Munching on the bacon, I walked to my closet. I wanted to stay in my pajamas all day, but at some point, I’d need to make an appearance at the office. Word had to have gotten out by now about the demons coming to town, which meant people were going to start freaking out. Maybe an evacuation was in order.
Nodding, I grabbed some clothes and walked into the bathroom. After my shower, I would announce my decision.
Chapter Twelve
“You can’t make us leave our homes!” Harry Baxter yelled as he paced my office.
Ethan watched him carefully, afraid he might attack me. Harry was so upset that he repeatedly shoved his hands through his hair as he went back and forth. It probably didn’t help that I accidently called him Mr. Bastard once. It was a complete accident, but it only seemed to make him more furious. He went off on a rant about how I didn’t know how to do my job. That pushing people out of their homes was a bad idea, considering most of them didn’t have anywhere else to go. When I explained that the Council would be more than happy to refund anyone’s money for hotels if it came down to it, he only got angrier, claiming it was a waste of tax dollars and people would take advantage of it. I concluded that nothing I said would make this man happy.
“Look, Mr. Baxter,” I said slowly, just to make sure I said his name the right way. “Leaving is optional, but it’s highly advised. Demons are coming, which means safety is a huge concern. Brian, the leader of the Nightshades, says it’s status red. Everyone is in immediate danger.”
“Brian?” Harry scoffed. “He’s got his head so far up his ass, it’s a surprise he can lead that army of his.”
Annoyed, I stood, pressing my palms to the desk. “Look, you can either do it or not. I’m telling you what’s recommended. Now, do you have any other concerns?”
Harry’s face reddened, obviously having a hard time controlling his anger. One look at Ethan, though, and he took a deep breath, nodding. “We will stay in Heaven. I can protect my family.”
“That’s your choice. If you decide to ignore the warnings we have issued, do not expect us to come running to help you. We have priorities. Protecting people who won’t heed our warnings is not one of them.”
His mouth dropped open. “You would refuse to send help if we’re in trouble?”
Nodding, I clasped my hands behind my back and walked around the desk. “That’s exactly what I’m saying, Mr. Baxter.”
“You would leave your people in the hands of the enemy?”
I shrugged. “You forfeited our aid when you decided to go against our recommendations.”
“You bitch!” He lunged at me, grasping my neck.
Ethan started toward me, but I was quicker. I kneed the man in the crotch, and when he fell to his knees, I delivered a punch to his face. He fell back, groaning.
“I can’t believe you did this,” Harry said, holding his nose.
Ethan’s eyes widened, surprised and impressed all at once.
I rubbed my throat, glaring down at the man on the floor. “See what a night in jail will do for your manners, Mr. Baxter.” I turned to Ethan. “Call Brian so he can personally handle him.” I looked back at the man, narrowing my eyes. “Since he’s a big fan and all.”
Nodding, Ethan pulled his phone out of his pocket. I knew he would handle the man, but having Brian do it when Harry obviously disliked him gave me more pleasure. Harry glared at me as he slowly rose to his feet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Taco flying toward us, breathing fire. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as I reached out.
“Taco!”
Harry’s eyebrows went up in flames. I heard Taco laughing in his high-pitched voice, taking off before I could snatch him by the wings.
“What the fuck is that?” Harry screamed, patting his eyebrows, trying to contain the blaze. When it finally went out, he was left with crispy, black brows. With his blond hair, it was an odd look. Wailing in pain, he kept pointing to his face.
At that moment, Brian entered the office. I sighed in relief, not sure how I would calm down Harry.
“Brian, before you escort Mr. Baxter to the jail, you may want to take him to the infirmary.”
Ethan turned away, trying not to laugh. Taco probably should answer for his misuse of his fire abilities. But once the door closed, I couldn’t help but laugh with Ethan. It was amusing, and Harry definitely deserved it.
WITHIN A FEW HOURS, everyone in Heaven knew they should evacuate. I was relieved to only receive a few complaints. Most everyone realized how serious the situation was after the news had started reporting unusual deaths in the city. Things were getting worse, the number of demons entering our territory staggering. Some of my men would go out and come back wounded. There were even a few deaths. I had to make several stops that day to report the bad news to families. All the tears had started taking a toll on me. I hated seeing people in pain, especially when I was the cause of it. I was the reason those men went out to fight. Though it was their job, that didn’t ease my guilt.
I lay in bed, thinking about what I had to do the next day. The men were out again tonight. Once the sun went down, the demons tended to come out and wreak havoc. I wanted to be out there helping, but I knew I had to think about the babies. Would they only be Witches, or would they have a bit of Vampire in them? I wasn’t sure, and Mary had left before I could think to ask her about it.
Ethan had gone out on patrol for a couple hours. I
