Blood Trinity (Belador #1)(46)

“I knew it!” Veins popped up like cords beneath the skin on Deek’s thick neck.

Kardos took a step back. “I didn’t mean to ask her out.”

When Bettina hissed at him, clearly not happy with the way he’d said that, Kardos looked over at her. “Oh, baby, I didn’t mean it that way, just meant I had no idea that guy was screwing with me. Of course, I want to ask you out. I just had more sense to—”

“I’m going to kill him.” Deek bolted for Kardos.

Evalle cut him off and forced him back. Stopping a freight train would have been easier. She wouldn’t be surprised if her shoulder was bruised from it.

“Look, Deek, I can appreciate the feeling, since I’ve wanted to strangle him myself a few times, but he isn’t the danger here. Someone else is. Someone with a lot of juice that neither of us wants to confront without prep. And right now, I’m on the hunt for him. Until we find this guy, let us pass in peace. You take Bettina back with you, but make sure you keep an eye on her in case our mutual friend infiltrates her mind again and has her leaving with someone a lot more dangerous than a teen witch who can barely use his powers.”

Deek immediately postured, puffing out his chest and crossing his arms. “She’s always well guarded.”

Things were going Evalle’s way until Kardos snorted at that comment.

Deek went for his throat and she again had to ram her body into the mountain of steel—an action that left her winded.

Kardos, you idiot. If you want to die, there are much less painful ways to go about it. As well as ways that wouldn’t leave her bruised.

If Kardos kept this up, she’d reconsider handing him over to the centaur.

She forced Deek back a step, sure he was refraining from using majik only because a human might see them. But if this had been in the basement of the Iron Casket, there would have been no discussion. “Look, Deek, I’ll be in touch if I have anything new to share with you on the guy who breached your security.”

Deek let his gaze swipe across the three of them and finally gave a nod of assent. “Time to go, Bettina.”

The girl released a stream of air so quickly that she must have been holding her breath. She lifted her chin like an offended queen and headed toward the Iron Casket. Guards opened a path for her, then surrounded her, moving en masse with Deek at the rear.

Impressive.

Scary, but impressive.

“Sheez, that was close,” Kardos said in a spurt of relief.

Evalle rounded on him. “No shit, Sherlock. What did you think you were doing messing with the centaur’s sister? Since the moment she came on the scene a month ago, he’s let it be known to all creatures that to even look at her is suicide.”

“Well, I didn’t think he meant forever. Besides, that old guy doesn’t scare me.”

She rolled her eyes at his youthful arrogance. “When a being as powerful as Deek says, ‘Death to anyone who touches my sister,’ you can take it to the bank and make a deposit on it. Two-thousand-year-old centaurs aren’t known as bluffers. He’s forgotten more painful ways to kill someone like you than you and I will ever know.”

“Bluffers? What kind of word is that?”

Evalle ground her teeth as rage shot through her. Was that really the only part of her caveat that the imbecile had heard?

No wonder I don’t want kids.

“Did you miss the part where I said he was not kidding and you are the next bonehead on his menu?”

That seemed to permeate his stubborness. “Then maybe we should get out of here.”

No duh.

At least he was now making sense but unfortunately it wasn’t that easy. “First, I need you to explain a couple of things.” She took a look around, making sure they were alone. “I heard you met the Birrn demon here at the club. Is that true?”

“Yeah, it was crazy. Me and Kell were looking for some silver …” His face clouded with guilt. “I mean hunting for new revenue stream when a Nightstalker told us there was a guy at the IC who was willing to pay runners to pawn his goods.”

Evalle frowned at him. How could he have contacted a Nightstalker for information? Grady had talked to them once when they’d irritated him by almost getting killed trying to steal a hubcap on a moving vehicle, but the others ignored the boys. “You aren’t powerful enough to shake hands with a Nightstalker.”

“I didn’t. Kell was playing chess in Woodruff Park when I saw one shimmering, so I went over to talk to him ’cause it was just freaky weird. Never saw this one before.”

It still didn’t make any sense. “Are you sure it was a Nightstalker you saw?” She’d never known one to give up anything without a handshake, and it wasn’t like them to just hang out and shimmer. Fireflies they weren’t.

“I thought it was off, but he seemed sincere and then disappeared as soon as he told me about the deal at the IC.”

Yeah, it smacked of a setup. What the hell had he been thinking? “I’m surprised Kell got involved.” He usually knew better.

“He thought it sounded suspicious, so he went as backup.” Kardos got serious. “I told him to hide and not let anyone know he was with me, but when the Birrn grabbed me, Kell tried to help. Idiot.”

Relief blanketed her at the confirmation that the boys had been set up and had not pulled her into a trap. “Did the Birrn tell you anything?”