Make Me (32 page)

Austin nodded and dug his phone out of a pocket. “I’ll let Lisette know about the crystal and ask her not to harm the men. I’ll be right back.”

Dan glanced at Tessa. “Where are we going?”

Tessa pulled out a map and some pictures. Laying them on the coffee table, she said, “Mountain View is a small neighborhood park, but I chose it for the ritual because it’s sheltered by trees from the surrounding houses and has a covered pavilion.”

“Why outside?” Dan asked. “Why not reserve a space indoors?”

“Because rituals are traditionally held outdoors,” Micah explained. “If we held it indoors, Asmodeus would be suspicious.”

Dan sighed. “It’ll make it harder to defend. What about light?”

“I brought some torches,” Tessa said. “And I’ve arranged for members of the Underground to bring refreshments for afterward.”

“Refreshments?” Dan repeated incredulously. “We don’t—”

“It’s tradition,” Micah said, interrupting him. One of the few his father had kept. “Again, we want to make everything look as normal as possible.” And if all went well, maybe they’d be able to conduct the ritual, get it over and done with. “Did you remember to bring robes?” he asked Tessa.

She nodded. “They’re in the car.”

Dan rolled his eyes. “Robes? Are they necessary?”

“It’s tradition, too,” Micah said, “representing our need to keep our true faces hidden from the rest of the world.”

Dan sighed. “How bulky are these things?”

“They tie at the neck,” Micah told him. “So they come off easily.”

Austin returned, letting them know Lisette had agreed to secure the crystal and not hurt the men. “They’re on their way to Dina’s house,” he told them. “In darkened vans driven by female human volunteers. Once the sun goes down, they’ll surround her house and bring her in for justice.”

Uneasily, Micah wondered what sort of “justice” the vampires had in mind, but decided not to ask. He was better off not knowing.

“What about… her?” Dan asked, nodding at the Memory Eater still huddled in the corner. “Is she traditional, too?”

Micah shook his head. “No, but we may need her to pry some information from Asmodeus to save your sister.”

They went over the plan one more time using the pictures and maps. “Remember,” Val said. “Don’t hurt Gwen and don’t kill Asmodeus. We need him alive to free Gwen.”

Everyone nodded, then headed out in twos and threes so as to not draw suspicion.

Princess insisted on coming along with Fang, so Micah rode in the car with the two dogs and Val. Austin used a cloak to cover up in the backseat until the sun went down, which should be any moment now.

“Turn left here,” Micah said, checking their location on the map app. “It should be right there.”

It was, and as promised, it was secluded enough from the houses surrounding it that people wouldn’t be able to see exactly what was happening.

Val parked in the small lot, and Princess stayed in the car at Fang’s order. So did Austin, and Micah noticed the Memory Eater was similarly cloaked against the sun in David’s car. As darkness fell, the two undead slipped silently away into the night, leaving the car doors slightly ajar so the noise wouldn’t attract attention. Austin went to canvas the area and left the Memory Eater under David’s control until she was needed. If at all.

The rest of them headed toward the pavilion. Ten or so demons had already arrived, and Tessa was organizing things, as she always did. That was one thing Micah would miss if someone else was named in the ritual. She was a great assistant.

She set up the altar in the center of the pavilion and showed Val where to put the torches, asked Annie to get some water, and directed the others where to put the refreshments. The plan was to make it look as much like a normal ritual as possible.

They figured Asmodeus would either go after Val, or go directly for the books. After he scouted the area, Austin would keep an eye on the books, which were hidden in the trunk of his car. Val would pretend to get a phone call right before the ritual started and wander off by herself, making herself a tempting target.

The plan was simple, as Dan insisted the best plans were, but Micah could think of too many things that could go wrong. Feeling uneasy, he scanned the area, trying to look nonchalant, but in reality searching for any signs of danger. His gaze slid past the parking lot, then his brain caught up with what he’d seen and he swiftly glanced back at the parking lot.

Had someone slipped behind Austin’s car? Micah caught a glimpse of a petite silhouette and realized it was the Austin soothsayer, Annie. He relaxed. She was probably getting something from her own car. But Austin’s trunk opened and Micah caught a glimpse of pink as Annie lifted out the backpack. What was she doing with the books? And where the hell was Austin?

Princess started barking and Micah took off running. “Stop her,” he yelled.

Annie heard him and took off like a flash, toward the trees. He reached out with his incubus powers to snag her. Better that than risk a foot race. The reaching tendrils slid right off her and Micah faltered for a moment. What the hell? Annie was no succubus.

Fang flashed by him. SHE’S ENTHRALLED BY A VAMPIRE, he yelled to everyone.

