of my little girl, but it’s gone too quick. Problem is I canna tell if it’s her maturity or what she’s been through.”
“And the demons still aren’t able to track her energy signature?”
Zander cocked an eyebrow. “Can you sense the Goddess when you are around her? Or is her aura different now?”
Dante hated when Zander turned questions back on him. It highlighted how dumb his question was to begin with. “Good point. She’s definitely changed. And since she’s here with you I know that means she can’t be tracked. What I really want to know is what does this mean for her and for the realm?”
Zander’s jaw ticked and a vein popped out on his temple. “That’s the question of the fucking century. I doona know. And it pisses me off. I canna stand the thought of my Izzy being harmed or hurt because she lost favor with the Goddess, but I’m glad she isna hunted like before. No way could we have left her on Khoth after what she went through.”
Dante shuddered thinking about it. He wanted to kill the young dragon shifter. And if Donovan hadn’t already done it, he’d be over there now making the piece of shit pay for hurting the Princess. She was special. And not just because she was the embodiment of the Goddess’s power. There was a light inside Izzy that drew you in and made you feel welcome and accepted. No one deserved to go through what she did, but especially not her.
“I wish there was some way to help her. I can see her struggling but have no idea what I can do.” It galled Dante to admit that. He felt more like a failure now than he ever had in his life.
“My Elsie tells me that the best thing I can do is be there for her and show her she’s loved no matter what.” Zander’s pain came through in the tone of his voice. The suffering of his daughter was unbearable for him. It’s another thing Dante would love to help with. There’s nothing he can do about Chloe at the moment. May as well be there for his friends.
Dante clapped Zander on the shoulder. “I will be there for Izzy. Always. But at the moment, sounds like you could use a distraction. I know I could. How about we hunt down a dirty demon?”
The corners of Zander’s mouth lift. “Do we have a location?”
“A location for what?” Izzy’s voice drifted to them as she entered and crossed to Zander’s side. His expression softened when she went to her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. The affection between them warmed Dante.
“The archdemon. I’ve been searching through the chatter but haven’t found anything. Looks like we’re going to have to start at Seven Lively Sinz and see if we can track him that way.” Dante picked up his weapons from the table in the center of the room and put them in the holsters hidden on his body. Two went under his arms and one at his ankle with a fourth at the back of his waistband.
Jett entered the room with a scowl on his face. “We’re ready, Leige.”
Ty, Lucas and Axel followed and loaded up with knives of their own. Izzy crossed the room and started putting weapons in her pockets. Zander placed a hand on his daughter’s arm, stopping her. “Are you sure you want to go out with us?”
“I’m not staying here, dad. I’ve trained to fight. I’m ready. I need this. Don’t force me to stay here, please.” The expression on Izzy’s face showed exactly how serious she was about being ready. There wasn’t one ounce of doubt.
Dante’s phone vibrated in his pocket at the same time Jett’s did. He pulled it out at the same time the sorcerer did. “Change of plans,” Dante announces. “We’re starting in Central Park instead of the bar. Realm police intercepted calls about some guy attacking visitors.”
Zander pulled Izzy into his arms. “That doesna mean it’s demonic in nature. Could be a human.”
Dante bobs his head. “True, but we are looking for a Davea. They’re nasty fuckers that thrive on chaos and enjoy inflicting suffering. It’s worth checking on our way to the bar.”
Zander snarled and turned on his heel. Everyone else fell into step behind him. The street was busy when they left the house. Dante hadn’t gotten used to being so close to humans. How the New York Dark Warriors managed living in the middle of a busy fucking