Zacharel shrugged, drawing attention to the breadth of his shouldersand making Strider grit his teeth in annoyance that hed noticed. What was wrong with him? Men were not his personal preference. She didnt before, the angel remarked.
That doesnt mean shell be a tame house cat next time, Torin repeated, mimicking Striders earlier youre-a-moron tone.
Thats when she thought she could escape with him, Strider forced himself to say. Because deep down, he still didnt like the thought of hurting her. He lost more IQ points every day, he decided. This time, shell know theres no way she can free herself. Shell know shes helpless and needs to curry our favor.
Torins eyes widened. Youre actually voting to leave her be? A Hunter? Whatd she stab you with? A magic wand laced with Prozac?
No, Im not voting to leave her be. Damn it! He had. Fine. Well break her hands. He wasnt going to argue about her treatment. She deserved what she got, and he would just have to pacify himself with that knowledge.
One other thing to consider, Zacharel said. Amun fought to reach her, and all of my warriors were needed to subdue him. If you hurt her, I think he will object. And if he objects, I think many in this household will be injured. But again, I give the choice to you.
How magnanimous of him, Strider thought dryly. Zacharel had a gift for ripping your rationale apart with only a few words. ButTorin couldnt force the issue now.
Still. Prick that he was, Strider wasnt exactly ready to back down yet, no matter that he was getting what hed originally wanted. Zacharel irritated him, and part of him hoped to irritate the guy right back. At least garner some kind of reaction.
If we decided we wanted it done, would you be the one to do the breaking?
Of course, Zacharel said easily.
Strider blinked at him. Not the answer hed expected. Feet shuffling, maybe. A little waffling, for sure. But youre an angel. Arent you supposed to be defenders of humanity or something?
She is not exactly human.
Then what is she? The question whipped from him, his eagerness to know unparalleled.
I do not have permission to tell you.
The eagerness deflated like a balloon, and Strider gnawed the inside of his cheek to keep himself from snarling. When Lysander finally crawled his way out of wild Biankas bed, Strider was going to have a long chat with him. He suspected daggers would be used between every word.
We wont damage her, Strider finally said. And I have a few conditions. I have to be the one to escort her to Amun. Just as soon as he could walk. He didnt like the thought of anyone else putting their hands on her. She wasnot his. Also, I want a camera in the room. The words emerged harder, harsher. Well monitor what goes on twenty-five, eight.
Torin nodded, his expression half satisfied, half steeped in guilt. Ill have them placed and recording within the hour.
There were cameras strategically hidden throughout the entire fortress just in case Hunters snuck past their gate and traps, but not in any of the bedrooms. Theyd all agreed. If the enemy could bypass everything else and enter one of the rooms, the Lords deserved to die. Privacy was that important.
If Amun ever regained his senses completely, hed be pissed as hell about the new cameras. But better his fury than his murder.
Zacharel straightened from the post. Ill inform my men of what is to transpire. With that, he turned with the fluid grace of a dancer and strode from the room.
A dancer? Seriously?
Striders cheeks heated a whole hell of a lot more than before.
When Torin made no comment about his blush, he relaxed against his pillows. As a sigh left him, he realized how tense hed been in the angels presence. Now he scanned the bedroom, allowing the familiarity of his surroundings to comfort him further. His weapon collection decorated the walls, everything from ancient swords to modern-day firearms.
Only thing hanging on the wall that wasnt a weapon was the portrait just over the bed. No. Not true, he thought then. The portrait was a weapon, too. Of seduction. In it, Strider was utterly naked and whisking through the clouds like an avenging angel. He was holding a teddy bear in one hand and a stream of pink ribbons in the other.
Anya had given him the nearly life-size monstrosity as a joke. But the joke was on her. He loved the damn thing.
Where are the others? he finally asked. The other day you told me they were out and about, but not where exactly. Or why. Ive had a little time to think this through, and I realized they dont need to keep the artifacts out of the fortress anymore. The Hunters arent swarming us like before. Word on the street is they vanished, which is bizarre, but Cronus says not to worryand yeah, I talked to him, he just popped in the other day for no apparent reasonso Im not worried. Which means you arent, either. Which means the boyz are away for a different reason. Right?
