“What is it?” she asked, laughing a little.

“This.” He took her hammer from her and slipped it into the sheath stretched across her spine. “It’ll hold your gift from Freyja.”

“It’s wonderful. Thank you.”

Vig took a step back, frowned when he saw the strange expression on her face. “What is it?”

“Do you think you can track down those witches for me? The coven I let go. I just need their location. I’ll make sure to do the rest.”

“Are you planning to kill them?”

“I’m hoping I won’t have to. But I do need answers.”

Vig nodded. “I think I can find them. You said they were in the Santa Monica Mountains when you saw them last, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll go to the Isa. Those mountains are part of their territory, and they always know when witches are doing any rituals nearby. They’ll be able to help us.”

“Help me. I don’t need you to fight this battle for me, Vig. I just need a location.”

“Freyja herself not only asked you to do a task for her but gave you, a Crow, a powerful weapon. Chances are high that whatever’s happening, you’ll need us as much as we’ll need you. This is not the time to worry about petty bullshit. And as long as I have breath, I will always be there for you.”

Kera pressed her hand against Vig’s jaw, fingers stroking his beard.

“Go, Kera.”

She went up on her toes, and kissed him. Then she unfurled her wings, and was gone.

Erin hit the wall, the power of it sending her blades flying out of her hands.

The man was still wearing the bracelet, and Erin was determined to get it and kill the idiot. And she was going to do it for Kera. He was the one who’d made her doubt herself and that pissed Erin off. Only she was allowed to make Kera feel insecure. As her mentor, it was her job.

Honestly, Erin didn’t think this would be such a big job. Especially once Chloe decided that all but two of the strike teams would go. The remaining two were to stay behind to protect the Bird House. But even with the majority of Crows and Chloe leading, they hadn’t been prepared for this. The asshole still had that stupid bracelet and had not only healed from the last battle, he had reinforcements. Lots of them.

Well-trained, magically enhanced reinforcements.

Erin reached for her weapons, but the leader grabbed her by the throat and threw her across the floor. She slid into the back of Tessa’s legs, pushing her team leader into her prey.

“Do you know who I am?” the man bellowed. “Do you know what I’ve become?”

Erin rolled her eyes. Nothing bored her more than what she called “The Speech.” These people got a taste of artificial power from the little gods-blessed jewelry and weapons they obtained and inevitably they believedthemselves to not only be invincible but actually gods. So, when challenged, they always ended up making The Speech.

“Each day,” he went on, “I feel my strength, my power, growing! For I am the ultimate predator! No one can—”

Brodie dropped from the sky and landed on the leader. She attacked instantly, tearing into flesh and muscle with a brutal rage Erin truly appreciated at the moment.

The leader screamed in panic and reached back, grabbing hold of her and flipping her off his back.

He was bloody and wounded but already healing. That didn’t deter Brodie, though. Erin had the feeling nothing would stop the pit bull who’d tagged along tonight despite Chloe’s annoyance at her presence.

Brodie slammed into the wall and scrambled back to her big feet. With a snarl, she charged again, launching herself at the leader. He caught hold of Brodie by her big head and twisted.

That animal-whimper of pain had Erin jumping to her feet to help, but a blade rammed through the leader’s neck from behind and brown fingers grabbed him by the head. He was pulled back until Erin saw that it was Kera.

“What are you doing to my dog?” Kera demanded, dragging the leader to the floor. “Never hurt my dog!”

“Crows fighting all around her and she’s worried about the goddamn dog,” Erin muttered, not willing to analyze the fact she’d been seconds from risking her own life to help a damn dog.

The leader released Brodie so he could get his hands on Kera. But once he let one go, the other attacked.

Brodie wrapped her maw around the leader’s neck and bit down, while pulling up; Kera gripped the leader by his hair and began to pull, too. Together, and in seconds, they separated the head from the body.

Then Kera straddled the headless body, tore open the leader’s shirt, and used her blade to cut open his chest.

“Uh . . . Tessa?” Erin said, reaching back to tap her team leader.

“What?”

“You may want to see this.”

“I’m a little busy.”

“Yeah . . . but this is really interesting.”

With her prey in her hands, Tessa spun them both around so she could see what Erin was looking at.

With the flesh pulled back to reveal the bone beneath, Kera punched her fist into his chest.

“Hey, Chloe,” Tessa called out. “You may want to . . . uh . . . come here.”

Chloe joined them and together they watched as Kera dug around inside the leader’s chest cavity for a few seconds until she dragged her hand out, her gore-covered fingers gripping a Rhine-gold ring.

And once the ring was no longer inside the leader’s body, he began to disintegrate right before their eyes. Kera, though, didn’t seem to care or notice. She simply stood and stepped over what was left of him.