“My daughter isn’t going alone,” my father interrupted, standing in front of his seat, before Rourke could tell Tally what he thought of her fantastic plan. “I will fight with everything I have to get my son back.”
“Sorry, but you can’t go either,” Tally said, dismissing him. “It’s a noble undertaking, but not advisable.”
“
“No, Callum, you’d survive just fine. You’re a Pack Alpha,” Tally said in a patient tone. “Arguably the most powerful one in the world. But you know as well as I do that because of that, your signature is well documented. If you land in the Underworld, dinner bells will ring. The demons would have something delicious planned just for you. If we do this, and give Jessica the best shot at saving your son, she has to go in the back way. One with no alarms.”
My father nodded his head in agreement. “I hadn’t thought of that. But you can’t tell me my daughter isn’t documented as well,” he said. “And if that’s the case, she’ll be tossed into the same trap I would.”
“I believe it may be different in her case, which is a lucky break,” Tally answered. “The demons want her, and obviously have information about her signature, but from what I’ve seen firsthand, her powers are somewhat malleable. That gives her an edge the rest of us don’t have. With our help, she can learn to muddle her signature enough. And, no, she’s not documented in the Book … yet.” Tally glanced at me. “But I suspect she will be shortly. Power like that is not ignored by the Coalition for long.”
“How do you know she’s not in the Book?” my father asked. “It can take centuries to find out what’s in the Book of Records.”
“My daughter is an oracle,” Tally said patiently. “Every time there’s a new entry, she draws me a picture. There’s only been one in the last year. And it wasn’t female.”
Tally’s voice dared my father to disbelieve.
Instead, he nodded, satisfied.
I had no idea what the Book of Records was, but it was clear it noted powerful supes. “It doesn’t matter if I trigger their alarms. I’m going regardless,” I said. “And the demons already know I will go after Tyler, so surprising them may never be possible.”
“Jessica,” my father said, turning toward me. “You’re not going alone. It’s too dangerous. Tally’s right—my signature will be a disadvantage … one I’m not willing to risk. The element of surprise is all you’ll have. But I’ll be damned if I let you go without backup. And if my signature is documented, so is your mate’s.” He addressed Rourke. “There’s no way you’ve gone unnoticed all these years. Even if you were not the Alpha of your kind, you are the last and have been for some time.”
“I am Alpha,” Rourke ground out. “And I’ve never had reason to look in the Book, so I do not know what is written there. But I agree with you, there’s no way Jessica’s going without adequate protection, so it doesn’t matter. We will find another way in.”
“If you insist on going,” my father replied, “you put her in the same peril I would. If she has to go in through the back door—if there is such a thing—she has to take someone powerful enough who
“She can only take two others,” Tally said. “The circle holds three. When they come back, we’ll have to summon them in twos, but it adds risk. Calling someone back from the Underworld takes time and energy, but my recommendation is she still take two others. That gives them the best chance of survival.”
Before Rourke and my father volleyed again, I stated evenly, “I don’t understand why there’s so much importance placed on the Book. I told you, I’m going even if they know about me and have a welcome squad waiting.”
The Queen rose from the high-backed chair she’d been sitting in. She was edgy and reserved. All eyes in the room landed on her as she moved forward. “I find it amusing you are so very uneducated about our world. And that our well-being must lie cupped in the hands of your vast ignorance.” She swept past me in a new gown, this one black with silver accents. “When a supernatural is the strongest of its kind, there is a record of it. You can access the Book of Records by appealing to the Coalition directly. I did it on occasion long ago. The Prince of Hell also has access. We, in this room”—she nodded grudgingly to Tally, my father, and Rourke—“are the strongest of our kind. Our power is noted in detail. The demons live for information. They likely have thick files on all of us and will have our signatures monitored at all times. Our presence will alert them to our arrival like shooting off a flare gun in a library. Sending one of us would be asking the demons to end our lives.”
“Well, there’s no way I’m in the goddamn Book, since I was just made. And the demons can’t have anything on me yet,” Ray interrupted, pushing himself off the wall where he’d been standing. “So I’ll go.”
I shot him a look of surprise.
Tally sized him up with a skeptical eye.
“Ray,” I said. “I appreciate your willingness to fight demons on my behalf, but there’s no way you’re strong enough—”
“He’s in,” Tally said, her voice resigned. “It’s perfect, really. He’s a reaper and a vampire. A supernatural who technically should never have been created. He will muddle their monitors naturally, and the fact that he’s a reaper can only help you. His signature also feels strong enough—in fact, it feels a lot like yours.” Her eyes were shrewd. “But we won’t know until we test him fully.” She addressed Ray. “Vampire, can you suck the absence of a soul from a demon?”
His eyebrows shot up. “How the hell should I know?” he answered. “I just figured out I was a reaper two hours ago.”
Tally tapped her foot patiently. “Not all reapers are created the same. Some are tailored especially for certain jobs. It depends on your genetic line. What did the Demon Lord look like to you?”
“Its skin was made of smooth shiny scales and it had an ugly face, like some kind of serpent man,” Ray said.
My eyebrows shot to my forehead. The demon’s glamour hadn’t worked on Ray. I’d seen a few snippets of its reptilian side, too, so I knew he was telling the truth.
“Good.” Tally nodded. “You saw its true nature. That’s promising. Very few are able to do such a thing.”
I shook my head. “If Ray is willing to come on his own free will, that’s fine.” My eyes found Rourke. “But I’m not willing to risk anyone else I love accompanying me. Tyler being taken overwhelms me on all levels and I refuse to let someone else I care about be lost to the demons.”
“Jessica,” Rourke said, turning toward me. “You have to be reasonable. Letting you go alone, with only a new vampire to aid you, is insanity.”
“We won’t be alone,” I assured him. “And Tally will prepare us the best she can. If we have a chance to take the best tactical attack, we need to use it—I agree with that.” My voice was strong. “Please don’t ask me to abandon my brother.”
“Of course I’m not asking you to do that,” he reasoned. “But there have to be other ways around this we can discuss.”
His fear and uncertainty rang inside me. Letting me go to the Underworld without him would be the hardest thing he’d have to do in our short time together.
But I had something that would help.
“How about I make you a promise I won’t go unless I can fortify the odds in our favor?” I told him.
“How are you possibly going to do that?” Rourke asked. “A brand-new vamp who has no idea how to work his powers and who else? Who is strong enough to aid you?”
I paused, taking my time with the announcement.
It had to have the desired effect.
“Eudoxia.”
There was an audible gasp from everyone in the room.
Rourke’s face flashed surprise, my father blew out a long breath, and the Queen’s voice tinkled with laughter. “You are delusional, as usual,” she almost purred. “I just finished explaining why it would never work, Little Wolf Girl. But let me try again because it’s clear your brain has been jarred from all the heavy lifting: If I go to the Underworld, the demons will swarm us the minute we arrive.” Her face elongated and her fangs snapped down. “But, even if they didn’t”—her eyes went dead black—“there is no way I would go to hell for
