“Going to the penthouse party?” Of course she was. She braved his odious presence in entering the building, so she must be after the other demon — the one at the party.
Silence.
“Do they have elevators in Iowa? Maybe you’d like me to help you with this one. See, you push the little button here to go up, and then, when the doors open, you get in. Push the button for the floor you want to go to. When you’re halfway there, push the other button with the picture of the fireman’s hat on it.”
That got her attention. The angel’s lips twitched before she shot him a narrow-eyed look. “I believe pushing that button will do nothing but halt the elevator and summon the rescue staff.”
Dar followed her in and punched the button for the twelfth floor. “Ah, they do have elevators in Iowa.”
“I’ve never been to Iowa.”
Her hands clenched then tapped a steady tempo against her leg as she stared resolutely at the illuminated numbers above the door.
“So, my beautiful, less-than-righteous angel, what brings you to Chicago? Are you here chasing all the demons attending that whosiwhats convention?”
The angel punched the button to halt the elevator and spun about to face him, her beautiful eyes widening. “Do you know of a plot? What demons are attending this convention, and what are their intentions?”
Dar shrugged. “It’s a cybersecurity conference. You figure it out.”
In a flash, he was pinned against the elevator wall. Now this was fun. Her long fingers around his neck were surprisingly warm, and her eyes had flecks of gold in their brown depths. For an angel, she had a remarkable command of the human form. He could even hear her heart, smell what clearly must be human perfume wafting tantalizingly from her skin. So shoplifting dresses, drinking espresso, and feeling demons up in dark alleys weren’t her only vices. Hmmm.
“You will tell me everything you know about the demons at this conference.”
Fast. Smart. Gorgeous eyes. Sucks at compulsion.
“You will come with me tonight to listen to the blues band playing off of State Street later.”
For a June evening, the air inside the elevator had become decidedly chilly. He obviously wasn’t good at compulsion either. Ah well.
Dar reached out to wrap his arms around her waist. “No? Maybe? How about you think on it and start the elevator back up. Otherwise the rescue staff is going to come, and they’ll think we’re in here fucking.”
That got her moving. The angel gasped and jumped away from him. “You will ignore me and discontinue speaking with me.”
Right. He had to give her points for continuing to try. Enough practice and maybe she’d eventually be able to compel a gnat, or maybe a tapeworm.
“Not a chance.”
She let out an exasperated breath and smoothed back her dark curls. “I’m working. I’m an enforcer. This is what I do. I catch demons in my territory and kill them. Now please shut up and go away so I can do my job.”
“But if I go away, then how will you ever find out what’s happening at the conference? No, I think you’re best bet is to keep me close and try to seduce me into telling you all I know.”
Dar had no idea what the fuck was going on at the conference, if anything. The other demon was here — maybe. This was a party for the conference attendees. Put two and two together, and the demon probably did have something planned. Or not. Whatever. It was a good lie to keep this angel by his side for the next few days.
She shimmered, a blur of golden light before regaining control of her form. Dar’s gaze roved down her neat figure to the strappy leather sandals, inhaling as the faint notes of jasmine drifted by. Any angel that took this much care about her appearance and the realism of her human form had to be at least moderately familiar with the sin of vanity. Hmm, what other sins did she enjoy?
“All right. Stay close, but at least do the shut-up part. I have a demon to hunt. Later we’ll talk about the conference.”
She was back to tapping her fingers against her leg. Dar bit back a smile and followed her out of the elevator, trying to stay as close to her as he could without climbing up her pants. But as fascinating as this angel was, the buffet right at the front of the room stole the demon’s attention. Gluttony had always been his favorite sin, and this party was a delight to every sense. Dar surfed beside the long table, snagging an array of sushi, lamb meatballs, buffalo burger bites, and exotic cheeses. Oh, the cheeses. He was tempted to steal an entire tray of Manchego and stuff it into his pockets for later, but restrained himself when he saw the human off to the left making to-order crepes. Three crab and lobster crepes later, Dar managed to catch up with the angel. She was prowling the room, staring intently at each human she encountered. Thankfully, she had that angel mojo going on, or they would have thrown her ass out as a freaky stalker by now.
