city was beyond him.
“Central Park is west a few blocks. No blurring,” Dante reminded Zander and Izzy. They both shifted their gazes around and ground their molars. They were so much alike it almost made Dante laugh.
They made their way through the streets and past humans who went about their business completely clueless. It’s best this way. If they’d known they’d be holed up in their homes in fear. That’s no way to live. Dante was happy to shoulder the burden for a species that wasn’t capable of fighting back. Most didn’t have weapons that would give them an edge when facing demons. It would be wholesale slaughter.
Dante’s skin prickled with invisible needles the second the trees of the park came into view. He shook his shoulders, making pain lance through from his mating brand. It took his breath and distracted him from the fact that something demonic was in the park at that moment.
“Looks like the realm police were right.” Izzy tightened her fingers around the hilts of sgian dubh hidden under her sweatshirt. Angus and his Dragon Knights did a great job training her. She didn’t remove them and give herself away while she remained vigilant and aware of her surroundings.
“Why would he take the chance and expose himself?” Jett stepped in front of the Princess as he spoke.
Lucas stepped up to Izzy’s side. “You know as well as I do that there are few visitors this late at night. I’m surprised a call was made at all.”
“Are you thinking this is a trap?” Dante hadn’t considered it until the local warriors brought up good points.
Zander shook his head. “Doubtful. No one is aware we’re here. I’d bet he’s trying to lure an angel to him. It’s the most likely response to acting out so openly.” Made sense. It was rituals that brought Araton and his brothers to New Orleans not that long ago. But why would they want the attention of beings that could kill them? It didn’t make sense.
Everyone scanned their surroundings. Dante palmed a weapon and held it down at his side. Zander entered the park first with Dante right behind him. The sharp pain got worse as they went, but there was no hint as to where in the large park the archdemon was located.
Lucas took center stage and used his sense of smell to locate the demon. All supernaturals had superior senses, but shifters could scent even the smallest item from yards away.
After several minutes they left the main path and headed through the grass and shrubs. A few minutes later, Lucas held up his hand and they all came to a stop next to him.
There were half a dozen skirm surrounding the Daeva, along with human cops across the way. “We need to get them out of here.”
Zander looked his way when he growled the obvious, but before they could come up with a plan, the skirm raced toward the police. Pop. Pop. Pop. Shots rang out as flashes came from the muzzles of the humans’ guns.
“You two deal with the skirm while we coral the demon.” Zander pointed to Axel and Ty then jerked his head in the direction of the cops.
Screaming started as skirm flew through the air and knocked several humans over. Fangs flashed and went for throats. Blood spurted, but Dante paid no attention to that because malevolent energy filled the clearing.
He met Zander’s furious gaze a second before black light flared about twenty feet away from them. “He’s opening a fucking portal to Hell,” Zander growled as he took off for the archdemon.
Dante was a few steps behind him. When Zander stopped near the circle displaying rage demons, Pus demons and hellhounds, Dante skirted around and headed for the source of the disturbance.
Dante tossed his blade at the Daeva demon, catching him off guard. His blond head flew to the side. Was this the guy that attacked his Chloe? He’d tear the fucker limb from limb. It was highly satisfying when black blood spurted from the demon’s shoulder where his weapon struck.
Growls and howls filled the air along with the overwhelming scent of brimstone. It was difficult to ignore the evil pouring through the opening and the human screams. Dante needed to get to the Daeva and get that shit cut off. Not many had come through yet.
Dante reached the Daeva who unleashed a smile as if he wasn’t under attack at the moment. The dark spark in the demon’s blue eyes wasn’t as powerful as he