"I can't believe you didn't tell me about this sooner." Lucius growled, his boots slapping against the floor with each angered step.

I turned my gaze away, instead examining the rest of the throne room with a strange detachment. It was strangely empty without decorations or people to fill up the space. Even the table we regularly dined at had been removed. It was just Lucius and I alone together in the vast space.

"It wasn't the right time or place to tell you. You know it in your heart." I stated simply, watching as he lifted his hands and dragged them through his hair. "We finally have the chance to get the information we need. We can have them put under surveillance."

Lucius snorted and shook his head. "We're not in some spy show, Savannah. Things just don't work like that down here."

I shook my head. "Well maybe they should."

Lucius rolled his eyes. "We need to call Castiel. He needs to be here with us."

I frowned at him. "You already sent for Castiel. Remember?"

Lifting his head, Lucius paused and scratched at his stubbly jaw. "What? Oh yeah, I did. Didn't I?"

Nodding my head, I turned and sat in Lucius's throne, grinning when he raised a brow at me. "I wanted to know what it felt like to sit in the big chair."

"You look good in my chair. Just remember that it is mine and your very beautiful behind belongs in the seat beside it."

I laughed and held my hands out to him. He closed the distance between us and threaded his fingers through mine. I was forced to tilt my head back so that I could continue staring into his eyes. All signs of his previous irritation were wiped away as if they had never existed.

"We'll figure this all out soon. We can plan our next moves with this map. Maybe we can even prevent unnecessary deaths."

"I know you're right. It doesn't mean I like it."

"I'm sorry. I promise not to wait as long to tell you the next time I get information as important as this."

Lucius leant forwards and pressed his lips to my forehead. I closed my eyes and sighed with bliss. "Don't say that because we both know it's not true. If you think it is for the best, you will be stubborn and keep the information to yourself. You forget that I know you."

I sighed and leant into him. "It's annoying, isn't it?"

The doors to the throne room creaked open. I leaned to the side and watched as Castiel hesitantly approached from the other side of the room.

"Am I interrupting?"

"Yes," Lucius replied so I lightly kicked him in the shins.

"No, you're not interrupting. We were just waiting for you to turn up." I replied.

Castiel remained on the other side of the throne room, his hands buried into the pockets of his coat. "What was so urgent?" He replied, glancing back towards the door. "The poor man you sent to find me got himself into such a state. He was under the impression that there was some kind of emergency which required my urgent attendance. This doesn't look like much of an emergency."

Lucius didn't even attempt to look apologetic as he said, "I may have exaggerated the urgency of the matter. Possibly." I threw an elbow into his side. "Okay, I definitely exaggerated the urgency but you're here now so that is what is important."

Castiel nodded his head and finally took a few paces forward. "So what is it which requires my attendance? I was reviewing some tomes as you instructed when I was summoned here."

"Show him," I ordered, giving Lucius another nudge.

Lucius stepped away from me and approached his friend. He stuck his hand into his pocket and withdrew the all-important parchment. With a sceptical gaze, Castiel took the parchment and examined it.

"What is this?"

Lucius glanced over his shoulder for a brief moment before focusing on his friend. "We believe it may be the headquarters for Terran and his followers."

Cass's brows rose as he examined the flimsy and worn piece of parchment once more. "You're sure."

"As sure as we can be," I replied with a shrug. "A woman gave it to me in the market place. She was clearly afraid but she still took the risk of giving this to me."

"We're going to have to act on this information today. We can't risk them moving on." Lucius added in, leaning forward to tap the paper. "This only remains valuable for a short amount of time. If they think that we have been told their location, they will just move to another site."

"We cannot just act on impulse." Cass argued, frowning at the paper in his hands. "Half the guards are still incapacitated. We need to review the resources we have before deciding on our best courses of action. As much hope as you have that this map will give you the answers you want, you must face the truth that this could just be a trap. That is not a risk we can take without preparation. We cannot risk losing anyone else unnecessarily."

"That is exactly why I didn't bring this up until we returned to the palace." I stated, nodding my head in agreement. "We need more information before we act. If I had told Lucius when we were still in the city he would have wanted to check it out himself."

