The picket fence leaned askew; the ground was raked into vicious furrows of dark frozen earth and dead grass. Blood, crimson fresh, glistened through the thin haze of snow. A meaty scent hung in the chill air.
His heart thudded heavily in his chest. No Sera.
“Ferris Archer?”
He ripped his gaze from the signs of struggle.
A woman he didn’t know waved from the front door. “We’re here. Inside.”
Sera had actually listened to him? He tried to ignore the curdling in his gut.
He headed up the walk warily, one eye on the woman, scanning the shadows all around.
“Hurry,” the woman said. “They won’t come close while I’m here, but I don’t know if that will last.”
He narrowed his eyes against the coruscating shivers of golden light that emanated from her. “I didn’t think angels bothered with the lesser demons.”
“They started it.” She held her hand out to him. “Please. Get inside.”
“Where is Sera? Is she . . . ?” His throat closed around the words as he followed her in.
“She wanted to go after them, but I stopped her.” She lifted her nose when Archer cut a glance at her. “I do have the Almighty on my side.”
“Is that all it takes?” he murmured.
“I’m afraid your man, Ecco, didn’t fare so well. Sera is helping him, and preventing the nurse here from helping too much.”
“Humans.” He grimaced.
The woman pursed her lips reprovingly. “The innocent. The ones we protect.”
He paced her down a hall. “Is that your duty? I’ve
only seen your kind taking on the djinn, and damn whoever is in the way.”
“I believe damning is your specialty.” She paused just beyond an open door and lowered her voice. “The nurse, Wendy, has convinced herself that a gang drug war went down in her front yard, and we were coincidentally caught in the crossfire as we arrived. She wanted to call the police, so Sera told her you’re a detective with the city.”
“Do I look like a cop?”
“I believe Sera said undercover vice.”
He smiled humorlessly as they stepped into the room. Then even the illusion of amusement left him.
Ecco was sprawled facedown on a table. Blood soaked the creamy eyelet of the tablecloth under him. He’d been laid open to the bone in a dozen places. Sera stood piecing him together.
Another woman, visibly shaking, staunched the blood flow with a handful of towels. She glanced up wildly as Archer entered. “Who are you? You’re not the paramedics.” Her voice rose shrilly. “Where are the paramedics?”
Sera met his gaze, her eyes wide and desperate. A shock jumped between them, almost a physical thing, as if she’d thrown herself into his arms, as if he’d pulled her so close he’d never let her go again.
He tightened his hands into fists, but she never moved. She turned back to the other woman. “Wendy, this is the police officer I told you about.”
“There was another shooting just down the street,” Archer lied smoothly. “Same gang, we think. The paramedics had to stop. I’m making sure it’s safe. Then I’ll take the patient to them.”
Wendy glanced down. “He can’t be moved. We need a stretcher, an IV, oxygen. . . .”
“I’m sure it looks worse than it is,” Archer said.
The three women stared at him.
He shrugged. “Wounds like those often bleed a lot.”
“Like these?” Wendy’s voice was slightly calmer. “You mean the kind that go all the way through?”
Ecco had the good sense to groan then and push himself partway up on his elbows.
Sera steadied him. “Don’t move. You’ll spring another leak.” She glanced at the third woman. “Nanette, is there any chance you could . . .”
Nanette shook her head. “I can’t help him because of his . . . condition.”
Wendy frowned. “Sera, she’s a faith healer, not a miracle worker.” Then she laughed, the hysteria edging back into her tone. “Faith. Miracle.”
Nanette put her hand on the woman’s shoulder. Wendy let out a sob.
Archer scowled as well. They didn’t have time for miracles. They needed something a little more immediate. He took Sera’s arm and dragged her away. He steeled himself against the urge to touch her everywhere, reassure himself that not a single drop of the blood he’d seen was hers. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, swaying in his grip. “They took Zane. Ecco couldn’t stop it. I had just stepped inside with Nanette and was talking to Wendy. I heard the shouting, and I ran back out, but—”
“Who, Sera? Who took Zane?”
“The ferales.”
He straightened. “Ferales don’t—”
She shook him off. “I know, I know. Ferales don’t pack. Tell that to the ones that flocked over the hotel too. This was worse. Ecco tried to follow. They tore him apart and just vanished.”
