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While Same looks so angry it’s as if he wants to launch himself through the shield and throttle them all, I simply grit my teeth and sigh.

“Call Annalise,” I instruct my phone.

It dials instantly.

When she picks up, I speak quickly. “Nico just took out a…” I glance at Rev and she reminds me of the demons name, “a Nasgarth demon. Outside the shield. It attacked a few humans.”

“AMA?” Annalise asks.

“Fraid so. They caught it on camera. They’ll sew the footage together to make it look like we stood by and did nothing to help, even though Nico took the thing out.”

“Nico?” Annalise clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. She doesn’t know that we’re aware of the SDB’s arrangement with Nico and Rev.

“We know, Annalise. No need for pretence here.”

She sighs a little, but doesn’t say anything else except, “All right. We’ll do damage control. As much as possible.”

“Any other news?” I stop her before she hangs up.

There’s a long pause. “Other news?”

“Anything we should know about. Related to the AMA?”

She clicks her tongue again. “If there is, you’ll be the first to know, Luther. You have my word.”

And with that, she hangs up.

I pocket my phone and turn away from the chaos on the other side. I have always trusted Annalise’s word.

Always.

She’s proved herself again and again to be an ally. Even when it’s put her in a difficult position.

Except something in her tone just now told me she was lying.

“There’s something she’s not telling us,” I mutter to Sam as we walk back toward Main Street.

Beside Sam, Nico – now back to being human – cranes his head to meet my eyes. “Like what?”

“I don’t know. But as you’re on the inside now, Nico… you’re going to have to be the one to find out for us.”

16

NOVA

The landing is bumpy, to say the least. The small private jet shudders and dips as it descends through dark, rolling clouds. Rain pelts the windows, reducing visibility to almost zero. I grip Tanner’s hand tightly with each jolt and sway, knuckles turning white.

“Please tell me one of you knows how to fly this thing if our pilot passes out,” I say through gritted teeth as we hit another pocket of turbulence.

Kole, face as stoic as ever, simply grips his seatbelt and doesn’t reply. Mack gives me a strained smile. “We’ll be fine. The airfield is just ahead. And I can fly us if I have to, Little Star.”

Even so, I’m filled with relief when I feel the wheels finally bounce down on tarmac after a nauseatingly long descent. We hydroplane for a few alarming seconds before the jet finally slows to a stop with squealing brakes.

I let out a shaky breath as the engines power down, my heartbeat gradually returning to normal. Through the fogged up windows, I can just make out a few small hangars and buildings - the private airfield located just outside Cambridge.

We disembark down a set of slippery metal steps to find ourselves nearly blinded by a relentless curtain of pouring rain. The wind whips my hair violently into my face as I stare around at the bleak English countryside. Gray skies loom over rolling green fields divided by ancient stone walls and hedgerows. A far cry from the red rock and the temperatures I’m used to back home.

Tanner has to raise his voice to be heard over the howling wind and rain. “Let’s hurry up and get our bags so we can find the car Mack arranged.”