"Seriously?" I blurted as I nearly trippedover my feet entering my room.
"You okay, Chris," Mal called.
"Just arguing with fucking Ezra," I snarled."I'm going to fuck Mal later, whether you want me to or not, just forthat." I said the last aloud, knowing Mal would hear me. Hopefully, hewouldn't mind me using him a bit. I wouldn't have minded.
Ezra didn't reply as I angrily changed into dryclothes and stomped back out into the living room.
Fortunately, by then, everyone was basicallypretending like nothing had happened, so we settled into a quick meal for thoseof us who could eat it, before heading toward the door.
I gave Sabian a quick hug, just in case. Ezra didn'tobject, which was either an improvement or he was more worried than he let on.I gave Mal a much longer one involving a heated kiss and a great deal oftongue.
Ezra stayed quiet, though I suspected he was annoyed. Hemight actually be worried he'd pushed me a little too far with his last stunt.
He would have to get over it.
"I'd hug you, Aaron, but electric shock and all."
Aaron nodded. "I'll use my imagination."Then he blushed. "I mean...for the hug."
I grinned at him. "All good, mate."
With that, we climbed into my tank of a car and headedinto the desert. Hopefully, we all survived.
I might not forgive myself if something happened toany of them.
Chapter 19
Price
We parked as close as we dared, then went the rest ofthe way on foot, until we stood on the edge of the warded area. Sweat dampenedmy T-shirt under my light leather jacket, and ran between my breasts. A slightbreeze did little to dispel the lingering heat from the day. I really shouldhave left the jacket in the car, but it had saved my ass so many times that Iignored the discomfort.
Mayhem had shifted to his hellhound form, gettingquite a reaction out of Aaron and Mal, who hadn't seen him yet. I had trailedmy hand along the mane of fur that ran along his back. It was every bit as softas it had felt in that blank space Ezra took us to. Mayhem had rested his headin my hands for a minute and I'd scrubbed at the base of his horns. By the wayhe had leaned into my touch, he liked that a lot. Now he stood at my side,alert for danger.
The smell of sage was heavy on the air as Mal studied theward. He drew a sigil in the air with his knife, and made a pushing gesture. Thesigil glowed briefly before it pressed against the ward and seemed to fizzleout after a few sparks.
"They're going to know we're here after I takethis down," Mal warned. He drew the sigil again before drawing his knife.He cut his palm, said something I didn't understand, and pushed again, thistime with a spray of blood that the sigil absorbed.
Shit, Mal knew real blood magic? That was a littledark. Blood marks were one thing, but this was a whole different level.
He's a vampire. It's natural for them.
Oh.
The ward shimmered and Mal held up both hands,intoning something else, before he went and stabbed the ward with the knife.
Direct, Ezracommented.
It worked though. The ward shattered with an audiblepop.
The broken magic washed over us, feeling like someonedragged sandpaper over my skin.
"Yuck," I muttered.
"Very unpleasant," Mal agreed.
"Let's go," Sabian ordered.
We followed his direction and headed for the frontdoor as fast as I could manage, since I was the slowest one.
Resistance met us at the door. Two men, clearlypossessing demon amulets, charged out. They both looked a little ragged, thestrain of hosting unfriendly demons clear in their sallow skin and sunken eyes.Even with the demons being contained in amulets they were clearly paying aprice for the possession.
Since we were trying not to kill people unless we hadto, Sabian and Aaron took point instead of having Mal lead the fighting. He'dstep in if necessary.
Sabian darted forward, grabbed one of the men and jerkedthe amulet away from the guy's neck. Neither of us needed a reveal spell tofind them anymore. Ezra's doing. They also only ever seemed to wear necklacesor bracelets so that also made it easier.
Aaron grabbed the charm, hissed in pain as the silvermelted between his fingers, and Ezra shouted a command to the demon that wasfreed.
Most of the ones we were going to release would needan actual host to be useful, but I didn't want to have to do too manyexorcisms, so Ezra was basically telling the released demons to do what theycould to help our fight and wait for me to send them back to hell when we weredone. This one chose to help by blasting through his former captor and knockinghim out. That was extremely useful, and I approved.
The other guy realized what we'd just done to hispartner and reached for a gun. Mal stepped in faster than I could see and hadthe guy in a solid arm lock before he could get the weapon out.
Though it was obviously painful, Aaron repeated theprocedure with that demon charm and the freed creature took out the human. Maldropped the guy to the ground, held up a hand warning us to wait while heinspected the doorframe for wardings that could harm us, and then gestured forus to follow him inside.
It actually was kind of like storming the dungeon hadbeen last night in the game. Some brief fights that the guys took care of, Malchecking for traps as it were, and quick progress through the house.
I knew it wouldn't remain this easy, but for themoment things were going our way.
We worked our way into heart of the house. I couldn'ttell from the outside, and maybe we should have gotten on the internet to seeif we could find some areal pictures, but this house had an interior courtyard.That's where things stopped getting easy.
Mal neutralized another ward, but when we steppedthrough the door, a burst of energy blasted into the vampire, dropping him.
"Mal!"
He'll be fine.
I didn't believe the demon, but before I could do morethan take a step in the fallen vampire's direction,
