AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Any supernaturals other than her trapped inside?”
“Not that I know of. Considering Noxx, the Order’s leader, burns witches like she’s bringing back the Inquisition, I figure she wouldn’t bother keeping other magic-born alive.”
“Humans should be easy enough.” They relied on guns and explosives. Alexei had those too, and his would outperform the military grade of most small countries, but magic? That could be the real game changer. “What’s the plan?”
“We hold for twenty, until the guard rotation time according to our inside source. Then, we haul ass in and out. The chopper will be here in an hour. Our target should be stashed in the northwest tower, the one closest to our position.”
“Sheshould be? Aren’t you using a locator spell?” He hadn’t seen the man invoke one, but who knew what witches could hide? The packed snow and prickly brush they crouched in while waiting to storm a dilapidated castle, the cover of night, their heavy clothing and ballistics protection—all of it could camouflage a lot. Charms ran small, and the witch might have a silver one around his neck or tucked in a shirt sleeve that would blend in with the winter-white camos.
“Nope. Tracking by instinct.”
The admission smacked Alexei like a witchy wrecking ball. “You dragged me across the world on a hunch?”
“Don’t hate on well-honed intuition. Plus, you’re here because your dad rules this entire territory. Who except the Order would be stupid enough to trespass on demon land?”
“We’re demon hybrids,” Alexei corrected out of habit. “We’re over two thousand years removed from our ancestors.” True demons had been banished from this realm for good reasons. “You’re standing on the border of my father’s lands. Yourgut—” He didn’t bother hiding his scowl. “Led us to a building that sits on another king’s domain.”
Diego frowned at him. “That going to be a problem?”
“No, as long as the ruler’s daughter, Yulia, stays distracted until we’re long gone.”
“You sound bitter. She an ex-girlfriend?”
“Hardly. Our parents hoped we might make a political alliance between our rival kingdoms, but she preferred her father’s general.”
“Ouch. She picked a commoner over your crown. That rejection had to sting.”
“Not really. Unlike you witches who match for magic, fate chooses a partner for us, and Yulia wasn’t mine.”
“You mean to tell me that her dad’s military boss was her soulmate?” Diego sounded skeptical. “Seems convenient.”
“They split when she took over as general, so probably not.”
“I thought fated mates meant a happily-ever-after guarantee.”
“Yeah, if you believe in that fairy tale.” Alexei didn’t want to think about Joelle or his obsession with the girl who had calmed his magic, called to his demon side, and then vanished. “Had Yulia been born a man, she would be the heir to the throne. She’s ruthless and won’t hesitate to attack trespassers like a rival ruler or a random witch. Again, why did we follow your non-magical gut instead of a spell?”
Diego stared at him as if trying to figure out where to shoot him first. “Because I track for a living.”
“You findstufffor a living—not people. Consider our debts settled in full whether we find the woman or not.”
“She’s been victimized by the humans for years so try not to terrify her with your giant, scary—” He broke off, gesturing toward Alexei from head to toe. “Withyou.”
The witch had seen some of his powers, but not the worst of his demon prince form, and he didn’t plan to be showing it off anytime soon. “Understood.” At six-foot-four inches and two hundred twenty-five pounds of muscle, his human form intimidated most, and he’d left behind his bespoke business suits and silk ties for the tactical wear that could get him through a supernatural stealth mission with the possibility of a firefight or flight.
“Let’s go,” the witch said.
Infiltrating the compound didn’t take long. With their accurate intel on the guard change and a disguising charm, they made it inside.
Diego gave him ago aheadhand signal, covering Alexei while he disabled the sad excuse for a security system. From the looks of the equipment installed, the Order counted on the remoteness of the location more than cameras or motion sensors. He and the witch moved through the tower in atag-stalk-shield-repeatoperation as though they’d done this countless times before.
Ten minutes later, they hit the top of the stairs in the northwest tower with only a few unconscious guards as collateral. They’d managed to make it through without gunfire or ringing alarms.
Alexei’s teeth chattered, and he resisted the need to move faster to stay warm. Wind zipped through the cracks in the stonework, the cold dampness seeping through as if the humans hadn’t bothered to insulate this tower. Had Diego made a mistake about the location? Or worse, had Alexei when he’d followed a witch into foreign territory based on a hunch? If the Order kept a supernatural here, the woman must be an abominable snowman or an ice creature.
The stench of mold and decay hit him. They cleared the floor, checking empty rooms one by one. Other than dust, broken furniture, and mildewed rugs, they found nothing. Had they infiltrated the wrong tower?
“Check that room,” Diego whispered, pointing to the last door.
