Page 97 of The Devil's Waltz

My friend is strong and skilled, I’m well aware of that.But so was Danielle. Harper is not my sister, and this isn’t the same thing, but I can’t help the fear that latches on at the thought of losing my best friend.

“She can,” Noah chimes in with a firm tone, “but that doesn’t mean we’re going to put her in a position where she’ll undoubtedly have to.”

“I’ll do it,” Harper speaks up.

I exchange a glance with Noah that fills my chest with something I can’t quite decipher. He must feel it too, because his brows lift, something like confusion passing over his face, though it’s gone as quickly as it came.

“Are you sure?” Elias asks her quietly, and she nods.

“I’ll deliver Harper to Lucia’s compound in Portland, so it appears I’ve taken her against her will,” Blake explains, and my friend snorts at the last part.

There’s an unspokenas if you could. I’d be more likely to smile if she wasn’t about to put her life on the line.

“I’m going to be the bargaining chip, then,” she says.

Blake nods at her, then turns to me. “That’s where you come in.”

“Once I’ve suggested she use Harper as a way to force your hand,” Xander says, “Lucia will make a spectacle of your surrender. She’ll gather her inner circle to watch as you surrender and agree to loyally serve her.”

The knots in my stomach twist tighter with his every word, bile rising in my throat as I struggle to keep my breathing level. The thought of having to bow before the queen of hell makes me want to keel over and vomit.

“That’s when we’ll attack,” Harper suggests, determination shining in her gaze.

“With a room full of demons?” Archer speaks up, his arms folded over his broad chest.

“Lucia’s most trusted demons are a limited number,” Blake points out. “Six, at most. Think you can handle that, hunter?”

“Blake,” Xander warns.

His second rolls his eyes in response, tipping his head against the back of the couch.

Harper shoots him an annoyed look. “Okay, so we’re all up to speed. I’ll go with Blake to Lucia’s creepy-ass compound until mama’s boy over there convinces her to use me as bait. Once Cami agrees to sacrifice herself to save me, Xander will bring her to meet Lucia. The hunters will follow, and when Blake is told to take me home, the two of us will let them in for the real fight.”

Noah leans forward. “So it’ll be seven hunters against at least six demons, along with the queen?” His expression is tense, as if he’s attempting to determine our odds of pulling this off.

“Seven hunters and five demons,” Xander says.

“Five?” I ask.

“We have friends, you know,” Blake mutters.

Harper chokes on a laugh. “Right.”

He shoots her a look, and she responds by flipping him off.

Xander scratches the shadow of stubble lining his jaw. “Three of the demons in Lucia’s inner circle aren’t as loyal to her as she believes them to be.”

I frown. “What does that mean, exactly?”

Blake glances at me. “It means they’re on our side.”

Nodding, I say, “That’s good. So we really only need to worry about Lucia and five other demons? Shouldn’t we consider the possibility she might have more demons at the compound?”

“Lucia has become more paranoid over the last few years, so she’s limited the number of demons she allows close to her home. And she’ll be reluctant to fight,” Xander says in a detached voice. “She fully expects any demon to put their life on the line so she doesn’t have to so much as lift a finger.”

“Great,” Harper pipes up. “Makes her easier to kill.”

I shake my head at her, a pang of sadness weighing heavy in my chest. “We’re not killing her, Harper. Xander and Blake have a plan to detain herlong enough to send her back to hell and ensure she can’t get out.” I turn to Xander. “Right?”

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