“I think you’re jumping to a lot of conclusions…” I said.
“I’m thinking through the possible scenarios,” he shot back at me. “That’s the one that’s most likely.”
“And what if you’re wrong?” I asked. “What if she did imprint back on you?”
“Then she’d never be safe.” His eyes were hard—I could tell he really had thought about this. “You know how most shifters are. They’d think it was disgusting for a shifter to imprint on a human. She’d be a constant target for being such an anomaly. I’d be cursing her to a lifetime of danger, and she deserves better than that.”
“You’re wrong.” My frustration with Noah’s stubbornness was turning into anger, and I clenched my fists in an attempt to rein in my emotions. “She deserves a choice.”
“None of it will matter, anyway,” he said. “Because once we get to Avalon, she’s going to go through the Angel Trials, become a Nephilim, and get her mom back. She’ll find someone who will be able to give himself to her completely—another Nephilim, or maybe even a vampire. She’ll find happiness. And I’m going to give that to her by letting her go—now, before anything can start between us.”
I narrowed my eyes, waiting for him to add something more. Waiting for him to say that he couldn’t let her go so easily.
But he didn’t.
He was apparently determined with his decision.
“You’re afraid,” I said, since it was the only reason why I could think he was being so stubborn about this.
“I’m not afraid.” His eyes were hard—the emotion and torment from earlier gone. “I’m being realistic.”
“You’re not going to budge on this,” I realized. “Are you?”
“No,” he said. “I’ve made my decision, and it’s final.”
“Fine,” I said. “But I still think she should know.”
“So what?” He sat straighter. “Are you going to tell her?” He watched me in challenge, daring me to go behind his back and tell her his secret.
“Of course not,” I said. “You’re my hunting partner—my friend. I might not agree with you, but I’d never betray you like that. So I won’t say anything to Raven.”
“Thank you.” He let out a breath he’d been holding and relaxed into his chair. “It’s the best thing for her. You’ll see.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged. “But we still have three more demons to kill on this hunt. Maybe between now and the time we get to Avalon, you’ll come to your senses and tell Raven the truth. She might just be a human, but she’s smart, fiery, determined, and kind.”
“I know.” He closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against them, taking a deep breath before opening them again. “I’ve spent more time with her than you have. Obviously I know all this about her by now.”
“Then you should also know that people like her don’t come around often,” I said. “You were lucky to imprint with her. I just hope you don’t throw that away.”
Flint
I was shooting pool in a local supernatural bar, taking out my anger on the billiard balls as I recalled the phone conversation I’d had earlier that day with Sage.
She’d updated me on how the hunt was progressing—along with letting me know about the attack from the coyotes in Texas. I’d feigned outrage, swearing that the coyotes would pay for attacking a member of the Montgomery pack.
When I’d asked her where she was heading next, she’d told me she couldn’t tell me—that she wasn’t telling anyone. She’d said that now that someone was after her, the less people who knew where she was, the better. I’d insisted she could trust me, but she’d refused to give me any information apart from the fact that they intended on leaving New Orleans later tonight.
My sister was smart—I had to give her that.
Luckily, I had another ace up my sleeve. Because while Sage and Noah both wore cloaking rings, the human they were traveling with was traceable. The human had also left the sandals she’d been wearing when she’d gotten to the Montgomery compound in the pool house. All I had to do was bring one of those shoes to the Devereux mansion tomorrow and have Amber do a tracking spell to see where the trio ended up next.
Once I pinned down their location, I’d work out another plan to capture Sage.
I’d just shot two balls into the holes at once when I spotted a familiar face in the corner of my eye.
Azazel.
His eyes were brown instead of red, his teeth looked human, and his scent was hidden. Hiding his demonic features from supernaturals must have been a very expensive cloaking spell. But no one other than me knew what he looked like, so no one else was paying him any attention.
He was standing off to the side of the bar, and from the way he was watching me, I knew he was there to speak to me. He looked around his surroundings in wonderment—taking in everything from the copious selection of drinks behind the bar, the elegance of the furniture, and the everyday clothes people were wearing.
Mara had told me that Hell hadn’t advanced like Earth. Before the demons destroyed all their resources in the war that ended their realm, Hell had resembled our Dark Ages. Now Hell was scorched to oblivion. She and Azazel were both impressed by the technological advancements on Earth—by the luxuries we took for granted everyday.
Supernaturals preferred to depend on magic instead of machines, so I supposed technology was one of the few good things that humans had provided this world. Without humans, we might have still been stuck in the Dark Ages, too.
I looked around for Mara, but she wasn’t there. Looked like it was just going to be Azazel and me.
I couldn’t say I was looking forward to it. But I had to do what I had to do.
I handed off my pool stick to one of the other guys in the pack. “I have some business to attend to,” I told him. “You can play for me from here.”
He did as I said, not questioning me as I walked away.
As usual, the bar was full of the most common type of supernatural—low powered witches. There were a few rogue vampires thrown in as well. Vampires all smelled metallic, but even if their scent didn’t give them away, it would have been easy to spot them. Because most of them were surrounded by witches.
