Cold Blooded Read Online Free PDF Page A

day wasn’t starting off very well and it wasn’t even dawn.
    “You can’t stay here. Not with a Demon Lord after you,” Tally said.
    Since Maggie had signaled out the demons, there had been little use to hide it, so I’d just finished telling her what had happened in Selene’s cave once the Demon Lord had showed up. “I understand your concern, but you’re the only one who can help us figure out how to defeat them. We know very little about demons, or their laws,” I countered. “It said I had a court date in the Underworld. There has to be some way to stop it, some information to help my case.”
    “I’m sorry, but helping you is out of the question. Witches and demons are sworn enemies. Our magics have battled each other since the dawn of time. Our power is of the earth and theirs is of the blood.” She turned from the window and walked toward the large desk situated in the center of the room and sat. “If I involve myself in your mess, I bring the entire House of Witches, and potentially every Coven in the world, into your fight. I will not do it, so don’t ask me again.”
    I scooted to the edge of the settee. “What about a simple swap of information? Nobody has to know you gave me anything, and to be clear, I’m not asking you to join my fight. I’m only seeking data, anything that can aid me, something to bolster my odds of winning a court battle or of finding a way out of it entirely. And we both know the only way to do that is by obtaining intelligence about the demons and their habits, of which I currently know nothing.”
    She rested her hands on the desk and leaned over. “What kind of information do you have that I could possibly want enough to risk putting my Coven in jeopardy?”
    She had a point. I was short on supernatural info. “Okay,” I said, thinking quickly, “what if the witches made a formal alliance with the wolves? Then you’d be privy to any information the Pack had, within reason.” It wasn’t unheard of for some supernatural Sects to join together during times of strife when it was advantageous. In those rare cases, there were formal agreements to sign, but certainly my father had something of value to give to the witches. I knew he would be agreeable if it kept me out of the Underworld. “The witches could also benefit from more protection, and in return you agree to give me something on the demons. Tally, you know it’s the only real chance I have. Knowledge is the only way I’ll be able to talk myself out of this sentence.”
    On our long ride home, Rourke had filled me in on what little he knew about demons and their thing with language. We agreed if my defense was worded perfectly, and if I sighted enough overarching supernatural laws in my favor, I had a slim chance of wiggling my way out—and talking my way out would be infinitely easier than trying to fight my way out of the Underworld, which was our solid plan B.
    Tally gazed at me so intently that a line of energy zipped between us. “I’m sorry, but I cannot align with you. If I do, the demons will consider us accomplices to your crimes.”
    I rested my head in my hands. Suddenly I was very tired. “But there were no real crimes committed, so they have no actual case.” I glanced up, closing my eyes for a moment. “Everything I did was within my rights. I defended myself—yes, at the cost of their imps and pets, but I have undisputable proof they attacked first. The first imp had abducted a human teenager in a public place. That has to be against supernatural High Law. The second put a knife to my throat.” All supes had to follow High Laws, which were very strict about exposing ourselves to humans. Each Sect also had its own internal laws that had to be obeyed.
    Tally rose out of her chair and started to pace. It was a move much like my father’s, and my heart constricted. I hadn’t heard from him in too long. “It doesn’t matter. The demons have you in their sights, for whatever reason. I