And speaking of my stomach, Ambrose was too glutted to care what happened next. He had gotten drunk on power. Again. He lounged on a tree limb, watching the show, too bloated to give me any trouble. Or help. It was a trade I was willing to make.
I scooped my swords off the ground where Bishop had tossed them in favor of catching me and joined the gwyllgi front line again. This time, they let me work for them, luring the coven then dogpiling them.
Bishop drifted in and out, not fighting, but plucking hearts after fatal blows fell.
The Remys ran interference for the most part, but I caught them hauling out wounded too.
The final coven member standing wasn’t nearly as terrible as the others had been. It was a simple manticore. Simple but effective to have lasted this long.
With the others down, and four packs converging on one witchborn fae, it stood no chance. They killed it, ripped it apart in seconds, and Bishop shook his head when the heart came out too damaged to salvage.
Given there were things, not many but enough, that could regenerate a heart, I made the rounds and decapitated the dead. Their bodies would be burned and their ashes scattered to be certain they weren’t coming back.
But the coven we fought today had wanted to bring me back with them. Their leader was waiting for me to be hand delivered like a gift. That meant there were more witchborn fae in my city that needed weeding out before we could pat ourselves on the back.
Midas shifted then collapsed in a heap beside me. “How did we do?”
“Five hearts,” Bishop answered him from behind me. “Not bad for a day’s work.”
“Those are all from this?” I did the math in my head. “That gives us six total.”
One heart more, and we could call our deal with Natisha done.
Assuming she accepted those Bishop had gathered on my behalf.
“Do you think Natisha will count them?”
I cringed from my own voice. I hadn’t meant to ask out loud. I hadn’t meant to lessen Bishop’s service.
“I got to thinking about that,” Bishop mused, and he sat on my other side. “We won’t know for sure until she comes to collect, but I’ve got a feeling it doesn’t matter who removes the heart.”
“How do you figure?”
“Natisha has come across witchborn fae, or she wouldn’t have known to covet their hearts. That tells me she’s aware of how they operate and how powerful they can become in large numbers.” He grimaced. “She knew no one faction could take on a whole coven and survive, let alone win.” He shook his head. “Their magic lets them call up all manner of creatures. They’re too diverse, able to turn on a dime.” He shrugged. “Shifters have one form, and no witch could cast a transformation spell at their speed. Even if they could, they don’t become the creature their glamour mimics. They might look like an ogre, but they wouldn’t have its strength, its bad breath, its body odor… You get where I’m going with this.”
“Yeah.” The coven didn’t imitate their marks, they embodied them.
“Factions don’t work together,” he continued. “They don’t cooperate. Not on this scale.”
“Hadley is a wild card,” Midas murmured. “She rallied enough of us to her cause that where one faction failed, another succeeded.” He thought about that. “Natisha didn’t assign the task to me because the gwyllgi weren’t versatile enough.”
“That’s my take,” Bishop agreed. “It was a group effort, but Hadley was the linchpin.”
“Thank you.” I took his hand, sticky and warm. “You didn’t have to do this for me.”
“Kid, I’ve got enough black marks on my soul I can’t see the writing on the wall anymore.” He squeezed my fingers. “You might get that far, you might not, but you’re not there now, and you won’t be on my watch.”
Bishop killed to feed. I had always known that about him. He beat himself up over it each time, the loss of control, but he had to eat to live. I hadn’t asked him about it, and I doubted I ever would. There were some burdens that no two shoulders can support more easily than one.
“I still appreciate it,” I said softly. “You’re a good friend.”
“I’m learning to be.” He slanted his gaze toward Midas. “We good?”
“You blew up Hadley,” Midas rumbled. “What do you think?”
“Tell your man to toughen up if he’s going to date you.” Bishop chuckled. “He ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Uncertain if he meant it as a compliment or a warning, I thinned my lips and watched him walk away.
“Briefing at dusk.” He lifted a hand. “Until then.”
“I’m out too.” Remy padded over, her skin dull and gray. “I have to find where the rest of me went.”
“Get some rest.” I pointed a warning finger at her. “Do not open the store at dusk. Take the day off.”
“Yes, boss.” She grinned at me. “I have inventory waiting anyway.”
Midas nodded to her, and she nodded back. It wasn’t much, but I was impressed by their progress.
“Gray, this is Hadley.” Midas introduced a very naked man with silver in his beard. “Hadley, this is Gray.”
“Nice to meet you.” I kept my eyes glued to his face. “Thanks for the assist.”
“I’m the alpha of the Kingsman lions.” He gestured to the other super-naked guys covered in gore. “I would like to sit down and talk to you about making our move to Atlanta permanent.”
“Call the office.” I reached for a card and forgot I was charred, bloodied, and drenched in ichor. “Well, this is awkward. How about I call you? Midas mentioned you’re with the fire department?”
“The city wanted new blood in Station Thirteen after the old captain retired and his coven left with him, so
