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sword and tensed.
Logan burst onto the rooftop and stepped dead in his tracks when he saw them. His hands bunched up
into fists. “What did you do to her?”
Will laughed. “A vampire did this, not me.”
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Angelic Surrender
Anjali lifted her head and forced a smile for her friend. “I’ll live.” Then she turned to him. “Which
way did she go?”
The stench of death hung in the air from the east. “Toward Central Park.”
“She was here, and you let her get away?”
The disbelief on the vampire hunter’s voice sent a surge of fury through Vassago’s veins. How dare
Logan question him? “She’s not a normal vampire. Any time you want to take on her, a Fallen and a
demon, please feel free to do so.”
Anjali’s hand grazed his shoulder, drawing his attention from Logan back to her. “Please, don’t start
anything with him, Logan. He could either save me or kill the vampire.”
Logan’s expression softened, and his fingers relaxed. “You look like crap, Anjali. What did she do to
you?”
Vassago’s heart wrenched when he realized how close he’d came to losing her once again. He lifted
her into his arms, noticing for the first time the amulet in her other hand. He didn’t miss the way Logan’s
eyes grew wide as he unfurled his wings. “I want to have her wounds tended to. Tell me where we can find
Jen.”
She whispered an address and closed her eyes. He watched the rise and fall of her chest for a few
seconds before flexed his wings and launched into the air, leaving a stunned Logan alone on the rooftop. It
amazed him how such a simple thing like the warm brush of her breath against his skin could stir such
strong emotions in him. Her life and her love were two things he would cherish as long as he was allowed
to enjoy them.
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Chapter Seventeen
Anjali tried to conceal the trembling of her hands by sitting on them. Facing three of the Foundation’s
Board members was nerve-wracking at best, and having them summon her to their office usually meant
something more serious than a congratulations on a job well done.
Nigel offered her a small smile. She welcomed it over Wade Pemberley’s emotionless stare and
Morwen’s constant pacing.
“Tell us again what happened,” the Head Witch ordered, pausing long enough to fix her bright blue
eyes on Anjali.
“I told you, that night was kind of fuzzy. I remember hearing that a witch summoned a Fallen to help
open the portals to Hell. Together, they freed the Skinwalkers.”
Wade nodded and rubbed his chin. “What do you remember about this witch?”
“I know this sounds crazy, but I swear she was a Vampire. The way she moved, the way she talked
about tasting my blood. But she also used magic in a way that puts me to shame.”
Nigel and Morwen exchanged worried glances, and the Head Witch resumed pacing.
“Did you happen to catch her name?” Wade asked. As head of the Vampire Hunters, he wanted to
gather as much information as he could. And rightly so. This was his area of expertise, not hers. And from
what Logan had shared, her trail had gone cold since that night. He suspected she’d left the city.
“I think the Fallen called her Colette.”
A hiss filled the room, and Morwen’s flawless porcelain skin turned three shades paler. “She should
be dead.”
Wade turned to her. “Well, technically, she is.”
“Let’s not bother with semantics,” Nigel said with a wave of his hand. His crisp English accent made
the conversation sound like it was all part of a drawing room comedy. “The point is, Anjali destroyed the
demons and managed to grab the Star of Krukstahl. They won’t be trying this again without it.”
So, the amulet had a name. When she’d awoken in her bed the next afternoon, Will dangled it front of
her, asking what it was and saying she refused to let go of it until Jen healed her. The powerful magic the
blue stone in the center generated almost made her reluctant to hand it over to the Foundation, but in the
end, the less contact she had with it, the better. Power like that could prove intoxicating, and a mediocre
witch like her had no business wielding it.
Angelic Surrender
“It still bothers me.” Morwen sank into a nearby chair, her face suddenly appearing years older as
worry lines creased her forehead. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think they had something more sinister in the
works.”
“That’s something we can discuss later.” Nigel rubbed the top of his cane. “Anything else to add?”
As if the fact I met Lucifer in person and was technically dead for a few minutes weren’t enough? “I
think I included everything in my report.”
The Head Witch watched her with such intensity, the hair on the back of Anjali’s neck stood on end.
The corners of her mouth twitched. “You’re released from your contract to Vassago, then.”
Anjali’s heart skipped a beat. Did Morwen know more than she let on? Did Jen or Logan rat on her?
“Good to know.”
Wade stood. “I’ll send a message to all the hunters and give them an updated description of Colette,
including a warning that she isn’t your standard bloodsucker.”
Morwen nodded and followed him to the door. “Let me provide you with some more information on
her.”
Nigel smiled at her again after the other two left. “It sounds like you had quite an adventure, Anjali.”
“You could say that.” She rose from her chair. “I have one question, though, that no one’s answered.
Why did my skin burn her when she tried to bite me?”
“Ah, that.” His cane rocked back and forth in his hands. “Morwen and I have been discussing this,
and two theories came to mind. The first is that somehow, your unique abilities shielded you from her, but I
think the more obvious reason is that you’ve been claimed by an angel. Even though he’s a Fallen, he can
still offer you protection from some things.”
Her gasp slipped out before she could stop it. How much did they know about her and Will? “Nigel, I
have no idea—I mean—” Her tongue refused to work properly.
He chuckled and pointed his cane at her like a wagging finger. “You’ll find not everything in this
world is black and white, my dear, and perhaps that is its saving grace. Lucky for you, you’re not held to
the same standards as the vampire hunters.” He stood with a grunt. “Enjoy it while you can. There are some
of us that would be envious to have the attention of an angel.”
She mirrored his grin. “I plan on it.”
When she stepped out of the elevator into the lobby, the same town car with the dark tinted windows
that had brought her here waited. She stepped inside and didn’t bother telling the driver where to take her.
The Foundation’s driver already knew her address. The trip uptown passed in silence, leaving her to reflect
on her conversation with the Board members. Morwen was right. Something sinister was brewing, but she
didn’t know what.
She opened the door to her apartment, and the sensation of a dozen spiders crawling up her spine hit
her. Will lay draped over the couch, eating BBQ potato chips and scattering crumbs all over her floor.
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Crista McHugh
“How did it go, my pet?”
She marched over to him and yanked the bag from his hands. “Do you see the mess you’ve made? I [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]