her. That’s the spell she crafted.” He’d learned that after a lot of careful research. “Well, since the hunter is with her now, her magic is acting like an umbrella, covering him, too. When he’s near her, I can’t see him, either. She cloaks him.” Luke thought that sounded like a good enough excuse. Better than…So, yeah, once upon a time, I gave him a few magical upgrades.
Leo began to pace. “I had her, in New Orleans. Couldn’t believe my eyes. It had been so long. And he stood there, putting himself between us. He was so determined to get her back to you.”
Luke nodded, satisfied. “And he will bring her to me. I’m betting Cass has no idea that Amber called out to us. If she hadn’t been scared as all hell, she wouldn’t have.” And that pissed him off. He’d told the Reaper to take care with her. Amber should have known no fear. “But she’s okay. He has her, I’m sure of it. And he will complete the mission for me.”
“You don’t know that.” Leo turned and paced to the left. “He could walk away from you. If he stays with her…hell, you’ll never be able to control him. They could go anywhere.”
“He won’t do that.” Luke crossed his arms over his chest. “Have a little faith, would you?”
That got to Leo, just as Luke had known the taunt would. Leo surged toward Luke. “What makes you so sure?”
“Because I promised him the thing that he wants most in the world. And he will trade Amber to get that.”
“What? What do you have?”
Luke smiled grimly. “Someone he can touch, with his own hands. Someone who won’t be afraid of his monster. He wants a mate, and he made a deal with me. He won’t go back on that deal.”
But Leo’s eyelids flickered. “Love? Is that what this is about?”
“It’s about a great many things…” He looked up at the sky. “That plane up there has been circling us for a quite a while now. You know what I want to do? I want to find out who’s spying on me.” So he spread his wings, let them shoot out of his back, and then Luke flew straight up into the air. He reached the plane in seconds and saw a familiar figure inside.
Gregory? Gregory Cethin? Why in the hell was the vamp circling him like a vulture? Luke ripped open the small door and wind whipped inside the plane.
“Luke?” Fear shook Gregory’s voice. “Wh-what are you doing here?”
Luke’s wings flapped. “I was going to ask you the same thing…”
***
“I need to shower off the blood.” They were in some no-tell motel, after having driven hell fast for hours. They’d made it to Florida, and taken refuge in the first quiet spot they’d found. Cass knew they wouldn’t have long to rest, and he was fucking sick of having his own blood soaking his clothes. His body had healed completely, but the blood still stained his skin and garments. Trying to keep his voice soft, he said, “Why don’t you just rest a bit on the bed?”
Her lips quirked. “Sorry, but I think that bed is more than five feet from the shower.”
Shit. The magical link. “Amber…”
“I want to shower off, too,” she said, tilting back her head and the thick mass of her hair slid over her shoulders. “Think it will be big enough for two?”
He stopped. Just—stopped breathing. His heart stopped beating. Everything in him just stopped for a moment.
“Unless…that’s a problem for you?”
Fuck me. His heart raced in a double-time rhythm, his breath came too fast, and his cock shoved against the front of his jeans. “Not a problem.” Not at all. “I can wear the gloves. I can keep my hands off you—”