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Hell’s fires. He hated talking about Roag, hated how he and Shade had been at odds before his death. Roag had never understood Eidolon’s need to protect Wraith, even though Roag had been there rolling machine in the Chicago warehouse nearly eighty years ago. When Roag died, Eidolon had been devastated, but Shade had been more relieved than anything. “Roag doesn’t count. He was rolling machine such a bastard that he didn’t have a lot of room to turn into—” “A dick?” Wraith offered. “You’re right. He was always that. What about Otto?” Shade sighed. “He’s the only one, and he did have to give up his ds r4 vet practice.” “He still worked there part-time. Maybe E can keep working here so Yuri the Asshole doesn’t have to take over once you’ve gone over, mont blanc pen too.” “We can’t count on that,” Shade said. “And even if he’s stable enough to keep working, he’ll have to limit himself to admin crap, stay in his office.” A post-s’genesis male couldn’t control himself in the presence of fertile females, would immediately change form to match theirs and try to seduce them. If seduction didn’t work, force often did. “This is bullshit.” Wraith pushed to his feet. “We’re all going through the transformation, and you two whining about it won’t change anything.” He ran his finger over his rack of weapons, snagged a flail, and grinned as he slammed it home through a loop in his leather harness. “I can’t wait. Bring it on, baby.” Gods, Wraith had issues. Sure, Shade wasn’t going to fight the s’genesis like Eidolon was—fuck if he was going to store blood for transfusions in hopes it would hold off The Change—but he also wasn’t looking forward to it. He just wished he could take a mate. If not for the— “Damned curse?” Shade scowled at his brother. “I hate it when you do that.” “I can’t help it. Your thoughts invade my head sometimes.” Wraith finished loading himself with weapons, probably adding another twenty pounds to his already large frame.

“Yep. I caught a whiff of him right afterward.” Wraith plopped down on the edge of his desk, spilling papers and pens all over the floor. “Who would have seen that coming? 2010 prom dress Mr. Stick Up His Ass finally getting laid in the hospital. With a patient. And an enemy to top it off? I’m not sure if we should throw him a Bridesmaid Dresses party or throw him into a firepit for being so stupid.” Shade pinched the bridge of his nose to stave off what was going to be a bridesmaid dress killer headache. Fuck. This was worse than he’d thought. Clearly, The Change was messing with Eidolon’s judgment and sex drive, and that meant they were all in mother of the bride dresses a lot of trouble. If Eidolon couldn’t control himself, there wasn’t a whole lot of hope for Shade or Wraith. “He needs a mate.” A mate wouldn’t stop the s’genesis, but it would stop the out-of-control need to impregnate every female in the underworld. “Yeah, right. How often do we find females who are willing to spend the next six hundred years with us? I don’t know about you, bro, but there isn’t a female in the universe I’d tie myself to for that long.” And there was the rub, the reason so few Seminus demons mated. Mating was for life, and the only way out was to kill the other. The fear of mating often outweighed the fear of s’genesis. Shade had never known a single Seminus male who had mated. Only Eidolon had ever shown any desire to do so, but worthy females were rarer than fallen angels, and so far, he’d come up empty. “E just needs to stop fighting it. Maybe it won’t be that bad. We’ve known Sems who didn’t change much after the transition.” “Name one,” Shade said, and then silently screamed, Don’t say it, don’t say it— “Roag.”

Weird. Shade made a mental note to check the ambulances’ drug boxes and continued down the hall to admin. He propped himself against the door jamb cartier sunglasses of Wraith’s office and watched his brother throw on a worn leather jacket. “Where are you off to?” “Mongolia. E cartier frames wants some special mana crap for his collection of ‘what ifs.’ ” Laughing, because Eidolon was always sending Wraith oakley sunglasses to retrieve rare artifacts, potions, and materials for the hospital on the off-chance that they might be needed, Shade entered ghd mini styler the room, which was little more than a junk closet. Wraith’s job at the medical center was, in hair straighteners truth, to acquire nontraditional supplies unique to demon medicine, and his office reflected his haphazard method of researching ghd styler and locating said supplies. As Shade was a control freak, Wraith’s utter lack of organization in any aspect of ghd mini styler his life gave him heartburn. Wraith shoved a set of knives into his chest harness and a Glock into his thigh holster. Two more blades slid into ankle holders, and various vials of poisons and holy waters got tucked into the dozens of hidden coat pockets. The guy didn’t screw around when it came to a mission, especially since he made enemies wherever he went. “I’m worried about E,” Shade said abruptly. “He introduced my face to his fist a little while ago.” Wheeling around, Wraith let out a low whistle. “He decked you? E? That’s not like him.” No, it wasn’t. Shade and Wraith regularly went at it, but Eidolon usually kept his fists to himself. “I think the s’genesis is making him unstable.” Wraith snorted. “Just because he healed the slayer when he should have killed her, boned her, and then instead of giving her to Yuri—which I was against but really, it would have been the smart thing to do—he’s giving her a lift home?” Shade digested that for a second, and then it all came back up like acid in his esophagus. “Eidolon had sex with the Aegi butcher? In the hospital?”

