Page 40 of Hopelessly Teavoted
“No! Don’t!” The scream was pitiful and hair-raising. “I have information you need. There’s something rotten in Hallowcross. You have no idea—”
In her hands, the record had turned scalding, and burst into flames, and with them, the essence of Donovan Wagner flickered like an old television losing reception. Lex opened the box, and Donovan let out a high-pitched screech until the noise cut abruptly and the box slammed shut.
“Hello?” Clarissa called from the bathroom. She sounded breathless. Confused.
“We ought to leave before she breaks from my trance,” said Lex. He put the box in his pocket and winked at Vickie, who followed him out of the unit, Az behind them.
“She’ll be okay, right?” Azrael asked Lex, and Vickie’s heart cracked at his concern.
“Indeed,” said Lex, sniffing. “I’m not a monster. She’ll sleep it off and wake up hazy, unsure if this was all just a beautiful dream.” He turned to Vickie. “Excellent work, pet.”
They paused in the hallway outside the apartment.
“Stop calling her that,” said Azrael. His eyes glinted, the gold flecks angry in the dark light, like sharp splinters of defensive hurt. Vickie slid her palm around his waist, tucking it into his back pocket and pulling him toward her, as though she could hold him in against the hurt of the moment. Against the cruelty of humans, even in death. The greed. But there was no time to unpack it; next to her, Azrael was stiff, the emotions roiling and radiating off him.
She wasn’t sure why he was so angry with Lex. For a moment, she pressed into Azrael, smelling lemon and wood.
“Interesting,” said Lex, and there was a dangerous edge to his voice she didn’t recognize. The tension between the two had pulled too thin now, and Lex ground his teeth. Her hand inAzrael’s pocket was a promise, and Lex saw it. A decision. His eyes darted, lingering on her hand against the fabric. Against Azrael. Lex waved his hand, now full of something.
“Well then, I see that I may be the devil in name, but neither of you deliciously lovely creatures are quite angelic in honesty, now, are you? Yourfriend, is he?” Violet eyes sparkled, dancing with mischief.
Vickie couldn’t quite distinguish what was in the devil’s hand, though she had a feeling Azrael could, for he tensed and drew her closer, tucking her under his arm as though he wanted to shield her. Her chest filled with warmth at the gesture, a flicker of hope in the desperate fear burrowing there.
The devil raised his hand and smiled, a treacherous, tempting thing, and blew on the glittering dark dust cupped in his palm.
A cloud of brown enveloped them, settling on Vickie’s jacket and face, in her hair. It fell on Azrael, in his dark curls and lingering on his long eyelashes. He blinked, looking at her, and her heart twisted again. She understood now why people were always saying that. It really did feel as though the muscle were contracting and reshaping with her realization. She felt for him, all sorts of confusing things, and it was too late now to tell him on her own terms. Enchantment cut through her denial; she knew her mistake. She had waited too long and there was no time.
Lex smiled again.
“Gravedirt,” said Azrael, the word between them an accusation and a revelation.
“Yes,” purred Lex. “I am a force of justice. Truth.” He paused, drawing his fingers together. “Well. Mostly justice, anyway.”
“You’re a devil,” spat Azrael. “Isn’t manipulation in your nature? Isn’t it why you’re looking at us like that? AtVickielike that?” The words came out cruel. She frowned. Azrael knew better. But gravedirt would make him honest, and she realized that if he was jealous of Lex, that would show. In the first few hours of it, emotions would show completely.Unfettered. Tension froze in delicate strands between them, threatening to snap at the fire in Azrael’s eyes, and the coldness mirrored back in Lex’s.
Tell him, she thought.Tell him you could one day love him again, maybe, before something terrible happens.
“You can’t judge us all in one fell swoop, Azrael Ashmedai Hart. Though I suppose I have succumbed to my baser angels in this moment, and I’ll admit it, but devils are part human too. And for what it’s worth, I’m looking atbothof you like that.” His voice was icy. Piercing. “And now the two of youwillbe honest.”
“How dare you,” started Azrael. He ran a hand through his hair. It came away dirt-streaked. He looked down at her, swiping a thumb to brush some of it off her cheek. There was warmth in the gesture, and she hoped his feelings would survive what would happen next.
And that hers would.
“I am sorry, Vickie. This is going to hurt us both,” Azrael whispered.
“Too much honesty almost always does,” she choked out.
CHAPTER 12Victoria
Azrael wiped her cheek again, the pad of his finger tracing her skin. “I have always loved this constellation of freckles.” His voice was reverent as he traced them, the path of his fingers sending little tremors of pleasure licking down her body, lower. He moved his hand to her neck, running a thumb down it and onto her shoulder. It took her a moment to recognize what glinted in his eyes. Fear. He looked afraid.
Like he had not been prepared to be that honest. He was racing time before the devil asked him specific questions.
Lex saw it, and broke the moment, clapping loudly. Desire and dread pooled, threading together in her stomach into a heavy knot.
“Victoria, pet, answer a question for me.” Lex’s voice was velvet. Sharp. It cut through the almost of Azrael’s confession like a sleek, smooth dagger, and she turned to face the demon, not breaking the connection with Az but unable to bring herself to look at his face while it crumpled.
“Don’t do this,” she begged.
