by Jenny McKane
He cocked his head to the side and didn’t answer at first.
“Not yet,” he finally replied.
“Then cut the bullshit and end the dream,” she said, spinning around and trying the locked door again. “I don’t need to see your face ever again. I mean it. Next time you show yourself to me, don’t be a coward and control the circumstances. Let’s end it between us. For good.”
Sunny wanted a fight with Gideon, that much was obvious. But he didn’t seem to be in as big a rush as she was right now, which only made her angrier.
“Patience, Sunshine, patience,” he practically cooed at her. “We’ll have plenty of time to try to kill each other, I promise. But what I really need is for you to make it to the end game and the path you’re on now is leading you straight to an ambush Tesah has set for you.”
Sunny stopped short and turned around, abandoning her plan to try to kick the door open herself.
“You’re trying to warn me of an ambush?” She laughed. “Really, Gideon—or whatever your name is now—do I look that gullible?”
Gideon raised his eyebrows a bit.
“Kind of,” he said with a shrug. “But I’m not trying to do anything but warn you. Take it or leave it, just know that what I said is true. It’s in my best interest if you make to the fireworks I have planned, so if I have to break character once in a while to suit my selfish purposes, so be it.”
She bit her lip. Hard.
“I’ll humor you, Gideon,” she said tersely. “Where am I going to be ambushed? What’s the trap?”
“Ah-ah-ah,” he teased in a sing-songy voice, wagging his finger at her. “This new version of me loves games and riddles. We’ll start with this: don’t follow the blue bird, Sunshine. The blue bird leads to disaster.”
Sunny frowned and put her hands on her hips.
“What the hell are you talking about, you psychopath?”
Gideon hopped up on top of the desk and crouched, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked less human and more animal in that pose and the way he studied her.
There was a new darkness to Gideon that she chalked up to the nox infection, but the new edge he had to himself wasn’t a terrible look on him. Sunny hated herself for admitting that, too.
“Blue birds, Sunshine,” he said. “They spell your doom. Don’t make this harder on me—I’m already facing enough flak for having to groom a proper enemy.”
Sunny just stared a Gideon a moment longer, doing everything she could continue to see him as a nox and not a man, but listening to the same voice she’d always heard and seeing the same face with just a few differences, made it difficult not to want to assume it was the same old Gideon.
But it wasn’t. And she knew that.
“What--,” she began, but Gideon cut her off by jumping off the desk and striding over to her, stopping just shy of completely taking over her space.
“No more questions now,” he said in a low voice. She could smell his earthy, woodsy scent in such close proximity and it messed with her. He was supposed to smell like a demon. He was supposed to look like a demon. He was supposed to talk like a demon. “Time for you to go.”
And in a blink of an eye, Gideon ended the dream and sent Sunshine back to her own consciousness.
Chapter Seventeen
Gideon
“It’s all in place?”
Camael’s voice was as irritating as ever, but Gideon gave him a tight nod.
“Was it difficult to establish contact with her?”
He gave an abrupt shake of his head, hoping that the fallen archangel would move on and find someone else to bullshit with.
“Good work, Son.”
Gideon’s smile at Camael didn’t quite reach his eyes, but the other man didn’t notice.
The nox within him didn’t have the same averse reactions to Camael that Gideon had—it only viewed Camael as a leader. Not the supreme leader, but one high enough in the chain of command that being on its best behavior was definitely called for.
Gideon, with his years of daddy issues, didn’t quite have that compulsion.
“You’re turning out to be a good foot soldier,” Camael continued, now turning his full attention to Gideon.
They were in his office, an overdone, too-slick room with mahogany, red leather, and ebony accents. Camael loved the room and hardly left it during waking hours.
They’d taken up residence in a ridiculous mansion Camael had bought on the outskirts of Los Angeles, of all places. Gideon had never gotten a taste for the place, but in all his years of screwing around in the affairs of humans and demons, Camael had developed a certain taste for L.A.
“More tits and ass than a man would know what to do with,” Camael joked often, especially after a few glasses of his expensive whiskey.
The truth of the matter was that when Camael had killed Azrael, he’d emptied the demon’s war chest. And Azrael had been loaded. And now Camael was loaded and he didn’t have any qualms about living lavishly.
Gideon adjusted to life in their house and learned his role—he learned what his father expected of him, how to please Camael just enough to feed his ego, and just exactly Camael expected Gideon to do in the upcoming fight.
“Field marshal,” Camael had said. “Under my command.”
Camael wouldn’t be the one in charge, however. Their benefactor remained to be seen, heard, or known and the race was now forming up to be who could get the identity out first. If Camael and Gideon got the identity of Death, the plans could begin for the war Camael had been planting for centuries.
If Sunny figured who was behind it all first, she’d be on a warpath to stop Death from rising altogether.
To say Gideon’s life got more interesting every day he woke up was an understatement. And the fact that he’d been able to pull off the double crosses that he had so far gave he and his demon a bit of smug self-satisfaction at their ability to feed into Camael’s vanity.
