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"He's going to try it again. He’ll double down on his efforts because the first attempt didn't work." Izzy got up out of her chair, needing to move. "The real question isn't whether he comes back. It's whether we let him pick the next round or whether we go on the offensive for once."

"Careful," Amelia said as she watched her pace a groove into the floorboards. "You get that look right before you volunteer for something that's going to make your father's hair go gray early."

"His hair's already gray at the temples, and I take full credit." Izzy dropped back into her chair. "I just think if Lucifer is going to keep attacking, we should turn the tables on him."

Izzy’s mom and dad entered as she said that. Zander’s expression looked like the cat who got the canary. "Micah and Aison took one of Lucifer’s lieutenants alive at the port," he announced, without preamble. Her father relished getting one over on demons. "Wee bastard talked more than he meant to before Micah got to him. Said the devil's done waiting on an answer to that invitation. Said if the Scribe doesna come to him inside two days, he’s going to stop asking and start taking."

"We’ve got two days?" Izzy clarified. "That's not a lot of time for figuring out how to keep Abraxos glued to Sarah's side at a convergence point Lucifer's been making his."

"There's more," Elsie said. Her mom’s voice had gone soft, as it had before she told her that Donovan was going to be held in prison on Khoth and that she had to return to the Therex Realm.

"I dreamed of it again today, she continued. “It was in a place with cobblestones, and a square with a fountain of angels standing over children." Her gaze found Sarah's. "It’s Angel's Alley. That's where he’ll force you to do his bidding.”

Izzy watched horror move through Sarah. She'd spent her whole life being told a story was symbolic right up until the moment it turned out to be a floor plan. "That's four blocks from my shop." Sarah’s voice was faint. "I've walked past that fountain a thousand times."

"Then you know exactly where we need to be," Zander added. "With this information, we can scout the location ahead of him for once. With Abraxos at your side, we’ve go’ a chance for the first fair fight in this, lass."

"Fair's a strong word for anything Lucifer has ever done," Amelia muttered.

"We have an advantage," Zander corrected as his mouth twitched despite the grim set of his shoulders.

"We need to stop reacting to him," she interjected, "and go on the offensive. I want to see his face when he shows up expecting a lamb and finds a pack of lions instead."

"I'll drink to that," Donovan agreed as he lifted an imaginary glass.

"You'll drink water and go to bed," she told him, "because we need you at the top of your game. Not limping around, distracted by the lingering pain."

"Somebody has to be noble around here," he countered as his mouth curved. "You've clearly got the sarcasm covered."

"Damn right I do," Izzy said with a broad smile.

CHAPTER 13

ABRAXOS

"If you plant those wings in that doorway one more time, I am going to find a pair of scissors and even things out." Sarah stood in front of him with her arms crossed and her chin tipped up, daring him to try her.

Abraxos didn't move an inch and did his best to tamp down the arousal threatening his ability to concentrate. "Try it. See how far you get."

She reached for the strap of her bag. "Farther than you think, Sparky." He caught her wrist before she got it over her shoulder. Her pulse jumped under his fingers. It was fast enough that he knew the bravado was mostly for his benefit. She was nervous about what they were about to do, as well. Her determination not to let that stop her was sexy as fuck.

"Camael wants two of us scouting the alley before dawn." He kept his voice level, though everything under his skin was pulling tight at the idea of her walking those cobblestones with anything less than his body between her and the enemy. "Izzy and Donovan are going."

Sarah tugged her wrist free. He let her go because he was not her jailer. "So am I. I told you to stop standing in my door like you're guarding a vault. I've got legs. I know how to use a door."

He'd heard her use that particular tone at least a dozen times and knew she was irritated with him because he was coddling her. It wasn’t intentional. He knew she could take care of herself, but he couldn’t turn it off completely. He was trying. To prove that to her, he stepped aside to make room for her. His entire being filled with warmth as she brushed her hand across his chest as she walked past him.

In the hours since Micah and Aison had dragged home Lucifer's lieutenant for questioning, the mansion had burned through more training rather than sleep. They all needed the latter more than just about anything, but with such a short timeframe, no one wanted to take the downtime.

Amelia had run Sarah through the twin working until her nose bled. Jace had reset what was left of Abraxos's ribs after a sparring bout with Ayil had gotten away from both of them. Thanks to the healer, they were both right as rain and didn’t need downtime to heal.

They found Izzy and Donovan waiting on the mansion's back lawn. Both of them were dressed for a fight. Neither one was pretending this wouldn't go sideways. Izzy had a sword strapped to her back, two smaller blades attached to her thighs, and one tucked into her boot. Donovan stood with the careful stillness of a warrior, ready to go to war.

"You look thrilled to be here," Izzy told Sarah, falling into step beside her the second the group started moving toward the tree line where he'd take to the air and Izzy and Donovan would race through the streets. "Nothing says romance like scouting a haunted alley with your overprotective angel breathing down your neck."

"He's working on it." Sarah shot Abraxos a look over her shoulder. "Aren't you, Sparky?"

"I'm working on not putting my fist through my brother's teeth." Abraxos scanned the tree line out of habit, cataloging shadows the way he'd done for millennia. "Focus. All of you."