Sin & Surrender (Demigod of San Francisco #6)(71)

Bria’s name flashed on the screen. With suddenly shaking hands, I dropped the clutch and answered the phone. The cats slunk out of the other room immediately, taking residence at my feet.

“What is it?” I asked, a wave of unease washing over me.

“Aaron’s Necromancers called the last Soul Stealer, and he got loose,” she said, out of breath. Screams and shouts echoed through the phone, as though Bria was caught in a stampede. “It took them out like they were nothing. It took them out like it was you! Dylan tried to take him down, but he didn’t even feel the electricity. Then Thane went Berserk, of all things. We’re currently leading Thane away from the Soul Stealer. After that… Fuck, Alexis, we need help.”

Juri stopped in front of me, disappointment on her face. She waited expectantly for me to hang up.

I waved her away and showed her my back. “You mean Harding? Talk to him. He’ll calm down. They probably just pissed him off.”

“If it is Harding, Alexis, he is done being nice. He came after us. He nearly killed me.”

I shook my head. “But that’s impossible. He has a soft spot for you. He wouldn’t—”

“He’s out from under your thumb now, Alexis! He must have only played along because you could control him. They could not. Now he’s completely free, and— Holy— Look out!”

Something crashed, drowning Bria out.

“What’s happening?” I asked, clutching the phone.

“Fuck me, Thane has a knack for ruining a place. Turn right,” she yelled, so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear.

“Alexis, we have a strict—”

“Shh,” I said to Juri, and hurried away, shoving the front door open and stepping into the bright sunlight. The cats padded after me.

“Right, damn it!” she hollered. “Lead him to that battle courtyard and try to lock him in. Then we can turn back and find the other Soul Stealer for Lexi. We can’t have that thing running around, tearing out all the souls in this place.”

“Miss Alexis?” Parker stepped away from the idle throng of magical people waiting on their bosses. Bertha pushed away from the wall down the way, apparently not into small talk or socializing.

“Get the cart,” I yelled at him, hurrying toward the parking area. “Hurry! I’ve got to get to the summit building. Aaron’s idiot Necromancers turned loose a Spirit Walker, and it set off Thane.”

“Alexis, that’s no longer your job.” Juri stepped out of the lodge after me, her disapproval turning to a look of patience. “The…crews battle for status. That’s what they do. You are no longer one of them—you must let them earn their place without interference.”

Parker took off running and Bertha yelled at the rest of my party, getting them moving, then moving faster.

I took the phone away from my head for a moment in order to level Juri with a stare.

“You don’t get it. A Soul Stealer, with my killing ability, has somehow gotten away from two level-five, experienced Necromancers. He’s loose. He knows how to siphon energy from others in order to keep going, and it sounds like he’s pissed off enough to do it. With Thane set loose, the whole place will be in disarray. I have to help.”

“That’s what the Demigods are for. They have the power to fix this.” She tilted her head a little to the side and then put her hand out, intending to lead me back into the lodge. “This all takes some getting used to, I know. I didn’t expect to lead a territory either, and I wasn’t trained for it. It came as a shock. With time, you will find your feet, don’t worry.”

Frustration ate away at me. “By the time the Demigods get around to noticing something other than their own mightiness, my kids, my people—your people—might be dead. This is leading. Showing up first when danger presents itself. I can help, and so I will help. Go back to your tea party and let me save the day, if you want. It makes no difference to me.”

I flicked off my stupid high heels and ran for the golf cart that Parker had pulled out. Bertha was in the cart behind it, already loading up the cats. The others were waiting for us to get moving.

That was the great thing about a pack of misfits. They didn’t care about the right protocol, only about doing what was necessary.

“Where to?” Parker asked, slamming his foot on the accelerator as soon as I was seated.

The cart lurched forward…and continued at a steady clip only slightly faster than I could run.

I leaned forward, my heart thumping. “Damn these things and their gutlessness. At least we’re close.”

“Reach in the back and grab that duffel. There’s a change of clothes and a pair of runners in there. Your ward packed them for you in case your other ward got into trouble he couldn’t get her out of.”

I sighed with a smile and hurried to grab it. Bless Mordecai—his preparedness was a godsend.

The Summit building loomed, right up ahead. I grabbed out the shoes and didn’t bother with the leather clothes that would have taken too long to yank on.

“Call Kieran,” I said as I pulled on the socks. “I mean…” Demigods didn’t get their phones in the meetings. “Call…whoever is with him. Interrupt Kieran’s meeting. I might need help with that Spirit Walker. He’s trained better than I’ll probably ever be. He might be too much for me.”