City of Smoke and Brimstone (House of Devils, #4)

by Kayla Edwards

If you truly love your daughter, I implore you to heed my advice—heed my warning, and find Darien Cassel.’ The pit in Cyra’s stomach widened. ‘But he’s a monster.’ ‘I don’t deny that. But he may be one of the only monsters capable of changing. Should he choose to protect your daughter, there will be nothing he wouldn’t do for her. You must find him. He is her best and only chance.’

she focused on her goal: get back to Roman Devlin’s house and find the others. Find Darien. “You’re thinking about that asshole again, aren’t you?”

“I’m always thinking about him. And he’s not an asshole.” “He is, actually. He’s just not an asshole to you.”

‘I don’t have time right now,’ he’d told her, in a tone so sharp, he was ashamed to have used it on her. ‘We can talk about this when I get back.’ That was the problem with time: everyone always thought they had more of it.

were speaking to each other in private. As if sensing his curiosity, Bandit said down the Spirit Bond, ‘I hate to admit it, but…I’m worried about her.’ A whimper drifted down the bond. ‘Do you think…do you think she’s okay?’

Glass crunched under her sneaker. She paused, bending to pick up the framed photograph of her, Dallas, and Loren, the picture taken by Taega when they were kids. It was summertime, and they were smiling brightly at the camera, Angelthene’s old lighthouse standing stately in the background. Loren was in the middle—the very heart of their friendship.

The surprise the Reaper felt upon running into the Devlin Devil, who was weaving his way toward them through the crowd, turned into fury. “This is bullshit!” Malakai spat through bared teeth. “Half the city gets destroyed, and somehow you’re still not fucking dead?” Travis’s eyes went black. “Fuck you, Malakai!”

“We need to find Atlas,” Darien said, still looming behind Loren. If she moved, he moved. If something got her attention, he looked at it too, as if ready to kill whatever it was. Travis pitied any poor soul who even glanced at her.

She squeezed her eyes shut and breathed, her whole body tingling as she summoned her magic⁠— And scared the shit out of Atlas as she bellowed a battle cry and lit those assholes up with lightning instead.

“Where are youuuuu?” “Turn around,” said a deep, male voice. Paxton’s eyes flew open. Panting, he spied between the crates—right on time to see Simon whipping around. And a tattooed hand lashing out—grabbing Simon by the throat. His brother. The Wolf of the Hollow. Going in for the kill.

Though his features—Devils tattoo included—were obscured beneath the hood of the black sweatshirt he wore under his leather jacket, it was easy to tell that this was not a man you should mess with. Which was probably why several people had offered for her to cut ahead of them in line. She’d felt bad for them. Had fought the urge to tell them that her guard dog wouldn’t bite—okay, fine, might not bite—unless she let him off the leash.

“What’s the plan?” “None of your concern, that’s what,” Malakai snipped. Travis grabbed his fork again. “See this fork?” He held it up. “I’m going to stab your eyes out with it.” Malakai flashed him an unfriendly grin—a baring of teeth, really. Travis bared his in answer.

And so they would not run. When the time came, they would fight. They would fight their parents, and they would not just break their chains. They would shatter them. Together.

The creature’s claws punched into the floor—right where his head had been, Malakai would bet. He pushed to his feet, rallying his magic—and with a mighty roar that rivaled the monster’s, he blasted this bitch’s head into a pulp that misted his face. The floor trembled as its body collapsed.

Malakai flicked the button on his headset and said, “Guess what, asshole? You’re not the only one who can take down those sons of bitches.”

A war was coming. And if they had a prayer of stopping it, they would have to act. They would have to fight. Together. “We figure out how to get the Veil back up,” Roman said. Heads turned his way. “We take down the imperator,” he said, “and anyone else who’s ever made the mistake of fucking with us.” His heart pounded with determination, adrenaline, as he concluded, “And we finish this.”