“Interesting,” Roth murmured in a way that told me he thought the exact opposite. “But I’m more interested to learn why Zayne needs our help?”
“The community was attacked last night and someone...close to Trinity was taken by a demon I recognized. An Upper Level that I’ve seen in DC,” Zayne explained. “We need to find him, and it’s very possible that the demon came back here.”
Roth leaned back, resting an ankle in his knee. “And this someone who is close to Trinity is a Warden?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“Why do you think this someone is still alive?” Roth asked, tugging on Layla’s hair. “With the exception of pretty half Wardens, demons don’t usually keep captives alive.”
“I know he’s alive,” I said. “He’s my bonded Protector. I’d know if he were dead, and he’s not.”
“Bonded protector?” Layla mumbled to herself.
“So, that is true?” Roth wiggled his foot. “Trueborns were bonded to Wardens?”
I nodded.
“And if he’s still alive, then there’s probably a reason,” Cayman spoke up, coming to stand behind Roth and Layla. “And it’s not a good reason. They’ll be—”
“Using him to either get information on the community or to draw me out, if they know what he is and what I am,” I interrupted. “I know, but we don’t know if this demon knows what I am.”
“I think we can safely assume he does, if he went into a community of Wardens and only took your Protector,” Cayman said.
Roth raised his hand. “Since we’re doing the hand-raising thing...” He winked at me. “I have a question. How did a demon get into this community and manage to escape with its life and a Warden—a bonded Protector?”
Good question, and Zayne took over, explaining what happened, including the earlier Raver attack, the humans with the creepy masks and the Nightcrawlers. The only thing left out was Clay’s attack on me.
While he talked, still leaning against the wall, arms crossed, I realized that while he was in the room, he didn’t want to be part of this group.
“If humans were working with this demon, there’s a good possibility they’re possessed,” Layla said, glancing at Zayne. “We’ve seen that happen. You get a demon talented in possession, and they can create a nice little army.”
I hadn’t considered that and now I felt silly for not thinking of it.
“What else do you know?” Roth asked.
“Trinity was also attacked while I was at the community,” Zayne answered.
Well, there went not sharing that.
Roth’s gaze sharped. “Pray tell, that also may be useful information.”
“A Warden attacked you?” Layla blinked rapidly.
I nodded.
“And what happened to this Warden?”
“He’s dead,” I said, suppressing the shudder. “I killed him.”
“Good girl.” Roth smiled his approval.
A shiver danced over my skin as I stared at him. Boy, wasn’t that smile unnerving?
“The earlier attack has to be related, because the Warden who went after Trinity was wearing the same kind of mask the humans wore during the invasion,” Zayne was saying. There was a pause. “There is one other thing.”
“What’s that?” Layla asked.
Zayne looked at me, and it took me a moment to figure out what he was referencing. Tension crept into my muscles. “It’s not related to that,” I told him. “Not at all.”
“What isn’t?” Layla asked.
Pressing my lips together, I shook my head. Never in my life had I expected to explain what had happened to my mother to demons, but here I was. “My mother was killed about a year ago by a Warden we trusted.”
“Oh my God.” Layla pressed her hand to the center of the black shirt she wore. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, clasping my hands over my knees.
“And why are you sure that’s not related?” Zayne asked quietly.
“Because the Warden who killed my mother tried to kill me, because he...he believed I was an abomination,” I said, staring down at my fingers. “That I was threat against Wardens, more so than any demon. He caught us off guard, and my mom—she was really brave. She got between us and that... Yeah, that was it.”
“Jesus,” Zayne said.
“Yeah, so it doesn’t have to do with that.” Drawing in a shallow breath, I lifted my gaze to the demons across from me. “Misha is more than my Protector. He’s like my brother. We were raised together, and even though we annoy the living crap out of one another, I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to him.”
A sad smile tugged at Layla’s lips as she glanced from me to Zayne. “I know how that feels.”
Didn’t take a genius to figure out she was talking about Zayne, and these two had obviously had a major falling-out. Was it over her taking a part of his soul? That would do it. Or was it more? I looked at Roth. Did it have to do with him?
“I see,” Roth said, and I had no idea what he saw. He looked over his shoulder at Cayman. “Do you happen to know who this demon is?”
“Bael,” Zayne answered.
“Hell,” Roth muttered as Layla seemed to pale. “He’s back in town?”
“Well, I’m thinking so. He was running around the city for a while, and it was definitely him who took Misha.”
“You know Bael?” I asked.
“Why, yes. All of us demons are friends on Facebook,” Roth replied, and my eyes narrowed. He grinned. “I know him, and I don’t like him.”
“The feeling is mutual,” Cayman added. “Bael has always been jealous of Roth.”
“Because I have better hair,” Roth explained.
I started to frown.
“Actually, because Roth’s always been the Boss’s favorite,” Cayman clarified, and I had a sinking suspicion the Boss was Lucifer, and I really had no idea what to say about that. “Well, was the Boss’s favorite. Not so much anymore.”
