Page 24 of Give a Devil his Due
“Maybe you should walk with us.” I tug on Raphael’s sleeve when he tries to move ahead of me and Eric. “No one needs to suffer my father’s arrogance unless it’s the last option left.”
We ended up resting for a couple of hours, collapsing around the tunnel instead of in my requested ten minutes The fight shouldn’t have tired us that much, or me, I should say, but with all the changes in my body, my limbs are sometimes too heavy to move.
My tail flicks behind me, and my butt clenches.
“Very well,” Raphael agrees reluctantly, his golden eyes locked on my hand where I am scratching at my small horns.
I drop my hand sheepishly. “I’m still not used to them.” Leave it to me to share unnecessary information.
“You make them look good.” Raphael smiles, and Eric grunts an agreement. “They suit you.”
“Because I charge like a raging bull all the time?” ?y snickering is filled with unease. “I can see the need for them when put like that.” A squeal is torn from me when Eric wraps his fingers around my tail.
Hips jerking forward, I dart ahead and tug as hard as I can to remove my wiggling appendage from his grasp. Both of them throw their heads back at the same time, one light and golden, the other mysterious and dark, roaring their laughter at the roof. Like a dumbass, I gape at them openmouthed, my throat tightening with emotions. The others chuckle and snort from ahead of us, but I don’t pay them any attention. Especially since my father has been darting glances loaded with meaning at the three of us.
I swallow thickly.
“Laugh it off.” Grumbling under my breath, I yank my tail out of Eric’s hand. “Jerks.”
“But you are so beautiful when you are angry, Hel.” Eric grins at me, and Raphael nods. “I can almost see the smoke coming out of your ears.”
“If I stick the pointy bit of my dagger in your eyeballs, you won’t see jack shit.” My smile oozes sweetness. “Wanna try?”
“Just kidding, cupcake.” Both hands up and palms in the air, he takes a step back. “Let’s not resort to stabbing. I’m sure we will come across something in this tunnel that will warrant your blade, an eyeball, or maybe something even better.”
“Can you imagine how you’ll feel if you start glowing the same way Raphael does?” I ask my mate, and he shudders with revulsion. “See? Not so funny now, is it?” My pointed finger turns to the Archangel. “How about you growing a tail, huh? A rope wiggling over your ass day and night.” Judging by the expression twisting his angelic features, I’d say Raphael is horrified. “Right. So let’s not make fun of Helena while she deals with all that shit, okay?”
And now I’ve started referring to myself in third person.
Lovely.
When I stumble a step, anger bubbles inside me for a second because I think my frustration with them laughing at me makes me trip. George gasping whips my head up, though, and I see everyone springing their arms to the sides to keep their balance. Another shudder under our feet has us all pitching sideways, my hipbone smarting like a mother when I lean over the metal track. I can hear the bone smacking over the hard surface, and bright dots bloom in my vision. A few more shudders rock me where I’m stretched on the floor before silence falls over us.
Dust and debris rain over us all.
I lift my head, flipping hair off my face in time to see everyone is on the ground like me, apart from Raphael. The Archangel looms above us with his arms extended wide to the sides, and he points a narrowed glare at the roof of the tunnel. I follow his line of sight, and my heart skips a beat when I see cracks spiderwebbing through every visible surface. Scrambling to my feet, I join him, not taking my eyes off it.
“Is it going to cave in?” A tremor rakes my spine.
“It’ll hold,” he murmurs, still eyeing it strangely. “For now.”
“It could’ve been like that before we entered the tunnels,” Colt, ever the helpful, chirps while dusting his pants.
“I will not test the validity of your words with my mate’s life,” Eric drawls at his twin from Raphael’s other side. The fact that his ass was lying on the ground the same way mine was when the earthquake—or whatever it was—rocked the earth soothed my pride.
My fingers brush the hilt of the dagger strapped to my thigh.
We’ve been in this tunnel for hours now. I have no doubt it’s bright daylight outside, and I know deep down that I won’t breathe the smoke-filled air of Atlanta anytime soon. So far, only one terminal is left behind us, and a lot more are waiting ahead. Everything in me screams that we should go back to the safe house and resume our search tomorrow, but my lips are glued shut. Going back and forth will only waste more time and we were ready to go on this trip anyway, even before we decided to start by combing MARTA first.
“The human realm has made you all weak,” Satanael snarls at the rest of them, his face turning a darker shade of burgundy. The pointed tip of his tail snaps in agitation behind him.
“I’ve always been here, man.” George frowns at my father, taking offense on behalf of everyone else. It’s fun to see my hunter friend sticking his neck out for Hell’s creatures, as he liked to call them until not long ago. “I’m actually stronger with them around, not weaker.”
“You know you’re talking to Satan, right George?” I can’t stop the grin from stretching my lips when he pales and gulps. “Sorry, I had to say it out loud.” Eric snorts at my giggles, smirking at the hunter.
Satanael bares his teeth at me, but it looks like he’s attempting to smile.
I’m not sure, though.
