Legion stalked to him. She flattened her hands on his chest, her claws slicing past his skin, drawing beads of blood. Ill go, too.
You cant, baby. Remember? He reached up and scratched her behind the ears. The angel is there. Shes lost her wings and is now visible, but that doesnt make her any less dangerous to you. She
The little demon jumped up and perched in his lap, staring up at him. Already big eyes widened. Ssshe doesssnt have wingsss no more?
No. She doesnt.
Ssshesss fallen, then?
Yes.
Once again, Legion clapped happily. I heard an angel had fallen, but I didnt know it wasss her. I could have helped them hurt her! But I can fix that. I can snatch my home from her now. I can kill her.
No, he said, more fiercely than hed intended.
Even Wrath reacted fiercely, growling inside his head, snapping at Legion for the first time.
Because his demon wanted to be the one to destroy the angel? No. Aeron shook his head. That made no sense, considering Wraths earlier desire for more. Perhaps the demon didnt want her destroyed by anyone. A suspicion that still made no sense, but was a better fit.
Why did the demon like her?
Later. Aeron cupped Legions chin and forced her to keep her attention on him so that he would know she was not already daydreaming about the killing. Focus on me, baby. Good. Now. You cant hurt the angel.
Legion blinked up at him. I can! Im ssstrong enough, I promissse.
I know you can, but I dont want you to. She was supposed to hurt me but didnt. Instead, shed given up everything for him.
Why? he wondered for the thousandth time. What kind of person did that? Hed scoffed at her earlier when shed reminded him of her sacrifice, but truly, he was fascinated and confused. And humbled.
She didnt know him. Or maybe she did, since shed followed him for weeksbut that made her decision all the more bizarre. More than that, he wasnt worth saving. Not to an angel, all that was good and right and perfect. And certainly not to a woman whom he would never allow himself to have.
Ssso? Legion persisted.
So. In return, were going to be nice to her.
What? No! No, no, no. If shed been standing, she would have been stomping her feet. I can hurt her if I want.
Legion, he said, using his most authoritative tone. This isnt a negotiation. You will leave her alone. Promise me.
Scowling, she sprang from his lap and paced the length of carpet in front of him. You only want me to be nice to your friendsss. Ssso ssshe hasss to be your friend. But you cant be friendsss with a disssgusssting angel.
The words didnt seem to be directed at him, so he didnt reply. He let her continue to rant, hopefully getting it out of her system.
Isss ssshe pretty? I bet ssshesss pretty.
Again, Aeron remained silent. Legion, he knew, was protective of him and liked to be the center of his world. As was not uncommon among children of single fathers, she didnt like him turning his attentions elsewhere.
You like her, she accused.
Finally he spoke up. No. I dont. But even he could detect the uncertainty in his voice. Hed liked holding Olivia in his arms the last few nights. Liked it way too much. Hed liked her sitting in his lap at breakfast. Hed liked having her wild-sky scent in his nose. Hed liked the softness of her skin and the purity of her eyes. Hed liked her gentleness and her determination.
Hed liked the way shed looked at him, as if he were part savior, part temptation.
You like her, Legion repeated, and this time there was so much fury in her words, they nearly scorched his skin.
Legion, he said. Even if I like another woman, that doesnt mean Ill love you any less. You are my baby, and that will never change.
Poison dripped from her too-sharp teethteeth she bared in a snarl. Im not a baby! And you cant like her. You jussst cant. Ill kill her. Ill kill her right now! With that, Legion disappeared.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Olivia twirled clumsily in front of the full-length mirror, taking in the knee-high black boots, the so-short-it-barely-covered-her-bottom skirt and the cerulean-blue tank top she wore. The matching blue thong she had shimmied into even came up over the waist of the skirt. Talk about naugh-ty. Shed never revealed this much skin before. Not even to herself. Thered never been a need.
Shed asked for this, however. Make me beautiful, shed said to Kaia the moment Aeron had stomped from the fortress.
Oh, goodie! A slut-it-up makeover, the Harpy had responded.
The other two warriors, William and Paris, had groaned. Paris had even sung, Boor-ring, under his breath before leaving. William had tried to stick around to help, but Kaia had threatened to use his balls as earrings.