Roth nodded slowly. “That’s true, but if you’re right, and Bael has your Protector, that’s bad news.”
“I figured that out already,” I said.
The demon prince tipped forward. “No, I don’t think you do, Trinity. Bael is just not some Upper Level demon with a mean jealousy streak. He only comes out to play when the payoff is big. He wouldn’t just take a Warden for shits and giggles. He took your Warden, and if there was any doubt in your mind that he doesn’t know what you are, what your Warden is, erase that now. He took him to get to you, which means you should cut your losses and get as far away from here as possible.”
I sucked in a shrill breath. “Cut my losses? I can’t do that. I won’t do that.”
Roth tilted his head. “What do you think will happen if Bael gets his hands on you?”
“I know exactly what will happen,” I snapped. “I will kill him.”
His jaw hardened as he continued to stare at me and then he rocked back. He looked over his shoulder. “See what you can find out about Bael.”
“Of course.” Cayman turned back to Zayne and me. “Always good seeing you.” Then he looked at me. “You scare me.”
And then Cayman blinked out of existence.
Roth said, “Give him a couple days—”
“A couple days?” My breath caught as I scooted forward. “Misha may not have a couple days.”
“He may not,” Roth said. “But let’s try to stay positive here. We have to be smart about this. Demons like Bael aren’t stupid. We start carpet-bombing every dark corner in this city, and anyone who knows anything will become scarce.”
Pressing my lips together, I shook my head as I struggled with the rising frustration.
“We’ll find out where your Protector is,” Roth said. “I’m like the A-Team.”
&nbs
p; “Yeah, if A stood for asshole,” Zayne commented, and my eyes popped open wide.
“That was actually pretty funny.” Roth laughed as he rose and walked over to where the cookie dough was sitting. He handed it to Layla and then moved to stand in front of the fort.
One big question remained. “Why are you willing to help me?”
“Because I always wanted a Trueborn to owe me a favor.” Roth smiled.
I shuddered, thinking maybe I didn’t need to know why.
“And because Zayne brought you here,” Layla added. “That tells me you’re important to him.”
I opened my mouth, but I had no idea what to say about that. Peeking at Zayne, I couldn’t make out his expression.
“He’s helping me, because I promised to help them,” I said, watching Zayne. Still no reaction.
“Help them with what?” Layla asked, breaking off a piece of dough.
“You know there’s something in this city killing Wardens and Upper Level demons,” Zayne answered after a moment. “Whatever it is, it’s powerful, but I doubt it’s as powerful as a Trueborn.”
A weird sense of disappointment swept over me. I was the one who’d suggested that Zayne was only helping me because of the deal we’d made, but...I wanted him to deny that and say it was because we were friends.
But I wasn’t sure we were friends.
“Can we talk?” Layla asked, looking at Zayne. “Just for a moment?”
“Now’s not a good time,” he replied quickly. “We have to get going.”
“It’ll just take a couple minutes,” she said. “That’s all.”
“I don’t really have time.”
Layla leaned forward and opened her mouth, closed it and then tried again. “I haven’t seen you in months, Zayne. Months. I’ve called and I’ve texted, and you haven’t responded to me, and then you show up here, unannounced, with this.”
With this? The corners of my lips started to turn down. The way she said that made me feel like I was an STD—the kind you couldn’t get rid of.
“Layla,” Roth started.
“No.” She pointed the roll of cookie dough at Roth.
He lifted his hands in a quick surrender.
Layla shot to her feet and then swung toward Zayne. “I saw Dez a couple of weeks ago. Did you know that?”
Zayne didn’t reply, but even I could see the muscle ticking along his jaw like a time bomb.
“And do you know what Dez told me?” Layla ranted, her cheeks flushing pink. “You’ve moved out. On your own! No clan member does that and survives—” She cut herself off, drawing in a deep breath, groaning with exasperation. “Why did you move out?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“None of my business? You show up after months of silence with a nephilim, after I learned you moved out, and then tell me this is none of my business? Who are you?”
“Obviously not who you thought I was,” Zayne snapped back. “Does that answer your question?”
Layla stiffened, lowering the tube of cookie dough. A mixture of hurt and anger flashed across her face and then she swung toward me with that roll of cookie dough, and I could tell that whatever was about to come out of her mouth wasn’t going to be nice.
I was so done being quiet. “Okay. I don’t know what is going on here, and frankly, I couldn’t care less. Honestly. My best friend has been taken by a demon, and he’s possibly being tortured while we’re sitting here yelling at one another over unreturned phone calls!”
Layla snapped her mouth shut.
On a roll now, I wasn’t stopping. “And on top of all that, I was raised to believe that demons were evil, no gray area, and here I am with the Crown Prince of Hell who builds pillow forts like that’s normal—”
“It’s normal for me,” Roth murmured. “I like pillow forts.”
I ignored that. “And I’m sitting in front of a half Warden, half demon who has eaten, like, twenty pounds of cookie dough in ten seconds flat! I get that you guys have issues, but they cannot be more important than what could be happening to Misha. I need to find him before he is killed.”