“Did you get a crepe? I shit you not; they are better than the cheese. They’re better than the lamb meatballs, and that’s saying a lot. You’ve got to have a crepe.”
“I don’t eat,” she hissed, turning her back on him.
Dar dodged around her. “But you do drink. I’ve seen you drink.” Reaching out, the demon snatched two glasses from a waiter’s tray. “Here. It’s a champagne fruit thing. Much better than the coffee stuff you snuck around drinking this morning.”
She went to wave the glass away, then obviously thought better of it. Taking the drink, she held it awkwardly away from her body, intently scanning the crowd.
“Look, I think the demon left. His signature was blinking in and out of here until we got to the party. I haven’t sensed him since then.”
The angel rounded on him, sloshing the drink over the edge of the glass as she gestured widely. “I know that. Where did he go? We were in the only elevator in the building. These windows are sealed shut and show no sign of breakage.”
“Wrong. There’s actually outdoor seating on a patio. Although I doubt he jumped from the 27th floor. And there is another elevator, although it doesn’t go all the way to rooftop. He’s not here now. He went down while you were throttling me in the other elevator, or jumped from the balcony, or took the fire stairs. Doesn’t matter. Drink your champagne, and I’ll get you a lobster crepe. It’s free, you know.”
“I didn’t sense him taking the stairs down. I didn’t sense him going anywhere. He’s got to be here somewhere.”
Dar rolled his eyes. Angels were so oblivious. This one had been here a century and still seemed to know as much about demons as a postage stamp.
“Some of us are good at hiding our energy signatures. I know a demon that could walk right by you on the street and you wouldn’t notice her. I’d be willing to bet he’s gone, and I don’t bet frivolously. Maybe he’s just really good at cloaking his energy. Maybe he has an elven magical item that transports him through another dimension, or maybe he snuck out. I don’t fucking know where he is. Call it a night. Punch the old time clock and hang up the whole enforcer thing for the evening. Eat a crepe. Drink champagne. Then come listen to some blues with me.”
The angel’s breath hitched, and he could see the idea appealed to her. Then she shook her head with a look of regret. “No. I’m working. Do you think he’s using an elven magical item? Would that possibly account for the in-and-out phasing of his energy I’ve sensed the last few days? I’ve never experienced a demon doing that before.”
Dar stared at her for a moment, realizing he’d never get her to eat or — or do other things — while she was obsessing over work. Might as well humor her and hope she’d relax later, maybe after a few glasses of champagne.
“It could be a magical item, or someone is summoning him. Although I doubt he’d be phasing in and out if he was summoned. That’s usually a here-or-not-here kind of thing. It could be a botched summoning, though. Maybe some inept fool is trying to summon him, and he only gets partially to this plane before bouncing back.”
“Over and over?” The angel’s eyes narrowed.
“A really
persistent, inept fool. I’m sensing the same energy readings you are. I’d vote for magical item, but only idiots hang their hat on one theory when others are still within the realm of possibility.”
“When several theories make the same predictions, the simpler one is most logically the truth.”
Oh, for fuck sake. “Occam’s razor. Yeah, yeah, but excluding other theories is often an Achilles’ heel for you angels. You all lack creativity, broadness of thinking, and faith.”
“I have creativity,” the angel interrupted, bristling. “I have faith. And how dare you doubt my intellect.”
“Oh, it’s not your intellect I’m doubting, it’s your imagination. Right thinking, meditation, vibration patterns, and all that sensory deprivation crap — it’s warped your ability to think outside the box. That’s why I’m going to get you a crepe right now. You’ll think better after you’ve eaten a crepe. And possibly some cheese.”
The angel scowled. “I don’t want a crepe; I want to catch this demon so I can go listen to blues music.”
Score! Well, almost score. At least she was considering the blues music, even if she’d resisted the crepe. “Wanna hear my theory?”