On good days, Gideon kept the nox at bay and fed it pent up rage he’d been holding on to for years, even parsing in some of the new raw anger he’d amassed while a captive of Azrael’s. Feeding it all of his intense wrath and his need for revenge kept it placated enough for Gideon to remain clear headed and mostly-rational, though even at this point, Gideon was well aware that he was a different creature than he used to be.
Violence didn’t used to appeal to him, but more and more he got a rush from a good fight or a clean death. He blamed that much on the nox. He was darker now, and he’d seen Sunshine’s reaction to this new darkness as soon as her eyes had found him in the dream.
She was so different than the few weeks ago he’d last seen her and amazingly, there was now darkness in her. The demons (both his own and the nox) were thrilled to see that. It’d been a rush, inhaling the scent of her hatred of him that circulated between them like a drug.
Gideon had enjoyed pushing her buttons a little too much and he had to step back at one point as the nox surged forward, trying to take over the reins. Gideon had always been in control, but the fact that the nox had taken an interest in Sunshine and her violent reactions to him had made him even more conscious of maintaining control.
And when she’d kicked the desk at him and called his bluff? His eyes had nearly rolled back in his head and his words about her finally being a worthy foe were so very true.
She’d been magnificent in her anger and her fire and both Gideon the man and Gideon the demon(s) had shivered at the feelings she conjured up in him. This was going to be quite the adventure—and he just hoped Sunshine was prepared.
Gideon had a hell of a ride planned for them all.
Chapter Eighteen
All hell broke loose when she told the team about her second run-in with Gideon, especially since she’d waited until they were all in the car and headed toward the outskirts of Salt Lake City on an impromptu mission to meet a militia that was building against the feral demons.
Ronnie had coordinated the outing with Gabriel that sam
e night that Sunny was kicking desks at Gideon, so when they woke up the next morning, he’d shared the news.
Sunny had news, obviously, as well, but hers would have to wait while everyone got their gear ready and loaded into the two vehicles.
She was riding with Metatron, Eli and Asmodeus while Sin, Gabriel, and Ronnie were in the second vehicle. Plaxo promised to meet them there as soon as they arrived; the dream demon had zero interest in a road trip and had a few things he wanted to check in the meantime.
The longer the ride toward their destination stretched, the more nervous she became about bringing it up, suddenly realizing that they might think her situation was one she should have brought to life first thing upon waking. The more the hours drew out, the less confident Sunny became.
Finally, after gassing up and grabbing a round of junk food at a truck stop, she dropped the bomb.
“I forgot to mention that I had a run-in with Gideon in my dream last night,” she started, talking faster by the second. “His dream space, actually. He pulled me into his. I didn’t choose to go in there, of course, because that would be crazy and I’m not crazy. Also, we’re supposed to avoid blue birds. Or bluebonnets, I can’t remember his specific instructions.”
For the longest moment, nobody spoke in the car and Sunny was pretty certain she might have just skated through without too many repercussions. But when she saw Eli’s hands shaking on the wheel, and when he pulled the car over on the side of the road, causing Gabriel to pull behind them, obviously thinking they had mechanical trouble, she knew it was all about to hit the fan.
Eli was out of the car like a shot and storming over to Sunny’s door, yanking it open. She actually flinched when he reached into the car for her, and that only seemed to make him madder. With a quick click, he unbuttoned her safety belt and pulled her out of the car to face him on the breakdown lane of a random Arizona desert.
“Say that again?” Eli’s voice was loud and strained, like he was working really hard to keep himself under control.
“Exactly what I said,” Sunny replied carefully. The man looked ready to snap and she wasn’t trying to make the situation worse. “He pulled me into his dream space. He can do that now.”
Eli spun away from Sunny and swore loudly just as Gabriel made it to them and Asmodeus and Metatron had gotten out of the car Sunny was riding in.
“What’s going on?” Gabriel asked.
Sunny glanced over at Asmodeus and the tight lines of his face let her know he’d heard the entire exchange.
“Gideon pulled her into a dream last night and she conveniently forgot to mention it until now,” he said, slamming his hand down on the hood.
“I didn’t forget,” she protested. “We were moving and trying to get out the door. I told you when the time was right.”
Eli nearly exploded at that.
“The right time was as soon as you possibly could!”
She blanched at the volume and the tone and found herself bristling at how he was treating her.
“I didn’t do anything wrong, Eli,” she insisted slowly. “And you need to stop yelling at me. I’m fine. It was a stupid game of his—something about wanting to keep me alive until the end game for selfish reasons. He gave me a warning about not following a blue bird or something. Said it was a trap by Tesah and the Powers.”
Eli gave a loud, obvious derisive snort.
“I’ll just bet he did,” he growled. “You can’t trust a thing he says, Sunny. Don’t be stupid.”
Her eyes flashed at that and her anger was instant.
“Stupid? First you yell at me like I’m your child or something, and now I’m stupid?” She had a finger out, jabbing at Eli’s chest. “Watch how you talk to me, Eli. We’re on the same side and I’m not a fucking moron. I’ve survived just as much as you have by this point and the entire operation is on my shoulders—don’t act like you are allowed to treat me like this.”
The archangels and the archdemon watched it unfold without saying a word before Asmodeus spoke up.
