Page 447 of Evil Hearts

Standing, I bow my head. “As you wish, my Lord.”

“Good, now get some rest. You have some angels to find.”

Joyful. Just what I wanted. To purposefully hunt them down yet again. What could go wrong this time?

Chapter Five

Andras

Once back atthe flat we have been staying at, I head right for the shower. Raguel sweet-talked the lady that owns this flat to let us do work for her to stay here. The neighborhood is dangerous, and she has had a lot of trouble renting it out. So she agreed mainly to keep it from being vandalized again. Since we hunt in this area, it’s perfect. Being angels, or I should say fallens, we require only a little rest. Just a few hours a week unless we get injured. So, we hunt at night and help her during the day. She is so grateful she has been paying us, too. The money helps with food and clothing.

Once stripped, I step into the shower and turn it on as hot as it can go. The initial icy blast helps me get out of my head. As it changes from freezing to steaming hot, I feel the weight on me gradually lifting. Standing under the steaming water, I tilt my head up, allowing it to cascade over my face. Once I feel more myself, I even out the temperature and grab the soap.

After I’m finished, I turn off the water, open the door, and grab a towel. I briefly dry off and then wrap the damp towel around my waist. Nudity doesn’t bother us, but humans cringe at it. So we try to remain vigilant of them and what we expose them to. Walking

through the flat, I head to the drawer that has my clothes in it. It’s still strange, these human clothes, but I admit they are easier to fight in. They are, however, easily ruined.

Once dressed, I head to the kitchenette, where my cousins are murmuring. They stop and are staring at me when I turn from the refrigerator with the leftovers. “What?”

Evan looks at Raguel. “Oh, for the love of all things holy, spill it.” I turn and dump the leftovers in a skillet and turn the burner on. None of us can cook, but we can reheat what’s cooked.

Raguel clears his throat. “Alright, here goes. You are slipping, cousin. We all are, but you are… tipping faster. This demon… She kicked our asses just like our first day of combat training.” I interrupt him, but he holds his hand up, stopping me. “Let me finish… please.” I nod and turn back to stir the Chinese food from two days ago. He continues, “We knew this could happen, but… we can’t let you turn evil. We agreed to… not let that happen.”

Once warm, I dish out a serving for each of us and sit across from them. Evan must have gotten up and got us each a glass of water. He taps the table, getting my attention. “Talk to us. What do we do?”

Setting my fork down, I look at them a moment before I say, “We find the demon and try to get her to tell us if Puriel is in her realm. If he can help… I didn’t know finding a demon would take so long.”

Raguel sets his fork down. Oh lord, I will not like this. “And what if… we can’t find him before…”

“Before I lose my soul to darkness?” They both nod solemnly. “Then you do as we agreed. You kill me. You can’t let Lucifer get me. The knowledge and power I have…”

Evan stands so fast he knocks his chair over, causing a loud bang. Signing frantically, I can barely keep up. “No! We can not fail! We must find him! I lost Gabbie! I won’t lose you!”

Before Raguel or I can say anything, he turns and storms out the door. Raguel starts to stand, but I stop him. “Let him cool off. He will be fine. We trained him well.”

“Yes, we did. It’s just…” He drops his head into his hands. “How can I kill you both if we fail? Because you know it will send him over the edge again. We almost lost him once.”

Standing, I walk over and place my hand on his shoulder. Once he looks up, I answer, “Then we better not fail.”

Chapter Six

Skia

Finding the threefallen was easy this time. Now that I know their auras signatures, that is. Staying hidden is harder since they can somehow seeme.I knew better than to get close, so I have been watching from the roof next door. They really should close their curtains. The big one, Lord Proto, called Andras, just got out of the shower. He is breathtakingly beautiful.

Demons are sexual creatures, but me, not so much. Maybe it’s because of my human experience, but no male or female for that matter has ever elicited the response from me this fallen has. I always assumed the other demons feared me for being unique. They all stay away from me. As I watch him walk around the flat, all I can think of is licking the water droplets off his well-defined chest and abdomen.

The mute one leaves the flat, and that breaks me out of my fantasy. Watching from the rooftops, I follow him until he heads into the park. Lord Proto needs information, so I follow, staying in the trees’ shadows. He comes to a bridge over a small creek and looks around, then pulls something out of his pocket. As I watch him rub his finger over the object, I notice a tear roll down his cheek.

That tear causes an odd ache in my chest and before I realize it, I’m approaching him. He doesn’t notice me until I am right beside him. He turns with a startled look, shoving the item I know now is a locket into his pocket. I Sign, “I’m sorry. I…”

He cuts me off signing, “I can hear. What are you doing spying on us? I’m no fool. I have felt you watching for hours.”

Crap, how did he know? I’ve been far enough away. Must be an angel thing. I will have to ask Lord Proto later. “Yes, I have, but it was my orders.” Why do I need to tell him everything? Like it would be wrong to not.

“Orders? Why?”

How much do I tell him? Biting my lip, I explain. “Lord Proto. He is our high lord and creator. He is… interested in you three and who you are.” Well crap, I only meant to tell him the first part. I drop my head. What is wrong with me?

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