Nodding, I stepped harder on the gas, wondering what was happening with Drake. Was he himself? Did the demon take over? He seemed fine at lunch. What if he was performing another ritual?
It didn’t take long before we were at the bar, parking out front so we could see inside. Roark had parked farther down the street. We watched Drake through the windows, seeing him laughing with a couple women, touching their shoulders and hair. He seemed to be having a good time. It was nice to see him in such a good mood. Maybe this was the real Drake and he needed to get out and be with other people. He couldn’t just wait around for me. A being has needs, especially a Vampire.
“You know the Vampire must die.”
Jumping, both Ethan and I spun in our seats, seeing two people wearing cloaks sitting in the back seat, staring at us. Ethan relaxed, patting my thigh.
“What are you doing here, brothers?” he asked.
One had cropped blond hair and blue eyes. He glanced at me with a dark expression. “You are still with the Witch.”
The other one had short black hair and dark, almost black eyes. He shook his head in disapproval. “You’re needed back at the compound. We can’t have one of our own gallivanting around with a Witch when he should be with us, protecting all kinds.”
“Excuse me. I’m the High Mistress. I expect respect in return. You may be Mages, but I have the power of the Ancestors behind me,” I snapped.
Ethan glanced at me in surprise, but he didn’t say anything.
His brothers stared at me for a few long seconds. The one with black hair nodded once. “I apologize for the disrespect. We acknowledge your position of power and will give you the respect you deserve.”
Pointing at the one with black hair, Ethan said, “This is Eric.” When he pointed to the other one, he rolled his eyes. “This one is Dan. He’s hard-headed.”
I was surprised Ethan could even work with them. They didn’t seem like they would mesh well with his personality. Was he a different person around them?
“The demon is waiting for the perfect opportunity to take over the Vampire,” Dan explained. “He’s patient and willing to take his time. We need to kill him now before things become worse.”
I shook my head. “Drake can handle himself. I know he can stand up to the demon.”
Eric laughed, shaking his head. I didn’t think he was the least bit amused. “There is no defeating that demon. We have centuries of research on him.”
Surprised, I gripped the side of the seat. “You know what demon it is?”
“The Ancestors didn’t tell you?” Dan smiled. “Not surprising. They always fail to inform their Witches.”
I wanted to shake him. They may have apologized, but I could tell they saw me as someone who wasn’t very important. That they viewed themselves as a higher power. They were, but I was still the leader of my people. I deserved to be treated properly. They didn’t control me, so what made them think it was okay to treat me differently?
“The demon is second-in-command of the Demon King, Bael. He’s been free in this world for a long time. He has been without his power the last hundred years, but has been here, plotting how to bring his master into this world,” Dan explained. “The only way he can is by rituals. Many centuries ago, leaders designed them to keep him trapped. Now the first ritual has been completed. The demons have been called to Heaven to begin the next series of rituals.”
Shaking my head in disbelief, I glanced back at the bar, seeing Drake still hanging with the women. I couldn’t believe he would be the one to let the Demon King into our world. We had to stop him. I couldn’t leave anything to chance. There was no choice but to remove Drake completely. Relying on him to stop this demon takeover was too much to ask. The chances of him being able to keep control of his own body was slim to none. I had no reason to actually believe he could fight off this demon.
Ethan watched me carefully. He could probably sense the thoughts swirling in my head. Grabbing my hand, he gave it a squeeze, offering silent support. I wanted to go back home and cry. Drake would be lost, all because of this damn demon. I was the chosen one of the Ancestors! I had to be able to help him. We couldn’t be this helpless.
“The Vampire is leaving. We must take care of him before he completes the second ritual.”
“How many rituals are there?” I asked, turning back toward the building to see Drake wrapping his arms around the waists of the two women.
Dan motioned for Ethan to follow Drake. “There are only two more. He’s already performed one. This next one requires two sacrifices.” He hesitated. “There is more to it, but that is the gist.”
“Tell me what else,” I prodded.
“Sex,” Ethan supplied as he opened his door.
I forgot that he probably knew all of this. I just never thought to ask. Maybe it was because I was in denial. Or maybe he didn’t want to upset me further.
Ethan barked out a curse. “Is that Heather chasing after him? She might ruin this.”
“Wait. Ruin what? You weren’t actually planning on killing him tonight, were you?” Well, of course they were. He was about to kill two more people. What did I expect?
They all stared at me in silence. I turned to the window as Heather, wearing her ridiculous high heels, ran after Drake. How she was able to run in those was beyond me.
Drake stopped and turned around when Heather shouted at him, waving. She looked a little different from what I remembered. She looked...older.
“What the
