Darkblood Prison - G.K. DeRosa Page 0,82

When did your magic get so kick-ass?”

“Probably while you were off on all those secret missions.” I scanned the room and frowned. “Speaking of missions, where’s Ella?”

“She sure as hell ain’t here, precious, or we wouldn’t be either.” Dallas pushed up off the wall and sauntered over. “And I’m loving this new magically confident side of you, my dear.”

“Thanks.”

“Wait, what do you mean Ella’s not here?” barked Talon. “She left headquarters hours ago.”

“Maybe she was waiting outside like Vander?” I offered.

“Vander’s here?” Dallas asked.

“Not anymore.” Talon shook his head and waved a dismissive hand. “I’ll tell you about it later. Right now, we need to evict these demons from the neighborhood.”

“Well with Azara around, it doesn’t look like we’ll need Ella.”

“Thanks, Hayden.” I threw him an appreciative smile, but a tiny part of me was worried for my cousin. What if one of the demons had gotten her when she tried to get in? I still hadn’t spilled the truth about my family to Talon, but if Ella was missing I might have to.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” interjected Dallas, “and not that I don’t trust Azara’s magical prowess, but we’re two team members short.”

Talon motioned for us to form a circle around him. “How many Underworlders are there?”

“A few dozen by my last count,” Hayden answered. “And T, you can’t exactly unleash the dragon in here. You’ll bring the whole place down on top of us.”

“We’ll come up with a plan of attack and a contingency plan. If things get too hairy, we’ll pull out.”

Dallas smirked, flashing pointy incisors. “Since when have you been a man to pull out?”

My cheeks heated even before my gaze met Talon’s. He shot Dallas a narrowed glare and leaned closer to me. I wasn’t sure if he even realized he’d done it. “Since I have something more important to live for.”

The angel and vampire brothers exchanged a glance, then turned their inquisitive gazes to me. I hoped they couldn’t see my blazing cheeks in the dim room.

Hayden slapped Talon on the shoulder, a grin spreading his lips. “We’ll do it however you want, brother.”

“Good. Now let’s get this over with. I want Azara’s first official mission for the SIA to go as smoothly as possible.”

“No prob, boss.” Dallas winked then shot me a smirk, showcasing pearly-white fangs. Someone was ready to go.

We sat in a huddle for a few more minutes while Talon hatched out the plan. It would be a three-pronged attack, starting with a hell of a lot of dragon fire. If things got out of control, we’d make a run for it and meet at the corner of 90th and Amsterdam, and I’d portal us out of there.

Hayden’s angel sword appeared in the palm of his hand, brilliant blue flames dancing along the blade. “Let’s kick some demon ass.” He tossed me a wry smile. “Present company excepted of course.”

I rolled my eyes at him and conjured up my own weapon—a small dagger imbued with dark magic. I’d infused it myself and according to the spell, it should kill any adversary with one stab.

The three guys formed a circle and placed their hands in the center. Talon grabbed my arm and tugged me into the huddle. “Hand in, one thirty-eight.”

Wow, I really hadn’t missed that nickname. I stretched out my arm anyway as this seemed like some sort of ritual I was being invited in on. I slapped my palm over Talon’s, and three pairs of eyes met mine. “Four in and four out,” said Talon.

“The only way we play.” Dallas bumped Talon’s shoulder.

“See you on the other side, brothers, and sister,” Hayden replied before nudging my shoulder.

Talon took the lead, his wings and claws extended. He tucked me behind his broad back as we crept toward the staircase. He and I were taking the main steps down, while Hayden would come in through the front door and Dallas would attack from the backyard. It sounded like a solid plan to me.

When we reached the second floor, Talon stopped and waited at the foot of the stairs. He leaned around the bannister and focused his reptilian gaze on the first level. He must have liked whatever he’d seen because he motioned for me to follow.

My heart smacked against my ribcage as we reached the last step. The entrance foyer was empty, but muffled voices resonated around the corner.

I’ll go first, hit them with dragon fire, then signal for you to come. Got it?

I nodded quickly. My