“And what if you don’t get to him in time?” Roth asked, and the room fell silent.
“If he’s dead?” My heart cracked and I couldn’t bear to think of that. “Then I’ll deal.”
“There are worse things than being dead, Trinity.”
A shiver danced over my skin as I met his amber-colored gaze. “I’ll have to take your word on that.”
“You should.” Roth crossed his arms. “I think it’s time for you two to leave. We’ll be in touch.” He glared at Zayne. “And next time we call, try answering the phone.”
23
“Well, that was fun, wasn’t it? Can’t wait to do it again,” I said when Zayne climbed behind the wheel of the Impala. I waited until he closed the door and then I leaned over, socking him in the arm.
“Ouch.” He looked over at me, eyes wide. “What was that for?”
“That was for not telling me that we were going to see the freaking Crown Prince of Hell.” I punched his arm again.
Leaning away from me, he rubbed his arm. “What was that for?”
“That was for being a dick to Layla.” I cocked back my arm one more time.
Zayne’s hand shot out, catching my fist. “Hitting isn’t nice,” he said. “And I wasn’t a dick to her.”
“Yes, you were.” I tried to pull my hand free, but he held on.
“Look at you. After one meeting with demons, you’re now defending them.” Zayne lowered my hand to the space between us.
“No, I’m not.” I totally was. “What the heck was up with you and her?”
Zayne’s pale eyes met mine. “You’re not going to hit me again if I let go? I’m fragile.”
I snorted. “I won’t hit you again.”
He let go and then turned the key in the ignition. The engine rumbled to life.
“So?” I asked.
Zayne sighed as he shifted the Impala into gear. “Things with Layla are...complicated and that’s all I can really say about that.”
“That doesn’t reveal much more than I already know.”
When he didn’t respond, irritation spiked and, underneath it, a thin slice disappointment lit up my chest. Why wouldn’t he tell me what had happened between them? There was a massive wall around Zayne, made of granite and stubbornness.
Zayne was quiet as he drove. The sun had set, so I pulled the sunglasses off the top of my head and placed them in the sun visor.
“Do you think they’re going to help?” I asked, focusing on important things that weren’t his personal issues.
“Yes, I do.” Zayne kept one hand on the steering wheel and rested his right arm along the back of our seats. “If anyone can find information on where Bael holed up or what he’s planning, it’ll be Cayman.”
I thought about the demon in the romper. “He seemed really scared of me.”
“Yeah.” Zayne chuckled. “He was.”
It was a weird thing to smile about, but I grinned. “So, he’s a deal broker?”
Zayne nodded. “He doesn’t seek humans out. They tend to find their way to him, wanting or needing something that they’d give up anything for, including their soul. Messed-up thing is that most humans want utterly inconsequential things. They give up a part of their soul for a promotion, or to be with someone who probably doesn’t even deserve them.”
“Just a part?” I asked. “I thought they gave up their whole soul?”
“No, just a small part of it.”
“And...you think that’s okay?” I asked.
“I think that when humans use their free will and jeopardize where they end up when they die, that’s on them. We do everything we can to keep them safe from demons who break the rules, and you know there are rules.
There must be a balance of good and evil,” Zayne said as we neared the bridge that led back into the city. “Cayman follows those rules.”
I knew there were rules and that the balance of good and evil stemmed from the concept of free will.
“I don’t know what to think about all that,” I admitted, staring at his shadowy profile.
Zayne was quiet for a long moment. “You know, I was a lot like you for, Hell, my entire life. I saw things in black and white. No gray—except for Layla.” He was staring straight ahead as he spoke. “I used to think that the Warden part of who she was canceled out the part of her that was a demon. I would even tell her that, when she was younger and would come to me, worried about what she was, upset that the clan never would accept her or worried that something was wrong with her. I always stressed to her that she was part-Warden and that was all that mattered. I was wrong.”
I kept my mouth shut, listening to him as some instinctual sense told me this was something he didn’t talk about a lot.
“I should’ve told her to accept the part of her that was demon, and I should’ve accepted it, because what she showed me...what I was a little late in realizing...was that what you are at birth does not define who you become.” His jaw tightened. “Did you know until today that demons could love?”
“No,” I whispered. “I didn’t know.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t know that until I met Roth. He’s one of the most powerful demons you will ever come across, and he is still deadly when provoked. But the fact that he is capable of the kind of love he feels for Layla tells me that what we’ve been taught isn’t necessarily the truth at the end of the day.”
Fiddling with the strap of my seat belt, I still had no idea what to say. Agreeing with him went against everything I’d ever been taught, too, but he was right about Roth loving Layla. I’d seen that with my own eyes, heard it in the way he spoke to her.
What if we were inherently wrong about some demons? And if that was the case, how would one even begin to decipher how to proceed with them? Were some of them out there, trying to live their best life, and were Wardens supposed to just ignore them? How would Wardens even tell?
Storm and Fury Page 26