“You can drop me off in the general vicinity.” Despite the fact that they’d fought together, saved each other’s lives, and he’d healed her wounds, she still couldn’t tiffany jewelry make this easy. Not that he blamed her. But she still wasn’t going to win this round. “Not an option. I’m walking you freshwater pearl necklace to your door.” “Why?” She stepped back. “So you can tell all your demon buddies where I live?” He closed the distance vivienne westwood she’d put between them, used his size and height to deliver the message that if she wanted to fight, he was ready to throw down. “Remember links of london how I told you that my colleagues wanted to torture you for information?” “Kinda hard to forget, and hello, personal space.” “You don’t Pandora聽Bracelets have the luxury of personal space right now, because you’re in danger. I want to make sure my colleagues don’t know where you live. As in, they aren’t there waiting for you.” “That would suck.” Call it a curse of his species that the word “suck” would turn him on, but there it was, a sexual stirring in his gut that was so powerful he had to grind out, “Is that a yes?” “Yeah.” “Fine.” Gods help him, he was going to take her home. He’d be walking into the lion’s den. Nothing possessed a hair trigger like a werewolf on the eve of a full moon, so when Shade rounded a corner on his way to the hospital’s administrative offices and collided with Luc, he expected a snarling backlash. Instead, the were smiled, actually smiled, and clapped Shade on the shoulder. “See ya next week, incubus.” Luc would be locking himself away for the duration of the full moon, which usually made him grumpier than a Cruentus with a fangache, but today he was downright cheerful. “Luc, you okay, man?” “Oh, hell, yeah.” Luc sauntered off, the strike of his boots on the stone floor echoing through the halls.

“We took a risk, cutting that thing open,” she said, doubling over to catch her breath. We. Interesting. “You okay?” Immediately, she straightened, her chin jutting out stubbornly. “I’m fine. Been through worse.” lv bags “You never stop fighting, do you?” She watched him warily as he chanel聽handbags slid his palm over the curve of her cheek discount聽handbags and pinched her torn flesh between his fingers. The coach handbags familiar warm tingle traveled down his arm. Her lids juicy handbags flew up as the power ripped into her flesh. prada handbags Beneath his fingertips, her tissue knitted together, the torn blood wholesale designer handbags vessels fusing. In moments, he wiped the blood away from new, designer handbags unmarked skin. “How . . . how do replica gucci you do that?” “Members of my breed share three different coach outlet gifts, all with some healing ability.” The healing abilities were, however, secondary to the primary purpose . . . which was to aid in reproduction once the s’genesis was complete. Shade could use his gift to stimulate early ovulation, Wraith practiced mind-seductions, but could also heal mental disorders. Eidolon could create favorable conditions for fertilization of eggs. She touched her face, awe reflecting in her expression. Man, she was beautiful, all wild-haired warrior with the scent of battle clinging to her skin. The sight of her, the smell of her, triggered a primitive reaction deep in his core, one that both disgusted and intrigued him. He hated everything about her. But he wanted to bed her. Over and over. She’d been spot on when she’d said his ego had taken a blow because he hadn’t brought her to climax, but his desire to take her again went beyond patching his pride or even slaking the ever-present lust that plagued his breed. He’d never encountered anyone who radiated such a fierce will to live. Her life force drew him, her fire fascinated him, and her sensuality held him in an iron grip he couldn’t break. He wanted to fuck her when what he should do was kill her. Her eyes flared, as if she knew what he was thinking, and his focus slammed home. “I’m taking you home now.”

