Page 37 of A Fury Of Shadows

“Sebastian and Naomi insisted.” Serena sighed and holstered her gun. “Since Artemus and Callie agreed to be the godparents to their first child, they wanted Drake and Astarte to be godparents to their second born.” She grimaced. “I’ve never seen a kid so happy to get gifts and cards from Hell.”

Hellreaver vibrated enthusiastically.My witch, we should go to one of these parties.

I want to meet that chicken,Brimstone said adamantly.

“I don’t,” Mae muttered.

Alicia eyed the super soldiers curiously. “What are you doing in New York?” Her gaze dropped to their weapons. “And did Artemus make those? They carry the smell of holy water and Heaven’s powers.”

“Yeah.” Serena tapped her gun lightly with a hand. “He got these babies ready for us in time for this mission.”

Mae recalled the shot that had pierced Barquiel’s wing. “Wait. Artemus Steele created your weapons and those bullets?!”

“He’s a metalsmith.” Serena shrugged at her stunned expression. “The best one on Earth. He will forge the weapons we will need to fight the forces of Hell at the End of Days.”

A somber silence befell them at that stark statement.

“So, why are you here?” Alicia repeated quizzically.

They told her about that morning.

The Reaper Queen’s lips pursed. “The devils you fought had nanorobots inside them?”

“Yes,” Serena replied. “We can handle them with our speed and sheer brute strength, but they’re hard for these guys to take on, even with magic.”

She indicated the witches and sorcerers in the room. Frustration tightened Cortes’s face.

“We can’t deny that,” Violet said bitterly.

Alicia ran a hand through her hair and blew out a heavy sigh. “Then Astarte was right.”

Mae stiffened at her tone. “Right about what?”

“Some of her demons encountered a new breed of devils in Hell Deep. She said they could smell alchemy off them. That’s why I came here, to find out if you guys knew anything about it.”

Mae’s stomach lurched. “Alchemy?” She shot an uneasy look at the others. “Could it be—?”

“Dietrich Farago.” The lines around Bryony’s eyes deepened. “He must be the one behind this.”

“Gideon Morgan, the head of the mercenary corps we belong to, accepted a contract on Farago’s head two days ago,” Serena informed them quietly. “We are to bring him in, dead or alive.” She directed a hard look at Mae. “That’s the other reason we’re coming to Europe with you.”

Mae met the super soldier’s undaunted gaze, her heart thudding wildly against her ribs. “Alright.”

“The Dark Council will know we’re coming after them,” Lou observed.

A thought came to Mae then. “Shit.”

Serena tensed. “What?”

“I better call my boss.”

Serena stared at her, nonplussed. Cortes rolled his eyes. Bryony muttered something under her breath.

“Princess, you’re gonna give me a heart attack,” Vlad grumbled.

CHAPTER14

Trepidation quickenedNikolai’s steps as he made his way to Oscar’s chambers. The sorcerer who had come to seek him out and give him Vedran’s message hung back as they approached the suite.

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