Jade nodded. “Right. Okay. I’ll take that as a yes.” Then she drove her fist right at the witch. Heather took the hit in the jaw and tumbled back. “You freaking sold out an angel, you crazy bitch!”
Heather blinked, then rubbed her jaw. “My, my, aren’t you the feisty human.”
Az rather thought she was. She’d just . . . fought for him. Or at least punched for him. No one had ever—
“We’re out of here, Az.” Now Jade was yanking his arm. “Whatever game this shifter is working, we don’t want to be a part of it.”
Not if the witch was involved.
But he wasn’t ready to walk just yet. Vengeance. Right there, so close.
“Will you be strong enough to kill him . . .” The witch’s voice was different now. Heavy with power and magic. Az looked at her and saw that the bright gold of her eyes had faded as she continued, “when the time comes?”
Her faded gaze wasn’t on him. It was on Jade.
“Will you sacrifice?” Heather continued, and a light breeze blew against Az’s flesh. “Will you make the choice to save the others and face death?”
The witch was pushing his self-control and seriously getting on his nerves.
“What in the hell are you talking about?” Jade wanted to know. She didn’t sound shaken or worried, just pissed.
“Love has a price.” That same, weird rumble that wasn’t a human’s voice. Not quite. “Sacrifice is the payment. The choice of life or death. You have to kill what you love.”
Jade’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s be clear, here, alright, witchy woman? I don’t love Brandt. I hate him. He has taken everything away from me. My home. My family.” Her chin lifted. “So when the time comes, oh yeah, I’ll do what I have to do. If the choice is my life or his, then he’ll be the one dying.”
Heather’s eyes brightened once more as the fog seemed to fade from her gaze. She smiled at Jade. “You’re going to be tested soon.”
“Why are we still here?” Jade muttered, tugging on Az. “Let’s—”
But Tanner stepped forward. “The pack won’t welcome me back. Not unless I bring them . . .” His gaze fell on Az. “Something.”
“You mean someone,” Jade charged. “You want to take Az to them? Are you—”
“Actually, I want to take you to Brandt. If I bring back his lost mate, there’s no way he will turn me away.”
Mate. Why did that one word have Az tensing as a white-hot fury rose within him? “She’s not his mate.” Shifters and their mates. So possessive. So territorial.
Not. His.
Tanner held up his hands. “Easy there, big guy. This is just about what Brandt thinks, not about what actually is. Didn’t mean to step into any . . . uh, personal business there.”
“Tanner takes the human,” Heather came to stand by the shifter’s side. “And I take you in,” she told Az.
Because she was so good at selling people out.
“They’ll believe I’m there for the bounty on your head. They’ll let me in, and they’ll take us both right to Brandt,” Heather finished with a little smirk.
“No,” Jade said immediately, and that smirk slipped a bit. “This isn’t going to work, it—”
“Seems you pissed off the pack alpha.” Tanner rubbed his jaw as he studied Az. “And he wants you brought in alive.”
“Only so he can take his time cutting Az apart.” Jade shook her head. “No way. We’re done here. Your plan is crap. If we follow it, we’ll all die.”
Not all.
“Can’t you kill him?” Heather asked Az, crossing her arms. “I mean, you’re the Angel of Death. All you need to do is touch him, right?”
He saw Jade’s jaw drop. “Angel of Death? As in the—”
“Not anymore.” His growl. He would have told her that part, eventually.
“But you can do it,” Tanner snapped. “You’re the only one who can. Brandt is stronger than most paranormals. He’s got magic on his side, and he’s not afraid to use it. If we want him taken out, we need your help.”
Jade’s lips trembled as she stared into Az’s eyes. “I already told you, this isn’t your—”
“You want to use me as bait.” Az wanted to be clear on the rules. “The witch takes me in—”
“And collects the bounty,” Heather added quickly.
“Of course.” Figured she’d take her cut. Not like she’d do this out of the goodness of her heart. From what he’d seen, the witch didn’t have a heart. “Then I get my turn to eliminate Brandt.” And to save Jade. To start his journey back upstairs.
Jade’s body practically vibrated with fury. “This is stupid—”
“I’ll be there for backup.” Tanner rocked forward on the balls of his feet. “Together, we’ll take out that whole pack.”
Az didn’t really need his help. But if the shifter wanted some revenge of his own . . .
“You can’t do this.” Jade gripped both of his hands now and shook him. “This is crazy. You don’t want to just walk right up to Brandt.”
“No?” Now Tanner’s anger had broken past his control. “What’s your big plan then? You want to keep running from him? Hiding? While others die?”
She flinched. “I’ll go to him. I’ll end this myself.”
“You don’t have that power.” Tanner was certain.
So was Az.
Her gaze held his.
“Please,” she whispered. “I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”
And the choice was made. A life for a life. Sacrifice. He pointed at the witch. “Betray me again, and I’ll make certain you feel the full fury of hell.”
“Been there,” she muttered.
“And you will be again.” A promise.
She swallowed and glanced away from him, and he knew she understood the consequences. Fair enough.
Angels never lied.
The deal had been set.
Angels were idiots. They had to be. As Jade followed Az through the winding hallway located at the back of a voodoo shop, she wondered what the hell she was doing.
Trusting her life to a shifter cop and a witch? Oh, no, not a good idea.
They were the two she should probably trust the least except. . .
Except Tanner had helped her get out of that swamp. He could have turned her in to the authorities or handed her over to Brandt then.