One of the brothers lay writhing nearby, his head nearly severed by Tayla’s blade. The other two advanced, limping, bleeding, one holding his forearm cheap chanel handbags awkwardly. Light flashed in the Harrowgate, and son of a bitch, a Cruentus burst from it. And, as if coach bags things couldn’t get worse, a clicking noise came from behind them. “Hunger . . . slayer . . coach bags .” “Shit,” he muttered, because now the remaining demons knew what they were fighting. The Nightlashes pounced, their fury billowing from their louis vuitton handbags pores in clouds of bitter scent. Eidolon spun, lashed out with a foot, and knocked one of the replica bags brothers off his misshapen feet. “I’ve got the Obhirrat,” he shouted, as Tayla opened up a deep gash in paper bags wholesale one Nightlash’s chest. “Don’t break its skin!” Breaking the skin was the idea. In a quick series of moves, he shifted handbag wholesale behind the slower creature and shoved. The Obhirrat slammed into the Cruentus, which yelped and scrambled backward. Even COACH HANDBAGS Cruenti were smart enough to avoid injuring an Obhirrat. “Tayla! Cut it!” She paused for a split second to stare handbags & purses at him as if he was insane, a pause that cost her. The Cruentus raked its claws across her face, laying open her cheek. Snarling, Eidolon plowed his fist into the beast’s snout, reveling in the crunch of cartilage beneath his knuckles. “Do it,” he yelled, and though indecision flashed in Tayla’s eyes, she buried the knife in the Obhirrat’s belly and yanked up, opening the creature like an unzipped coat. It screamed, a high-pitched, ear-shattering sound. Tayla leaped back as squirming, ricelike grains spilled from the wound. The maggots moved with unnatural speed and purpose; unlike their nondemon counterparts, these fed on living flesh. Eidolon seized Tayla’s arm and yanked her up the tunnel that led to Nancy’s lair, leaving the sounds of battle and pain behind. When they burst into Nancy’s purple nightmare, Tayla slammed the door shut, and he bolted it. Blood dripped down her face from the Cruentus’s clawmarks, but she didn’t seem to notice.

Four male Nightlash demons emerged from the gate, their human appearances broken only by their misshapen, clawed feet and hands. And the daggerlike teeth. tag heuer carrera Tayla shifted forward, glaring at him. “Oh, look,” she snapped, as she sank into a fighting stance, fake rolex watches for sale fists clenched, back leg bearing her weight. “Demons. And me without any weapons.” Pale silver eyes gleamed in the replica rolex darkness, a good twelve inches above Eidolon’s eye level, as the largest’s mouth spread into a gluttonous replica watches sneer. “We’re in luck, brothers. A short hunt tonight.” “Seminus demon,” another growled, as he took in Eidolon from Wholesale Watches head to toe. “No markings on face . . . he’s still a whelp. We’ll get no credit for killing chanel watch him.” The big one moved closer, bringing his putrid swamp stench with him. “We’ll take the human,” it said rolex聽watches聽for to Eidolon. “Go, and we’ll let you live.” Eidolon smiled tightly. “The human is mine. Find your meals elsewhere.” “I have a better idea,” Tayla said. “Why don’t I kill you all, and then no one will need supper?” “As long as ‘all’ doesn’t include me,” Eidolon said, “I’m all right with that plan.” He thrust the cleaver into Tayla’s hand. No doubt she could handle herself without a weapon, but her injury compromised her more than he liked, and more than she’d probably admit. The demons attacked, mouths gaping wide, claws extended. Tayla met them, moving like a dancer, blade flashing, and though he was no slouch when it came to fighting, thanks to his Justice Dealer background and lessons with Wraith, Tayla left him in the dust. She ripped through the demons, punching, slashing, death on sexy legs. Moving in what felt like slow motion compared to her, Eidolon took down the largest of the enemies, smoothly, efficiently, breaking the demon’s neck. Tayla took a hard hit and slammed into him, and they both crunched into the wall.

Eidolon got an instant, alarming vision of Tayla, her demon DNA fully integrated, leading Aegis slayers through Harrowgates, and dread shivered over his skin. Only dark-souled or unconscious humans could pass polo shirts through the gates, but no doubt The Aegis would find a way around that limitation. Once they learned how to use the gates ed hardy shirts for travel, there would be nothing to stop them from locating his hospital, traveling anywhere in the world in seconds, and invading the ed hardy clothing demon realm deep inside the earth. Most demons, especially those that didn’t appear human, adhered to strict rules when venturing topside where the humans dwelled, NFL jerseys but humans had no such restrictions. The possibilities were terrifying. When he didn’t answer, Tayla nodded as if she’d put the last piece in a football shirt jigsaw puzzle. “It’s a gate, isn’t it? An entrance to hell,” she murmured, and he didn’t bother to contradict her. The less she knew Soccer Jersey about his world, the better. “Fine. Ignore me.” She noted the blood smears at the crossroads and looked down the passageways. “Someone carried your vamp fifa 2010 jerseys to this point.” “Looks that way.” “Or they came from that gate thing.” “Those responsible for what happened to Nancy were not demons.” She rolled her eyes. “Back to how The Aegis is involved.” “They are involved often enough,” he ground out, because even though demons were their own worst enemies, were more than capable of killing each other, Roag’s fiery death at the hands of The Aegis had left scorch marks on his soul. The hair on the back of Eidolon’s neck prickled a split second before a blinding light flashed from the gate. Shielding her eyes, Tayla leaped aside, and he spun between her and the gate. “What happened?” “The gate activated,” he said, pushing her fully behind him, because whatever was going to come through that portal wouldn’t be happy with the welcoming party. “The light should have been invisible to you.” To all humans, actually, but as he’d discovered, Tayla wasn’t entirely human. “Yeah, well—”

