"You didn't need to bring the half-breed here. Darkyn wants the untainted vial. I will trade you her for the vial."
"You were behind the demons attacking us," Rhyn snarled. "That was Sasha."
"Fucking liar!"
"Rhyn! Shut it, or you'll wait in the hall!" Kris snapped. "I don't have the vial, Jade."
"Katie gave it to you," Jade said.
"It'll do you no good. Ully modified it." "We have Ully in Hell."
Rhyn paced furiously. His gaze fell to the hand, and he stopped suddenly, puzzlement easing his anger. Katie didn't have fingernail polish on when he last saw her. He wasn't sure he ever saw her with it on at all.
"I want both of them back," Kris demanded. Jade faltered and wiped his mouth. "Go and talk to whoever you have to and make this happen."
"Darkyn doesn't negotiate, Kris," Jade said.
"Neither do I. You're wasting my time," Kris said coldly. "Go find your master and come back when you have an answer."
Jade's face skewed, and he whipped open a portal, storming out. Rhyn moved to the table. "It's not hers," he said, relief pouring through him.
"It's Iliana," Kris said. "We hadn't seen her in a few days. I can't imagine Jade would …" Rhyn saw the pained look that crossed Kris's face. He wasn't about to comfort a man he tolerated but didn't like. He could, however, pity the woman whose hand was cut off.
"He does have Katie," Kris said. Rhyn looked up, anger stirring again. "He didn't take her hand, which means Darkyn probably wants her alive. If they can't figure out what Sasha did about the vial, they'll need her and Ully."
"I'll go to Hell and get them both."
"You wouldn't survive. Jade said if they don't get what they want, they'd unleash their demons on the human village. Darkyn's smarter than I thought."
"I'm not going to leave her there to the demons!"
"I'm the brain, you're the brawn. You don't think, Rhyn," Kris said. "For now, your former mate is safe. That probably won't last."
I doomed her. He couldn't help the thought, and he dwelled on Gabriel's words. He broke her ability to use his power while retaining her calming effect on him. He'd left her defenseless when he meant to leave her in peace. She probably couldn't call forth a portal. How did he undo what he'd done when he wasn't sure how she became his mate in the first place?