“I’ve tried. It’s not in me. When are we going?”
Michael rolled his eyes. “We’ll leave in the morning.” He turned to Angelique. “Where is it?”
She shook her head. “I’m not giving you the location. I’m going with you.”
“That’s not a good idea. You’re safer here.”
“And the person who’s. . taking care of it for me won’t give it up to anyone but me. I guarantee it. You have no choice but to take me along.”
He nodded. “Fine. We’ll all go.”
“That includes me,” Isabelle said.
“No. Absolutely not,” Michael said. “It’s not necessary for you to be there, and most definitely dangerous.”
“I’m not going to be left behind.”
“You won’t be alone, Isabelle. There’s nothing to be afraid of. There are hundreds of Realm staff here to protect you.”
“That’s not the point. I need to be with my sister. I don’t want to be separated from her again, not even for a few hours.”
Angelique scratched her nose, contemplating this dilemma, when a thought occurred to her. “I have an idea. The location of the black diamond is also sacred ground. Couldn’t we conduct the experiment there? We’d be safe from demons.”
“Where is the location, Angelique?”
“A small church near the foot of Mount Etna.”
“So it’s not far from here,” Dalton said. “That might work.”
“Why don’t we just leave it there?” Ryder asked. “If it’s safe, why not just let it be?”
“Because the Sons of Darkness will eventually find it, or use Angelique and Isabelle to find it. They’ll send a nondemon in after it and get their hands on it one way or the other,” Michael said. “We need to have it in our possession. We need to figure out its power, then we need to destroy it. It’s the only way to guarantee the Sons of Darkness can’t use it against the Realm of Light. It’s the only way to protect Isabelle and Angelique.”
Destruction of the black diamond sounded like a really good idea. Angelique would be glad when it was gone for good. “So I’ll take everyone to it,” she said.
“Or we could just go get it and bring it back here and try the experiment in a safer environment. I don’t like the idea of taking either Angelique or Isabelle out of this location,” Ryder said.
Angelique whipped around and faced Ryder. “Why not?”
“Because I know the Sons of Darkness. They’re out there, just waiting. They want both you and your sister, and the black diamond. It would be easier to fetch the diamond, leave the two of you here, and then you can do your experiments when we get back.”
Exasperated, she said, “I already told you the caretaker of the diamond won’t release it to anyone but me.”
“Bet I could convince him.”
“You can’t use force on this person, Ryder. I have to be there.” She understood he was trying to protect Isabelle and her, but he wasn’t making this any easier. She knew what needed to be done.
“Ryder’s right. We can’t risk taking Isabelle with us,” Michael said. “It’s bad enough Angelique has to go.”
He turned to Isabelle. “I’m sorry. I know this has all been traumatic for you, but you need to stay here. It’s not safe taking you with us.”
Angelique felt awful seeing the look of fear and anguish on her sister’s face, but in this, she agreed with Michael. Her sister had to remain safe. She reached for Isabelle’s hands. “Where we’re going isn’t far. We won’t be gone long, I promise. This will be over soon.”
Isabelle nodded. “If you think I should stay here, then I will.”
The group left the research area and went back upstairs to the main part of the house. They had dinner, discussed their trip, then relocated to the library.
“We’ll leave early in the morning,” Michael said, then excused himself to prepare for the trip.
Mandy, Dalton, and Trace left, too, claiming they were going to check weaponry for the morning, leaving Angelique with Isabelle and Ryder.
They sat in silence for a while, no doubt each pondering the situation. Angelique didn’t have to wonder what Ryder was thinking-she already knew.
“No, I shouldn’t have taken the black diamond from the cave in Australia. We wouldn’t have to go through this if I hadn’t.”
He looked at her. “Huh?”
“I know that’s what you were thinking.”
“Actually, I was thinking I’d pack two lasers tomorrow, and that I hoped the weapons team had the silver weaponry ready just in case we ran up against some of those new demons. I was also thinking that I wish some of the other hunters were here so you could be better protected while we’re out there tomorrow. That’s what I was thinking.”
“Oh.”
“What’s done is done, Angie. You can never go back and undo. You can only go forward. Quit beating yourself up over what you did in Australia. I get why you took the black diamond. Given the situation, I might have done the same thing.”
“Thanks.” She looked down at her hands, feeling guilty for always thinking the worst of him.
“I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” Isabelle stood.
“Want me to go up with you?” Angelique asked.
Izzy shook her head. “No. I need to be alone. But I’ll be up early in the morning so I’ll see you before you leave.”
“Okay. ’Night, Izzy.”
Isabelle left the room. Angelique figured she should, too. There was no reason to linger in here with Ryder. She stood.
“Stay.”
His one-word command both bristled and intrigued. “Why?”
“I want to talk to you.”
He was sitting in one of the reading chairs by the fireplace. She walked over and took a seat on the sofa across from him.
“I said something to upset you in your room. Tell me what it was.”
She wasn’t prepared to have this conversation with him. Besides, what would be the point? She couldn’t make him accept what she was. Then again, she wasn’t the coy type-never had been.
“You hurt me, but it’s really not your fault.”
He frowned. “Okay, I don’t get that. Could you be more specific?”
“I know. It’s hard to explain. I guess I needed you to still want me, even though you know I have this demon blood in me. I needed you to accept me anyway, and you didn’t. But I understand why you wouldn’t, so it’s okay.”
He stared at her for the longest time without saying a word. She shifted, growing uncomfortable under his scrutiny.
“You think I don’t want you.”
“Yes.” No. I think you don’t love me. God, why were they having this conversation? She couldn’t tell him that.
He stood and came over to her, knelt in front of her.
“It’s more than that, isn’t it?”
She paused, held her breath, then let it out. “Yes.”