No wonder Micah’s powers wouldn’t work—Lilith had already taken over her mind and will. He continued running after her, the others close on his heels, when she ran into the arms of a shadowy figure who stepped out from behind a tree. He grabbed Annie and the backpack.

Asmodeus. And he was holding a gun to Annie’s head. Was it the dart gun, or a real one with a silencer?

“Everyone stop,” the demon yelled. “Or I shoot the girl.”

His heart suddenly in his throat, Micah stumbled to a halt, and so did almost everyone else.

But Val, stubborn as always, didn’t stop. So, the creep shot her.

Val spun around, then fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, unmoving.

Definitely a real gun, but louder than he expected of a silencer.
Please, let her only be stunned. Please don’t let that bullet have found a spot not covered in Kevlar.

“As you can see, I’m serious,” Asmodeus shouted. “No one else move, or the girl is next.”

Everyone stopped, including Fang, who was snarling and growling so much, he didn’t hear Micah’s concern or broadcast an answer about Val’s condition.

The mage demon shoved his pistol up against Annie’s head and didn’t even have to hold onto her. Lilith, who must be somewhere close by, made sure she was nice and pliable.

Dan raised his hands above his head. “Don’t worry, pal. Let’s keep this civil, shall we, so no one else gets hurt?”

“Sure,” Asmodeus sneered. “All you gotta do is let me leave with the books without pulling any of the tricks I know you must have planned. I’ll keep the girl as a hostage until I’m sure you’re not following me.”

As Dan and Asmodeus negotiated, Micah seethed, his mind whirling. Val was down, and he was still leader, damn it. He had to take charge. Wait. Where the hell was Lilith? He had to find her. He might not be able to control her, but at least he could discover where she was hiding. The practice in the basement had helped, and Micah was able to thrust out his female-seeking strands of energy and quickly identify all the women in the area. There were only two he couldn’t get a hook into besides Val. One was Annie, so the other must be Lilith.

She was hiding in the women’s restroom. So that’s how she’d been able to enthrall Annie. Lilith had probably captured the soothsayer with her gaze when Annie went to get water for Tessa. Now, how could he get word to Austin so the vampire could secure her?

Asmodeus’s voice rose in anger and Micah glanced in that direction. Damn. It looked like negotiations were going south.

All of a sudden, a knife sprouted from the mage demon’s shoulder—Pia!

Someone else plunged from the branch above Asmodeus, kicked the gun away, and fell on top of the mage demon. The cowboy hat gave him away.

“Lilith’s in the restroom,” Micah yelled at Austin and ran toward the small building on the other side of the park.

Austin was up in a flash and running as Dan and David leapt toward Asmodeus.

Lilith darted out of the restroom, intent on making a getaway. She was too fast for Micah, but Austin tackled her and they both ended up on the ground, Austin locking her arms behind her.

Micah glanced quickly toward Annie. She was free of Lilith’s control and had collapsed in David’s arms. Good—she’d be all right. David and Dan had managed to subdue Asmodeus and Dan locked cuffs on him.

Asmodeus started to mutter something and Micah yelled, “Don’t let him speak!” Thank heaven for a cop’s fast reactions. As Dan punched the guy in the mouth, Micah swerved to grab some duct tape Tessa had left on a table and ripped off a large piece to slap over the mage demon’s mouth. “So he can’t use his only power to possess someone else,” he explained. He didn’t know if the guy could control more than one person at a time, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

With that taken care of, Micah ran to Val and knelt beside her, checking frantically for blood.

SHE’S ALIVE, Fang told him, running over to snuffle into her hair and lick her face. THE BULLETPROOF VEST TOOK THE BRUNT OF THE IMPACT—THE BULLET HIT HER ON THE SIDE.

Val moaned and relief filled Micah. Thank God, she was alive.

“What’s that thing doing?” Dan yelled.

The urgency in his voice made Micah glance up. The Memory Eater stood in front of Asmodeus, her skeletal hands locked on both sides of his head. As his face contorted in pain, she intoned, “Guilty. Sentence, death.”

Her hands flew away from his head as if thrown by an explosion and Asmodeus fell to the ground, twitching.

Micah grabbed control of her with his incubus, but it was too late. The damage was done. He stared, stunned. Why the hell hadn’t David stopped her? That was the man’s one job in this mess.

“What happened?” Dan asked, staring down at the mage demon in bewilderment.

Micah stood and said grimly, “I believe she ripped all the memories out of him.” He glared at her, willing her to speak. “Is that right?”

“Yesss,” the traitorous creature said.

Micah closed his eyes against the pain. He’d hadn’t expected the plan to be perfect, but he hadn’t expected things to go this wrong.

Damn it, now how were they going to get Gwen back?