“Even though he seems inept, you must be wary of him,” Lucas cautioned. “He will protect what he perceives is his right at all costs. The only reason he would pair up with a goddess over his own wolves is because he believes doing so will bring him greater power and status.”
I nodded. That’s what Jeb had already confirmed. “We realize he’s powerful,” I said as Rourke snorted. “But this is not going to end well for him. We believe he might be hiding our kidnapped friend on the Compound under our noses. We will be forced to fight him to free Tally.” I paused. “We believe she is the witch who will sit on the Coalition.”
“I understand,” Lucas said. “I don’t concern myself with what happens to Julian. My loyalty is to you. I will help you in any way I can.”
“My friends are going to be investigating the area today,” I said. “Do you know anything about the underground bunker?”
“Yes,” he answered as he turned down a narrow street. “It was built eighty years ago when there was a threat of invasion in Italy. It’s meant to withstand bomb blasts. It’s spelled and set deeply into the ground. No one is allowed to go near it without Julian’s explicit approval. We don’t know what he does down there, but we know he visits often.”
“Well, I know what he does,” I muttered. “He kidnaps witches and canoodles with goddesses.” I thought about Maggie, Tally’s tiny daughter. If Julian was keeping the toddler down there, there would be trouble. “Have you ever been inside? How big is it?” Not only was Tally missing, but the entire Coven was too. I couldn’t believe he had room to stash them all down there, but who knew how big that space was.
“I was in there once many years ago,” he said. “I was tasked to clean out some of the rooms. It’s fairly big, set up like a two-bedroom apartment. There are artificial lights to mimic the sun. Julian spent a lot on furnishings, and there is power. Someone could live comfortably down there for a while.”
“Is it large enough to hold, say, twenty to thirty witches?” I asked.
Lucas pulled over to the curb and turned around to face me, his arm slung across the back of the seat. “No, there’s no way there are that many witches down there. Not only is there not enough room, but we would know because there would be gossip. I’m sorry. Your friend could be there, but not the others. We are at the Piazza della Signoria.” He gestured in front of him. “It’s down the block in front of us. You will find the statue of David in the square. I’ll head back to the villa now.”
I gave him a quick hug. “Thank you for your help. We owe you.”
“You owe me nothing.” He smiled. “It’s my duty to help you. Every race of supernatural is counting on you. If you’re successful, we’re all successful.”
Danny opened the side door, and I followed him out. “Lucas, you have a place on my team after all this is over, if you want it.” There would be no room for him in Julian’s Pack after everything shook out. “I value trust and respect over all else, and you’ve given it freely. I’m proud to call you friend.”
“I am honored,” he said. “And I accept.”
Rourke reached out to shake Lucas’s hand. “I’m hoping this will be over soon.”
“Me too. Be safe.”
The street was dark, only a few streetlights to light the way. It was approximately a quarter after five in the morning. We made it down the short block in less than a minute.
The square was mostly empty, save for a few tourists who either had serious jet lag, or wanted to avoid the crowds. They wouldn’t be a problem, as we were just another set of tourists up early to see the sites.
As we hurried up to the statue of David, movement behind the sculpture caught my eye.
Leo stepped out of the shadows directly in front of us.
We stopped.
He bowed his head, and very slowly, two gigantic wings unfurled.
19
Seeing Leo morph into an angel was one of the most amazing things I’d ever witnessed. His power leaped in front of him, abrading us with its ferocity. This supernatural was strength personified. I honestly didn’t think he had an equal in the entire world. I’d never witnessed such raw beauty.
He was bare-chested, his bronze skin radiant in the low light. His clear eyes glittered, his cheekbones casting their own shadows. His wingspan was easily fifteen feet across. His wings were a glorious white, the feathers thick and well defined.
“Bloody hell,” Danny murmured. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yes, it is,” I whispered, not knowing why I was keeping my voice down, but feeling the moment deserved reverence. “That’s Leonardo—who is actually Michelangelo—the celestial angel who is going to help us get your mate back. He’s cloaking us from Enid.”
Danny glanced at me with a stunned expression on his face. “You weren’t kidding when you said you had a plan.”
“No, I wasn’t,” I replied. “We were just lucky he decided to help us.”
“He’s one of the only supernaturals who can block Enid from seeing our movements,” Rourke added.
“I am,” Leo agreed as he came forward. “The moment I unleashed my power, we became invisible to everyone, including these humans in the piazza. Until I decide, we stay cloaked.”