"Now that the Sentinels know we are on their tail, we have to be on the alert. Those hollow fakes are only the beginning."

Azyazel scowled at those words. His eyes were still burning with humiliation, although Abaddeon remained stoic.

"What's the plan now?" said Tora.

"Your pet claims he knows where the Artefact is," said Piricca, studying her fingernails with half-closed eyes.

"We're not her pets!" said Carlos, flushing. "We're her friends!"

"The queen does not have friends."

Tora coloured. She knew Piricca was only stating what was true for the leaders of Shifters – or indeed, most demonic species. Eali had friends. Specktacles had comrades. Shifters only had prey. The old Tora would have laughed at the notion of friendship.

"She doesn't understand humans," said Tora out of the corner of her mouth.

Carlos pulled a face at Piricca, who bared her teeth with a hiss. He shuddered.

"I know where the thing is," he said in a low voice, although all the demons heard him perfectly. "It's in the army barracks."

Tora ogled at him. He told her about witnessing Markl research the facility that fateful night – albeit skipping over the extra details after Ross elbowed him.

"But why there? There's nothing there. Nothing ever happens there."

"That's not entirely true." Ross looked up, staring straight at Tora's eyes. "We found you there. Two years ago."

Tora's jaw fell open.

"Wow, you never told me this," Carlos said. Ross glared at him.

"Oh yes, perfect discussion topic over a cup of tea. 'Remember the day we first met? We were knee-deep in dung and half-dead monsters and I almost killed you. More biscuits?'"

"You saw the Artefact that day?" asked Tora.

Ross shook her head and ran a hand through her straggly red hair. "It was just you. And a shed load of demons. There shouldn't be anything there – that's what people think. Even we haven't been back since. It's the best hiding place for anything important."

"I'd have thought a research lab would be the best option," said Carlos.

"That's why it's empty. It's too obvious."

"But that's not the only lab."

"The Frostites haven't reached there yet," said Cimerus, who had been silent until that point, observing the humans with odd fascination. "It's pretty open to Sentinel invasion, particularly if the Shifters are still preoccupied in the city."

"What do you think?" she said.

"You know I know nothing about humans and their idiosyncrasies. That's why you're so valuable."

"I wouldn't trust the little human," said Azyazel with disdain.

"Who are you calling little?!"

"I trust Carlos," said Tora, glaring at Azyazel. "I trust his honesty and instincts. Will our troops be ready to infiltrate the barracks, Cimerus?"

Cimerus locked eyes with hers for a few moments, golden stares boring into each other. A small smile curled at the edge of his lips.

"Abaddeon will need to scout out the area first. Considering what was in store just now, I wouldn't put it past the Sentinels to have a worse trap for us."

"You are taking the words of a mere human and putting all our troops – no, the entire Shifters realm – at risk?" Azyazel said in disbelief. His eyes burned with a fury like his hair. If Tora was in her normal form, she could have tasted his displeasure.

"You have a better idea, my friend?"

"Kill them," he spat. "If these were the allies of a Sentinel in the past, that gives us even less reason to even hear their words, let alone heed anything. It is exceedingly foolish to rest the fate of our world on cretins."

"You shut your mouth," said Tora, shifting back to her original form. She bared her teeth, scrunching up her nose.

The scents became much clearer. Fear emanated from Ross and Carlos. Stoic half-interest was subtle in the Shifters except for Azyazel, whose fury rolled off in waves.

"I am the queen of the Shifters and if you dare challenge me again I will personally execute you."

It infuriated her to see Azyazel not bat an eyelid at her threat. Although he did back down, lowering his face, there was a subtle look of defiance on his face. This was not over.

Nothing much had changed over the past four red moons, then.

At least Cimerus seemed pleased with the heated exchange.

"You heard your queen, Abaddeon."

"I cannot scout in my current condition," said Abaddeon in his flat voice. "Even my Spectre form was detected without my notice. None of my current repertoire allows reasonable tracking without risk of discovery."

Cimerus frowned. "I would not put it past the Sentinels to use a Lyre monitoring system."

"Lyre monitoring system?"

"Form recognition," Piricca piped up. "I've only ever been close enough to see it in action twice in my life, but it's a visual detector. Lyre databases have most of the existing demons logged; it activates if Abaddeon shows even a shadow."

"Humans?"

Piricca pursed her lips. "Probably not. Humans were never considered a threat."

"Humans can't withstand the Frostite conditions," said Cimerus. Tora cursed.

They fell silent. Tora breathed through her teeth. Her mind was a mess of swearwords and repeats of the obsolete ideas. It was always like this whenever she had to form a plan – and it sucked.

"Carlos could go."

