The Devil In Disguise (Bad Things #1)(70)

In the next moment, Michael had another arrow cocked and ready to go. He fired even as Leo lunged toward him. This time, the arrow hit Leo in the shoulder.

But it didn’t stop him.

He lurched forward.

Michael sent another arrow straight at him. At the last moment, Leo dodged and that arrow sank into his side.

His brother fell then, slamming into the deck, taken down as the poison seeped through his body.

Michael laughed. “I know your weakness.” His gaze slid to Luke. “Same weakness for both of you. When I was begging Leo for help, I took the liberty of stealing some arrows from him. Since he wouldn’t help me, I knew I’d be paying him back.” He shrugged one shoulder. “It took some time to get my group of agents up and running. Took some time to get all of my game pieces in place, but I found I could be patient.” He aimed another arrow at Luke.

Luke was still kneeling on the deck. The poison held him immobile. He would stay that way for a few more moments, until his body pushed the nasty brew out of his system.

Provided I don’t take an arrow to the heart in the meantime, I’ll survive.

Leo hadn’t even noticed a human had stolen the most powerful weapons imaginable from him. Why? Because the guy was too damn trusting where they were concerned. He’d always been so convinced that Luke and his kind were the darkest threats out there. How does it feel to be wrong, brother?

A glance at his slumped brother provided Luke with the answer. Not very good.

Luke huffed out a breath and tried to keep Michael’s attention focused on him. “You…used your own sister…”

“Don’t look at me like that. You’re the one who made Rose into a monster. She was a human before. You should never have touched her.”

Luke remembered Rose all too well. She’d been a human once before, that was true. But she’d been a human loved by a very powerful supernatural.

Julian had loved her. And even then, Julian was beneath the waves, searching desperately for her. He was—

“You f*cking bastard.” Julian’s voice. He’d just climbed onto the boat and water poured off him. He held Rose in his arms, but she didn’t seem to be moving. “Michael. You did this?”

Michael jerked the crossbow toward Julian. “No, you did this. By taking something that never should have belonged to you!” He fired. Julian held Rose in his arms so he twisted his body, turning to protect her.

The arrow sank into his shoulder. He bellowed in pain.

“Time to kill you all,” Michael shouted. “Good thing I have the perfect weapon.” He smiled. “Patience is truly its own reward.” He advanced toward Leo.

***

Mina sank beneath the waves. The water surrounded her, comforted her. Her tail swayed beneath her and a slow joy began to seep through her veins.

She should swim, fast and far away.

She should…

She had something in her hand.

Mina’s fingers unfurled, just a bit, and she saw the ring.

Big and heavy and oddly warm.

Luke.

His name flashed through her. She saw his image in her mind. She looked back up, seeing the bottom of a boat above her head. Luke was up there. He’d been hurt right before she sank beneath the waves.

Mina shoved the Eye of Hell onto her ring finger, and, strangely, it seemed to fit. The band tightened around her finger and Mina swam straight up, heading for that boat. She wasn’t leaving Luke. The Lord of the Dark needed her, and she was going to be there for him. She would always be there for him.

She broke through the surface. “Luke!” She grabbed the edge of the boat and hauled herself up. Her tail was dragging her back down. Dammit. “I need legs.” She pressed the Eye to her tail. “I need legs. Take away the tail. I don’t want to be this way.” Luke had said the Eye wouldn’t work for her, but a desperate woman would try anything and—

Her tail vanished. Pain lanced through her, white-hot and electrifying as her scales seemed to melt away. The agony was excruciating and tears poured down her cheeks.

But…

Then the pain turned into only a throb. Her legs were back. I’m back. Mina laughed, even as she cried, and she heaved herself up over the side of the boat. “Luke, Luke, I’m back—”

And she was apparently in the middle of a stand-off.

Mina froze. She still had on the long shirt that she figured Luke had conjured for her before, a shirt that fell to the middle of her thighs. Luke was on his knees, his gaze desperate as he stared at her. Quickly, her eyes swept the scene, taking in everyone and everything.

Garrick was on the deck, not moving. Dead?

Madeline was huddled near the ship’s wheel, her eyes massive and her face frozen in a mask of fear.

Julian was slumped near an unmoving woman. The woman who’d been in the glass box. The box that had sank in the ocean.

And Leo—Leo was on his back. Some guy with a crossbow stood over him, ready to fire.

“Stop!” Mina yelled.

The guy’s head turned toward her. He blinked. “You should be gone.”

She had no idea who he was.

“Mina James.” He smirked at her. “Failed experiment. Too weak. Too soft.” His head cocked. “Guess what, Mina? I’m the man who gave the order for your capture. I’m the man who ordered all of that wonderful pain inflicted on you. I’m Michael Kinley, and I’m the man who created Operation Night Switch. I’m the man who—”