Kaia giggled like a schoolgirl. Dont act surprised by our insistence that she remain here. Paris told me what you said to Cronus the other night on that rooftop. Send me a woman who will deny me, she mocked.
Oh, really? When did you and Paris have time for a heart-to-heart? William asked as he buttered a blueberry muffin.
Kaia shrugged, her focus remaining on Aeron. A couple nights ago, I was looking for a little fun, and he was looking a little weak. Another shrug. He was feeling chatty afterward.
Paris merely nodded in confirmation. Every time Olivia had seen the keeper of Promiscuity, hed appeared sad. Just then, he looked almosthappy, if a little tired. That must have been some chat.
But I offered you a place in my bed, William whined to the Harpy.
Bed? Oh. Oh. Kaia and Paris had apparently accomplished more than talking during that heart-to-heart.
You suck at Guitar Hero, so I figure youre bad with your hands. Besides, someone else we all know and love has staked prior claim on you.
Who? Olivia asked before she could stop herself.
Kaia ignored her, continuing on. Therefore, I picked Paris to keep me warm the other night. And I cant wait to give Bianka the down-and-dirty details.
Oh, no. No, no, no. You cant kiss and tell, Paris sputtered.
The Harpy smiled lazily, evilly. Just watch me. Any-hoodles. You want your little demon to return, Aeron-bo-barren, youll have to go into town and play with her there. The angel stays.
The heat of Aerons breath was like fire on the back of Olivias neck. This. Is. My. Home.
Not anymore.
Kaia and William had spoken in unison. They shared a smile, though William still looked sulky over Kaias choice of bedmates.
Yeah, Olivia said, chin lifting yet another notch. Not anymore. She wanted Aeron here with her, yes, but he apparently needed time away to reflect on how lucky he actually was to have her.
That wasnt egotistical of her, she told herself. Truth was never egotistical. Besides, it shouldnt take him more than a few hours to realize just how much he needed her and wanted to be with her. He was smart. For the most part.
Please, let him want to be with me.
Once more Aerons hands settled on her waist. This time, he squeezed hard enough to make her gasp. Do you know where Pandoras box is, Olivia?
Of course hed ask the one question she didnt have an answer for. Welluhno.
Do you know where the Cloak of Invisibility and the Paring Rod are being held?
Okay. Two questions. No, she admitted softly. What she did know was that the Lords had found two of Cronuss artifacts: the Cage of Compulsion and the All-Seeing Eye. What they lacked, as Aeron had mentioned, was the Cloak of Invisibility and the Paring Rod. As the One True Deity had no use for such relics, her kind had never searched for them.
Aeron lifted her to her feet and released her. Olivia had to grip the table to keep from toppling over. She also had to press her lips together to keep from moaning in disappointment. Touch me.
Still want her here? he asked the others, emotionless. Her, rather than me?
One by one, they nodded. Unrepentant.
Fine. He ran his tongue over his teeth. Shes yours. Get what information you can from her. As suggested, Ill be in town. Someone text me when shes gone. Only then will I return.
CHAPTER SIX
THERE WAS A CONSPIRACY to drive him mad, Aeron thought darkly.
First, his friends had kicked him out. Second, his demon had screamed at him to stay. To stay. With Olivia. A being Wrath should despise. A being Aeron should despise. Instead, he understood his demons dilemma.
She was enchanting.
This morning, when hed woken up and realized she was fully healed, the desire hed denied only a few days ago had sparked to life. Ever since, it had refused to fade. Shed fallen to the floor, robe bunched at her waist, and her pantiesshit, her panties. Too white, too pure. Made a man want to rip them apart with his teeth and dirty the wearer up a bit. Hed wanted to tear her robe away, too, and devour her.
Somehow, some way, hed managed to stop himself.
Maybe because hed realizedand reminded himself, over and over againthat Lysander had been the voice hed heard the day before. That Lysander had been the one to heal Olivia, the one who wanted her happy and whole.
Unsoiled, he muttered.
And Lysander would be a terrible enemy to have.
The Lords could fight Hunters, yes. But Hunters and an angelic army? Hardly.
