As they made their way to the elevator, Dorian was overcome with the same feeling he’d experienced earlier—like someone had been watching them.
But just as before, the chamber was empty, save for the echoes of his dead father and the brutal lord of hell who would soon—one way or another—meet the same fate.
Chapter Twenty-One
By the time they settled into the study and Dorian poured everyone another round, Gabriel had returned, the frustrated look in his eyes confirming what Dorian had already suspected—he wasn’t able to trace the source of Sasha’s call.
“It looks like whoever’s holding her covered their tracks well.” Gabriel returned Charlotte’s phone and dropped into the chair closest to the fireplace, stretching out his legs before the flames. “The call bounced through several different cities, none of them in New York State. But,” he added, “my source isn’t giving up. I sent him the screenshot you took—he’s analyzing it now.”
“Thank you.” Charlotte smiled—still channeling a bit of her sister, Dorian suspected.
“So what have you lot been up to, then?” Gabriel leaned back in his chair and glanced around as Dorian distributed the drinks. “No offense, but you look as if you’ve just emerged from the very dungeons of hell.”
“You have no idea how right you are.” Aiden lifted his glass. “Cheers.”
There hadn’t been time to get into the details of the blade and the book with Gabriel earlier, and now it spilled out in a mad rush, all of them trying to fill in the gaps with whatever information and hypotheses they had about Chernikov’s dastardly plans and the demon Azerius.
They were all in agreement on one thing—Chernikov had to be dealt with, and quickly. They had no idea how much work had already been completed on his project, and no guarantees the other nefarious employees at Armitage Holdings would back off, even with their operation exposed.
“We need to take them out completely,” Gabriel said.
“We can’t take out Chernikov’s entire organization alone,” Aiden said. “We haven’t the numbers.”
“So we’ll start with Chernikov himself,” Gabriel said. “Cut off the head of the snake, then work our way down.”
“And then we’ve got hundreds of pissed-off demon sycophants on the loose, with no obligation to honor the Accords,” Isabelle said. “They’ll be looking for blood and vengeance, and where do you think they’ll start?”
No one said a word to that—no one needed to. In the wake of a Chernikov assassination, all those rudderless demons would be torching Ravenswood by dawn. And without an army of his own, Dorian had no way to defend it, especially when he considered Chernikov had the backing of House Duchanes, a coven of dark witches, and untold other defectors on his side.
At this point, he wouldn’t be surprised if Malcolm was among them.
“I don’t suppose you’re any good with biological weaponry?” Aiden asked Colin. “Serious question, mate.”
“If only I’d chosen my post-doctorate studies more strategically.” Colin flashed a dimpled grin, then sipped his bourbon. “To be fair, I thought I’d be delivering babies and setting broken arms at this point, not trying to recreate a cure for vampirism, summoning a lord of hell, and plotting against an army of demons.”
“You make it sound like drudgery when you say it like that,” Aiden teased, then settled back into his chair, his eyes darkening with the same worries the rest of the group obviously shared.
For a while no one spoke, and Dorian allowed himself to be lulled by the comforts of a crackling fire, a fine scotch, and the company of friends and family. It’d been a long time since he’d felt anything close to it, and though Malcolm’s absence left a particularly sharp ache in his heart, Dorian couldn’t help but be glad for the moment.
Still, thoughts of Malcolm were never far, and now they clawed at his insides anew, filling him with a mixture of sadness, betrayal, and guilt—a cocktail of pain he’d associated with his family for far too long.
Bloody hell, he still wanted so badly for things to be different.
If only, if only, if only…A refrain as closely connected to thoughts of his family as the disconcerting feeling churning through his chest.
“I have a crazy idea,” Charlotte finally said, bringing him back from his dark thoughts. He looked at her and smiled, warmed by the firelight dancing in her eyes. With a mischievous smirk, she said, “What if we got Rogozin to do it?”
“Rogozin?” Gabriel scoffed. “Yes, let’s hop into bed withmoredemons, since my brother had so much luck bedding Chernikov. And wasn’t it Rogozin’s demons who attacked at the Tribeca penthouse?”
“Indeed it was,” Dorian said, recalling the taste of Rogozin hellfire in his lungs as Duchanes had poisoned him and tormented Charlotte before his eyes.
“And Chernikov’s who attacked us in Central Park,” she countered.
“Your point?” Gabriel asked.
“Demons and vampires are mortal enemies, and right now, in the wake of your father’s death, all of the demon factions are testing the boundaries. I’m not saying Rogozin is the perfect ally by any stretch, but there are no perfect options here.”
“We can’t trust him, Charlotte,” Gabriel said.
