“Ian needs blood.” My voice was a rasp because my throat just closed off. “Buckets of it. And restraints.”

“What happened?” Bones asked in an icy tone.

“I don’t have time to explain.” Damn it, did I hear sirens? How long could I hold off the police? “Just hurry.”

“With the new stop to get blood, we’ll arrive within two hours,” he said crisply. “And if you’re responsible for what’s happened to Ian, you will regret it.”

“Good enough,” I replied, and hung up.

Chapter 46

An hour and a half later, dawn splashed the darkness with its first bright rays, highlighting the helicopter that had just landed. Bones jumped out, dragging several lengths of thick chains behind him. His brows barely rose at the destruction in the former theme park and the police I’d mesmerized into holding the perimeter, but he gave the skeletons scattered everywhere a longer look.

“They stink of sulfur,” were his first words. “How many of them were demons?”

“All of them,” I said, still struggling with the draped form beneath me. I’d frozen time around Ian for an hour, but had run out of strength to hold the spell these past thirty minutes.

“All?” Bones repeated in disbelief. “Then how—”

He stopped speaking when I drew back the tarp. Ian’s face was a thing of nightmares, if you didn’t have my unending gratitude that he was still alive.

Bones stared at him. “Bloody. Fucking. Hell.”

“Less shock, more chains,” I said wearily. “Don’t let how Ian looks fool you. He’s incredibly strong.” And after everything that had happened, I was running on fumes.

“What happened?” Thankfully, Bones’s question came with action. He sprang forward, slinging chains around Ian while avoiding the jaws that snapped at him. Once Bones had Ian encased from neck to feet, he picked him up as if he weighed nothing and carried him toward the helicopter.

“Silver!” I called out. “You can come out now!”

The Simargyl flew out of the fun house, one wing still bloody from Ian’s fangs snagging it when I’d snatched Silver away from him. He landed right in my arms. Understandably, the events of the past night had left him very shaken.

“I didn’t know your dog had wings!” a delighted voice called out. Then I saw a flash of drab brown hair as Cat jumped out of the helicopter. “Where did—oh, shit, who’s that?”

“Ian,” Bones replied shortly. “Open the cooler, Kitten. We’ll need everything in it.”

I climbed in after Bones, relieved to see vast quantities of bagged blood when Cat opened the cooler in the back. I set Silver safely out of Ian’s reach and grabbed a bag, putting it to Ian’s mouth. He tore into it so ferociously, half of it landed on us.

“Wait,” Bones said. “I’ll hold him.” His power snapped out, invisible and potent. Ian’s head froze and I emptied the next bag into his mouth without any splatters.

“What happened?” Cat asked, her head swinging back and forth between Ian, Silver, and the bodies outside the helicopter.

“Demon attack.” Now that we were finally safe, all my weariness hit me, leaving me unable to speak in complete sentences. “Need some bone for weapons, but rest have to go.”

“Here.” Cat handed me a blood bag, then shoved it back in my face when I pushed it away. “You look terrible, Veritas. Don’t worry. We’ve got plenty for Ian. You can take this one.”

I took it because I didn’t have the strength to argue. Drinking it made me feel slightly less like I’d pass out. “The bones,” I mumbled again.

“I’ll take care of them,” Cat said, jumping out after giving Silver a quick pat on the head.

Bones kept feeding Ian blood bags. Muscle and sinews started slowly reknitting themselves in the glimpses I caught, though Bones’s body blocked most of Ian from my view.

“How long until he can think normally again?” I asked.

Bones cast a glance at me. “Is this his first time regenerating? Or has he been hiding this ability from us for a while?”

“First time,” I replied, leaving it at that.

“Half a day, at least,” Bones stated.

I closed my eyes. “Good. That’ll give me enough time.”

“To do what?”

I didn’t bother opening my eyes. “Set Ian up the way he last remembers.” It wouldn’t be in Poland, but I could keep the rest of my promise. “I’ll tell you what to say so you can fill in his memory gaps.”

“What memory gaps? And what about the ashes Ian is so keen that we collect?”

I ignored the sharpness in Bones’s tone. “Don’t worry about the ashes. All you need to worry about is repeating what I’m about to tell you.”

“Why don’t you tell Ian yourself?” Instantly.

I closed my eyes; a reflex against the truth. “He won’t remember me.”

“What?”

“Short version is he pissed off the wrong demon and lost his memory of the past few weeks.” Now I opened my eyes so he could see how serious I was. “The demon got away and he’ll be coming for me, so it’s safer for Ian not to remember any of it.”

Bones’s dark gaze bored into mine. “You don’t intend to even tell him you’re his wife?”

“No, I don’t!” It flung out of me with all the pain I was fighting not to feel. Then I sighed. “All of you were right. Ian didn’t suddenly fall in love. Circumstances forced us to fake being married. The rumor spread and we used it to our advantage. Don’t worry; I’ll make sure everyone knows it wasn’t real.”

I’d have to convince Xun Guan and the Enforcers to recant their witness of the ceremony, but I’d faced tougher obstacles. Xun Guan might even be happy to help eradicate my marriage.

“Who is the demon that did all this?”

“Dagon.” I hated saying his name, but Bones should know it so he’d know who to watch out for. “My father made it impossible for Dagon to go near Ian without paralyzing pain, but none of you get that safeguard, so watch your backs. Good news is, Dagon’s very weak now. Bad news is, he’ll heal.”

Bones’s brows went up. “Your father? Who is he?”

Dammit. I was so exhausted, I’d let that slip. “No one you need to worry about.”

“Got the cops sweeping up the demon bones!” Cat announced, coming back in the helicopter. “We’ll pick them up after we get Ian and you set up. Then we’ll haul them to a crematorium and incinerate them. Can’t take them now because we don’t have room in the chopper, but we should have it all done by noon.”

“Good,” I said, closing my eyes again. “Thank you. In the meantime, take Ian to a whorehouse capable of throwing a carnival-themed orgy. Don’t worry, I’m buying.”

“What?” Cat gasped while Bones said, “Why?” in a steely tone.

“I made a blood vow.” Now, I didn’t open my eyes because I was afraid they’d see the tears welling in them. “Besides,” I added with a flash of despairing humor, “if Ian does have any memories of the events before these past few weeks, that’s where he’ll expect to be.”

“What about you?” Bones’s tone was softer. Almost pitying. “What will you do now?”