The pool of blood in the yard swamped Archer’s vision for a heartbeat. “I want us out of here.”
“We can’t leave Wendy—”
“She’s in more danger with you here.” He watched coldly as her expression blanked.
He dialed Niall and curtly explained the situation. “Have Raine and Valjean secure a tight perimeter. We’re coming out.”
He heard Niall talking into another line, a moment of silence, then return. “Done. They say there’s nothing in the vicinity. Valjean wants to start tracking.”
“No. He and Raine will bring Sera and Ecco back. I’m going after Zane.”
“Negative.” Niall’s tone brooked no opposition. “Get her back here, now. I want her safe. Then you can find Zane.”
Archer ground his teeth together. “Fine. Loose Valjean. I don’t want the trail to go cold. The djinn-man was here.”
He disconnected and turned back to the women. “I’m taking these witnesses into protective custody.” He prodded Ecco and ignored the welling of blood. “Sir, can you walk?”
Ecco grunted something like an affirmative. Wendy stared openmouthed as he pulled himself to his feet.
Sera put her shoulder under Ecco’s arm. “I’ll help you out to the car. Nanette?” The smaller woman stood on Ecco’s other side. Sera looked back at Wendy. “I’m so sorry. I’ll call you.”
Archer gestured them toward the door. “Ma’am, if I can ask you not to speak with anyone about this . . .”
Wendy shook her head. “I’m not going to upset my residents.”
“Exactly.” He blocked the door as Wendy started to follow them. “I can recommend a good cleaning service.”
She blinked at him. “Oh. That would be good.”
He eased her aside with the distraction of writing down the name of his cleaners. Sera led the small group out, Ecco limping along. He closed the door on the curious woman and followed them. Just beyond the fence line, he glimpsed two prowling figures, Raine and Valjean, keeping watch.
He levered Ecco into the SUV. “Try not to stain the seats.”
The “Fuck you” he got in return lacked strength but not sincerity.
He glanced at Nanette. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to keep you a little longer. Then we’ll send you back to your faithful.”
“Archer.” Sera’s voice was edged. “I asked for her help.”
“That’ll teach her.” He went to the driver’s side. Out on the street, he saw Raine take over the idling car he’d abandoned. Valjean, his gaze fixed on some sign at his feet, melted into the darkness.
Then their short and somber procession headed into the night.
CHAPTER 18
Niall met them at the front door of the central safe house. He took in the sight of them, then directed his gaze upward. “I’m not going to like this story, am I?”
“It gets worse,” Archer said grimly.
Sera tried not to cringe as she walked past Niall. She’d lost one of his fighters.
They brought Ecco to a room too bland and clinical to be called a hospital room. Nanette looked around. “And I thought our church was ugly.”
Niall pursed his lips. “I take it you aren’t host to a seraphim?”
Sera gestured from one to the other. “Nanette, this is Liam Niall, leader of the Chicago league of teshuva. Liam, Nanette is a faith healer.” She took a breath. “I wanted her to help my father.”
“Angelic possessed can’t aim their healing,” Niall said.
“I told her,” Nanette said over Sera’s “I had to try.”
Niall dragged a hand over his head. “Not that it matters. What happened?”
Ecco, laid out on the bed, stirred. “I was escorting Sera and Nanette to the door of the nursing home, Zane
behind me. They came out of nowhere. Seven, maybe nine ferales. They were huge, biggest I’ve ever fought, quick too.”
Archer studied him. “You took a helluva beating.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it. They attacked in concert and kicked my ass like my teshuva was getting its nails done. Three of them cut between my group and Zane, forcing us up the walk. The rest went after Zane.”
Archer frowned. “Why Zane?”
“Hell if I know.”
“He was certainly the easiest to take,” Nanette offered. “Even I could see his demon was weakest.”
“But to what purpose?” Niall paced the edges of the room. “Ferales devour on the spot. They don’t take leftovers, much less prisoners.”
“Things are different now,” Ecco said grimly. “I told you.”
Sera shivered. “My fault.”
“How?” Archer demanded. “Because you didn’t get taken yourself?”
