Page 144 of The Demon's Pet

“Why didn’t you help him?” I asked Os.

Os pinned me with an amethyst glare. “I couldn’t. What Sam did was forbidden. Had I intervened, this would have been even worse. Sam knew there would be consequences.” Os’s eyes ran over me. “He just decided it was worth it.” He studied me with calm coldness. “For some reason.”

“Don’t talk about Cleo like that,” Griffin said. “She’s a good person. Don’t take this all out on her.”

Os sent him a glare.

“He’s right,” I said, sighing. “I fucked up. I didn’t know who to trust. When Sam killed the void walker—”

“What?” Mor asked.

“Just… I’ll work it out with him. Make it up to him somehow.”

“He’ll take at least another day to heal,” Mor said. “Don’t bother him in the meantime.”

I stared into Mor’s astonishing silver-blue eyes, wondering what his relationship to Sam was to make him this protective.

He’d been the most jovial with Sam when I met the archangels back in the jail.

“For what it’s worth, I truly am sorry,” I said.

Mor sniffed. “Your sorries mean nothing until my friend is okay. So stay away while he—”

“Samael would like to speak with you, Cleo,” Orpheus said, cutting Mor off and making him flush violently.

Mor took a step forward in protest. “But—”

“No buts,” Orpheus said. “Sam’s request.”

“Fine,” Mor said, turning to walk away toward the kitchen. “I’m going to go eat and get my strength up. You watch it, girl. I’m not done with you. It’s my job to watch out for him, and I’m going to do it whether he likes it or not.”

Mor disappeared, and Os looked at Griffin and me apologetically.

“Mor is just upset,” Os said. “Sam was truly in bad condition when he arrived.”

My heart squeezed painfully at the thought. “I’m going to go see him. Coming, Orpheus!”

Orpheus, who stood at the other end of the cathedral, nodded and disappeared out of sight once again.

“How are you two doing?” I heard Os ask Griffin. “Are you safely settled? No one has bothered you?”

“Just me,” Simon said, his voice ringing out as he joined the room. “Your friendly neighborhood vampire.”

I glanced back to see him hanging on Griffin’s arm and grinning at Os.

“I’m hoping this ‘snack’ will let me have a snack,” Simon said.

I took that moment to make a quick exit because I had a feeling drama was about to break out, and all I cared about right now was seeing Sam and making sure he was okay.

No matter what else had happened, I owed him my life, and I would do everything I could to pay him back.

33

When I reached the place where Orpheus disappeared, I heard voices and followed them down a stone corridor filled with natural light and toward a large wooden door with an ornate doorknob and lock.

I raised my hand to knock, and the door opened, Orpheus’s face behind it.

He pulled it all the way open with a creaking sound and revealed a beautiful old-fashioned bedroom with a giant cherry-wood four-poster bed even bigger than mine. Elegant, expensive antique couches and chairs sat in a small sitting area in front of the bed.

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