Page 4 of Gargoyle Sentinel
They all exchanged glances, undoubtedly wondering the same thing as Malachi. Was the traitor standing in the room with them?
Ronen held up a finger tentatively. “Excuse me, but what evidence do we have that a Slayer has turned?”
Michael’s jaw tightened. “The kidnapping itself. The precision of it. And the fact that Danny was taken without triggering the guardians who protect the unawakened Nephilim.”
Cassiel nodded. “Right. Only a Shadow Slayer would know how to circumvent those protections.”
Malachi felt another surge of that strange heat in his blood. The thought of Danny—this unknown Nephilim—in the hands of shadow gargoyles made his chest constrict painfully.
“So what's the plan?” Ezekiel said. “We can't give them the Grail, but we can't abandon Danny, either.”
“The plan is basic.” Michael gazed around the room. “Find Danny and rescue him before the rogues realize we have no intention of delivering the Grail.”
Dante snorted. “Basic is an understatement.”
Michael shot Dante a glare. “Don’t you have a mate and children to attend to?”
Dante glared back, but kept his mouth shut for once.
Ronen cleared his throat. “I know I’m still considered a rookie, but do we have any idea where he is? And won’t they assume we’re going to come after them?”
Michael sighed. “Yes, one would think. Fortunately, their greed and thirst for power do an excellent job of clouding their judgment. The haste with which they contacted us tells me they’re still in the area. I’m sure they’ll have him carefully concealed, but notbeing the brightest stars in the heavens, they shouldalso be easy enough foryou to locate.”
“Even with a Slayer helping them?”
Michael see-sawed his hand. “Maybe. But again, I refer you to greed and thirst for power. Gets them every time.”
Malachi shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The strange energy coursing through him was becoming harder to ignore. It felt like recognition, like a pull toward something previously unknown to him.
“I want to lead the rescue mission.”
He blinked several times, surprising himself with the declaration. Not that he ever shied away from confrontation, but that he should be the one to lead the mission possessed an urgency he was unfamiliar with.
Michael nodded slowly. “I was hoping you’d say that. You’ll take Cassiel, Ronen, and four more volunteers, with the exception of Ezekiel and Dante. We’ll need a healer, and Dante can help watch over the estate with the remaining Slayers.”
Once the assignments had been finalized, Michael produced a small leather pouch and removed a gleaming blue crystal, placing it on the table. “This is attuned to Danny's energy signature. The closer you get to him, the brighter it will glow."
Malachi reached for the crystal, and the moment his fingers touched it, a jolt of electricity shot through his body. The crystal flared with blinding light before settling into a steady pulse.
One corner of Michael’s mouth quirked. “I’ve clearly chosen the right Slayer to lead the charge.” He addressed the remaining gargoyles. “You’ll leave within the hour. A cache of weapons is located in the wine cellar. Take whatever you need to supplement what you already have. They were blessed by me before you arrived.
As the meeting dispersed, Malachi clutched the crystal, unable to move from his chair or return the stone to the pouch.
“You're feeling it, aren’t you?” Michael gazed down at him with a knowing smile. Although when Michael smiled, it was more of a ‘ha ha, got you’ than one of warmth.
“I don’t know what’s happening.” Mal pressed his palm against his chest where the sensation was strongest. “It started when you mentioned Danny’s name.”
Michael’s expression softened. “I suspected as much.”
“What does it mean?” Malachi swallowed hard, the meaning behind the sensation beginning to dawn on him. However, that didn’t explain why he would know such a thing before touching him, which is how a Fated Mate was typically revealed.
Michael placed a hand on Malachi’s shoulder. “I’m sure you’ve figured it out. Danny Rutherford is your Fated One.”
“But that's impossible.” Mal shifted from foot to foot. “I've never met him. I’ve never even seen him. Not only that, but I’m still quite a few kills shy of my quota. How can he possibly be revealed to me now?”
“Some connections transcend the physical, defy rules.” Michael’s expression darkened. “Especially when one half of the bond is so powerful and in danger. The Divine has ways of accelerating what needs to happen.”
Malachi stared at the pulsing crystal in his palm. It felt warm, alive. Like it contained a fragment of Danny’s essence.HisDanny. The thought sent another wave of possessive heat through his veins.