After that the Harpy had eyed Olivia with amusement. You want Aeron to realize his mistake, huh?
Yes, please. More than that, shed wanted to shed her angelic image completely. Once and for all. Shed thought, by removing her robe, she could remove her fear and uncertainty, too. Shed thought, by donning the slut-gear, she could also cloak herself in confidence and aggression.
And as she spun a second time for a look at her backside, she realized shed been right. Well, she realized she was right after her dizziness faded. Thankfully she was getting used to her legskind ofand managed to remain upright.
I love it, she said, grinning. She looked like a new person. She even looked human. But most of all, she looked radiant, and seeing that radiance was like swimming in a pool of power.
Im strong. Im beautiful.
What would Aeron think? In all the time shed watched him, shed never seen him pay any specific female attentionbesides herself, the past few nights and this morning. So she wasnt sure what kind of woman attracted him.
And it was better that way, she supposed. She couldnt pretend to be something she wasnt. Otherwise shed still be in the heavens. So he would have to like her for herself. Which was what she wanted most. If he couldnt do so, well, he wasnt worth her time anyway.
Hell like you. How could he not?
Confidence was nice.
Those are make-a-man-beg clothes for sure, Kaia replied. The redhead had spent the last hour rifling through her closet to dress Olivia exactly right. I stole them from a little place in town.
Wait. These garments havent been paid for?
Thats right.
Really? Why did she suddenly feel sexier? Olivia wondered. Was she becoming as bad as the demons? Maybe shed send the shop a little money. You dont have any money. Maybe shed send the shop some of Aerons money.
Now sit, Kaia commanded, motioning to the chair in front of the vanity mirror with a tilt of her chin.
Cameo moaned. Youre not done yet? She sat upon the bed, waiting (im)patiently for the slut-it-up session to end. I have so many questions.
Kaia shrugged. Ask her while I do her makeup.
Olivia perched on the plush cushion as commanded and Kaia crouched in front of her. The Harpy had already palmed an eye-shadow brush and a case of azure powder. Never having worn makeup before, she wasnt sure how she felt about that much color, but she didnt complain. This was one of the reasons she was here, after all. To experience everything the world had to offer.
Close your eyes, Kaia said. When she complied, the brush began to dance gently over her lids. Youre up, Cameo.
No other prompting was needed. You said you know where some of the demon-possessed immortals are staying, Cameo said, getting down to business.
Yes. Again, no lightning struck and no angelic army swooped in.
Aeron met a girl the night he saved you. She was surrounded by screaming shadows, whatever that means. Do you know her?
Olivia was nodding before she could stop herself.
Be still, Kaia told her. Now I have to fix your eye. It looks like I hit you. While I like that look, I dont think Aeron will.
Sorry. She straightened her spine, keeping her chin immobile. That was Scarlet, daughter of Rhea. Oh, and if you dont know, Rhea is the self-proclaimed mother to all the earth and embittered wife of Cronus.
What? Cameo gasped out. Shadow Girls a daughter of the gods? And not just any gods, but the king and queen of the Titans?
Well, one god. Cronus isnt her father. Rhea spent forbidden time with a Myrmidon warrior when she and Cronus first began warring with each other.
Why were they warring? Kaia asked. I feel like I should know the answer, but I never kept up with heavenly politics.
Easy enough to explain. Cronus planned to lock their children, the Greeks, in Tartarus because his old All-Seeing Eye had predicted they would usurp his power. Rhea merely wanted them banished to earth. But he locked them away, anyway.
Cameo muttered a quick hmm before saying, So this Scarlet was conceivedwhen?
Such a sad voiceOlivias heart actually bled, hurting more intently with every word the female spoke. Rhea had her affair as she deliberated ways to help the Greeks escape Tartarus and overthrow Cronus. Her lover even helped her enact that plan, and died for his efforts. However, the Greeks were ultimately freed. Rhea expected to continue ruling, but Zeus feared she would later aid Cronus and locked her away right alongside his father. Scarlet was born and raised inside the prison.
As shed spoken, brush, sponge and stick had been used on her face, one after the other. Nervousness bloomed, burning her stomach. She prayed she wouldnt resemble a clown when Kaia finished.
