“No, Xi, you have to get out of here.”
He didn’t bother to acknowledge her soft plea. The pits of hell could open up and he wouldn’t leave without her. Instead, he reached toward the door of the cage. The silver bars would hurt like a bitch, but one good yank and he could have it opened.
“Stop!” she cried out, halting his hand an inch from the bars. “The door is triggered with explosives.”
Xi cursed, his gaze locking on the tiny box that was hanging from the silver lock. It didn’t look big enough to do much damage. Certainly not to a pureblood Were.
“What kind of explosives?”
“The kind that sends a lethal curse through the air.”
Xi leaned forward, studying the box. He could smell the C-4 inside, but he had no way of sensing the magic. Which made it even more dangerous. Vampires were as vulnerable to an imp’s curse as any other demon, but it was usually an up-close and personal sort of exchange. One imp tossing a curse at one opponent. There weren’t many imps who had the balls to stand in front of a vampire and try to use his magic. The likelihood of launching the spell before the vampire ripped out his heart was less than zero.
To use human technology to spread the curse was a maniacal stroke of genius.
In silence, he studied the box, searching for a way to remove it without disturbing the C-4. There was no obvious means. At least none that he could accomplish without help.
“Xi, listen to me. You need to get out of here. Now.” Brigette stepped close enough to the bars for her skin to turn red from the silver. “The tunnels are rigged with these bombs. They’re set to go off as soon as Maryam leaves.”
Xi once again ignored her, his concentration focused on the box. “It was created by an imp?”
“I suppose so. It doesn’t matter. Did you hear me? You have to get out—”
“Smell it,” he interrupted.
She made a sound of frustration. “Excuse me?”
“Smell the bomb.”
“Did you take a blow to the head?”
Xi glanced up, sending her an impatient frown. Every passing second increased the danger. Not only for Maryam to leave and set off the curses, but for someone to wander by and catch sight of him.
“Brigette, tell me if you can recognize which imp created the curse,” he commanded in stern tones.
She pressed her lips together, clearly resisting the urge to share her opinion of males who tried to order her around. Then, with an obvious effort, she forced herself to respond in a calm voice.
“Lynx.”
Xi nodded. “Are there any other scents?”
She cautiously leaned forward, sniffing the box. “Just human and Roban.”
“So no magic beyond the curse?” he pressed.
“No.”
“Where can I find Lynx?
She straightened, scowling at him. “He’ll be leaving with the others.”
“Not yet. They’re doing a staggered evacuation.”
“How do you know?”
“I overheard a conversation between Maryam and a mongrel female who seemed to be in charge of getting the demons sent to their proper locations.”
“That must be Naven.”
Xi wasn’t interested in the female mongrel. Not unless she got in his way. Then she was dead.
“Where can I find Lynx?” He repeated his question.
Brigette heaved a resigned sigh. “He stays with the other imps in a tunnel near Maryam’s office. They depend on her to protect them from the predatory demons.”
Xi nodded. That made sense. It was odd to have so many diverse demons living in the same space. There would be a constant struggle for supremacy between the species. And casual killings when a predator felt the urge to spill blood.
Only a leader who held an iron grip on her underlings could prevent it from becoming a mêlée.
“What does he smell like?” Xi demanded.
“Cloves.”
He carefully reached between the silver bars to brush a finger down her cheek. “Don’t go anywhere.”
Her features appeared to melt, as if his touch had eased the fear she was desperately trying to hide. Xi hissed, slammed with the primitive impulse to remain and offer her comfort. It was only the clock ticking in his head that forced him to turn and rush down the passage. Each second he wasted edged them closer to disaster.
Turning toward the vampire’s private office, he didn’t bother to waste his energy on hiding his presence. It no longer mattered. Besides, there was new…emptiness in the tunnels. Obviously, the evacuation had started.
The thought propelled him even faster, and he was little more than a blur to the unsuspecting sprite who was strolling toward him. Coming to an abrupt halt, Xi grabbed the male by the collar of his long robe and lifted him off the ground.
He wasn’t trying to frighten the creature. That would take too long, and it risked the creature calling out and alerting any demon nearby that there was danger. Instead, he pulled the sprite until they were face-to-face, peering deep into his eyes.
“Mine.”
Instantly, the pale eyes glazed over as Xi used his ability to take command of the fey’s mind. Most vampires could only use compulsion on humans, but Xi was strong enough to control lesser demons.
“Where is Lynx?”
The sprite nodded toward the larger tunnel behind him. “That way.”
Xi lowered the sprite and shoved him in the general direction. “Take me.”
The fey’s face was slack, but he followed Xi’s command without hesitation. Together, they moved through the darkness, heading toward the open space, which smelled of rich herbs and sharp fruit. The fey seemingly kept their area cleaner than the predatory demons. They weren’t, however, any neater. The space was crowded with bedding that was spread across the cement floor and piles of clothing and personal items. As if the owners had tossed them aside in a hurry. Xi clenched his fangs, briefly afraid that the imp had already left. Then he caught the unmistakable scent of cloves.
Searching the shadows at the far end of the space, Xi shoved the sprite forward. As he hoped, a tall, slender male with long copper hair and a narrow face stepped out of a hidden passage. He was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt with the Chicago Bears logo on the front, and as he stepped into the space, he was munching on an apple.
This had to be Lynx.
“What the hell, Colly?” the male snapped as he studied the sprite. “You’re supposed to be headed to the airport.”