Page 41 of Peacemaker

Chapter Thirteen

The Cold Dead

The ensuing silence was dense and chewy, and no one attempted to gnaw through it. They stared at me, each of them with different degrees of astonishment and disbelief.

Amanda Hammer drew closer to Jade and whispered something to her, and with a quick hand, Jade slid her wand away.

Magic, then. Jade had magic.

“What are you?” I asked her, breaking the silence. “A witch?”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Nope. Just stole the wand off of one.” She grinned, then shrugged. “She doesn’t need it anymore.”

“Better question,” Amanda said, “is what are you, Bloodhunter?”

Jade grunted. “I caught Himself’s scent coming from her,” she told Amanda.

Angus stomped toward me, naked and impressively unconcerned with that nakedness, and the others came with him. “She’s mighty,” he told Jade and Amanda. “And she’s fierce. That’s what she is.”

Slightly burned, bruised, and bloodied by an encounter that had lasted only a few short minutes, my men gathered around me, silent as Angus snatched me against his bare body. I wrapped my arms around his neck, despite Jade and Amanda and their disdain, and then I forgot them when the rest of the men pressed against me.

We needed touch. No matter what else was going on, we had to physically connect—especially after a battle. It settled us. It made things right. So we reconnected as we silently cataloged injuries, allowed ourselves to sigh with relief when it sank in that we were all okay. We were good.

All but Clayton. I could feel his worry. The stress of once again facing Miriam—even in her changed state, hadn’t been easy for him. She was going to be hanging over his head until we could find a way to destroy her. And I wasn’t sure that was possible.

Leo, as usual, stood a little to the side, a little separate, a little unsure.

“They’ll be back,” Shane said.

Angus released me and I slid down his body, automatically reaching for Rhys’s hand. I squeezed his fingers, then watched as Amias slid away into the darkness. He hadn’t said a word.

I frowned, watching him go.

Jin opened the front door and stuck his head out. “Is it gone?”

“You are safe,” Jade called, smirking only a little. “The demon has been vanquished.”

“I appreciate your help,” I told the two women. “Thanks.”

“You are needed,” Jin told me, a little miffed. “Surely you’re aware.”

“Yes.” I pulled my cell phone from my pocket as I headed for the house. It appeared to be fine—apparently magic fire didn’t screw with electronic devices. I’d call Crawford to check on things there before I tended to the spirit clamoring for attention. “I’m coming, Jin.”

Angus and Leo stayed behind, talking quietly, and Rhys rejoined Jade and Amanda.

I had four voicemails on my phone, and they were all from Crawford. “Shit,” I muttered.

“What’s wrong?” Shane asked, walking beside me.

Clayton was on my other side, but he walked in silence. Heavy silence. He had his own demons to deal with, and there was nothing to do but let him sort them out.

“Crawford has been calling. That doesn’t usually mean anything good.” I put the phone on speaker and we listened as we headed inside.

Crawford’s first message was a little urgent, shaky as he ran. Vampires—a small group—had attacked six humans outside the hospital. All six had turned. Five of them had been contained. He needed a hunter to come give them their true death, to track the missing sixth victim, and mostly, to find and kill the attackers.

He was aggravated in his second call. “Where the fuck are you, Sinclair? I need you to get to the city now. Vampires got two more of us. At least two more that I know of. Where the fuck are they coming from?” He hesitated. “What the fuck are these things?”

By his third call, he was worried something dire had happened to me. “I’m sending a car to check on you.”