Throwing up a hand, I halted the man before he could even speak. "Don't try to deny it."

Lucius mouth shut with a click of his teeth before he folded his arms over his chest. "I would not have gone looking for trouble." He muttered, refusing to stare at me as he spoke.

"Now that we have discussed this," I said loudly, turning to look at Castiel. "We need to get working on a plan of action. How many guards are there on active duty now? Have any more of them recovered yet?"

"Three more have recovered enough to be released from the infirmary but they still have a long way to go until they are ready for active duty. We're still not sure what they were infected with but the toxin seems to be having some lasting effects." Castiel stated, tucking the map into his pocket. "Sonakshi has shown potential. She can lead the backup. We have thirty who are battle ready at the moment. It will give her a chance to prove herself."

"We'll gather the guards and convene in an hour?" Lucius asked, glancing at both of us. "The three of us will lead a small team into the city to investigate. We'll have Sonakshi and the rest of our support waiting in the town. They wear plain clothes and have concealed weapons so they do not draw unwanted attention. We have an opportunity here to get this resolved quickly and with few casualties."

"We'll need to get them identified before we move in." I stated before he got too eager. "You said we can't do anything without proof."

Lucius nodded his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "I did say that. Didn't I?"

His lips pursed as he thought over the dilemma. "We'll have to bring him with us. We can at the very least punish Terran's followers for cutting off the demon's hand if our guest identifies them. It will give us more time to deal with the root of the problem."

I bit my lip to stop myself from arguing. Bringing the injured man into the field with us was never a good option. He was still weak from his injury and he would be a liability to us. He would be a waiting target.

"Right, let's get started." Lucius ordered, clapping his hands together.

Cass and I exchanged a look before we shrugged. At least it was a plan.

**

Pulling at the hood covering my face, I walked along the uneven and rocky path which ran alongside the outskirts of the city. Weeds and shrubs grew high on either side of the path, wild and untamed they caught and snagged at my clothing as I crouched closer and closer to the point on the map. I had two young guards behind me, their nervous heavy breathing the only sound which accompanied my passage.

Lucius would be approaching the rendezvous point from the other direction while Castiel was approaching from the city. I only hoped that we would reach the designated spot in time. Our journey had been slow, held back by the state of the path we had to traverse. As it was left to rot, we had not crossed paths with anyone which was the only benefit.

"We need to pick up our pace. We're falling behind and this needs to run smoothly if this is going to go to plan." I ordered quietly to the two young men watching my back.

They nervous glances did not fill me with confidence. Not at all.

In response to my own order, I started to lightly jog along the path. I ignored all the cuts and snags and instead focused on putting one foot in front of the other. There was no further talking; at least the people in my group understood the need for quietness.

As we pulled up alongside the rear of the cotton mill, I held up my hand and slowed our pace. The rendezvous point was just a few hundred meters away from us but it was the ground beneath my feet that drew my attention. There was a trail which had been carved into the mud and undergrowth. Footprints, which had been embedded into the earth, led from a gap between the buildings and trailed out into the wilderness surrounding the city.

I wanted to follow it, to see where it led, but we had a plan in place and we couldn't afford to deviate.

"Be alert. There may be hostiles out here." I ordered.

Then, keeping low to the ground, I led our group forwards, tiptoeing alongside the rear of the buildings. My pulse was a steady beat, thumping so loudly I could hear it. I drew in deep and even breaths to keep myself calm. All I wanted to do was keep calm, get through this night and get back home to my family.

Footsteps clicked loudly as demons returned to their homes for the evening. Waving the men down, I dropped to the floor keeping my hood low over my head as I hid among the overgrown wild bushes. I drew in deep breaths, my nose wrinkling at the scent of rot which immediately filled my nostrils.

Holding my breath, I waited until the footsteps receded before I crept forwards. The building which demanded all of our attention was unassuming and looked exactly like every other building in its row – from the brownstone construction to the crystal windows.

Taking a deep breath, I glanced both ways before hurrying across the alleyway. I pressed my body tight against the side of the building, ducking so that I remained below the window. I held my breath as I waited for any signs that I had been spotted. I almost expected the door to be thrown open.