Torins sigh was an echo of his. Its just too dangerous around here, what with the angels being demon assassins and Amun visiting the dark side. Aeron, Olivia, Legion, William and Gilly are the only ones still here. Not because I need help, but because theyre too weak to leave. And well, Aeron has taken the blame for Amuns condition and refuses to leave him. Not that youve paid any of them a visit, you slacker.
Gods, he was, wasnt he? Thank you for shoving me down the shame spiral. How are they?
The guys are still recovering from Hell Week, and the girls are taking care of them. Well, except for Legion. She refuses to get out of bed.
Aeron must be worried about her, too. Strider really should have checked on him. On all of them. Im a self-absorbed prick.
The rest of the crew is spread out, Torin said, and I no longer have their locations. I told them not to tell me anymore, to just check in at least once a day so Id know they were alive.
Why dont you want to know where they are?
With the little Hunter here, the less I know about them, the better.
True. So, any news? Gossip?
You want gossip, youve come to the right place, my man. Some of the tension drained from Torins features as well, and he rubbed his hands together. Ashlyns pregnant.
He rolled his eyes. I know, moron.
Yeah, but did she know shes carrying twins?
No shit?
No shit. A boy and a girl. Fire and ice, Olivia said. Olivia, the angel. She wasnt like the assassins currently living here, but a joy-bringer. Aerons joy-bringer, in fact, and the girl did her job well. The somber bastard had never been sosmiley, for lack of a better word. It was straight up weird. Can you imagine twin demon hellions running around this place?
No. Strider had never spent any time with kids and wouldnt even know how to hold one. Or what to say to one. Or what to do when one vomited on his favorite sword. But damn if he didnt get a kick out of imagining his friends struggling to cope.
Oh, and get this. Gideon married Scarlet, the keeper of Nightmares.
Youre kidding. Fickle Gideon? Married? Scarlet was gorgeous, yeah, and feisty as hell. Powerful, too. And Gideon had been a tad bit obsessed with her when shed been locked in their dungeon. But marriage?
Everyone in the fortress had lost IQ points, it seemed.
He couldnt have waited until I got back to sign on for double occupancy? Strider mumbled. What a great friend.
No one was invited to the ceremony, if you catch my meaning.
Well, the decision to get hitched is gonna give him nightmares. Strider snickered. Get it? Nightmares?
Har, har. Youre a borderline fucktard, you know that?
Hey, Im not going to apologize for being on my A game. Why dont you step up to the plate and join me, Junior League?
Torin ignored him. Its weird, dont you think? Two demons hooking up?
Strider peered at him, blinked. I cant believe you just said that.
Why?
One wordCameo. And you. Okay, so three words.
Torin snapped his teeth at him. Whatever. We were talking about Scarlet. Which brings me to more gossip. Turns out shes the only daughter ofwait for it Rhea.
What? Rhea? And he hadnt known? Strider had been way more self-involved than hed realized. Rhea was queen of the gods, the estranged wife of Cronus, and the bitch helping Galen, keeper of the demon of Hopeand an all around assholeleader of the Hunters. Howd Gideon take the news?
Well, he tried to kill his mother-in-law.
Sweet. But such romantic gestures aside, our boys have gotta start picking their significant others with more care. Gwen is Galens only kid, Scarlet is Rheas. Whats next? A Hunter? A participant in Badens killer?
Yes, he was a fucktard.
Ill tell you whats next, Torin said. Lucifers brother.
Come again.
Did no one tell you? William is related to Lucifer. And Lucifer is the devil, in case you didnt know.
Come again.
The corners of Torins lips quirked with amusement. I know. Whacked out as hell, but kind of fitting.
He wouldnt ask again. He wouldnt. How? Damn! The question escaped before he could stop it.
Dont know. William refused to spill. Needless to say, things have been pretty festive around here. So, anyway. Youre back, and youre kind of healthy, so I can ask the question Ive been holding in for three days. Where the hell is the Cloak of Invisibility? I looked through your stuff, your room, but couldnt find it.
