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“Good. I’m glad to see she got her happy ending.”
And she was happy for Libby. Happy enough that it hurt deep inside because she knew there was no such silver lining for her. Her happy ending was nothing more than a fantasy. How could it be anything but? She would seal the portal and spend eternity in the hell realm.
Yeah, some happy fucking ending.
Not for the first time Skye felt a tug of resentment rush through her, but she pushed it away quickly. There was no time for a pity party.
“You gonna share with us what went down at Carocal?” Declan shot at her.
Skye turned to him and spoke calmly. “I asked Libby to tell all of you that Cormac had killed me. I didn’t want him or any of the DaCostas to know I’d survived.”
Declan’s eyes narrowed and he studied her so intensely that she began to feel uncomfortable. “It’s you my father wanted, not Libby,” he said softly, and Skye took a step back as the tall man crossed over to her.
A growl, low and angry, fell between them and Declan halted as Jagger shoved his way in front of her. “You will step back.”
Declan raised his hands, a smirk grazing his handsome face. “Hey, I’m not interested in touching her. I just want to know what the hell my father wants with her.” He shrugged his shoulders. “That’s all.”
The heat from Jagger’s body washed over her suddenly cold frame and Skye felt a ripple of frustration run through her. She had no time for these games. The demon realm was knocking hard and it was up to her to slam it shut.
“Jagger says that I can trust all of you.” She looked at each of them. “I don’t. Unfortunately, I have no choice. Time is running out.”
“Why don’t you stop being so cryptic and tell us what the hell is going on?” Declan shot back.
Skye ignored him and kept her eyes focused on Cracker and the tall, brooding jaguar that stared at her from several feet away. He was Julian. She remembered him from three months ago. The resemblance between him and Jagger was unmistakable.
She spoke calmly, though inside her heart fluttered and she felt sick to her stomach. Even though she would tell these men only the bare minimum of what was going on, it still went against everything that she believed in.
“Cormac is after a disc, an ancient Aztec artifact that my people have guarded for thousands of years.”
“Who exactly are your people?” Cracker asked. His eyes had narrowed but she sensed a sincerity in him that set her mind somewhat at ease.
“I am an eagle knight,” she answered softly. “A what?” Declan snorted.
Jagger shot a look at him. “Let her speak.” His tone brooked no argument and Declan raised an eyebrow but remained quiet. He gestured with his hands for her to continue. “By all means.”
“I’m a shifter, one of a few left.” It was hard to keep the bitterness from her voice, and Skye didn’t even try. “My people were hunted to near extinction hundreds of years ago.” She glared at all of them. “By the magicks and the jaguars.”
“Why?” Cracker’s one-word question caused such a well of emotion to churn inside of her that Skye closed her eyes and drew on the strength deep within her.
“My people have been charged since the dawn of time to keep watch over certain artifacts, and for that reason we’ve been hunted. Destroyed by the likes of you.”
Jagger made a sound at her side and for the first time she let her vision wander to him. He stood looking down at her with an expression that was hard to read. Did he believe her? Or did he think she was full of crap?
No matter. He moved a few feet away, his face dark, brooding.
“This disc that you seek, it’s something the DaCostas want so bad that they’d get into bed with someone as untrustworthy as Cormac?”
Skye turned to Declan. His eyes were clear and shrewd.
She answered him simply. “Yes.”
“It must be valuable,” he continued. “What does it do?”
“It’s a portal,” Julian inserted quietly. Everyone looked at him and Skye’s gasp caught in her throat, nearly choking her. “To the demon underworld.”
Fuck! How the hell did the jaguar know that? The bastard had done his homework.
“What?” Declan looked as surprised as the rest of them, and Skye ignored the glare from four sets of eyes as they all turned their attention to her.