She met Archer’s violet-tinged gaze. “You warned me. You said he wanted me.”
“Not bad enough to make a feralis smart,” Ecco said. “They grabbed the wrong person.”
“If they were sent for small and weak,” Nanette said, “they wouldn’t understand their master wanted female. They would only sense Sera’s strong demon and think, ‘Not that one.’ ”
Sera’s blood congealed in her veins. “We have to find him. We should all be out there.”
Niall shook his head. “No one gets between Valjean and the tracks. Once he’s on the scent, I’ll throw everything we have into finding Zane.”
“I may not rank in the upper echelons of the celestial hierarchy,” Nanette said, “but perhaps the heavenly host can be of assistance.”
“They never have before,” Ecco said.
Nanette steepled her fingers. “Since there’s a djinni involved, playing some deeper game, they might be more open to alliance.”
Niall sighed. “Ma’am, I think you’ll find your kind are hard-hearted when it comes to us.”
“ ‘Love the sinner,’ ” Nanette said piously.
“So I’ve heard,” Archer growled. “But we are the sin.”
“We need to get Nanette home,” Sera said. “Will she be safe?”
Niall lifted one empty hand. “You said the djinn-man wants you.”
“Haji will take her,” Archer said. “He can watch her place overnight.”
“I have my own protections.” Nanette took Sera’s hands. “Tell Wendy I’ll be back to visit your father. I can reassure her everything is fine.”
Sera slanted a glance at Archer. “Just in case that impressive tangle of lies didn’t do it.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “It was for her own good.”
So, the man who said fallen angels didn’t lie could make an exception for the good of others. Although she supposed he’d never claimed to be any kind of angel.
Nanette sighed. “I can’t promise the power will rise in me for your father’s sake, but I can at least pray.”
Ecco sputtered.
Sera didn’t even glance at him. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this. I didn’t intend—” She held a flat palm out toward Ecco. “Nothing from you about paving the road with intentions.” She sighed. “Pray for Zane as well.”
Nanette nodded.
Ecco groaned. “All of you, get out. Give me an hour’s sleep and I’ll be back on my feet. Then I’ll be wanting me some ferales screaming.”
After a hug between the women, Niall escorted Nanette out to find Haji.
Archer lingered near Ecco.“An hour won’t be enough to get you sitting upright, much less off your knees. And you know your teshuva didn’t desert you, so you might want to spend this time contemplating why you weren’t on your game.”
Ecco turned violet-tinged eyes on him. “I ain’t got no death wish, pretty boy, unless it’s dead ferales. Unlike some others I could mention. Even if I did, I would never sacrifice anyone else to reach my glory day.”
Sera put her hand on Archer’s arm. “He did everything he could. There were just too many.”
Archer shrugged her off. “Fine. We’ll see how many references Bookie can find to ferales’ pack behavior under djinn control.”
“No.” Up her spine, the demon mark burned until she straightened. “No more research.”
“Valjean is looking for a trail, and our contact at the Coil knows—”
“We have to
do
something to find Zane.” She took a breath. “After all, we have the bait they want.”
Archer glared at her, violet swirling brighter in his dark eyes. “What?”
Ecco pursed his lips. “I get it. We set a trap, and she’s the bait. Sounds like a good idea to me.”
Archer rounded on him. “Since when are you the strategist?”
Ecco gave him the middle finger and rolled over.
Archer dragged Sera out into the hall and slammed the door on Ecco’s room. “You think if you read a few histories, learn a few moves, you can turn the tide of battle?”
She gritted her teeth. “You said I was different.”
His tone edged toward a sneer. “And I’ve always been wrong.”
“I have to find Zane.” She tried to keep her voice hard against the quiver that threatened. “I lost him.”
“He’s a fighter, not your baby boy.”
“You’ve never lost one before, have you? They’ve been killed, yes. But lost?”
“We’re all lost,” he said.
She snarled. “Don’t get metaphysical on me.”
“Fine,” he snapped back. “You want to be realistic now? Then stop trying to find a loophole out of madness and death.”
She recoiled.
He stepped into her space to loom over her. “You want us to save Zane. You want Nanette to save your father. You want to save the world. Hell, I think you even want to save me.”