Page 107 of Burn of Obsidian

Kace moved to stand beside her, his body coiled tightly as if he was a viper ready to strike. Thea kept herself quiet, studying the details of the pale foyer. Three guards stood and watched, spears held in white-knuckled grips. Leather straps criss-crossed their chests, bare and marked with what looked like an arrowhead. A brand, the skin darker than each of their tones and shiny. Thea had already counted the doorways, three including the exit at her back. Wide set stairs led to the floor above where another guard, this time female, hovered over the railing and watched the testosterone driven argument below. She wasn’t bare-chested, instead wearing a long, light beige tunic that split high on her thighs.

Cassiel glared, finally reaching up to grip Lucifer’s wrist. But Lucy wasn’t letting go. “Unhand me, before I burn you where you stand.”

Lucifer leaned closer, head having to dip slightly. “Try me.”

The first flash of doubt crept into the archangel’s gaze, quickly blinked away. “The document was stolen.”

Riley crossed his arms, flanked by Titus and Xander. “Stolen?”

“I’m investigating the details. It was stolen a few days ago from my personal collection.”

Lucifer laughed, his grip jerking for a second before he finally stepped back. “Are you telling me one of your own people betrayed you?”

Cassiel’s expression tightened. “Gideon may have two pages, but the power isn’t for just anyone. Only those born of celestrial blood can wield its true potential.”

“Where can we find him?” Riley asked.

“Does it matter?” Cassiel’s voice dropped dangerously low. “We all know nothing other than the final page would be exchanged, and we can’t let that happen.”

Thea swallowed, her cuts burning when her hands automatically fisted.

“You know as well as I do there are victims of war. Your brother is just one of them.”

“Yet you let it get stolen,” Thea said, immediately regretting the decision to speak when everyone turned to her.

Lucifer grinned, showing off his slightly sharper than they were earlier teeth. “Incompetent, if you ask me.”

Cassiel didn’t crack a smile. “There are no women amongst the Guardians, so who are you?”

“She’s unimportant,” Riley said, bringing the conversation back to him. “Now, where can we find Gideon?”

Rude, she thought, but was thankful she was no longer under scrutiny.

“Gideon wants power and control, which makes him easy enough to manipulate.” Cassiel tugged at the edge of his shirt, straightening it. “You just need to push him in the right direction.”

One of the guards stepped forward, his wings a pale blue and edged with silver. His words were quiet, his expression not giving anything away. Cassiel nodded at whatever was said.

“You enter my home, and inform me you have lost one of your brothers to the same Daemon you were tasked in destroying,” he said. “I have already warned the mutt of what will happen if you fail, and it seems I’m going to have to intervene.”

“Call my brother a mutt one more time,” Kace threatened, his voice guttural.

“I have no care for your brother,” Cassiel said, dismissing him with a flick of his hand. “He’s likely dead already.”

Thea flinched, Kace’s gaze prickling the side of her face. She knew Jax wasn’t dead; she could feel it. Even if the connection was weakening at an alarming rate. Before she’d purposely strangled the warmth of the bond, and now she mentally gripped it with all her strength.

“You should concentrate on retrieving the pages. Gideon cannot be given all three.”

“We have no intention of handing over the document,” Riley said, and Thea’s stomach dropped.

“But that’s the only way to save him!” The words exploded, unease prickling beneath her skin like a swarm of bees. “You can’t pick a piece of paper over his life!”

“A single life isn’t worth more than thousands, if not more,” Cassiel said. “A warrior would understand that.”

“Warrior my arse!” she seethed. “You’re just a coward, otherwise you would have gone after Gideon yourself.” Her voice had risen, and all eyes were on her once again.

Fuck.

This wasn’t the time to speak up, her mind racing with ideas on how to save Jax. She didn’t care about the stupid document, but apparently she did care about Jax. More than she thought. Enough to do something stupid.

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