Page 63 of Demon Loved
“We need to see if Heaven’s assigned any angel groups to the area. One of them’s been harassing us, the blighters.” Zolroth bares his teeth.
Raz shoots him a glare, like he’s given away too much. But it’s not exactly a secret that the guys have gotten hurt, is it? We need to end this.
“Please.” I scoot forward on Akor’s legs and make eye contact with Arariel, who seems to be in charge of this merry band of miscreants.
She stares at me for a moment before her features soften into a smile. “Of course, Katrina.” She turns to Raz, all business. “I think the sunflower fields are your best bet. They’re hot as fuck, but luckily, you’re used to that.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem for our wings.” Raz flexes his, making them contract and expand slightly in a move that’s unexpectedly attractive.
“Inside the castle, so long as you create a diversion, there’s really not that much security. In Heaven, everyone follows the rules, so they don’t really worry about rule breakers.” She gives a scornful smile. “They should though, clearly.”
My eyes widen. Heaven doesn’t even have an alarm system? That seems kind of dumb.
Raz’s grin stretches wide. “And where will the big guy be?”
She rolls her eyes. “If it’s a typical day, he’ll be out puttering around in those locked gardens of his. I swear he couldn’t give two fucks for his creations once they’ve bloomed. It’s all about getting them to that state for him.”
Dajiel and Drogelzesh grumble their agreement from across the room. They haven’t joined us on the couches because they’re too busy playing a game of bones, which is not dominos, but involve stacking actual bones in piles to see who can get their stack the tallest before it collapses.
No, I do not ask where the bones came from. I have zero desire to know, thank you very much.
“What about archangels?” Zolroth asks as he takes a sip of his beer. “Won’t those bloody bastards be about, scouting and such?”
Arariel shrugs, sitting back and scratching a little at the cashmere dress she’s wearing. “We haven’t been there in ages, so I really couldn’t say. They all have their own little fiefdoms, different galaxies to watch over and all that, so for all I know, they could be gone. Could be there. It’s something you’ll have to chance.”
I watch Raz’s face grow thoughtful at that. He gives a quick head jerk. “Thanks.”
Arariel shakes her head. “That’s some major balls, busting into Heaven. Lucillania know you’re doing it?” She presses her thick lips into a suspicious line as her eyes narrow.
“She knows what she needs to,” Raz replies, standing. “We’d better get going. Katrina has school tomorrow.”
Arariel shakes her head as she stands. “Raz, you really think she wants her most powerful murder walking into the heart of enemy territory?”
Raz gives a grin. And it isn’t a happy one. It’s so incredibly dark that it creates icicles in my chest. “Well, that’s the good thing about Hell, isn’t it? We don’t have to do what anyone else wants. We can do as we damn well please.”
22
Raz
As expected,Katrina threw a fit about being left behind. Her pink lips protruded in a pout as she crossed her arms over her chest, pushing up her ample breasts. When my eyes dipped downwards unbidden, her lips curled into a malicious smirk as she pushed them up even higher.
But I wasn’t so easily deterred.
“Stay with Adam,” I told her firmly, shoving a blade into the waistband of my pants. “I put a warding spell around the house so you guys will be safe. Anyone intending to do you or your brother harm will evaporate on sight.”
It had cost a lot of fucking money to procure such a spell from a demon who specialized in protection, but it was worth it. No one touches my fucking girl.
“But, Raz…” she protested immediately. “Akor said I could help!”
“You can help by staying safe,” I interjected in my best no-nonsense voice. And then, to soften the blow of my heated words, I leaned forward and kissed her pouty lips. It took all my self-control not to nip them. “I love you more than life itself. I’ll be back soon, baby girl.”
Now, I stand with my murder in front of a glorious sunflower field on Earth, expanding as far as the eye can see in every direction.
Does it feel right leaving Katrina and Adam at home without one of us to protect her? Not at all. But do we have a choice? Unfortunately not.
We need all hands on fucking deck for this mission, especially if we run into any wayward angel flocks. The last thing I want to do is be ripped apart because we’re lacking in numbers.
I lean against Akor’s minivan, folding my arms over my chest, and beside me, Kastros mimics my posture. His shrewd eyes assess the field with careful indifference, his mind spinning rapidly despite his silence. Always looking for a threat. Always thinking through every possible scenario.
