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I knew we could get out of this, but that was what worried me. All it took was one slip—one lost temper—and humans would get hurt. Then we’d have to run. And if we ran now, we’d be running for the rest of our lives. Anger burned inside me.
There was no way the cops would’ve known to come to a random church in the desert. The demon was just to keep us busy. Luciana must’ve called the cops as soon as we crossed the wards. If we went with them quietly, no one would be able to stop her.
So either way, Luciana won.
I took in the scene. All the dead bodies. Their skin gray and shriveled. I didn’t need to see their eyes to know what they looked like. Shane lay on the ground. Blood seeped through the leg of Adrian’s pants. We were a mess.
And now Luciana had more than enough power to do what she wanted. She’d wiped out two covens and gotten us out of her way. If they threw us in jail for the night there’d be more than enough time for Luciana—mistress—or whatever the hell she was now to open her portal.
Sirens rose in the distance as the ambulance approached. First we had to make sure Shane and Adrian were okay. Then we’d deal with Luciana.
Hopefully for the last time.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The scent of stale, cheap coffee wafted through the station. The process of getting booked took forever. Like multiple hours. Especially since only a couple of us had any form of ID.
Good thing Van hadn’t stuck around. Who knew what the officers would’ve made of him?
Cosette was bad enough on her own. The cops had been giving her a hell of a time, which I didn’t really blame them for, given the whole pulling swords out of thin air thing. Then she’d charmed one of the police dogs somehow. Now she sat in the corner with a German shepherd curled up at her feet, and it growled at anyone who came close, including its handler.
Knowing Cosette, it could’ve been worse. I was just glad she was making a show of cooperating instead of trying to magic this away like she so obviously wanted to. It was way too late to undo the situation.
Our big problem was that the cops wanted answers. None of us had anything to say that they were willing to believe. It left us at a stalemate, but at some point they were either going to have to trust we were the good guys or decide we were the monsters.
The cop who seemed to be in charge—Wilson—had left us in a room with one officer—Yeats. She was a heavy-set lady with hair in an unflattering pixie cut. She watched us as we sat quietly in our chairs like good little citizens.
The room’s white walls and gray-speckled linoleum floor were clean enough, but the smells of blood, sweat, and vomit were ingrained underneath the scent of cleaning products. A table took up space in the middle of the room, but none of us were using it.
A blinking red light flashed on the camera in the corner. Someone, somewhere was watching us. I wondered what they were thinking. Which side would the coin were we going to land on? Friends? Or not?
As we sat in silence, waiting for what felt like forever for something to happen—one way or the other—the only sound in the room came from the large clock on the wall as the hands ticked. It was driving me mad, constantly reminding me that time was slipping away.
At least Adrian and Shane weren’t dealing with any of this. They were at the hospital. Under guard, but still, they weren’t getting interrogated. Shane hadn’t looked good. I’d heard Adrian convincing the EMT to treat him with holy water before we were hauled off, but I was still worried. Adrian seemed much better off than Shane, and I didn’t think it was just our speedy healing time. Maybe the reason Dastien and I hadn’t been affected by our demon-inflicted wounds like Raphael had been because we were Weres. What if witches were easier to possess?
I had a feeling Shane was going to need more healing than just holy water. Something more like what Claudia did to Raphael. Only we were stuck at the police station, and we hadn’t heard a word about them in hours.
Cosette sighed as she scratched her police dog behind its ears. “Anyone else ready to walk out of here? Because I am. At any moment.”
“No.” It was the first time Donovan had spoken since we’d gotten to the station. “I wasn’t thinking straight. The sight of a gun pointed at Meredith set me off—”
“Same here,” Lucas said. “Don’t beat yourself up about it.”
“Aye. But it was short sighted. Teresa here was the only one who kept her head, apart from the witches. If we’d done what we’d wanted, the humans never would’ve trusted us. We’d be hunted. Our children would be hunted.” He stared at the wall in front of us. “No. This was the only way.”
“I kept my head,” Cosette muttered before turning to me. “If we’re not breaking out, can I at least summon my Kindle? This is dead boring.”
“No summoning.” I was too wound up to get bored, but it was still taking too long. I had to do something to move the process along.
“Can I have my phone call, please?” I asked Officer Yeats. “It’s my right. And we haven’t been charged with anything. I should get a call.”
A wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows as she considered my question. “I’m not sure werewolves have rights.”
It didn’t sound like she was trying to be rude, but instead was trying to reason out whether I should be able to make a call. That was the only reason I was able to maintain my cool. Thanks to Dad’s coaching over the years, I already knew how to argue my case.
“I was born in Los Angeles eighteen years ago. My parents are human. I have a valid US birth certificate, and you saw my valid driver’s license when you booked me. By not allowing me my phone call, you’re violating my rights as a US citizen.”
She sighed. “Fine.”
