Lethal Blow: (Succubus Hitwoman Book 2) by Eliza Hendrix (best motivational books to read TXT) 📗

She gives me a sour look. “Whatever. It’s the same thing. She’s my grandmother’s sister.”

Zane smiles—a smug look that makes me wonder if he’s even surprised. The only way a blood portal can be created is by someone who possesses the blood in question. If he’s a witch, he should have known that. Maybe Devania has been too busy saving the world to teach her kid about magic.

And that’s when it hits me. If Zane is the son of Devania, how did he become a witch? She’s a Ukrisse demon, capable of morphing into any form, which would make him a hybrid.

“Devania isn’t a witch,” I say boldly.

Taken aback by my words, he turns to me and grimaces as if to say, What’s your point?

“How did you turn out to be a one?”

“My father,” he says coldly. “If you even want to call him that.”

“Bad relationship?” Ace cuts in.

“He abandoned us a long time ago. I don’t understand why you’re interrogating me when you guys are the ones with a fake Battalion ring and a blood portal.”

The kid has a point.

I’m about to ask him whether his ring is fake but I realize this would be a stupid thing to do. He’s Devania’s son—of course, it isn’t fake. And even if it were, it’s not like he’d admit to it. Besides, why would he have gone through all the trouble of taking us into the Battalion meeting?

I need to work on my trust issues.

“Let me help,” he says. “Maybe my mom is being held captive with Zerachu.”

I want to argue, but I can’t. Finding both of them would be an absolute miracle right about now. The world needs Zerachu’s magic, and the Battalion needs Devania’s leadership.

“What do you have to offer?” I ask.

He points his chin at Rachel. “I’ll go with her and ensure she remains safe.”

I scoff. “I’m the one going. Do you honestly think I’d let—”

“You?” he asks, knitting his brows.

Is he trying to insult me? Does he not think me capable enough to handle a few bad guys? Okay, I might be downplaying it. For all I know, an entire army is positioned around Rachel’s great-aunt. That is, if she’s even still alive.

“You can’t enter a blood portal on your own,” he says.

This is news to me. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s Rachel’s blood, which means she has to be the one to go through. You can go with her, but not without her. And if you do accompany her, who’s staying behind to fight? It’s clear that fighting is your strength.”

It’s hard to be angry at someone who compliments you.

I glance up at Ace, who appears as uncertain as me.

“Let me go with her,” Zane says. “I’ll ensure she’s safe.”

My eyes narrow on him. “A minute ago, you didn’t even know who was related to Zerachu despite knowing Rachel created the portal.” I extract my wrist blades. “What kind of games are you playing?”

He calmly shakes his head. “I’m playing no game, I assure you. I’ve heard of powerful sorcerers creating blood portals on behalf of other people… It’s only that I’ve never seen it done. I’m putting myself on the line by trusting you.”

Still glowering at him, I take in a long breath. “Okay, then why haven’t you created your own blood portal to find your mother?”

He smirks. “I’m not that powerful.”

Rachel beams, and I hope this won’t go to her head.

On one hand, I don’t like the idea of her going blindly through some portal with a guy we barely know. On the other hand, he’s a witch, and if there’s one thing better than a witch, it’s two of them.

“I want her back in one piece,” I say, jabbing my finger in front of his face.

Rachel looks at me like I’m an embarrassing mom, and that’s when it hits me.

Rachel’s mom. Surely, she’s realized by now that Rachel’s clone is precisely that—a clone.

“Rachel, how do you know your mom hasn’t figured out the clone thing?”

She flicks her wrist at me. “I have a safeguard in place. If she figures it out, the clone sends me a signal.”

“A signal?” I ask. “As in a magical telepathic message?”

She scrunches her nose and whips out her cell phone. “Um… A text.”

Now I definitely feel like the embarrassing mom.

Zane tightens his lips, no doubt fighting the urge to laugh.

Teenagers.

I wave impatiently. “Create the portal again, will you?”

I realize I’m making it sound like it’s as easy as baking premade cookies when in reality, it drains a great deal of Rachel’s energy. She still looks depleted from her first blood portal. I hope she has enough strength to go at it again.

Rubbing her palms together, she says, “Okay everyone, step back,” and a powerful gust of wind sweeps through what’s left of our motel room.

Chapter 27

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Watching the portal close behind Rachel is the most difficult thing I’ve had to do in a while. It makes me want to chug back a bottle of tequila, but for her sake, I won’t do it. I’m worried like hell that she won’t make it back, but I can’t focus on that.

She’s doing her job. Ace and I need to do ours.

“You okay?” Ace asks.

I turn to look at both him and Drax, and Drax quickly avoids eye contact. He knows I hate getting emotional and so he does me the honor of pretending I have no feelings.

“I’m fine,” I lie.

The truth is, I’m freaking out inside. I fucking hate uncertainty and I especially hate it when it concerns someone I care about. I also hate the fact that I give a shit about that little brat. This wasn’t supposed to happen, yet somehow, she wormed her way