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Bill cleared his throat, and for a second the enormity of the news he held was overwhelming. He took a few extra seconds before he addressed his team. He glanced at the empty chairs. Some were on assignment and hadn’t been able to make it. It was the others that troubled him. The ones he couldn’t locate.
And the one who was never coming back.
“Cara is no longer among us.” He watched them closely. “She’s been . . . eliminated.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Cale frowned.
“She was murdered,” Bill said softly.
Shocked silence followed his announcement. Cara had been an important member of his team. She was an elderly woman of magick, a white witch, and had been three days shy of her seventieth birthday when she’d been found, her body beaten, tortured, and branded.
Cale’s hardened features turned to him, his voice barely a whisper. “How? Why?”
Bill turned to his oldest, most trusted confidant. “The details are horrific.”
“Was it otherworld?” Samael’s lips were tight, his aviators back in place.
Bill grabbed a handful of Gummi bears and chewed them thoroughly before swallowing. “Most definitely.” He shook his head and made no effort to hide the sadness, the utter despair he felt. “I fear we’ve been discovered. After working for millennia to keep the balance in our worlds, we may have a betrayer in our midst.”
Silence greeted his words. Bill let his gaze wander the room. So many noble, fierce warriors and each of them, he’d trust with his life.
“Do we know this for certain?” Azaiel spoke from the shadows.
Bill shrugged. “No.” The small man leaned on the table and let a glimpse of his power—his rage—shine through. “But we will find out. If there is a betrayer among us”—he arched a brow—“here in this room, or posted in any realm we inhabit, they will be hunted and held responsible.”
“We need to find out what happened to Cara,” Cale said quietly.
Bill nodded. “Azaiel will leave at once.”
“You would trust him with such a delicate mission?” Cale stood so quickly, his chair skittered across the wooden floor.
All eyes turned toward the tall figure in the corner. Azaiel sat alone, his long, denim-clad legs crossed in front of him as if relaxed, but the tight set of his mouth told the truth. The fallen was on edge.
Bill cocked an eyebrow. “I would trust him with my life.”
Cale’s face was red, angry. He snarled and strode for the door. Samael sat back, crossed his arms, and shrugged. “I don’t usually agree with Cale, but in this instance, I gotta say, I think you’re making a mistake.”
“I thank you for your concern; however, I have the greatest of faith that Azaiel will perform admirably.”
Bill grabbed another handful of candy. “He will leave as soon as transportation is made available.”
“I don’t think Cale is gonna want to give up one of his prized Harleys.”
Bill ignored Samael and nodded to Azaiel. “It’s time, my friend.”
Azaiel stood. Six feet, six inches of intensity. “Where am I headed?”
“Salem, Massachusetts. A bed-and-breakfast called the Black Cauldron.”
Azaiel turned without another word, though he paused at the door. “I’ll see what I can find out and report back within the week.”
Bill watched the fallen leave and knew the coming days were going to be dark. He popped one last Gummi bear into his mouth and grabbed a third glass of water.
He had faith in Azaiel. He just hoped the fallen angel had a healthy dose of his own.
Or they were in big trouble.
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