Ryder scrubbed his hand over his face. “No, I don’t see. And it wasn’t so damn easy.”
“He probably has cactus spines stuck in his. . well, wherever,” Gina said with a smirk. “We had to crawl through a field. They’re all cranky.”
Angelique’s lips quirked. “I see. I’ll work on getting those out later.”
Ryder shot a glare at Gina. “Not funny. And I don’t have cactus spines on any part of me. I’m irritated at Angie.”
“Why?” Angelique asked.
“Because I don’t agree with your assessment of what went down. I think the Sons of Darkness still want to use you.”
She shook her head. “I’m useless to them. That was already proven in Australia. As soon as I laid my hands over the black diamond, the light inside it went dark.”
“Just because you aren’t as powerful as your sister doesn’t mean you don’t have value to the Sons of Darkness,” Lou said. “Remember, you are still the daughter of a Lord, one of the high demons. You are highly revered by them.”
“Lou’s right,” Derek said. “The Sons of Darkness don’t easily let go of their own. I know.”
She didn’t believe that. “That’s not true. Don’t you remember, Lou? Bart cast me aside as if I was nothing to them. And Derek, have they come after you since the incident with Ben?”
Derek shook his head. “No. They haven’t.”
“See? They have no use for me, for Derek, or for Nic, and we all have demon blood. But they do want Isabelle.”
“I have a feeling that some of the Lords might disagree with many of the decisions Bart and Ben had made,” Michael interjected. “The Sons of Darkness have a need for someone of your power. For you and Derek and Nic. I think you’re all vulnerable.”
Frustration ate at her, made her stomach twinge. Why weren’t they out looking for Izzy instead of having this ridiculous discussion? “I have no power. Don’t you think I tried? If I had any useful demon blood in me, why couldn’t I conjure it up to get myself out of that room?”
“Demon power manifests itself in unusual ways, Angelique,” Lou explained. “Both Derek and Nic had to learn that, too. You’re still very young and not in control of your skills yet. None of us knows what you can do, or can’t do, what any of you who are half demon are fully capable of. You may never be able to call it up at will.”
They could argue that for hours and it wouldn’t locate Izzy. “Either way, now we have to find my sister.”
“Yes,” Michael said. “And I know where she is.”
“You do?”
He nodded. “We’re going back to the church where you originally hid the black diamond.”
Angelique frowned. “Why there?”
“They’re underground in that location. Isabelle and the black diamond are there.”
“On sacred ground?” Mandy asked. “I thought that was impossible.”
“Somehow they’ve managed to isolate themselves from the sanctity of the area. I sensed something different about the place, and my suspicions were confirmed when the demons attacked and took Angelique and the black diamond.”
She didn’t ask how he knew that. Maybe he got those insights, those feelings, just like she did. Keepers had mystical abilities of sight. Angelique didn’t care, as long as Michael was correct about Isabelle’s whereabouts.
But now she was worried about Father Vintaldi, who had been so nice to her. “How soon do we leave?”
“We leave immediately,” Michael said. “You will stay here.”
“I have to go with you.”
Michael shook his head. “No. They’ve already taken you once. I’m not going to let it happen again.” Michael looked around the room. “I need someone to volunteer to stay behind and protect Angelique.”
“I’ll do it.”
Angelique couldn’t believe Ryder had been the first to offer. Immediately. Without hesitation. He loved a good demon fight. Why would he give that up to baby-sit her?
“Make sure she stays put,” Michael said. “We can’t risk the Sons of Darkness grabbing her again. If they do, it could compromise our efforts to get Isabelle.”
This was insane. “It’s important I be there. Don’t you see? I know Father Vintaldi. I know the church grounds. I’ve had contact with the black diamond.”
“You’re not going, Angelique. It’s too risky,” Lou said.
Michael stood, turned to the others. “Weapon up.”
Angelique watched, helpless, as the hunters gathered their gear and met at the door.
“We’ll keep you posted,” Michael said.
Ryder nodded, closed the front door after they left, and returned to the library.
Angelique stood and faced Ryder. “Don’t do this.”
Ryder laid his hands on her shoulders, his expression warm and tender. “I’m sorry, darlin’, but Michael’s right. You need to stay here. After what happened to you the last time at the church, it’s too dangerous for you to walk
