Page 5 of Fight Fire With Fire
“Are you sure they'll be cool with me stepping into a leadership role out of the blue?” I asked.
“Damien vouched for you, and if that's good enough for me, it'll be good enough for everyone else,” Seth proclaimed.
“There’s also the fact that none of our enforcers are shortsighted enough to challenge a dragon shifter,” Jared added.
He had a good point. The head of the enforcers for the shifter council had been a dragon as far back as the force that upheld shifter law had existed. There were a couple of other guys from different dragon homes that Damien could have recommended to take his place, and I would do whatever it took to repay his faith in me. But that didn't mean I was going to be serious all the time like he was. I just didn't have that in me. “So what's my first mission?”
“Your first order of business is to go to The Abyss.”
I had never been to the hotel run by a powerful demon, but I’d heard plenty about the place and the owner. I had always assumed most of it was bullshit rumors, but not after Damien told me that was the location he’d chosen where the shifter and witch councils came together for the first time when Soleil was in trouble. My cousin’s mate had been hunted by dark practitioners, and we’d needed the Council of Five to help pinpoint which coven was behind her troubles. The fact that they’d agreed to help indicated how much things had changed over the past decade. Shifters and witches working together for a common good would’ve been unheard of before Camden McMahon found his mate, and they fulfilled the prophecy from so many years ago.
Seth had done more than his share to help bring the communities together when he created a position on the shifter council for Selene—the first time in history that a witch provided counsel to the shifter leaders. Something my cousin helped engineer, not that many people knew how much influence he’d had on decisions made by the shifter council. Damien was as cunning as he was strong…a trait that ran strong in our family. My shrewdness would serve me well during my time with the enforcers, just as it had him.
“Sounds like the perfect first mission to me.” I rubbed my palms together. “I’ve always wanted to meet Adan Deville.”
The demon who owned The Abyss had been around since before anyone could remember. I didn’t think anyone knew for sure how old he was, but everyone recognized how dangerous he was. Adan followed through on what he said, and no matter who he went up against, he always came out on top.
“He has two rules for everyone visiting The Abyss—no killing and no magic.”
“Yup, I know.” I’d never heard of anyone breaking them, which said a fuck of a lot about how powerful the demon was since they went against the nature of so many supernatural creatures.
Seth pulled an envelope out of his back pocket and handed it to me. “I need you to deliver this to Adan.”
I turned the envelope over and stared at the wolf paw seal stamped on the back. The contents didn’t weigh much, but it was thick. “What’s inside?”
“We pay Adan a retainer to continue hosting the combined council meeting each quarter.” He jerked his chin toward the envelope. “He has an odd aversion to electronic banking, so we bring him cash every quarter. The witches do the same with their portion of the payment.”
I tucked the envelope into my back pocket. “Sounds simple enough.”
“Nothing is ever simple when it involves Adan Deville.”
Truer words had never been said…something I soon discovered for myself.
4
Ember
From the stories I had heard about The Abyss, I had built the place up in my mind. But the reality still far exceeded my expectations. The sprawling ten-story stone structure with vines creeping up in places was impressive. I wasn't sure how many rooms the hotel portion had available to rent, but I highly doubted that it was often fully booked with as big as the place was.
As I climbed the steps to the entrance, I almost felt as though the stone griffins flanking either side of the stairs were watching me. I was well accustomed to magical beings, but even before I walked through the doors, I decided I needed to get in and out of The Abyss as quickly as possible. This wasn't a place where I wanted to linger.
Before my hand touched the door, it swung open for me. Several people turned my way as I stepped through them. I wanted to duck my head, but I couldn't afford to appear weak while representing the Aldebrand coven. Blake depended on me to accomplish this task, so I forced my chin up and stared ahead as I walked toward the reception desk.
The woman manning it looked up and pasted a professional smile on her lips. “Welcome to The Abyss. How may I help you today, Miss Brandt?”
As I pressed my lips together to prevent a gasp of surprise from escaping, my mind was whirling over the fact she knew who I was. I had barely left Brandenton since Blake had taken me in. But as he had often told me, knowledge was power…and Adan Deville was undeniably powerful.
“Yes, thank you. I’m here on behalf of Blake Aldebrand, and I need to speak with Adan Deville, please.”
“Of course.” The brief flare of approval in her eyes was quickly doused. “He’ll be right down. Would you like to enjoy a drink at the bar while you wait for him?”
I glanced to my left, taking in the gleaming wood and ornate fixtures surrounding me. The long bar lining the wall was well stocked, and there were half a dozen people scattered in front of it. The trip had not been short, and I was parched. Nodding, I murmured, “Actually, I would. Thank you.”
Striding across the foyer, I felt more gazes on me than I had when I walked into the building. It was an uncomfortable sensation since I much preferred flying under the radar.
There was a gap with five empty stools, and I slid onto the one in the middle. The bartender moved to stand in front of me before I had the chance to decide what I wanted. I wasn't surprised that the service was above par. With his reputation, I assumed that Adan demanded the very best from his employees.
“What can I get you?” he asked.
