Page 68 of Death is My Ride or Die

“And you could have scared Faith into complacency rather than making her fall in love with you,” Lucifer countered. “We’re Fallen. It brings us pleasure to make mortals suffer. It’s our nature.”

I couldn’t deny that characteristic in my own black heart. “What’s the plan now, old man? Where’s the grimoire?”

“She hid it. In the floorboards of a church.”

I snickered, smoke escaping my mouth. “How unoriginal.”

Neither of us, nor any other creature of the night, could cross into hallowed ground.

“The church was abandoned after Hurricane Sandy,” Devin continued. “The flooding blew open the front door and broke the hallowed seal.”

“Perfect.”I grinned.

“Not quite,” Lucifer said, resting his cigar on an ashtray. “When Sarah disappeared, the Guild acted fast. Only a Chosen can hold the book for any length of time, but they must have gone to the church and jinxed it, just in case. It’s been housing a nest of more than thirty harpies for two days now.”

I released a violent curse in Latin. “We’ll need at least ten Fallen for a job like that.”

“I only requireone,” Lucifer said. “You. Tonight, you will go destroy the hive and bring me the book. Complete this task and I will overlook your dalliance with the girl.”

Unease darted down my spine, and I gripped the armrests of my chair.

“I know you’ve been training her,” Lucifer said, leaning his forearms on his desk. “I know the two of you have been getting . . .closer. As you know, Faith is practically my daughter, so I will warn you one last time. Keep your dick in your fucking pants. Because if I find out you’ve tarnished her or she gets pregnant, I will tear off your goddamn wings with my bare hands.”

Rage tightened my throat. The implication that I was some lowlife punk getting scolded by a protective father ticked me off. Lucifer was paranoid that Faith losing her virginity might affect her precious pure power.

I was getting tired of him treating me like some low-level subordinate because I’d screwed up collecting Faith’s soul. I wasDeath. A force of nature. Our Fallen soldiers kneeled at my command, and I’d become the mortals’ worst fear.

Maybe you’rehistoo, purred the voice in my head. That’s why he prefers when you’re weak.

“Here.” Lucifer stood and chucked a bag at my chest, which I snatched in midair. Inside, there was an address on a piece of paper and bulky gloves. “Wear those when you handle the book, and don’t hold it for long. I expect the grimoire on my desk by the break of dawn.”

Without another word, I manifested to the roof of the D&S Tower.

I took another pull from my cigar before smashing it to the ground and crushing it beneath my heel.“Pregnant?”I scoffed. “He says that as if my pull-out game hasn’t been strong for over two thousand years.”

I wasn’t physically strong enough to take on thirty harpies without a little extra oomph. I’d need a good hunt before collecting the grimoire.

I stepped onto the ledge of the tower. Two hours of murder would do the trick. Perk me right up, just like old times.

A plane overhead drew my attention to the night sky, and I scowled. Drawing attention from the Elders tonight would be reckless, though. Miraculously, the reapers and I had been able to get back on track with the dead without any probing, and Lucifer and I had managed to keep Faith under Heaven’s radar. But we’d be complete morons to let our guard down. Those dusty, goody-two-shoes pinheads in Heaven were planning something. But until we could confirm that, I had tobehave—even when I needed a quick pick-me-up the most—and collect the dead as I was supposed to.

I summoned my to-kill list, the old scroll unraveling and filling with names at an infuriatingly slow rate. Selecting my first victim, I dove off the tower headfirst, like diving into a pool, and then I heard it. Her voice.

Death!

Faith?My wings stretched, catching the air the wrong way as I glided to wrap around the tower. The sharp change in trajectory nearly slammed me into the skyscraper, but I turned over and shoved forward, my stomach grazing the side of a building. Five sharp strokes of my wings and I rose into the air until I narrowed in on my apartment building in the distance.

Faith?Can you hear me?What’s wrong?

When there was no response, my stomach clenched. There was a sliver of doubt that I’d heard anything at all. The weak whisper of her voice might be a symptom of the madness within me.

No, I’d heard her. Faith had called to me through the bond, but now she was silent. Her mind barriers had slammed closed.

Or worse, I thought as I plummeted down to the rooftop of my penthouse like an avenging god.She’s dead.

XX

Faith

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