Page 4 of Her Deadly Angels (The Seven Sinners of Hell's Kingdom 2)

But then I catch sight of the demon’s body in the tub. What if I leave only to run into one? Right now, I know Elias doesn’t want me dead. He wants to use me to somehow get into the Higher Power’s good grace, but I highly doubt one of the angelic brethren will be coming around soon. I should just wait until Kase and Dante find me or until I can catch Elias off guard and steal his phone. Whether the ideas are good is another story. But I’m in survival mode, and this guy killed a demon. My chances are better with him. And who knows? Maybe I’ll get some answers I can use to help me.

“There’s a box of salt under the sink. Grab that too, will you?” Elias asks, arranging what looks like dried sage over the corpse. “Hustle. I have to move fast.”

I do as he commands and pull out the heavy box of salt from beside more jugs of water. I knew this guy was crazy, but fuck. It’s obvious he isn’t just some man on a mission to summon a miracle. Elias has experience taking care of demons in what I can tell is a very human way. With Kase and Dante, they open a portal to Hell and basically shove them back in.

And damn it. I have so many questions.

“Pour the salt around the edge of the tub. Be careful not to leave any breaks. I don’t want the fucker escaping because you don’t know how to draw a salt circle.” Elias motions to me with a wave of his hand, getting me to stand by his side. “You know how it goes. They’ll take whatever opportunity they can to avoid returning to the pits, and I don’t want to risk the lives of my neighbors. It’s not their fault you’re damn demon bait.”

Anger rushes through me, and I drop the salt, letting it clatter to the floor. “You’re right. But it’syourdamn fault because you shouldn’t have kidnapped me in the first place. So don’t try to blame me.”

He grunts in annoyance and snatches the box of salt, pouring it along the ledge of the tub until it creates a salt ring around the demon’s body. “I didn’t kidnap you. I relocated you to a place more accessible to the divine. You can’t honestly tell me you enjoyed being a sex slave to a demon. I saw how rough he was, trying to tear your throat out with his cock.”

Blush burns over my chest and cheeks at his comment.

“I bet his demon juice tastes as bad as demon’s smell,” he adds, turning his head to grimace at me. “It fucked you up. I wasn’t sure you’d ever come down from that fucking high.”

How do I even respond to that? For one, the bastard watched me give Dante a blowjob. What a fucking creep. But why am I surprised? Elias was an angel in another life, and those halo-heads love to watch in silence, being their creeper selves. I learned that from Micah.

“Of course this would be easier if you hadn’t,” Elias adds, lifting the candle I brought from the dresser.

I notice strange, unfamiliar symbols carved into the black wax, shining golden with the light from the flame. He whispers something under his breath and tilts the candle until it touches the corpse and sets it ablaze. The room rumbles and shakes, and I nearly fall over as the flames in the tub shoot toward the ceiling. Unholy fuck. It’s all I can think as the demon’s body melts and disappears in what I can only describe as a human-made portal to Hell.

The fire disappears with the body, leaving the empty tub with the ring of salt still in place. My mouth opens, my jaw slack, and a dozen thoughts swirl through my mind.

“How in the hell?” I ask, my mouth rebelling to speak what’s on my mind.

Elias’s stern expression breaks, and a grin cuts across his brooding face. “You’ve never seen a banishing circle before?”

I press my lips together. I hate admitting he’s right, but my reaction is obvious. “I didn’t even know humans could do that.”

“Most can’t, but I’m a hunter, darlin’. It’s in my blood to send these Hellraisers back to the pits. It’s the least I can do for...” Elias’s voice trails off with his thought. He scrubs his hand into his beard and shakes his head.

“A hunter? As in a demon hunter?” Why can’t I get my curiosity in check? Elias kidnapped me and hurt Dante. I shouldn’t be socializing with him. If anything, I should kick him in the balls and create my own banishing circle to send his ass to Hell.

Elias arches a brow at me like I’ve asked the dumbest question in the universe. “What else would I hunt? These evil bastards are everywhere. They will do anything to gain power over humans to use us against Heaven. I want nothing more than to send all of them back to Hell, but especially the one who has a contract on my soul. It’s why I borrowed you from that asshole. I need a miracle, and you’re the key. I know it. I feel it in my gut.”

“Your gut is off.” I sigh and shake my head, breaking away from his gaze. “You need more than that. You seem to have experience with demons, but you obviously can’t remember shit about angels. This is all a waste of time. You can try to give them me in exchange for your soul to be saved, but you’ll be disappointed. Trust me. I asked for help like you and you know what they did?”

Elias scratches the back of his neck, looking just as curious as I am. “Didn’t answer?”

I laugh in exasperation. “I wish. The bastard angels wanted to send me to Hell and tried stabbing me with their flaming swords. I barely escaped their vengeance and attempt to force self-sacrifice on me.”

Elias’s gray eyes darken like thunderous clouds roll over his gaze. He doesn’t say anything but stares at me as if he can read my mind for confirmation of the truth. I consider telling him what I know about our past lives and how the same avenging angels blame me for his fall from Heaven, but what’s the point? He might turn around and blame me too.

I’ll have to try another way to relate to him. He doesn’t seem like the same Hell-bound people I’ve come into contact with before. If I can figure out what is going on, maybe I can get him to release me.

“I know you won’t believe me, but they might do the same thing to you,” I add, wringing my hands together.

His intensity burns through me like any devil’s would, and I shift on the balls of my feet, struggling between loving how his eyes seem to penetrate me on a soul-deep level yet hating it all the same. I have a serious problem that I’m starting to feel bad for the man who kidnapped me. My poor taste in mortal men just won’t release me. If anything, it grows stronger.

“I doubt it. I’ve been working my ass off to prove my soul’s worth. Over the last year, I’ve sent thirty-six—thirty-seven—demons back to Hell.” He curls and uncurls his fingers. “What have you done to repent?”

“I have nothing to repent for,” I snap, glowering. “I haven’t done anything to deserve this.”

“You let a monster fuck your damn face. I’d say that deserves a mark for Hell on your soul.” Elias stomps past me, shoving me out of the doorway with his shoulder. “Despicable.”

I stand in shock, trying to process what the fuck he just said to me. My annoyance explodes into fury, and I chase after him and grab his arm. Spinning around, Elias scowls at me. I swing my hand and slap him across his handsome face, jerking his head to the side. He cups his cheek, his muscles flexing. I brace for him to hit me back. To do something to hurt me. But he just continues to glare.

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