For witches with low magical aptitude, getting turned by a vampire was their best chance of gaining the power they lacked. Vampires rarely turned others—they’d suffer consequences if a vampire they sired lost control of their bloodlust—but that didn’t stop weak witches from trying.
However, while the vampires were powerful, the wolves of the Montgomery pack were the most powerful supernaturals in the bar. Besides Azazel, of course.
The other patrons stepped clear of my path as I made my way toward the greater demon.
“Flint,” he said once I reached him.
“Sir.” I figured that was the best way to address him in public, since others would recognize his true name if I spoke it.
“I have news.” As always, the greater demon got straight to the point. “Where can we speak privately?”
“The booths in the back,” I said. “The drinks cost triple the price back there, but each booth is enchanted with a sound blocking spell to provide privacy.”
Magical extras were one of the perks of coming to supernatural bars, along with how they served blood for vampires and didn’t question it when shifters ordered our meat extra rare.
A waitress approached us the moment we situated ourselves in one of the back booths. She had a faint, sweet smell to her—she was a low-powered witch. Luckily for her, she had stunning good looks to make up for her lack of power. I would have tried to have a bit of fun with her if I wasn’t already imprinted on Mara.
She smiled at both of us, but focused on me once she realized Azazel wasn’t acknowledging her existence. “There’s a one drink minimum per hour to sit in the private booths,” she said what I already knew. “Do you know what you want to order, or do you need time to check out the menu?”
“Two Johnnie Walker Blues,” I said, sinc
e I knew from previous conversations with Azazel that scotch was his drink of choice. “On me.”
She returned with our drinks a minute later, letting us know that she’d leave us in private for the next hour unless we signaled to her that we needed anything.
Then she left, giving us the space we desired, and I braced myself for the news Azazel was going to drop on me next.
Flint
I pulled the curtain, not wanting anyone to try reading our lips, and looked at Azazel to begin.
As the alpha, I was used to leading conversations. But since this was Azazel I was sitting across from, I held back, waiting for him to start. It felt unnatural to defer to someone else, but I had to do what I had to do to ensure safety for the pack, and to be able to mate with Mara.
The greater demon raised his glass to take a sip, and I mirrored his actions. “Delicious,” he said after tasting the scotch. He swirled the amber liquid around in the glass, looking at it in appreciation. “The delicacies available on Earth haven’t ceased to amaze me.”
“I’m glad you’re pleased,” I replied.
He nodded and took another sip of scotch, pausing to savor it. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I came to you tonight,” he started, and I nodded for him to continue. “How is the progress coming with your sister?”
“Sage is still in New Orleans,” I answered honestly. “Once she leaves the rougarou territory, I’ll do everything in my power to pin down her next location and capture her.”
“You don’t know where she’s going next?” he asked.
“Not yet,” I said. “But I have a plan.”
He leveled his gaze with mine, the side of his lip turning up into a knowing smirk. “Your plan won’t work,” he said surely.
“What are you talking about?” I narrowed my eyes, tightening my grasp around my glass of scotch. “No one knows the details of this plan but me.”
“You intend on go to Amber of the Devereux witches and ask her to use a tracking spell to find your sister,” he said. “The item you intend on bringing with you to track her is a shoe.”
I took a sharp breath inward, terror racing through my veins. It wasn’t my exact plan—he hadn’t mentioned the human—but it was close enough to set me on edge. “How did you know?” I asked. Because if Azazel knew that, did he also know I’d been lying about why Sage was gone? Did he know that the story about Sage and Noah being lovers and running off to be together was false?
“I have my ways,” he said smugly, sitting back in his booth.
“What sort of ways?” I asked. Because I hadn’t told anyone my plan.
Which meant Azazel must have read my mind.
I didn’t think demons were telepathic. But if Azazel somehow was, then I was in deep trouble.
“Let’s just say that I have some psychic help on my side,” he said. “An ally as powerful as Rosella of the Haven. And while your plan will fail, I have information that will locate your sister.”
I relaxed at the realization that Azazel didn’t have mind-reading capabilities. But if he had a psychic as powerful as Rosella as an ally—which it seemed like he did—he and the other demons were a bigger threat than ever.
It was a good thing I was making this alliance between him and the Montgomerys. Once the demons unleashed their full power upon the Earth and took over the planet for themselves, my pack mates were going to be grateful for my foresight that kept them alive. Including my sister.
If Azazel could help me locate Sage, I was going to take it.
“What do you want in return for this information?” I asked.
“Flint,” he said with a smile. “I’m doing you a favor. Why do you assume I want anything in return?”
He was a demon. Of course he wanted something in return.
But I knew better than to say that.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace.” I lowered my eyes as I used his preferred title—since lowering them stopped me from rolling them. “I shouldn’t have assumed your intentions.”
“No.” He laughed. “You absolutely should have.”
At least my instincts weren’t totally off.