It remained still. After a minute, I turned and rose up. Peering over the window ledge, I stared into the inside of the building through the coloured glass. There was no movement within except for a small lamp flickering on a side table.

The interior of the small house was sparsely decorated, just a sofa and a battered and well-worn table in the corner. It didn't seem to be a place that Terran would live in. He was the type who would require a lavish household. He was a person who required proof of status. He wouldn't set foot in a place like this – but his cronies might.

Creeping along the edge of the building, I peered through another window and immediately ducked back down. My heart pounded in my chest. There was someone inside. I waited for the window above my head to explode open and for trouble to start raining down upon me. The fear was so real I could actually taste its bitter tang in my mouth.

There was nothing. The night was still and the only thing I could head was my own ragged breathing.

When the stillness lasted too long, I swivelled on my feet and slowly pushed upwards. Peering through the glass, I resisted the urge to immediately retreat from view as I noted a figure within the room. They were seated in the far corner of the room, sitting so very still in the shadows.

It took only a minute to realise that there was something very wrong. They were still – too still. The woman's head was slumped forwards; her long dark hair was hanging around her face in a dark halo. Her clothes were torn and bloodied.

Calling my sword in to existence, the glow illuminated the air around me. I turned and motioned for the two men in my team to join me. They shuffled to my side, crouching down beside me. I glanced around, checked that there was no one coming before I nodded my head to the building.

"On three, you follow me." I muttered, before leading the way towards the door.

"Shouldn't we wait for backup?" One of them interrupted me before I could make the move.

I shot a glare in their direction. "Now is not the time to question me. There is a woman in there that is potentially in danger. We go in now."

The finality in my tone allowed for no arguments and after a brief pause the man grunted and stepped back. I nodded my head in approval and silently ordered the other man not to interrupt.

I stood up slowly, my back pressed to the wall. The rough surface abraded my skin as it dragged over the surface. I drew in several deep breaths to steady my nerves. The weight of my sword was a comforting weight in my grasp. And then I swung around and faced the door. I reached out and tested the handle. It didn't surprise me to find it unlocked.

I pulled down the handle and then, using the very tips of my fingers, I slowly pushed open the door. It swung inwards slowly before crashing against the interior wall. I could see straight down the hallway and into the heart of the house but there was nothing of note to see. The floors were dirtied and bare; the walls were cracked with scraps of paper desperately clinging to the decaying plaster. Neglect was embedded in every part of this house; it felt as if it would fall down at any moment.

There were no sounds; there was no flurry of action. There weren't even signs of vermin. I released the breath I had been holding and took a tentative step over the threshold. Even as I put my weight on to the floor, I knew I had made a big mistake. The floorboard beneath my foot shifted under the pressure.

There was brief moment of eerie silence. I found myself holding my breath in nervous anticipation.

First there was a flash of light which was so bright I was momentarily blinded. It was swiftly followed by an intense wave of heat, energy and noise as a loud explosion tore through the air.

My body, caught on the shockwaves, was lifted off of the floor and flung backwards. My chest felt as if it had been struck with a mighty blow. My breath was forced out of my mouth so that I struggled for air. Still, I catapulted away from the building and for that brief moment I was weightless and at the mercy of the force.

The two guards, who had been just a few feet behind me, were also thrown away by the blast. They careened through the air, limbs loose like a puppet whose strings had been cut. I watched it all with a strange detachment – their graceless momentum as they were dragged through the air before they were slammed into the ground, dragged down by the heartless force of gravity as plume of fire rolled out of the open doorway and roared above their heads.

I had barely a moment to wince in sympathy before my own flight came to an abrupt end. Pain erupted throughout my body as the neighbouring building caught me in an unyielding embrace. My head smacked into the brickwork with a sickening thud. With no momentum to hold me up, my body slid down the side of the building, the rough surface grating against the exposed areas of skin.

I smacked onto the floor, dazed and breathless. Gasping for breath, I rested my cheek against the gritty floor as I tried to clear the fuzziness from my mind.

Even with a throbbing head I knew one thing for certain – they had known we were coming.