Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Angelo
Through our bond, I felt Serenity’s terror spike—sharp and immediate.
“Lorenzo!” I snarled his name, my voice cutting through the room like a gunshot. “Get her out. Now!”
Joy’s shadows parted without hesitation, and Lorenzo moved through instantly. He grabbed Serenity and hauled her out of the rocking chair, lifting her despite her pregnant belly, and carried her out of the living room. His footsteps echoed down the hallway, fast and sure.
I wanted to follow, to go to her myself, but I couldn’t abandon my position. Not with the veil still open.
But Lorenzo would keep her safe. He had to.
Fuck. I knew those damn shadows wouldn’t work. I’d hoped—God, I’d hoped—but Balthazar was too powerful, too ancient. Of course he could see through them. Of course he’d find a way to see her.
The only good thing—if there was anything good about this nightmare—was that he was still in a cell. A well-decorated cell that looked more like a penthouse suite than a prison, but a cell nonetheless. Bars. Chains. Suspended over the pit.
It didn’t seem like Lucifer was torturing his former first commander. No screaming, no agony, no punishment. Just... comfort. Luxury, even.
So much for appeasing Michael the Archangel. So much for Lucifer’s promise to make Balthazar pay for his crimes.
But when had a fallen angel’s word ever been good?
I stared at that cage, at Balthazar’s smug face, at the martini glass still raised in mock salute, and rage burned through my veins hotter than hellfire.
He’d seen her. Seen my pregnant mate. And now he knew exactly what he wanted—and where to find it.
“Close it!” I roared. “Close the veil now!”
Tinker Bell’s face was pale but determined. She nodded sharply to Rose and Prudence. “Shield first, then close. On three.”
The three witches shifted their stance, their hands moving in mirror patterns as they began to chant in unison:
“By blood and bone and sacred earth,
Protect this home, this hearth, this worth.
No demon’s hand shall cross this line,
No hellish power breach our shrine.
Ward this house from roof to ground,
Let iron will and magic bound.
What dwells in darkness stays below,
By our command, we tell you—NO!”
The final word exploded from their lips like a thunderclap.
Brilliant light erupted from their joined hands—silver, crimson, and gold intertwining like rope—and shot outward, spreading across the walls, the ceiling, the floor.
The protective barrier sealed itself into every surface, invisible but thrumming with power I could feel in my bones.
Then Tinker Bell’s voice rang out again, sharper now, urgent:
“Veil of shadow, veil of sight,
Return to dark, recede from light.
Close the door, seal the seam,
Wake us from this nightmare dream!”
Rose and Prudence echoed her, their voices rising in harmony. The tear between worlds began to collapse inward, the view of hell narrowing, shrinking—
But not before Balthazar’s laughter echoed through, rich and terrible and promised.
Then the veil snapped shut with a sound like breaking glass, and he was gone.
The room fell silent.
I whirled on Enzo, rage and fear combusting inside me into something violent and uncontrolled. “What the hell happened? I thought your damn shadows would protect her. I thought Balthazar wouldn’t be able to see through them. You promised she’d be safe!”
Enzo’s jaw clenched, his own fury barely contained. “I don’t know.” The admission came through gritted teeth. “They should have worked. Joy’s shadows have never failed before—”
“But they did fail!” I took a step toward him, my fangs descending. “He saw her. He spoke to her. While your mate’s shadows were supposed to be protecting mine!”
“Stand down, Angelo.” Enzo’s stance shifted, pure enforcer now—feet planted, shoulders squared, ready for a fight. His eyes flashed with warning. “Now. You think I’m not furious? You think I don’t want answers? But tearing into each other won’t help them.”
The red haze of fury clouding my vision didn’t clear. I shoved him hard enough that he stumbled back a step. “Her shadows have been nothing but trouble since the beginning. Unstable. Dangerous. And now Balthazar knows exactly where Serenity is, what she looks like pregnant with my child—“
“Okay, okay, time out.” Dimitri moved forward with that deceptive lazy grace, positioning himself next to Enzo.
But his casual smirk was gone, replaced by something sharp and dangerous.
“Look, I’m all for a good rage-fest—believe me, I’ve hosted a few myself—but screaming at Enzo isn’t going to unfuck this situation.
” He tilted his head, his tone cutting. “Joy didn’t fail on purpose.
We all saw what happened. Balthazar is apparently more powerful than any of us anticipated, which is terrifying, by the way, but not exactly her fault. ”
He crossed his arms, his expression hardening. “So unless you’ve got a better plan than yelling at the woman who just tried to protect your mate, maybe dial back the fury and start thinking like the king you’re supposed to be instead of a terrified husband.”
I wanted to snarl at him, to tell him to go to hell.
But the bastard was right. I scrubbed my face, my hands shaking with the effort it took to pull myself back from the edge.
If I gave in to my fear, I wouldn’t be able to protect Serenity.
Frightened men made stupid mistakes—and I’d already made enough of those.
“She should have told me her shadows weren’t strong enough!” I grumbled. I forced myself not to lash out again, not to blame someone, not to make someone pay for putting Serenity in danger.
Enzo’s expression turned murderous. “You want to blame someone for this clusterfuck? Blame Balthazar. Blame Lucifer for not keeping his word. But you do not attack my mate for trying to help yours.”
The word mate was like cold water splashing on my face. I knew that bond. Knew what it meant. Knew I’d tear apart anyone who spoke to Serenity the way I’d just spoken to Joy.
But my fear for Serenity, for our child, was drawing the monster out of me.