I looked at him to continue, not surprised that Azazel wasn’t giving me something from the goodness of his heart.
“Of course I want something in return,” he said. “You see, I believe you’re going to stand by your word and go through with the blood binding ceremony—you love Mara too much to refuse. And I believe you’ll command your pack to follow in your footsteps. I believe you so much that I didn’t ask you to make a blood oath that you’d follow through on your word.” He sat forward and rested his elbows on the table, staring at me straight on. “But despite my faith in you, there’s one wild card left—your sister. If you can’t get your sister back here before the fortnight is up, I have no idea what you’ll do. And that lack of predictability is a problem for me, Flint.”
I took a sip of scotch, stalling. Because Azazel was right. If I couldn’t get Sage back in time, I wasn’t sure what I’d do regarding the blood binding ceremony.
I was just focused on retrieving her so it wouldn’t come down to that decision.
Azazel apparently didn’t expect me to deny his statement, because he continued without faltering.
“At the same time, your dedication to your sister shows loyalty, and I can’t blame you for loyalty,” he said. “Especially since you’re Mara’s future mate, which means your loyalty will be to her—and thus, to the demons.”
“I will do everything in my power to keep Mara safe,” I promised.
“I know.” Azazel smiled. “Which is why I’m offering you this deal. You see, my psychic doesn’t just know which cities your sister will head to next. She also knows which of those cities you’ll be most likely to capture her in. I’ll tell you the name of that city. In exchange, you’ll make a blood oath with me, promising you’ll go through with the blood binding ceremony—and that you’ll command your pack to go through the ceremony as well—whether your sister is retrieved in time or not.”
My stomach flipped at the implication of his proposal. My instinct was to say no, since I didn’t want to promise anything that might bind me to betraying my sister, but I held my tongue. I had to control my impulses. I didn’t want to say anything I might regret.
“You understand that while I do command my pack, I can’t force them to do anything against their will,” I said instead. “Correct?”
“I understand that,” Azazel said. “I also know you can’t make a blood oath for any actions except your own. I’ve been around for a while—I understand the rules for these things. But you can do everything in your power to get your pack to heed your advice. The magic of the blood oath will know if you don’t.” He paused, as if letting it sink in. The way my blood would turn on me and burn me from the inside out if I went against an oath. An oath so powerful that its magic could kill even an angel in Heaven if that angel went against it. “So… there’s my offer,” he continued. “What do you say? Will you take it or leave it?”
I paused, thinking it over. I always avoided entering into blood oaths unless they were completely necessary. They were too permanent, and I liked to be able to change my mind when it suited me.
But I needed to know Sage’s next location. Knowing could be the difference between getting her back in time or not. Between her safety or her being killed by the demons.
“Oh, and Flint?” Azazel added, and I looked to him to continue. “If you refuse to make this blood oath, I’ll assume you’ve been lying about your loyalty this entire time, and my offer will be off. I’ll find another pack to blood bind with me, you won’t mate with Mara, and, well… you know what the demons plan to do to shifters who aren’t bound to us. Right?”
Of course I knew. The demons planned on exterminating all supernaturals from Earth. The only exceptions would be the shifters who pledged loyalty by binding themselves to the demons.
If I didn’t go through with this blood oath, the Montgomerys would surely b
e first on Azazel’s hit list.
I either had to risk losing my sister—which likely wouldn’t happen, since he’d be giving me information I needed to find her—or risk losing everything.
It wasn’t much of a choice. What I needed to do was clear.
“You have yourself a deal.” I shifted my fingernail into a claw and made an incision in my palm, holding it out to the greater demon across from me. “I’m ready to make the blood oath.”
Raven
After what had happened between Noah and me, I expected training the next day to be awkward, to say the least. Luckily, Sage joined in, which stopped any awkwardness from happening. Noah was all business—focused on teaching me as many defensive moves as possible before sunset—and Sage kept the conversation going the entire time with everyday chitchat.
Since supernaturals had humanoid forms—except for shifters in their animal forms—they had the same sensitive areas as humans. I learned all about the most effective body parts to strike in a fight—the eyes, nose, ears, neck, groin, knee, and legs. Noah had me reciting that and pretending to hit those areas so many times that I could sing the jingle I made up to remember it in my sleep. Besides their strength, supernaturals had a higher tolerance for pain than humans, and they healed faster. So I wouldn’t be able to do much damage. I was learning this to stun a potential attacker, break free of their hold, and hopefully buy myself time before help came.
We practiced getting out of so many holds that I felt like a human pretzel.
Of course, whenever I practiced getting out of a hold, I practiced with Sage—not with Noah. Noah only touched me when absolutely necessary.
He was acting like my skin was poisoned, and touching me burned him. And when he talked to me, he was straight to the point and devoid of emotions. Like talking to a robot.
I hadn’t thought things could get worse between us than him constantly making me feel useless and unwanted… but I was wrong. At least before, he acknowledged my existence.
The Angel Hunt Page 11