Oh, shit. Now it was his turn to drop a news bomb. About that
CHAPTER EIGHT
HAIDEE PROWLED THE CONFINES of her cell.
She had no idea how much time had passed since shed been pushed inside. She was alone. Food and water had been brought to her only once. The fruits and nuts and crisp, clean water had somehow curbed her hunger completely, strengthening her in a way she couldnt explain.
Oh, and the food had been delivered by an angela freaking angel living in a demons den. That still had her reeling. But she now knew beyond a doubt she was in the Budapest fortress. As theyd dragged her down here, shed spotted wear and tear from a recent bombing. A bombing she hadnt been involved in, but one shed heard all about.
Enough time had passed for MicahAmun, Defeat had called himto have suffered countless fates. Torture, relocation, even death. The thought of each had sent her into a near hysteric state. Shed clawed the walls until she had no nails left. Shed beaten the bars until her knuckles had cracked and swelled. Shed screamed for answers until her voice had fractured.
Now, in the silence, all she could do was think, one sentence echoing over and over again. Defeat had called him Amun. Was he Amun, a Lord? Or was he Micah, a Hunter?
Hed known her, shouted for her help. That had to mean he was Micah. But, on the flip side, he hadnt known anything else about her. Not their history, not their purpose. That had to mean he was Amun.
Argh! The back-and-forth, was he or wasnt he, was driving her as crazy as her confinement. Could he be a mix of both? Amuns demon stuffed into Micahs body? Because really, two men couldnt look that much alike. Could they?
No matter the answers, she wasnt leaving without him. Even though, deep down, a part of her suspected the worst. That two men could easily look alikeespecially if powers beyond a humans comprehension were involved. That he was Amun, that hed always been Amun. That Micah was someone else completely, out there somewhere, still searching for her, and she was simply trying to convince herself otherwise so she wouldnt feel guilty.
That kisssomething else she couldnt get out of her mind. Micah had never kissed her like that. Fiery, consuming. Necessary.
Despite the danger they had been inwere inshe would have allowed him to strip and penetrate her. She would have met him thrust for wild thrust, taking, giving, claiming. She would have clung to him, desperate for more, for everything.
Hell, she would have crawled inside him if she could have. Shed wanted them fused, never able to part. How crazy was that? A kiss had never affected her like that. Never. A man had never affected her like that.
Always before, she had remained detached. From everyone. Maybe because shed known the people around her would die, while she would continue on, eternally brought back from the grave. Maybe because there was darkness inside her. So much darkness. A living entity, as real as the ice that flowed through her veins, a presence in the back of her mind, muted but always there, urging her to despise people, places, life, death. Anything, everything.
For the first time, she hadnt had to fight to feel or garner affection. She had looked at Amun
Thats how you think of him now? Amun?
Yes, she realized. Somehow he was Amun to her now. Micah didnt fit those fuller lips and wider shoulders. So, she had looked at Amun, and sensual awareness had sizzled inside her. Connecting them. She had heard his voice inside her head, and that sensual awareness had deepened.
And if he really was Amun, not Micah, she should feel guilty about what had happened between them. She should be horrified that shed succumbed to her enemy. Should be devastated that shed let him give her more than an explosive kiss; shed let him lick between her legs, and she had loved it. Had been begging for more.
Guilt and horror were not what she felt, however. Well, not completely. She felt them, but she was still consumed by desire.
Forgetting the fact that Amun was the enemy, she wasnt a cheater. And yet, had he walked through her cell, she felt pretty certain she would have thrown herself into his arms.
She scrubbed a shaky hand down her face. What was happening to her common sense? Her well-honed self-preservation instincts?
Micah was the first boyfriend shed allowed herself in centuries, and only because she had dreamed of him first. But she hadnt needed him, hadnt been lost without him. She paused and peered down at her tattooed arm. At his name, branded so deeply into her flesh. M-i-c-a-h. She traced the letters with a scabbed fingertip. There was no leap in her pulse, no hum of desire.