Page 112 of Infernium

“You couldn’t because I paralyzed your vocal chords.”

I snapped my attention back to him. “That was you? Why would you do that?”

With a dismissive shrug, he answered, “I didn’t want you to scare him off.”

“Well, that was … kind of dicky.”

“I rather enjoyed it. The silence.”

Narrowing my eyes on him, I turned back toward the road, mentally noting the barren-looking trees where Misty Hollow once stood. How sad to see so many burned to blackened stumps. “So, if he’s an angel, couldn’t he sense you there?”

“No. I stripped his senses.”

“What? How?”

“That is my rare and unique gift.” The one he’d hesitated to tell me of that day in the library, when we were chatting about the Knights of the Infernal Order. He’d told me they had chosen Jericho for his ability to control lightning, but had refused to reveal his own.

“So, that’s why the Knights chose you.

“Yes. I hunted angels.”

“Jericho did, as well.”

“Yes.”

“For angel’s blood, right?”

A sound of disapproval gurgled in his throat. “You humans and your endless inquiries.”

“What else are we going to do? It’s a long ride.” Another glance at the surroundings showed a small village off in a distant valley.

“Yes. We hunted them for blood, and to eliminate the A’ryakai.”

“What are they? The A’ryakai?”

“Angels who believe in a pure race, and that half-breeds and demons should be wiped from existence.”

Strange to think we weren’t the only beings who shunned others. I’d always chalked that up to ignorance of our species. Turned out, angels could be just as ignorant. “So, they’re like the white supremacists of angels?”

“In its crudest definition, I suppose.”

“What about humans? Do they believe the same about us?”

He quirked a brow, and his lips curved to a half-smile. “They believe you are inferior in every way. But they are forbidden by the heavens to kill you.”

“Why?”

“Only certain angels are permitted to kill humans, and only when necessary. Outside of them, anyone else would suffer the wrath of the Elysian Council.”

It amazed me how little we humans knew about angels, in general. So many rules and laws and groups to regulate them.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean the A’ryakai wouldn’t try to find equally creative ways for disposing of humans anyway. They are exceptionally conniving.”

“They sound like assholes.”

Vaszhago snorted at that. “They are.”

“For a demon, you speak eloquently.” The last demon I’d met was Remy, who was actually a fallen angel, and he spoke about as regally as a drunken frat boy.

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