Abruptly, his skin grew warm, which cracked him up in a this-is-pathetic way. He’d always prided himself on being more manolo blahnik shoes civilized than his brothers, but so much for that; he was becoming aroused in christian heels a damned sewer. Cursing, more at himself than at her, he caught her arm christian laboutin and dragged her around. “Then why? You could have avoided all of this. ladies sandals You could have left me alone with the Obhirrat and escaped through Nancy’s front door.” sandals for women Her gaze went steely, a hard challenge. “You accused The Aegis of torturing the vampire. I’m dress sandals going to prove it wasn’t my people.” “Why?” “Because I’m tired of womens sandals being accused of things I didn’t do.” He wanted to ask more, but instead, he mbt shoes released her. “For your sake, I hope you’re right.” “Is that a nike air threat?” Truthfully, he wasn’t sure. And he was rarely unsure about anything. This human Louboutin was a menace to everything that made him a demon. “Take it as you will.” She muttered something about hating demons and started moving again. The trail ended at a crossroads in the tunnel. Someone must have carried Nancy to the junction, then left her to the carrion-eaters like the Obhirrat. There were four possible directions from which the person had come, because the fifth wasn’t a possibility. The Harrowgate. One of hundreds in New York City alone, it shimmered across the width of the north tunnel like a gossamer curtain, visible only to demons. Humans would pass harmlessly through it and continue down the tunnel. “What is that?” Tayla asked, staring at the gate. He scented the air for danger, detected nothing but the usual rancid currents of sewer rot. Tayla waited, her thick hair falling in soft, feminine waves around her shoulders, at odds with the hard, alert stance she’d taken. “What do you see?” he asked. “Outlines. Sort of fuzzy. I’ve seen them before, but I always thought they were a trick of the light. This one is clearer. What is it?”

“Ever met an Aegis slayer?” he said with a deadly calm he didn’t feel, and the Obhirrat hissed, the hunger in its eyes replaced by alarm. cheap ugg boots “I’m a doctor, you ugly fuck, and I can tell her exactly how to take you apart so your little maggots can’t do christian louboutin a damned thing.” It wasn’t true, but the creatures were big on size, small on brains, and Eidolon had always been a nike shoes good liar. Cutting into an Obhirrat released its primary means of defense, the maggots, which made them one of jordan shoes the three species that would never be treated at UG. “Crossroadsss . . . ssssweeeeet blood.” Without taking his eyes off Air classic bw the creature, Eidolon inclined his head at Tayla in a silent message. She had warrior instincts, read him like Nike dunk sb a battle plan, and immediately edged around the Obhirrat to wait at the kitchen entrance. Eidolon palmed the cleaver he’d parked cheap reebok shoes in the wall, skirted the beast, and then they both slipped into the dank passage. For an instant, he regretted not finding christian shoes shoes for her, but she padded unimpeded down the tunnel. If the sharp stones beneath her feet bothered her, she christian pumps didn’t show it. The darkness posed no problem for Eidolon, and Tayla seemed to have little difficulty, as well. The crude passage opened up into a wide brick tunnel. Tayla made no sound as they followed the blood trail, though he suspected that she’d manage the same silence in boots. Even injured, she moved with a deadly, powerful grace that he admired when she wasn’t looking. Which was often, since her attention focused on their surroundings, her sharp gaze taking everything in, cataloging, planning. “What did you get us into, Hellboy?” she whispered. “Isn’t this what you do for a living? Skulk around in sewers to find demons?” “I don’t skulk, and I’ve certainly never done it with a demon.” Oh, you did it with a demon, and did it well . . .