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I dropped to my knees beside him, wanting to breathe him in, to touch him until I was sure I’d saved him.
Except, when I touched his arm, he flinched as though I’d burned him.
I yanked backward, looking at my hand. Nothing.
Maybe he just needs a minute. Are werewolves sensitive after shifting?A more sinister thought emerged on the tail of it.Maybe he saw what you could do and decided he doesn’t want you anymore.
I pulled away from him, moving back to the center of the room so I could see them all.
“Paul?” I asked.
“Dead,” Hunter told me, the least injured of any of them. “Partially digested as well.”
Troy snarled but said nothing.
“It worked, though. Icanfix this. I can drive the shadow out.”
Hunter nodded. “So it seems.”
“So why aren’t you more excited? This is the first win we’ve had…” I quieted down as none of them would look at me. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Hunter reached into his pocket and drew out a small box. “This appeared just after you passed out. I thought about getting rid of it before you woke up.”
“What is it?”
He sighed softly, then held it out. “It is from Lucifer. A message, one that can find its target anywhere, in any realm.”
I took the small box, lifting it so I could study it. What I’d thought were detailed carvings from farther away I realized were actually bones, set in the aged metal like jewels. A clasp at the front held it closed, a ruby on the latch.
“If you wanted to get rid of it, why didn’t you?”
“Because when Lucifer finds the urge to go through this much trouble to send a message, you don’t want to see what happens if he has to send it twice. There is no time whenthatis a good thing.”
“What does it say?”
He shook his head. “I can’t open it. Only you can.”
I took a deep breath and pressed open the latch. The top flung wide, and blackness poured from the box.
I jerked away, but the box floated in the air instead of dropping, and a dark figure stood in the room.
At least…it seemed like it did. As it cleared up, going from shadow to man, I realized I could still see through him, and his eyes didn’t quite meet mine.
It was almost like a recorded message?
When the man solidified, he looked nothing like I’d expected. He looked to be in his thirties, with jet black hair brushed back and bright red eyes. His lips were black and twin horns ran from his temples and curled over his ears. “Ava Harlin.” His voice was crisp, elegant, and it sent a shiver up my spine. “You have been summoned to my court to answer for your actions.”
He disappeared, dissolving along with the blackness until the box fell to the ground.
“Answer formyactions?” I repeated, as if I could argue directly back to him. “What actions do I need to answer for?”
Hunter set his arm on top of his knee as he sat on the ground. “Well, if he’s behind this, you screwed up his plans. That would piss him off, I’d imagine.”
“Can I ignore this?”
“Not really. Lucifer isn’t known for patience. If you don’t respond, if you don’t do what he’s commanded, he will send things after you, things I can’t protect you from.”
I nodded, trying not to freak out. I’d just saved Troy. I’d outdone that damn shadow.