“Angelo.” Tinker Bell’s voice cut through the tension, soft but commanding enough to pull my attention.
I whirled on her, my chest heaving. “What?”
She met my gaze steadily, unflinching despite the rage that must have been written all over my face. “For now, we know Balthazar is in a cage.”
“Apparently enjoying himself like he’s on vacation in the Bahamas,” Dimitri muttered darkly. “Complete with cocktails and interior design.”
“Maybe.” Tinker Bell’s expression was troubled, her brow furrowed in a way that made my stomach drop. “But I felt something. Something... off.”
The word ‘off’ froze my blood. Not what I wanted to hear—not even close. What game was Balthazar playing? And how many steps ahead of us was he?
Rose stepped forward, her hybrid nature giving her insights the others might miss. “That it wasn’t real? I felt it too. The energy signature was wrong.”
Rage melted the ice in my veins, but beneath it was something far worse—fear. I flashed my fangs without meaning to, a reflexive response to a threat I couldn’t see or touch. “What do you mean it wasn’t real? Are you saying that was an illusion?”
“Possibly.” Tinker Bell’s hands twisted together, the first sign of nerves I’d seen from the powerful witch.
“There was definitely demonic magic saturating that entire scene. And it’s highly likely—given Balthazar’s power level—that he could have projected an illusion. Made us see what he wanted us to see.”
Fury shot through me. “You’re telling me he put on a fucking show for us? That he wanted us to see exactly what we saw?” Which meant this whole thing had been a trap from the start.
Prudence shook her head, stepping forward with her hands raised in a calming gesture. “We don’t know that for sure. It could have been—”
“Don’t.” The word came out sharp, cutting.
My control was fraying, unraveling thread by thread.
“Don’t tell me we don’t know. Don’t tell me it might be nothing.
” I turned away, running both hands through my hair, gripping hard enough that it hurt.
I needed the pain to focus, to think, to not completely lose my mind.
Serenity. The baby.
“He saw her,” I said. “Pregnant. Vulnerable. He looked right at her and said ‘see you soon.’” I spun back to face them, and I knew my eyes had gone full red, the vampire in me surging to the surface. “That’s not the taunt of a demon locked in a cage in hell. That’s a promise. A threat.”
My hands clenched into fists so tight my bones ached. “If he’s free—if he’s already out there somewhere—then everything we’ve done, every protection, every ward, every guard... It’s all been pointless. He’s been toying with us. Waiting.”
Planning.
And my mate is nine months pregnant with exactly what he needs.
“I’m not taking any chances with Serenity,” I growled, my mind already planning.
The Sangue Reale houseboat. Hell, I’d take her out of Louisiana entirely if that’s what it took.
Colorado—Legacy Academy had wards strong enough to keep out anything demonic.
Multiple locations, constant movement, rotating guards.
“We need to move her. Tonight. Now. Somewhere he can’t find her. ”
“No.” Prudence moved forward, her healer’s instincts overriding any fear of my anger.
“You absolutely cannot move her. She’s about to give birth, Angelo.
Any day now—possibly any hour now. You don’t know what’s going to happen or when it will happen.
Moving her in this condition, the stress alone could trigger early labor.
” She held my gaze, refusing to back down.
“She needs to remain here, in her home, where she feels safe. Where she can rest. Where I have everything I need to deliver the baby safely.”
“Safe?” I gestured violently toward where we’d seen the veil.
“Balthazar knows exactly where she is. He looked right at her. He knows this house, this location. He’s diabolical—he’s had centuries to perfect the art of manipulation and cruelty.
” My voice rose despite my attempts to control it.
“He’ll come. He’ll find a way in. And he’ll steal our child right out of her arms.”
The image slammed into me—Serenity screaming, drenched in blood, our daughter ripped from her arms while Balthazar laughed. My vision went red. My fangs descended fully, claws erupting from my fingertips. I would burned the world down before I let that happen.
“No, he won’t.” Tinker Bell stepped forward, her expression resolute, power crackling around her like an aura.
“I’ll ward this home so thoroughly not even a demon as powerful as Balthazar can cross the threshold.
Every window, every door, every crack in the foundation.
He won’t be able to get within fifty feet of this house without the wards burning him alive. ”
I wanted to believe her. God, I wanted to. But doubt gnawed at me like acid.
Tinker Bell’s power was formidable—perhaps unmatched in New Orleans.
But were her wards truly strong enough to keep out a demon who’d served as Lucifer’s first commander?
A demon who’d already proven he could reach through the veil between worlds, who could manipulate dreams, who seemed to be playing a game none of us fully understood?
I wasn’t sure. And “not sure” wasn’t good enough when it came to my mate and child.
The more daunting question pressed against my mind, demanding attention: Balthazar needed the baby for payment. He’d said as much in Serenity’s nightmare.
Payment for what?
And more terrifying still—who had he promised our child to?
What kind of deal had he made that required a half-vampire, half-angel infant? What power had he bargained with? What did they want with an innocent child that made Balthazar willing to risk everything to obtain her?
The possibilities were all nightmare fuel, each one worse than the last.
“We need answers,” I said finally. “We need to know what he’s planning. Who he’s working with. What he wants the baby for.” I looked around at the faces gathered in my living room—vampires, witches, mates who’d become family.
I trusted them. I did. But trust wouldn’t be enough against Balthazar. We needed more than loyalty. We needed a miracle.
“Because until we know that, we’re fighting blind. And I will not let my daughter pay the price for our ignorance.”