They all stared at Ross, who straightened up a bit more out of defiance.

"Carlos?"

"Me?!"

"Yeah." Ross had that familiar look on her face again: that it was so simple for her and she couldn't believe everyone else did not get it. "It's a visual detector, right? Well, if you're invisible, there's nothing to detect."

Tora's mouth opened and shut without a sound.

"You trust me to go in and scout?"

"No." Cimerus slammed the idea down. His eyes hardened, staring at Carlos, who shivered.

"You said you trust me!" Tora squared her shoulders.

"I do, sister. I trust your instincts, and these humans' words – but I won't put our lives on the line for his skills, particularly as I've seen them and they're... lacking."

Carlos flushed, his hands balled into fists.

"Abaddeon will go with him."

"But you said—" Tora stopped. Her face darkened. "No. I refuse."

"What?" Carlos said, confused, staring between the two siblings. "He can come if he wants. Company is nice."

"No."

"But—"

"He wants to eat you, Carlos."

"Oh." He blinked. "Well... crap."

"No." Tora placed herself in front of Carlos, her hackles raised and teeth bared. "You'll have to go through me before killing either of them."

Cimerus held up a hand and grinned. "Relax, sister. Father had trained us to be monsters, but we do not have to devour another being in order to gain their powers."

Tora watched him with suspicion.

"An arm or a leg will suffice?"

Carlos swallowed audibly

"No."

"...or even blood."

Tora hissed.

"I... I can handle blood."

"No, Car."

"Chill." Carlso's voice shook; his laugh didn't fool anyone. "We heal, right? I'm not Markl but I'm sure he can go all Dracula on me and I won't go to Valhalla. It's okay, really."

"I don't think your friend quite knows what he's getting into by going alone into an army of Sentinels," said Cimerus. "Imagine what Kerela would do to him. He is a fascinating specimen, after all."

"You make me sound like food."

"A most delicious piece, my good creature."

Carlos swallowed again. Tora's jaw tightened as she glared at her brother.

"Think sense, Lilitha. Abaddeon is our best scout."

Her shoulders sagged. Her golden eyes darted at Carlos, who averted his gaze before meeting hers.

"Yeah. I'll b-be fine."

Abaddeon shifted back to his original form. A fat tail sprouted from his lower back, hitting the ground with a loud thud. The long twig-like legs shortened and thickened, the tips turning into sharp claws. Tora didn't remember the last time she'd seen his real form, and the contrast between the graceful, lithe Spectre form and his bulky, thickset Shifter form was stark. Facial features spread like black ink on silk across the darkening face until a pair of owl-like golden eyes glared back at her.

Abaddeon reached out an arm that was thicker than Carlos's thighs. Carlos made peculiar jerky movements before he finally shifted his feet, almost as if his legs were frozen or he was glued to the spot. He made it over on stiff legs, all eyes on him. Abaddeon lowered his head and clamped his teeth around Carlos's wrist. There was a loud crunch.

Carlos's scream bounced off the walls, making everyone wince. He struggled, but Abaddeon's vice-like clamp was unrelenting. Ross shot forward, ready to attack, only to be blocked by Piricca's tiny form. Dangerous demonic eyes challenged Ross; she froze.

"Do something!" Ross shot at Tora, whose heartrate went through the roof.

"Cimerus—!"

Abbadeon released Carlos with a sigh. Carlos stumbled backwards, still yelling, and landed on his bottom, knocking several Smallgrill chairs over. Blood spurted steadily out of his wrist despite his clamping with his other hand. Ross rushed over, ripping off her hoodie and using it to blot the flow. The screams dimmed to heavy breathing and the occasional groan.

"Dude... you didn't have to go all-out," he said in a weak voice.

Abaddeon ignored him, licking his lips until all the droplets entered his mouth. His eyes were slightly unfocused, as if he were wading through a distant memory. His forked tongue darted out again.

"Well?" prompted Cimerus.

"Interesting." Abaddeon's eyes refocused and his golden eyes fell on Carlos, who still sat on the floor, Ross propping his back up with her knee. A pool of blood collected on the ground, looking as if someone had been run over. "What are you?"

"I'm awesome... that's what," said Carlos, panting. Colour returned, slowly, to his cheeks. "What the hell do you mean what am I? A squirrel? A bath tub?"

"Nothing I've ever tasted before," said Abaddeon to Cimerus, whose eyebrows rose and a smile curled at his lips. "No, that isn't exactly correct. You taste human, and yet there is an interesting... aftertaste."

"Your friends are interesting specimens," Cimerus said. Tora glowered at him, teeth bared. Cimerus laughed and patted her shoulder; she flinched away. "Relax, sister. We move, imminently."

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