So Aeron had finally gotten himself under enough control to leave the bed without falling on top of Olivia in a desperate rush to touch and taste her. Hed finally convinced himself to get rid of her. Hed finally, blessedly forgotten there was a throbbing erection between his legs while she wiggled on his lap and made love to her food.
Only to have Wrath insist on more.
I liked you better when you were merely a presence. An urge, he told the demon now.
A snort was the only reply. At least there was no more of the demons pleading. Wrath had only quieted a few minutes ago, when realizing what Aeron planned.
Aeron scrubbed his face so hard his calluses scratched his cheeks. He was in Gillys apartment in town. A spacious three-bedroom on the wealthier side. Gilly was a young friend of Danikas who now lived in Budapest. Torin, their first line of defense at the fortress, had loaded her apartment with state-of-the-art security, just in case Hunters ever discovered her connection to the Lords. Even though she was fully human and as innocent as a person could bea miracle in and of itself, given what Danika had told the Lords about Gillys troubled childhoodthose bastards wouldnt hesitate to hurt her.
She was currently at schoolhigh school, that isand undoubtedly happy for the distance between them. She still wasnt comfortable around him. Understandable. Though Gilly was only seventeen, shed seen the dark side of man and had been on her own for years. Theyd offered her a room at the fortress, but shed desired a place of her own. Good thing, too. Now Aeron wouldnt have to roam aimlessly until dark; he could summon Legion at last.
He stood in the center of the living room, the couches and chairs pushed back to make space for the circle of salt and sugar hed sprinkled just in front of him. He was going to summon her in a way she couldnt ignore.
He splayed his arms and said, Legion, Quinientos Dieciséis of the Croisé Sombres of Neid and Notpeбhocil, just as Legion had taught him. It was her name, number, and title in a mix of different languages. Legion, Number Five Hundred and Sixteen of the Dark Crusaders of Envy and Need. If he didnt say it all, he could accidentally summon someone else. I command you to appear before me. Now.
There was no flashing light as Cronus liked to employ when materializing, nor did time stop. One minute Aeron was alone, the next Legion was inside the circle. Simple, easy.
She collapsed to the floor, panting, sweat glistening on her scales.
Legion. He bent down and scooped her up, careful not to let a single grain of salt or sugar touch her. It would burn, shed told him.
Wrath purred, happy again.
Immediately Legion snuggled into his arms. Aeron. My Aeron.
The action reminded him of Olivia. Sweet, beautiful Olivia, who was now with Kaia, a demented Harpy with a warped sense of humor, and Cameo, a ruthless killer with a tragic voice. Hed leave William and Paris, two unabashed sex addicts, out of the equation. Because if he didnt, he would destroy Gillys apartment in a fit of rage. Rage, not jealousy, just to be clear. If they messed with the angel, theyd be inviting Lysanders wrathand it was that prospect, not the thought of Olivia being attracted to one of his friends, that infuriated him. Of course.
Gillys wall would look better with a few holes, he thought then. Hed be doing the girl a favor, helping her decorate.
Plus, as leery as Olivia was with othersanyone but himself, that was, not that he was proud about thatshe might not be faring well. Even now she could be hiding, crying, praying for his return.
Surely Gillys couch would be more comfortable if it were sawed in two.
Harden your heart, as you so unflinchingly told Paris you could do. Olivias state of mind didnt matter. Her tears didnt matter. They couldnt. Actually, they would help. She would leave the fortress that much faster.
Legion was the most important thing to him. The child hed secretly wanted but had never been able to have. Not just because hed never committed to a woman, but because he knew how weak babies could be. Becoming a father, something hed never had himself, hadnt been worth the agony of watching his own child wither and die.
With Legion, he didnt have to worry. She would live forever.
Whats wrong, precious girl? he asked, carrying her to the couch and falling into its cushions. The scent of sulfur clung to her, and Wrath sighed, clearly homesick. Once his demon had hated that aroma. But now that the fiend knew the horrors of Pandoras box, hell seemed like Paradise.
They chassse me. She rubbed her cheek against his pectoral, abrading skin, and purred. Almost got me thisss time.
Her forked tongue always caught on and prolonged her Ss, something he found endearing. When hed first met her, shed even spoken like a baby, using the wrong tenses and pronouns. At her request, theyd been working on her grammar, and he was very proud of her progress.