“I know I’m going to regret this, but yes, I’d like to hear your theory, genius.”
Dar sipped his drink. “Wait until we have more information, and then I’ll tell you. In the meantime, at least try a lamb meatball and drink your champagne. It’s free. Never let free food and booze go to waste. Then we can go to the blues club. How does that sound?”
Longing flickered across the angel’s face then she shook her head. “Sounds like you don’t know squat. Sounds like you’re stalling for time. Sounds like you don’t know your posterior from a hole in the ground.”
Dar couldn’t help but grin. “I’ll admit I sometimes mistake my ass for a hole in the ground. Still, I do know something about demons. You’ve had what, a hundred years here? I’ve been surrounded by demons for a thousand years. You might want to consider me your best available reference instead of questioning my ability to find my asshole.”
When had this become his business? Like he gave two shits about some demon having a jaunt from Hel and prowling around at a tech conference. All he knew was that messing with this angel was the most fun he’d had in centuries, and if tagging along with her on a demon hunt was a way to prolog the fun, then he was onboard. “Come on, beautiful. Take the night off, and I’ll help you chase this asshole tomorrow. You won’t regret it.”
“I’m working. I’m not going to give in to the sin of sloth and run off with you to party it up.”
The angel huffed and walked off, taking a surreptitious sip from her drink. Dar choked back a laugh and followed at a respectful distance, scanning for the demon energy. A swell hit the room like a wave, peaking then receding, and the angel took off, knocking humans aside as she raced toward the raised stage at the back of the room.
He was here. She’d caught the jarring notes of his song and tracked him with confidence for a few feet before the signature ebbed, falling to absolutely nothing. No! How could this be? Was it magic, as the tempting rat-demon had said, a faulty summoning, or something she’d not even thought of? There were a dozen humans in the vicinity the demon-song had come from. Concentrating, she scanned each of them, looking for a demon mark that would indicate ownership. If one of these humans had summoned a demon, they should still bear his energy signature.
Nowhere. Wherever the demon had been, he’d vanished without a trace. Her gaze came to rest on a man speaking to two women, waving his hands for emphasis. Suddenly he turned, and his eyes met hers. None of these humans bore a demon mark, not even this one who was now smiling at her and coming her way.
He stopped when he reached her. “Are you enjoying yourself? Can I get you another champagne?” He had dark blue eyes that met hers from under thick, nearly white brows in appreciation. His head dropped to take her in from the feet up, and she saw the short, golden-blond hair that covered his scalp in thick fuzz.
“Welcome to the Genus Micro party. I’m Carter Phelps. You are. . .?” He glanced at her chest, and she began to take offence before she realized he was looking for her nametag.
“Iowa, and I’m Dar.”
By all that was holy, it was that blasted demon again. She’d never encountered anyone quite so annoying. Or attractive. But mostly annoying. Another glass of something carbonated was thrust into her hand as the demon took the half-empty glass and drank the contents in one gulp.
“My name’s not Iowa, it’s Asta.”
The human male ignored Dar and raised his glass to her. “Asta. What a lovely, unusual name. Is your company considering Genus Micro for their security needs?”
“No.” This was ridiculous, conversing with these humans when she had a demon to catch. And a blues club to visit. If only she could catch this guy, then she could have the fun she’d been craving without all the guilt.
The human laughed. “I love your honesty! I know we’re beyond many small businesses’ budgets, but you should consider the costs if you fall prey to a cyber-attack. It’s not just the big dogs that are getting hit lately. Let me show you what we can do for your company.”
What in the world was he talking about?
“You’re not going to show her anything, buddy.” That demon — Dar — took a step forward, angling his body to squeeze between them. “Take a hike; this one’s mine.”
His? Where in all of creation did he get that idea?
The human ignored Dar, turning his back to him and placing himself between Asta and the demon — which put him uncomfortably close. “We can talk about your needs, and I’ll see what I can do.”
