“No,” I snapped. “They were too busy coming after me.”
My brow furrowed, and I tamped down my frustration with the conversation in favor of contemplating the logistics involved in getting hold of Albigard for a little off-the-record chat. If I’d understood things correctly, he wasn’t a member of the Unseelie Court himself, but I wondered if he might have contacts that could bring such a complaint.
Nigellus’ expression grew jaded. “You are considering reaching out to your Fae ally.”
I covered the jolt of surprise that rattled me. Had he plucked that thought directly from my mind somehow, or was I just really, really predictable? Rans face went hard, and I gathered I’d be hearing objections about my half-formed idea from that corner as well.
“I’m considering my options,” I shot back. “If you don’t like them, give me some better ones, damn it.”
“If the Fae did manage to prove a treaty violation,” Rans said, sounding tired, “They wouldn’t simply go after Myrial. They’d tear up the entire treaty and toss it out the window, then immediately start sharpening their swords for a new battle against Hell, with Earth stuck in the middle as per fucking usual.”
I deflated, and turned a glare on Nigellus. “Why do both of your damned races have to be so bloodthirsty?” I snapped.
“Says the human whose government holds enough nuclear warheads to destroy the entire planet in the space of a day,” Nigellus said mildly.
“I’m not human,” I said sharply. “Myrial ensured that much.”
But it was a weak argument, and I knew it.
Nigellus and Rans both drew breath to say something, but the stately chimes of the doorbell cut them off before either could speak. They frowned and turned as one toward the front of the house, on sudden alert like a pair of Dobermans. It took me a second to remember why someone being at the door was cause for such a strong reaction, and then it hit me.
Right. Invisible house—hello.
“Wait. What the actual hell?” I asked, casting around for an explanation. “That... couldn’t be Edward, could it?”
“No,” Nigellus said, “It couldn’t be.”
Of course—Edward would need Nigellus to be physically present to get him back through the gate of Hell using the soul-bond.
“Then... who on Earth...?” I began.
Rans swirled into mist, reappearing mere seconds later with a sword in one hand and an iron dagger in the other. “Take this,” he said by way of warning, and I snatched the weapon out of the air as he tossed it to me hilt-first. My heartbeat pounded in a staccato beat as adrenaline flooded my system.
Nigellus did not move to arm himself with a weapon, but he did trade a quick glance with Rans—who, in turn, jerked his chin at me in silent command, urging me toward the stairwell leading upstairs. I jogged up the steps, Rans at my heels, even as Nigellus moved slowly toward the front door. We set ourselves on one side of the upstairs landing, where we had a view of the front door but wouldn’t be immediately noticeable to someone standing outside unless they thought to look up.
A distant corner of my mind didn’t want to be part of a well-oiled team with the demon who was hurting the man I loved, damn it. I spared a sidelong glance at Rans, but he was focused intently on the entryway below us—his sword held motionless behind his body, completely invisible to anyone on the main floor. I followed suit, holding the dagger behind my back and trying to breathe silently.
I was, I realized, getting a glimpse into a fighting partnership that had been honed over centuries of warfare, even if it was tainted now by the knowledge of what Nigellus had been doing to Rans since the peace treaty took effect. An ache of regret tried to take up residence in my throat, but this wasn’t the time for it.
Below us, Nigellus opened the door without so much as looking through the peephole first. I wondered if he really was so powerful that he could sense whoever was on the other side, or if he just didn’t consider anyone in the human realm to be a threat worth worrying about. I peered down, staying still and silent in the shadows. Nigellus’ tall frame blocked most of my view, but I got a brief impression of long, white-blonde hair and blue eyes before a bell-like voice spoke.
“Ah, Mr. Benecea,” said the woman. “Good. You’re finally back from your business trip. Did you know your house is invisible? You should probably get someone in to take a look at that.”
TEN
“MS. LANE,” NIGELLUS said in a tone that could have stripped varnish from wood.
“I’ve told you before, call me Neveah,” said the woman, her voice as bubbly as a glass of champagne. “Now, do you have a moment to talk? It feels like I’ve been trying to chase you down for ages.”
I shot a questioning look at Rans, but he shrugged minutely to indicate he was none the wiser about Nigellus’ unexpected visitor.
“This isn’t a good time,” Nigellus said in a flat voice.
I caught a flash of a brilliant, feminine smile, and felt an odd little flutter in my stomach that made me frown. What the hell? Curious, I tried to reach out with my magical senses, hoping to get a better read on the blonde bombshell at the door. I could tell right off that she definitely wasn’t Fae. I was fairly certain she wasn’t a demon either. And she obviously couldn’t be a vampire... but how would a human have been able to find the front door when the house was warded?
“Oh, I understand! I’ll only take a minute of your time, in that case,” the woman—Neveah?—said. “Perhaps you could tell me why out-of-state auditors are here in California, looking into your property records and recent business dealings, though? It all
