Ryder placed his hands on Angelique’s shoulders. She tilted her head back toward him and smiled. Clearly the two of them had developed a relationship.
Dalton was glad. At least it seemed to be working out for some of his friends. He’d seen it happen for Derek and Gina, for Nic and Shay, and now apparently for Ryder and Angelique. But it would never be for him.
Lou pushed his chair back from the table and leaned toward Angelique. “You have a demon Lord’s blood within you, Angelique. But for some reason your sister possesses the darkness they’re looking for.”
Angelique inhaled, then blew it out. “I know she does. I feel that, too. I’m afraid that as soon as she laid her hands on the black diamond, she succumbed to the darkness within her.”
So not what Dalton wanted to hear, but what he feared had happened. “How bad is it?”
Angelique looked at him. “I don’t know yet. I need to see her.”
“If she’s moved over to the side of the Sons of Darkness-completely over to their side. .”
Michael trailed off, but Dalton knew what he meant. If Isabelle had gone evil, she was a threat to the Realm. She’d need to be eliminated.
“What?” Angelique asked. “Tell me.”
Ryder grasped her hand. “What Michael’s saying is that if she’s a demon, wholly demon, the Realm of Light will destroy her.”
She shuddered a breath, her wary gaze scanning the room. “You all will kill my sister.”
No one nodded, but they didn’t have to. They’d do what they had vowed to do to any demon. Dalton knew how hard this was for her. He didn’t want to think about it, either; he refused to contemplate the possibility.
“You didn’t kill Derek or Nic, and they are half-blood demons,” she argued.
“Angelique, we don’t yet know what’s happened to Isabelle,” Lou said. “Let’s hope she’s just like Derek and Nic, that she’s able to control the demon within her, just as you seem to be able to do.”
“Because if I can’t, you’ll destroy me, too.”
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” Lou countered with a faint smile. “You’ve exhibited no signs of allowing the demon blood in you to take over.”
“And neither will my sister.”
Dalton hoped that was the case. He didn’t want Isabelle to die. They didn’t know her like he did.
“We’re glad you came,” Mandy said, breaking the tension that surrounded them.
“You put your ass on the line to do it. Now that you’re here the Sons of Darkness are going to be gunning for you. That shows guts.” Derek nodded his appreciation of Angelique’s courage.
“I don’t know if it’s guts or just utter terror for my sister. I have to find her. She’s the only family I have left. Sitting at the castle unable to take part in this felt wrong. Not when I could be the catalyst to bring them out of hiding.”
Michael sighed. “Okay, now that you’re here and evidently insisting on staying, we’ll see what happens.”
Angelique exhaled in relief, glad she was going to be allowed to remain.
“Thank you. I know you were trying your best to keep me safe, and I appreciate it. But I think this is the best approach.” Especially knowing what could possibly happen to Izzy. She’d do anything to prevent it-if it wasn’t already too late.
“Your presence here will get the Sons of Darkness’ attention,” Lou said. “If they want you back, and we assume they do, then they should make their presence known more easily. And when they do, we can dispatch them and find our way to their hiding place.”
“And you think that’s where my sister is? Underground somewhere?”
“Possibly,” Michael said. “We know for a fact she’s here. As is the black diamond. Whether they’re underground or not is uncertain.”
Ryder pulled up a chair and sat next to Angelique.
“Now what?” she asked.
“We wait. See what happens.”
“This is interesting.”
Angelique looked up at Lou. He was poring over papers on the table. “What?”
“There’s an older part of the cemetery, closed and no longer in use.”
She and Ryder stood and moved over to the table. Angelique scanned the document. “This looks like an ancient blueprint.”
“Yes,” Lou said. “I was trying to plot out perimeter strategy, minus the cemetery, figuring those wouldn’t be utilized by the demons along with the church proper. But this part here I’m curious about.”
“I’ll go get Father Vintaldi,” Gina said, leaving the room.
“Something about the area bothering you, Lou?” Mandy asked.
“Yes. I feel a strong pull to that location.”
“But if it’s part of the cemetery, the demons wouldn’t use it, would they?” Dalton asked.
“I wouldn’t think so, unless the ground there hasn’t been consecrated.”
