September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)(27)

“Well, let’s go get her.”

The drive to The Spirit Room wasn’t nearly as awkward. Now we had a purpose, a goal that united us once again as a team regardless of our personal issues.

My mind raced, concocting a series of possible scenarios we might encounter. None of them were good. I feared that Jez’s heartbreak was driving her into a place that might not be so easy to come back from.

“Is this the place?” Kale slowed the car down as we approached the rock bar.

A group of black leather-clad guys and girls stood outside, smoking cigarettes and marijuana. Loud music poured out the front entry onto the street. Jez’s golden locks were not visible in the small crowd.

“Yeah, this is it.”

We parked across the street and surveyed the building for a few minutes. I didn’t see Jez’s Jeep anywhere.

“Alright, let’s go find our leopard.” Kale reached for the door handle, and I stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Remember, this place is primarily human. We have to blend in. No vamping out.”

My warning was met with an eye roll. Kale shoved the car door open and got out. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m the only one with control issues.”

He slammed the door before I could snark back at him. I followed, pausing to ensure my dagger was hidden by my jacket. Then we crossed the street and slipped inside the busy nightclub. Kale’s comment ate at me. I had lost control in The Spirit Room the last time I’d come here. Maybe I was the weaker link here.

The club was dimly lit and smelled mostly like the fog from a fog machine. Waitresses hurried about with trays piled with drinks while a live band rocked the stage. The place was packed.

I scanned the busy bar for Jez. “Do you see her?” I shouted over the music.

Kale shook his head, his gaze on a group of women clustered around a table. I recognized them as the ladies from Crimson Sin, the werewolf led band that regularly played The Wicked Kiss.

“Let’s ask the werewolf. She’s the only Were I see, other than you.” Kale leaned in close to be heard. His sudden nearness sent a small adrenaline shot through me.

“You go ahead,” I said. “I’m going to check the ladies room and take a look around.”

I didn’t wait for a reply. Putting distance between us before he picked up on my nerves was essential. I couldn’t help but be jumpy around him. After all, he had tried to kill me.

Kale approached the Crimson Sin girls while I ducked into the ladies room. As I’d suspected, there was no sign of Jez.

When I emerged, I almost collided with Gabriel. The tall, lanky Goth kid held his hands up to avoid touching me. His eyes were wide with surprise, but the expression quickly faded, replaced with one of wary scrutiny.

“Geez, Gabriel, why don’t you just wear gloves? Wouldn’t that make your life easier?”

“What are you doing here, Alexa?” He was uneasy, holding himself as if he were about to run.

“Settle down.” I took a moment to enjoy his discomfort. “I’m not here for you. I’m looking for my friend, Jez. The leopard. Have you seen her?”

Gabriel was the enemy. He couldn’t be trusted. I had tried to make him see that Shya had nobody’s best interests in mind but his own. Gabriel had chosen to ignore my warning and aligned himself with the demon. Since he was a witch with a shitload of power, that concerned me.

He was also a precognitive clairvoyant. With just a touch he could see things nobody should be able to see. After touching my hand once when doing a spell, he had seen me as a vampire. It was something he refused to talk about.

“No, sorry. I wish I could help.” He was lying. For a guy with so much power, he was forgetting the werewolf rules.

I moved fast, slamming him against the wall before he could work some spell on me. With my hand on his throat, I squeezed.

“Don’t f*cking lie to me, Gabriel. I can smell the stink of it all over you. Tell me where Jez is, or I’ll send you back to Shya with pieces missing.” The horror that spread across his face seemed to be from my touch more than my threat. Good. Whatever he was seeing about me, I hoped it scared the shit out of him.

He grunted and struggled to speak. His garbled noise was impossible to decipher. I eased off but tapped my power in case I needed to blast him. “Upstairs. Staff door near the fire exit,” he choked out.

Kale appeared wearing an amused grin. “Careful now, Alexa. Shya won’t be too happy if you kill his witch.” Knowing Shya, he had probably marked his prodigy. He would know if I hurt Gabriel.

“If I kill him?” I questioned. “Or if we kill him?” I’d like to think I was joking, but a vicious smile tugged at my lips. Gabriel had been someone I wanted to help. Then he joined the dark side and became my enemy. Bad choice.

“Seriously?” Kale asked, perking up in interest. “I do love tag teaming with you.”

“You can’t do shit to me,” Gabriel sneered. “It would break Arys’s deal with Shya. Do you really want to bring hell on your dark half?”

The kid had balls. Unfortunately, he was also right. Arys had made a deal with Shya to save my life. In exchange, Arys had promised to turn Gabriel. Shya wanted his black magic prodigy to be a vampire from our bloodline. I would do everything I could to keep that from happening. But killing Gabriel wasn’t the way.