“Tell me more about this warning,” he said as he folded his arms across his chest.
“You can’t really be serious—” Eli began, but a sharp look for Asmodeus stopped him.
“He told me that we’re going to be ambushed soon,” Sunny continued, grateful that someone wanted to hear her out. “Something about a blue bird and not to follow it.”
Metatron gave a short, humorless chuckle. “Sounds like some sort of Disney movie,” he said. “No more details? Just some sort of blue bird?”
She nodded. “He was being obtuse on purpose, of course,” she said, turning her back on Eli so they wouldn’t launch into a huge argument. “And I don’t know whether to believe him or not. But I’m just saying, I’m going to look at any blue birds that cross my path a little more closely.”
“How could he have access to her with the wards we had up? With a fucking dream demon sleeping in the next room?”
Eli was getting pitchy again and it hurt Sunny’s ears. She spun back around to face him.
“He’s stronger than we assumed,” she answered. “And what’s more, he’s not completely taken over by the nox. It’s almost like he’s controlling the powers. He was himself for the most part when we were talking, but he can call on the shadow skin and the demon voice at will.”
It had spooked Sunny when he’d done that. She’d assumed that the nox had taken him over completely, not that it’d taken up permanent residence in his body like some sort of subletter. Were they roommates, or something?
“What’s to stop him from doing it again?” Eli was talking again, pacing back and forth, and clearly losing his shit. “What good is having a damn dream demon on this team if it can’t stop Sunny from getting yanked around?”
“Plaxo,” Sunny barked.
Eli stopped. “What?”
She drew herself up and faced off with Eli. “Our dream demon is a he not an it and his name is Plaxo,” Sunny said.
She knew where this was coming from—Eli’s past made it impossible for him to truly trust demons and Gideon’s betrayal didn’t make it any better. But Plaxo wasn’t the demon that turned on Eli and killed Lacey, and Plaxo wasn’t Gideon, either.
“Why do you care what I call him?” he replied.
Was he serious?
“Because he’s a member of this team and has saved our asses more ways than you can count,” she said. “Don’t lump him in with all your prejudices against demons.”
Eli’s face was turning redder by the second and it looked like the top of his head might pop off at any second, but he didn’t speak.
Instead, he pushed past their group and stormed toward the car Gabriel was driving, with Ronnie waiting in the front seat and Sin in the back.
“Metatron, you drive,” he said as he left. “I’m done with her for the day.”
If Sunny’d had something hard to throw at his retreating back in that moment, she likely would have launched it at his head as hard as she could.
Gabriel was in front of her, his eyes boring into hers and searching her face.
“You’re okay?” he finally asked, the strain in his voice obvious.
He was worried. Metatron would probably have a few words to say as well, but the archangels were way more rational than Eli was being.
“I’m fine,” she said, knowing that Gabriel was probably asking about more than just her present condition. “It was no big deal and he had no power there. He was just messing with me.”
Gabriel exhaled slowly before nodding.
“I know,” he said. “And give Eli a little slack. He’s under a lot of pressure and he worries about you like crazy. You know his past—he definitely has issues he’s working with.”
Sunny snorted.
“You think?” She smiled. “I know. I get it. But he’s not given space to insult me or disrespecting Plaxo. It’s not necessary and it’s just not right.”
Gabriel just shook his head.
“You’re
one in a million, Rosie,” was all he said before returning to his car as he called over his shoulder at Metatron. “You’re the pilot now, Metatron. See you in Salt Lake!”
*****
Metatron wasn’t exactly the kind to yell, but she could definitely tell that the news about Gideon had disturbed him. His questions were short and to the point as he processed the information.
“And did you tell Plaxo yet?”
Sunny hadn’t. “He was gone by the time we were done with all the prepping this morning,” she said. “I honestly didn’t get a chance.”
“Were you surprised?”
The question itself surprised Sunny. What a strange thing for Metatron to ask.
“Yes,” she answered automatically, but Metatron just shook his head and kept his eyes on the road.
“You sound like you’re trying to convince both of us that you believe it,” he said. “I’m serious, Sunny. Were you surprised to see him waiting in that dream?”
Metatron was asking a fair question, so she took a minute to really think about it. What had she felt when she realized things were off and that Gideon was behind it? She hadn’t felt scared. Not even surprised.
“No, I wasn’t really shocked,” she finally admitted. “I’ve always felt in my heart that Gideon and I would square off again a time or two. I feel like there’s a lot unfinished between us—and as much as everyone thinks he was playing me the whole time, I don’t believe it. I truly think he’d convinced himself that he was successfully fighting it off.”
She’d said it all. All the truth about Gideon that she didn’t know she’d been clinging to.
“I sound crazy, don’t I?” she asked Metatron as Asmodeus began snoring in the backseat.
Metatron didn’t answer, only gave her a one-shoulder shrug and kept his eyes out front.
“Why is Eli so mad?” She couldn’t help but blurt the question out. “He yelled at me and was really mad. He called me stupid.”
That got a sigh out of Metatron who opened his mouth to speak before closing it—obviously thinking better of what he was about to say.
