Cambion Lord (Dark Warrior Alliance #23) - Brenda Trim Page 0,45
to say it but it’s probable that these males are deep into their addiction to Angel’s Kiss.”
Jason shook his head and released a sigh. “I should have visited sooner. Maybe I could have done something before it got this bad.”
Hayden placed his hand on Jason’s shoulder and squeezed. “There is no way you could have known. Besides addiction progresses rapidly with these users. Humans die the first time they use it where our kind lasts much longer. But I’ve seen users near death after only four uses. I need to have evidence. Something Santiago and Orlando can investigate.”
Jason tossed the dirty blanket to the side and picked up one of the sofa cushions. “You can always reach out to Papperdero House. The Dark Warriors there would be happy to help. And, Richmond isn’t far, so they can come to us.”
Hayden was breathing through his nose as he used the toe of his boot to move shit around on the ground. Pausing in his search, he took his cell from his back pocket. “Good call. We could use the help searching for clues. At a minimum, I want to find these guys so I can determine if I need to force them into rehab or biofeedback therapy. Cause if there’s no drug use, they need some serious fuckin’ help.”
Hayden typed out a message directing the warriors to return to the pack to help. Gunnar responded immediately with a thumbs up while Oscar actually replied with words. The differences were evidence of their ages.
Is there anything you can tell us? I assume there is an emergency and I can have Diego and Jon on standby.
Hayden considered what to tell them and settled on the basics. We have three missing shifters suspected of Angel’s Kiss use.
Hayden chuckled at the emoticon Gunnar sent back. The hands to the cheeks and wide eyes of the yellow face said it all. Yes, it was shocking to think shifters were still using the drug after all the education they’d been doing realm wide.
Oscar’s response skipped over the information entirely. Be there in 20.
Hayden returned his cell to his pocket. “Oscar and Gunnar are on their way. What else can you tell me about the missing?”
Jason turned to the kitchen where he opened cabinets and drawers. “Drew and Rick work from home. Drew is in computers while Rick is an accountant. Eli worked for a human marketing firm in Richmond, but recently quit to start his own company. I haven’t heard how that’s going for him. Drew and Eli are siblings and grew up with their mother and grandparents after their father was killed by demons. Rick’s parents and two sisters moved to California six months ago.”
“Nothing out of the ordinary then. Any connection to sorcerers?” Hayden held his breath and tried to tune into his surroundings. Angel’s Kiss carried a certain energy that his kind could often sense if they tried. There was no foreign energy in the house.
Jason opened the fridge. “We all have friends in the core alliance species. Are sorcerers responsible? You haven’t issued a warning about them.”
Hayden growled as he bent to check the fireplace. “We can’t put the blame on any specific group. Regardless of who started it, it never would have caught on if we had all been more vigilant. I ask because the last person known to create and disseminate the drug was a sorcerer. He’s responsible for killing Nikko.”
“Who killed Nikko? I’d like to find the fucker and say hello,” Oscar announced when he entered the house. Hayden stood up and smiled at the canine.
Gunnar stepped through right behind Oscar. “Good to see you again, Sire.”
“You too, Gunnar. Oscar. As for who killed Nikko, it was the sorcerer last responsible for making Angel’s Kiss.”
Gunnar wrinkled his nose as he looked around while Oscar lifted his upper lip. The two took in the room before Oscar met Hayden’s gaze. “I think it’s a safe bet that these males are addicts.”
Looking around again, Hayden had to agree. “It sure seems that way. Start searching. We need to find information about where we can find them before shit goes completely sideways for them.”
Gunnar paused at the head of the short hall and looked back to them in the disaster area of a living room. “I just pray we aren’t too late. I’ve heard from too many what happens to our bodies from this drug. Santiago painted an awful picture of skin and bones covered with hundreds of sores leaking green shit.”