He narrowed his eyes. “Why would Vespar think that I’m angry with him?”

I shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“Shay?”

“I might’ve told him that.”

A normal being would groan in frustration. Kellan flashed a smile. “Really?”

I couldn’t help but smile back. “Now I’m glad. They’re both on edge because of it. I was just going off what you told me, that Vespar thinks we’re going to war with them.”

He laughed now. “I said that because he does think it. I didn’t mean today or next week. I meant in the future. He knows the lines are drawn. He knows the alliances, and you and I are more powerful than those two. I have no intention of fighting them now.”

“They don’t need to know that.”

He quieted and asked, “Tell me the real reason why you found me.”

“Matt was replaced by Dylan Cavanagh. Vespar punched him in the hallway. I think he’s a little pissed. He’s already started trying to bully me. He threatened us, said that we won’t get away with half the stuff we do now.”

Kellan sobered, watching me. “That’s not why you sought me out either. Why, Shay?”

He was annoying when he did that. “I don’t know. I really don’t.” And I didn’t, not really. I could’ve guessed, but those were emotions I didn’t want to acknowledge, especially now.

“And if I were to guess, I’m sure Vespar or Giuseppa have already dealt with him. Am I right?” Both of his hands cupped my cheeks, and he cradled my face now. “What’s going on with you, Shay? Don’t tell me that it’s you being a Nephilim because you sought me out for a different reason. We will deal with your different parentage. I’m not concerned with it, not how you are, but I know things will be fine. That’s not the reason why you came here. Tell me why.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but I had no idea what. So I halted, speechless, as he held me in his hands. When his thumbs started to brush against my cheeks, caressing back and forth, I couldn’t help but to close my eyes and lean into his touch. It was like I needed it. I needed him. I had sought him out because I needed this. The reality of that rushed through my whole body, and I jerked away.

Kellan didn’t let go. He felt the tension in my body and instead wrapped his arms around me, anchoring me against him. We stood there, enveloped together, as he murmured into my hair, “You need to be more honest with yourself. You have all the answers, Shay. You decide where we go from here.”

My hands balled into fists and rested helplessly against his shoulders. I was half-hugging him, but I felt like I was half-dying at the same time. “What does that mean? I have no idea.”

“What do you want?” His breath teased my forehead.

His phone rang, and we both knew it was important. No one would call Kellan unless it was me or something life and death. He pulled away and looked at it. His voice was rough. “It’s Gus.”

Something had gone wrong.

We both felt it, and then he answered, “What happened?”

I listened to her nearly hysterical voice before he interrupted her, “Where are you?” A second later, after she told him, he added, “We’re coming.” Then he hung up. As he pocketed the phone, he took my hand and pulled me behind. “She’s in trouble.”

As we left the house and got into his car, I asked, “What happened?”

“Cavanagh is into demon/devil worship stuff. He had some tricks up his sleeve. Gus couldn’t handle herself and killed his entire family. It’s too much. We can’t handle this much death on our hands. Messengers will come now.”

The ride was tense. All the new revelations didn’t sit well with us, or with me. What was I supposed to do now? Where did my loyalty lie? Kellan didn’t say a word, and neither did I. He parked outside of a huge house that I had no doubt was Dylan’s. They always seemed to come from money. Gus appeared in the door, frantic and pale. She had blood over her entire body. It dripped onto the floor, leaving bloodied footprints since she was barefoot. “I don’t know what to do, Kellan. They…” She looked back, fearful. “They’re all over. They all came home.”

She choked off the rest and looked away.

We stepped around and surveyed the scene. Bodies were everywhere. Their eyes were all wide-open, blank. Death glazed over them.

Kellan asked, almost normal, “Where’s Vespar?”

“He’s home. He didn’t want to come once he knew I had called you. I’m sorry, Kellan. I really am. I know that…” She didn’t say any more, but bit her hand with tears running down her cheeks.

This wasn’t a scene I was used to, but I felt like Kellan was. That unnerved me the most. Gus seemed hysterical, like she had done something she hadn’t wanted to, but he was cold—completely cold to what had happened. I felt a kick in my gut and knew the messenger sensed what was going on. It was angry. Again.

Kellan looked at me sharply. He sensed the messenger in me, too, but I clamped down and quieted it. It went silent immediately. He looked back to the room and asked, disappointed, “There was a child, Gus?”

She bit back a cry. “There were three of them. I didn’t know. I was so—he was chanting something, and it was hurting me. When they showed up, he stopped, and I was so mad. I couldn’t hold back. I didn’t know they were here until… I am so sorry, Kellan.”