Asta got the feeling he was discussing more than his software. Dar evidently got the same vibe because he bristled, elbowing the man in the ribs. “You lay one hand on her ‘needs’, asshole, and I’ll shove an ice sculpture where the sun don’t shine.”
That seemed pretty extreme, especially given her ability to easily defend herself against a human. Still, the sight of Dar in a beautifully tailored olive suit, his eyes glinting red with jealousy stirred something deep inside — something a little bit wicked.
“Yes, that sounds nice. I’d love that.”
“No, it doesn’t sound nice,” Dar snapped, clinking his empty glass against hers. “Drink up, babe. We’ve got a blues club to go to, and I’m sure this dickhead has customers to schmooze.”
Asta took a quick gulp of the champagne to hide a smile. Dar and this human were on the verge of coming to blows — over her. What a bizarre situation for an angel to be in. “I’m working, Dar. Rain check on the blues club.”
“Fuck that.” Dar glared at her, a bit of an elbow war going on between him and the human. “Drink, and then we’re leaving.”
“I’ve got a splendid idea,” the human snapped, somewhat out of breath from his mild tussle with Dar. “Why don’t you go to the blues club by yourself, or with some other woman, while Asta and I work?”
That wasn’t a splendid idea at all. The thought of Dar going to the club without her, or with some human female, made her want to reverse her decision and take the night off as he’d suggested. Asta stared down at the champagne glass, realizing she’d drunk almost half the contents. She couldn’t — work was the reason she was here. Work came first.
But work didn’t include standing around while this human tried to sell her software and get her up to his hotel room, either. Game over. Time to focus and see if she could pick up the trail of this elusive demon — the one that wasn’t following her all around the city.
“I don’t want this.” She thrust the glass back toward Dar. Might as well get out of this building and see if she could pick up the demon’s song outside. If he hadn’t been summoned and wasn’t using a magical device, he had to have left somehow. There were only so many exits. If she circled around through the alleys, there was a chance she might catch his trail.
“I’m sorry,” she gave the human a kind smile.
“I really need to get going. I’ve got some . . . research I need to finish tonight.”
“See you tomorrow at the conference?” There was something in his blue eyes that spurred her protective instincts — something shy and scared. He might be attracted to her, but in spite of that, he seemed vulnerable.
“Yes. I’ll be there.” It wasn’t quite a lie. If there was something demons were planning in conjunction with this conference, she’d need to be there. She turned away from the human and nearly ran into Dar, who was standing practically on top of her. He’d still not taken the drink she was pressing into his chest.
“Not a champagne drinker? Let’s go over to the bar and see what else they have. Then we’ll get out of here and have some fun.”
“I don’t drink.” Asta pushed him away, extending the beverage toward him. It slipped slightly in her hand, liquid sloshing over the edge. The demon grabbed for it, enclosing her hand in his. The room seemed to slow to a halt, and Asta felt a shock of contact. It was like electricity shooting through her skin. She’d touched him last night in the alley, wrapped her hands around his neck in the elevator, had her other hand flat against his chest — why did her fingers entwined in his make her feel like she’d been hit by lightning?
“But you do drink. I’ve seen you do it twice. Is lying another one of your sins? I had no idea angels were so fallible. How do you feel about the sin of lust? It’s a favorite of mine, although I’ll admit I could use some practice. Lots and lots of practice. Maybe you can help me with that one?”
Demons.
A slow grin curled up one side of his mouth, and silver gray eyes danced with a flash of red. He’d stalked her all day, watching her, teasing her with his presence, had practically came to blows with a human over her, and now he had the gall to proposition her — an angel.
“I’m not sleeping with you, never, ever going to have sexual intercourse with you, so get that out of your little pea brain right now. Got it?”
“Does that include blow jobs? Is mutual masturbation off the table, too? I’ve got some really kinky shit I can do with vegetables and electrical cord — does that count as intercourse?”
Demons & Djinn: Nine Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Novels Featuring Demons, Djinn, and other Bad Boys of the Underworld Page 31
