Chapter 39

Kade groaned as he rolled onto the prickly forest floor. The chirping of birds in the trees and the flutter of their wings when they got close was like ice picks to his brain. It took far too long for the fog in his brain to lift and when it did the pain wasn't any better. His eyes hurt from the light and the overwhelming smell of burning wood had his stomach turning until he had to roll over and empty the contents of his stomach all over the forest floor.

"Well it's about time." A growl behind Kade made him groan in annoyance.

"Please tell me you didn't resurrect me again."

Dagmar snorted in amusement and dragged on the remnants of her cigarette before throwing it into the smouldering fire.

"That would require you to be dead." She finally replied. "No, I just pulled you out of the wreckage before the police got there and everything turned to shit."

"Thalia. Where is she?"

"Gone." The old witch replied, upper lip curling in disgust. "The demon has her."

Kade frowned, pressing the balls of his palms into his eyes to try and ease the painful pressure behind his eyes. He could tell he had a serious concussion not to mention his whole body felt like a giant bruise but the injuries will have faded by the end of the day. He could already feel the familiar itch of his body repairing itself. It could have been a lot worse as well. Kade was under no illusions that Dante had intended to kill him when he sent Kade flying through the window of the caravan. Somehow he survived though albeit looking worse for wear.

"I can't feel her." He muttered as he sat up properly.

"The demon has put a block between you two." Dagmar explained. "It's a powerful one as well. You can't sense her and she can't sense you."

"Can you unblock it?"

"No." Dagmar shook her head and for once she was frustrated with her abilities. "This magic is strong and very dark. It can't just be reversed. It requires an offering."

Kade raised an eyebrow at this but didn't push. He had a feeling he knew what Dagmar was insinuating. That was a problem for another time though. Right now, he needed to move.

"I need to find Thalia." He growled, pushing himself to his feet. "They can't have gotten too far."

"That demon is capable of jumping continents in a blink of an eye. He could be halfway around the world by now."

"Impossible." Kade snarled. "His brother seems to rely quite nicely on modern transport."

"Pfft." Dagmar rolled her eyes. "Trust me, that bird brain can do the exact same thing but while demons are all about their parlour tricks, Fallen angels love to show off."

"Great, so what?" Kade threw his hands up in the air. "I'll just have to do some digging and figure out where he's keeping her."

"And then what? Hmm?" The old woman demanded. "The demon will kill you before you even blink. You can't do this alone."

Kade growled in frustration. As much as he hated to admit it, Dagmar was right. Dante had already proven he was no push over and he held superior power. Kade would be dead before he even saw it coming. No, what he needed was an ally that was able to help him go toe-to-toe with the evil bastard. He knew who needed to call as well.

Amazingly his phone had survived the night and Kade pulled the business card from his wallet when Dagmar handed it to him along with a fresh set of clothing. How she managed Kade could never tell but he was grateful for the help.

Someone picked on the fourth ring.

"Lieutenant Kade, I knew you'd call."

"Firstly it's just Kade and secondly, how did you know I'd call?"

"I'm happy to explain everything but not over the phone." Lucien replied. "We should meet in person. I'm going to send you the details on how to get to my residence or would it be easier if I had someone collect you?"

"Send the coordinates." Kade growled. "I'll make my own way."

---

When Legion broke through the thick brush onto the manicured grounds of the 18th century manor, he had to stop and take a moment to work out if he was in the right place. Then Dagmar's words came back to him reminding him that a large regal and expensive place like this was exactly what a fallen-angel would choose as a place to live. Grey ears twitched as they listened for signs of danger. Black eyes scanned picking up on the security detail roaming the perimeter but either they hadn't clocked him or they had and they didn't see it as a threat.

The grey wolf headed towards the manor at slow gait, head lowered slightly to pick up on any traps. His thick pelt glimmered in the hazy spring light like armour as giant paws sank into the meticulous lawn that felt oddly like a very expensive rug underneath the pads of his paw. Lucien certainly appreciated the finer things in life. Kade could appreciate that but it wasn't his thing and felt well and truly out of place prowling across the lawns.

Before he reached the wide gravel drive, the giant double doors to the manor opened and Lucien stepped out, leaning against one of thin columns framing the front door. He had on his signature smirk and black eyes watched intently as the wolf approached.

"The infamous Legion." Lucien finally spoke. "I have heard tales about you."

Legion just twitched his ears, clearly not moved by the attempt at flattery. This being may have heard stories of the ruthless wolf but he clearly hadn't heard that Legion couldn't care less for having his ego stroked. Unless it was by Maeve or Thalia of course.

"Come," Lucien pushed away from the pillar. "One of the house staff will show you to a room to freshen up. We will talk afterwards."

Kade didn't want to freshen up and talk later, he wanted to talk now and find out where his mate was. But he conceded that he couldn't talk in wolf form and he had no clothes with him. They were either in what remained of the caravan or at the pack house.

He followed a middle aged gentleman with the personality of Lurch to the first floor where he was shown to what Kade could only assume was a guest suite. It screamed of the opulence that Kade was coming to associate with the fallen-angel and fell in line with the rest of the manor. He had no doubt that most would be in awe of it but he found himself horrifically out of place.

A large bed was set against the wall opposite the door while large windows framed by thick grey and gold curtains looked out onto the very grounds that Legion had raced across to get here. A set of double doors next to the bedroom door led to a walk-in closet which Kade feared would be filled with suits much like Lucien wore. On the other side, another lay open letting him see the bathroom that was fitted with sand coloured marble and a large walk-in shower. The bedroom was mostly grey except for the moldings which were gold. Even the accent wall behind the bed was a wallpaper design of grey with gold leaves and thin swirls.

Once the escort was gone, Legion retreated, letting Kade take control and shift to his human form. He wasted no time in the shower. Washing away the blood, grime and sweat. For the most part Kade had healed, the bruises now an ugly yellow and the cuts now an ugly pink against his fair skin. Even his brain felt less like a crash test dummy.

To his surprise, the closet wasn't full of suits and ties as he feared but a couple of pairs of jeans, sweatpants and tshirts.

"Ah, I am glad to see the clothes fit." Lucien looked up from his book.

Kade had found the man in the parlour just off to the side of the front door. By now it has begun to grow dark outside and lights glowed along the edges of the drive and the flower beds. Nearly a whole day had passed since Thalia was abducted and Kade couldn't help but feel she was slipping further and further away from him with each passing second.

"It is a shame you didn't call me sooner." Lucien broke the silence as he walked over to the mini bar and poured two glasses of whiskey. "Perhaps if you had, your mate would still be here."

Kade's gaze hardened at the remark but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he took the tumbler offered to him and stalked over to a seat. He didn't have time for a friendly chat but he was at the fallen-angel's mercy. He needed his help after all. So he forced every bitter word down using the whiskey to ease the way.

"I know you think I can't be trusted but we want the same things." Lucien carried on once he was seated again.

"And what's that?"

"To put a stop to Dante. To make sure that the girls and the children he has accumulated in his custody are rescued. To see my nephews and their mother safe and sound."

"Alright," Kade shrugged as leaned back in his seat, eyeing Lucien. "Plausible but I don't think you're doing this as a favour to me or to spite your brother."

"And you're right to think that." The angel agreed. "We can indeed help each other. A favour for a favour if you will. I help you get Thalia back and either kill my brother or send him back to the dark realm and in return, you help me save humanity."