Youre here now. Youre safe. He rubbed the two little horns atop her head, knowing how sensitive they were and how much she liked it. You dont have to go back.
Angel dead?
Not exactly, he said, sidestepping the question for the moment.
They sat like that, silent, for several minutes, while she fought for control of her breathing. Finally, she calmed and the burning heat of her scales cooled. She sat up and that red gaze looked around.
Thisss isssnt home, she said, confused.
Aeron scanned their surroundings, trying to see the place as she must. Furniture in a rainbow of colors: red, blue, green, purple and pink. A wood floor draped with a floral-print rug. Walls dripping with different-sized portraits of the heavens, gifts from Danika.
Were in Gillys apartment.
Pretty, she said, the awe in her voice unmistakable.
Her sense of femininity had ceased surprising him. When he moved back to the fortress, he would give her a room of her own. A room she could decorate as she wished. He wasnt sure how much more pink he could stand in his own.
Im glad you like it. We might be here awhile.
What? Her awe was replaced by fury as she faced him. Youre living with Gilly now? Isss ssshe Doesss ssshe love you?
No.
Slowly she relaxed. Okay, then, but I wanna go home now. I missss it.
Me, too. We cant. The angel is there.
Legion stiffened, fury returning. Why isss ssshe there and not usss?
Excellent question. Shes going to help the others with the Hunters.
No. No. I help with Huntersss.
I know, I know. She might be little, but she was fierce. And killing was a game to her. But shed endured so much strife in her life that Aeron desired only peace for her now. He didnt want to drag her into yet another battle. He wouldnt.
She meant too much to him.
We can be alone here, he said.
Fine. Again, she relaxed against him. Well stay, but I will help more than her.
Or Olivia would lose her head. Warning received. Time to distract his little darling. Want to play a game?
Jumping up, grinning, she wound herself around his neck, slithering like a snake. Yesss, yesss, yesss.
Always ready to play, his Legion. Despite her improved speech, she hadnt lost her childlike needs. Pick something. Whatever you want. He reached up to pet her, and his gaze fell to his arm. There was a single patch of bare skin on his wrist. He should have a snake tattooed there, to remind him of Legion. A tattoo to remind him of the good in his life, rather than the bad.
Yes, he liked that idea.
I want to playClothes Optional.
Also known as Shred Everything Aeron Wore. Maybe pick something else. What about Beauty Shop, like we played a week ago? You can paint my nails.
Yeah! Legion clapped, her excitement palpable. Ill go get Gillyssss polisssh. Off she raced, disappearing around the corner.
Gillys room is the last one on the right, he called. He would spend an hour or two indulging her and then he would patrol the city for any sign of Hunters, as well as Shadow Girl. After what Legion had endured in hell, he owed her a little recreation, damn his duties.
Owed. The single word blasted through his head, and he cursed. He also owed Paris.
Even though hed claimed he wouldnt return to the fortress until Olivia was gone, he had to take care of Paris. That wasnt a duty he would relinquish for any reason, yet hed already allowed Lucien to see to Pariss needs for the last three days. He sighed, disappointed in himself. Just because Lucien had taken the warrior into town didnt mean Paris had picked anyone.
And while Paris might have slept with Kaia the other night, the strength hed derived from it wouldnt last long. Despite his smiles, hed looked fatigued at breakfast. As Aeron had learned, fatigue was the first sign of trouble.
Aeron was willing to bet the warrior hadnt been with anyone since Kaia. And that just wouldnt do.
Legion skipped back into the living room, holding a plastic purple case and grinning widely. Your nails will look like rainbowsss when Im done.
Rainbow. He supposed that was better than the bright pink flares shed made them last time. Im sorry, baby, but our game will have to wait. I need to go back to the fortress and take care of something, which means I need you to stay here.
The case fell to the floor with a crash. No!
I wont be gone long.
No! You ssssumoned me. You sssaid youd play.
But if Gilly returns before I do, he continued, as if she hadnt spoken, please, please, please dont try and play with her. All right? The human wouldnt survive. I just have to grab something. Or rather, someone. Be a good girl and wait for me.