Page 20 of The Night Hunting

My father and Kaz continued talking about what Kaz needed: supplies for the tracking and the trip, an off-road truck or SUV, and time.

“How long until you capture the dragon?” my father asked.

“It’ll depend on where he is,” Kaz said, his tone flat. “If the dragon is already on the other side of the world, it could take up to a month. If it’s close by, then maybe a week.”

My father nodded and pointed to Ivy. “My daughter, Ivy, is a higher demon and she’ll be going with you. Whatever supplies you need, tell her, and she’ll make sure you have everything.”

Ivy opened her mouth to speak, but I was faster. “I’m going too.”

My father’s hard eyes found mine. “Is that so?”

I puffed up my chest. “I’ve been training nonstop, and I have control over my darkfire.”

He glanced at Ivy. “Is this true?”

She nodded.

The fact that he didn’t believe me right away, that he had to ask Ivy, hurt.

He looked at me. Really looked at me, as if he could feel my magic inside me. Perhaps he could. “Very well. You can go with them, but you follow Ivy’s orders. Understood?”

Eagerness filled my chest and it was all I could not to bounce on my toes. “Yes, sir.”

“Just … go see Dot before you go,” he said. “It’ll be good to do a meditation session beforehand.” He turned to Kaz. “She’ll need a few minutes.”

Kaz didn’t seem bothered by that. He had been stoic and closed off since he arrived, so that didn’t say much. “We leave in one hour.”

7

SHANE

Killian had stayedat the castle to talk to his vampires about the possible war and what that meant. For now, they would send scouts out and increase training, to make sure everyone was prepared.

Alone, I went back to the village. Right now, everyone was busy with their tasks: the kids were in school, the others were either training or helping around the village, and Jay was setting up our new infirmary. The vampires were providing everything he might need.

At my house, I grabbed a duffel bag from inside my closet and started packing. It was an odd sense of déjà vu. A little over a month ago, I had done the same when I found out Raika was still alive—

The pain stabbed me in the chest like a knife, cutting true and deep. I rubbed at it with my closed fist.

Now, it was different. Now, Raika was gone. Now, I would avenge her.

Before, I had left without telling anyone, but this time I couldn’t do that. I wasn’t alone here, though I felt like I was most of the time. So when my bag was ready, I texted Rue.

She replied a couple of minutes later, letting me know she was in a clearing behind the village with Vianna and the kids.

I’ll see you in five, I texted back.

When I stepped into the clearing, my heart squeezed. The kids ran around, laughing and yelling. Some played tag, others sat on a large blanket and played instruments, while others ate snacks spread over another blanket.

Minsi sat alone on a blanket, with her nose stuck in a book.

How I wished she would break through that shell and play with the other kids, even if for a moment. I didn’t wish for her to stop reading, to go out and be the most extroverted kid I had ever met, but … I sighed. It couldn’t be good for her to be this isolated. She was among a dozen other wolves, and yet, she stayed in her world the entire time.

Rue saw me standing there and walked up to me. “You have me worried.”

I frowned. “Why is that?”

“It isn’t common for you to want to talk to me in the middle of the day.”