Hannah surveyed the damage in the garden she’d created, her fingers flickering idly over various plants, coaxing life back into them, although the movement didn’t seem to be deliberate on her part. She looked absolutely horrified by it all, her face paler than normal, her eyes wet with unshed tears, especially when her gaze landed on the tourists that had died. Entire families, destroyed by Pestilence's plague. Intense rage filled me at the sight. These people had come to my hotel for a family vacation or a fun weekend getaway and now they were dead. It was my responsibility to keep them safe and happy while at my resort, and I'd failed. Now all I could do was avenge their deaths...which I would do with relish.
Sirens sounded from the street, and the sound of human misery and suffering thickened the air. I kept the War side of me locked away most of the time, but now I let it surface. The fury made me stronger, as long as I could control it.
"I'm going to rip Adam's fucking head off," I growled.
Hannah shot me a look full of menace. "Not if I do it first."
"We need to find Samael. Let's check the war room."
Hannah nodded, and our wings unfurled at the same time, mine black and shadowy, hers silver and bright. We launched into the air and flew up to the penthouse, which had sat empty for months, but had been destroyed anyway. Pestilence had even peed all over my leather couch. That fucking prick. Hannah just let out a long sigh as she surveyed the damage.
We marched down the stairs rather than take the elevator, uncertain of the electrics and stability of the infrastructure. I’d never seen my command room so busy. Demons scurried between desks and spoke into headsets while typing furiously on their computers. Lights flashed on monitors and maps, showing the activity of my demons across the city and wider areas. Occasionally, alarms went off, attracting more frenetic activity at various desks.
Samael watched over everything, his arms folded tightly across his chest, his face expressionless but his jaw tight. He turned toward us as we approached, and something that looked like relief flickered across his features before he clamped down on it and returned to being expressionless. He nodded a greeting, and I motioned toward the meeting room. We’d be able to watch from within the glass walls without being overheard.
“What’s happening?” Hannah spoke first—as soon as the door closed.
"Where is Pestilence?" I asked.
"You're too late," Samael said. "He's gone."
"Gone?" Hannah asked. "Where did he go?"
"No one knows. He rode off on his horse into the desert."
"And Theo?" I asked. Another fucker who needed to die.
"Also gone. He left as soon as Pestilence was freed, and took many of the gargoyles with him."
Dammit. We were too late. Pestilence had gone, leaving destruction and sickness in his wake. My vengeance would have to wait another day.
"Where's Einial?" Hannah asked. Normally she was at Samael's side, helping him run things.
Samael's face fell. "Dead. Killed by Theo when she tried to stop him from opening Pestilence's tomb."
Hannah covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide. "Oh no. I'm so sorry."
"Pestilence will pay for what he's done," I growled. "What about the humans?"
“We’ve put word out about a terrorist attack," Samael said. "Chemical weapons. It's something the humans will believe and rally behind."
"Good thinking." It wasn’t like any of them would believe that demon factions were currently releasing the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, or that Pestilence had destroyed much of the Las Vegas Strip. "What can we do?"
"We've got everything in hand here, but you can speak to the press perhaps. Or try to find Pestilence, though I'm not sure how you'll locate him."
I agreed, but Pestilence’s disappearance grated against me. “It's surprising he left so quickly. He must have known that Hannah and I would come for him. Wouldn't he want to face us? To try to take Hannah, if nothing else?"
"Maybe that's why he left," Samael said. "He knew he couldn't face both of you together."
Hannah tapped her lips. "Maybe... Or maybe he's going to meet Fenrir somewhere for the real attack."
Her words sparked a horrible idea inside my head. "What if this was all a diversion?"
Hannah's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"It's possible." Samael stroked his chin. "There's certainly enough damage control here to keep us all busy for a while.”
"And it got us both away from home." Hannah gripped my arm tightly, her voice rising with her panic. "We need to get back to Aurora."
I nodded, heart pounding, gut twisting with fear. "Samael, you've got this covered. We need to return home."
"Go," Samael said. "I'll keep you updated on any new developments."
I nodded and clasped Samael’s shoulder briefly before Hannah and I left the room at a near run. I tried to keep my panic in check, but instinct told me something wasn't right, and that things were about to get a lot worse.
Then again, things getting worse was a given until we found Pestilence.
Hannah whipped across the grass on Shadow, always a couple of hoofbeats ahead of me like she was being chased by hellhounds rather than simply returning home. I felt that same urgency and urged Strife on too.
“Are you all right?” I shouted my words into the wind racing past, hoping Hannah heard me.
“No.” It was one word tossed over her shoulder. “I have a really bad feeling.”
"Me too."
She remained silent the rest of the ride, but there was a tension in her posture as she sat on Shadow’s back, and her face could have called forth thunder.
We arrived at our estate, but Hannah didn’t even wait for Shadow to slow before she leapt off her back and took off toward our
