Demons Like It Hot (Demons Unleashed #2)(63)

Lucy flashed him a warm gaze. “I hope you don’t mind me asking all these questions. I just want to know what we’re up against. Where did his path lead?”

“He was Belial’s second-in-command.”

The minute he spoke the name, Lucy’s gaze flared. Her face reddened. Her fingers bit into the arms of her chair. “I should have known.”

“Balthazar said he now serves another.” Matthias steepled his fingers. He could only dance around facts for so long.

“I suppose he didn’t do any name-dropping either, did he?”

“If only it were that easy.” Matthias ran through last night’s events. “We took refuge in the spiritual shop in the shopping center.”

“I bet Serah liked that.”

“Pardon?”

“She and I made New Year’s resolutions. Hers was to avoid compulsive shopping. She banned herself from consignment shops, thrift stores, and the spiritual shop.”

“It was the only place open and the only place Balthazar couldn’t enter.”

“I always used to think Serah was crazy when she talked about that store. Every time I drove by, it was closed. Then I opened the chest.”

“The proprietress explained that only those who were in tune with their spiritual side could enter.”

“That explains it. I guess my spiritual nature is sex.”

“I didn’t say that.”

Lucy smirked. “I’m joking. But Serah’s always been in touch with her spiritual side.” Her smirk transformed into a frown. “Then, after she was kidnapped, she told me the store had closed. That’s when I first knew something was wrong.”

Well, at least that part of his mission was falling into place. She was beginning to accept her true nature. They might have been small steps, but they were steps nonetheless.

“While we were there, the woman gave Serah a necklace. It matches her watch.”

“I thought that necklace looked familiar. And that crazy watch. I always knew something was up with it. Did her grandmother leave it for her?”

Matthias nodded, then related the events of that night. Every detail, from the wine, to the proprietress’s true godly nature and her grandmother’s letter.

“Minerva, huh? I always knew Nonni had some tricks up her sleeve. She was a good woman and very protective of her granddaughter.”

Very protective. So protective she helped hide the mark that proved her Pure-Blood status. Why would she go to all that trouble? Being a Pure-Blood shouldn’t be something you kept hidden. The world needed her.

He needed to get to the bottom of this. What better time than now?

“What about Serah’s scar. When did you first notice it?”

“Last year, when we… you know.”

He’d read Serah’s file. She was born in Chicago. The pieces started to fall together in his head. Her grandmother had been protecting her. She kept Serah’s mark hidden. She kept her secret. But sometimes secrets needed to be shared.

“This makes sense now. Her grandmother used a cloaking charm to hide her powers. But the great numbers of Infernati in the shop must have activated it.”

“What are you saying?”

“The only remaining Pure-Blood was last tracked in Chicago, about twenty-five years ago. The Infernati and their minions burned her to death in her home.”

“I remember Rafe mentioning that.” Lucy’s gaze narrowed. “Where are you going with this?”

“Where was Serah born?”

Recognition filled Lucy’s face. “Chicago,” she murmured.

“When did she move here?”

Lucy gulped a deep breath. “When she was in pre-school, I think.”

“Daniel’s from Chicago too.”

“Could be a coincidence.” Lucy harrumphed. “Yeah, right. So Daniel is our most likely suspect?”

“Exactly.”

Lucy smirked. “You know, I’m not really into all this crime drama on television, but that was kind of cool.”

“So we are in agreement?”

“The agreement that says you’re done looking at furniture?”

“Yes, that one.”

“I’d say we are.” Lucy rose from her seat and extended her hand. Matthias took her hand and gave a hearty shake.

“I’ll call Rafe and tell him to recruit some more phantoms.”

“Sounds good. Should I go and get Serah?”

Lucy shook her head. “Let’s wait on that. If Daniel is working for the Infernati, we don’t want to let on that we know something.”

“Good point.” As much as he hated the idea of leaving Serah with a potential threat, it was the only thing they could do right now. The less suspicious Daniel was the better. He’d been in situations like this before. He could handle it.

“I can tell you care for her.”

Where the hell did that come from? Was it that obvious? Then again, they did walk in at a most awkward moment. He hated complications like this. “What you saw when you and Rafe came in was nothing.”

“Tell that to Serah’s and your tongues.”

“As I said earlier, it will not happen again.” Matthias sat tall, his fists balled on the desk. “I thought I heard something. I was trying to protect her. One thing lead to another.”