Page 82 of The Demon's Pet

The world was truly opening up for me. I’d really escaped.

Whether Sam would let me live to tell the story was another question.

I looked around, keeping out a keen eye for Sam. It was late evening now, and the sun was setting, casting pink and red rays over the orange clouds above the tall trees surrounding the fae village.

“I… I’m sort of stuck with an angel,” I said. Then I cursed myself because that was probably exactly what I wasn’t supposed to say.

But why should I listen to Sam anyway? He kept everything secret yet expected me to just trust him, even when he admitted to using me.

I knew I was being a bit petty in ignoring Sam’s order, but a new world was opening to me, and I couldn’t just hide inside and wait for it.

Zadis let out a sigh. “That angel… You shouldn’t be with him.”

“Why not?”

Zadis’s eyes flashed. “He is not a worthy partner. He is a disgrace of a celestial. He used to…” He shook his head, as if remembering he wasn’t supposed to be talking about something. “Regardless, you can do better. In the mid-realm, a full celestial wolf is impossible to find.”

“You can find regular wolves?”

He nodded. “With other kinds of magic. Werewolves that are bitten rather than born. The occasional hellhound makes it here from the dark realms.” He studied me again with that keen gaze that made me heat from the inside out. “But you… you have an animal god from nature in you. The blood of the ancients.”

“I suppose,” I said.

“The celestials keep you all so sequestered because they know you’re special.”

“Well, we’re descended from them, right?” I asked.

He just slanted me a glance. “The celestial program has been… interesting. That’s for sure. Do you believe in them?”

I didn’t know how to answer that, and he seemed willing to let it go when he saw my expression.

He led me off a side path and into the woods by the village, sitting on a long, mossy log, patting it next to him for me to sit down.

I did, enjoying the fragrant trees and shrubs and the sunset peeking through the canopy above us.

For a moment, all I felt was peace.

And it set in. I really was free from my village. From my past life. From being an omega.

“What is it like in your village?” Zadis asked excitedly. “I hear it’s old-fashioned on the other side of the veil.”

“We know what the human world was like,” I said. “And we have some human goods that get brought in by the alphas once in a while. But I know nothing of this new world since the great divide.”

His eyes darkened for a moment. “Yes, much has happened since then. Since the supernaturals came out of hiding to demand their share of the earth. The celestials all disappeared, and we thought celestial shifters were extinct until we realized the veil was just keeping them from us. No fae is allowed to travel past the veil without having at least some celestial lineage.”

“They keep us safe from demons by patrolling the borders,” I said quietly.

He shuddered minutely, shaking the log. “Understandable. They don’t bother us much. The loving, bonding nature of the fae repels most demons. They aren’t interested in us because we desire a connection to nature and each other more than power.”

“They want to corrupt those watched over by the celestials, apparently,” I said. “Plus, if you don’t need protection, then why is Sam here?”

“That devil.” Zadis shook his head. “He’s worse than any demon. He…” He frowned. “I shouldn’t say more. It’s forbidden. If Os or another celestial heard me speaking ill of an angel with blood from the ninth celestial realm, I’d be in huge trouble. So I’ll just speak generally. The thing Sam has to kill isn’t a demon exactly. Just demonic. But it needs to die, and Sam has a renowned reputation for killing. But we don’t believe in the divinity of celestials the way that shifters and other celestial-blessed creatures do above the veil. We understand their archangels’ power, which is quite similar to that of our strongest warriors. But we prefer not to get our hands dirty dealing death to demons.”

I grinned. “That’s some good alliteration.”

He grinned back. “Thank you.”

I liked this guy. I couldn’t help it. So I decided I should help him avoid a beatdown or a possible sword in the face. “Look, I’m with Sam, whether I like it or not. And he said he’d bloodily murder any fae warrior who tried to take me from him.”

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