So this Scarlet is possessed byShadows? Cameo asked. Darkness? If so, Im not sure how either one can be considered evil. They seem like gifts rather than curses. To always be able to hideto strike your enemy without being seen
Youre thinking in terms of absolutes, Olivia explained. Your demon, Misery, isnt necessarily a curse, either, for without pain there couldnt be pleasure. Think about it. Everyone must experience the dark emotions on some level to appreciate what they have. Your demon is simply the extreme of the emotion. As is the case with the other Lords. And with Scarlet. But the demon she carries is neither darkness nor shadows. What she has inside her is Nightmares.
Okay, wow, Kaia said. And I thought the guys here were lucky. That has to be, like, the coolest demon ever.
Nightmares? Cool? Hardly. The darkness Scarlet summons is a complete absence of light. Its an abyss within her, a never-ending pit of gloom. And inside that gloom lie the very things humans fear most.
There was a rustle of clothing and she pictured Cameo shifting on the bed, leaning closer to her. How do you know so much about this?
Ive encountered many demons over the centuries. As a former bringer of joy, I saw how and why demonic influence ruined human lives.
Ohhh, cool. So what did you do with those demons? Kaia asked. Start with how you kicked ass and end with mopping up the blood.
Adorable Harpy, to view her as so strong. I didnt fight them myself. If my presence alone failed to send them fleeing, I would have to summon a warrior angel to dispatch them.
Lets backtrack a minute, Cameo said. That kind of experience wouldnt tell you where Scarlet was and what she could do.
Busted. Olivias cheeks heated. Ive been watching Aeron for a while and knew he wished to meet the others of his kind. I made sure to study those nearbythe closest of whom just happened to be Scarlet. There are a few others also scattered about, but most are hiding around the world.
Interesting. Are they
Nope. My turn to ask a question, Kaia interjected. So is this Scarlet a good guy or a bad guy?
Olivia pondered her answer. I suppose that depends on your definition of good and bad. She was raised in a prison, surrounded by criminals. Thats all she knew before being paired with her demon and later cast to Earth. Everything shes done, shes done to survive.
As have we, Cameo muttered.
Which wasnt true for Olivia. Everything shed recently done, shed done to suit her own needs. She should feel guilty about that, she thought, butshe didnt. In discovering the path to her happiness, she just might discover Aerons, as well.
No just might about it, her newfound confidence piped up.
Finally Kaia finished applying the makeup, the brush strokes ceasing. The Harpy clapped her hands and whistled. All done, and damn, Im good.
Slowly, Olivia cracked open her eyelids. The moment she found the mirror, she gasped. And shed thought herself radiant before The blue shadow complemented the color of her eyes, making them appear electric. The black mascara added so much length to her lashes, they nearly reached her brows, offering the perfect frame. The rosy blush on her cheeks gave her a just-roused-from-bed glow, and the bloodred lipstick gave her lips a kiss-me glaze.
No need to offer your firstborn in thanks, Kaia said. I only accept cash. Now, if youd like, we can go into town, find Anya, cause I think shes still there, grab a beer and a man and continue your miseducation.
Still entranced, Olivia reached up and grazed a fingertip over the half ring of black under her eyes. They were smoky, sultry. Perfect.
Try to resist me now, Aeron, she thought. I dare you.
Confidence was more than nice. Confidence was soul-changing.
You cant leave, Cameo protested. Im not done with my questions.
Kaia rolled her eyes. So ask them in town while were drinking ourselves into a stupor. Im thirsty, and Anya will decapitate us if we fail to include her.
You have an answer for everything, the female Lord grumbled.
I know, right? Isnt it wonderful?
Hardly.
As the two bantered back and forth, Olivia next traced her lips. Soon she would know the feel of Aerons. Again, no might about it. He wouldnt be able to resist her. She could barely resist herself. Would his lips be hard or soft? Would they plunder or be gentle? Didnt matter, really. She would finally taste him, and thats what she craved most.
Isss thisss her? Isss thisss the one? Well, guesss what? You will die, angel, a new voice suddenly proclaimed, and there was enough hate in that voice to slay an army.