At least I tried.
For the next hour or so, Luna pours over everything she thinks I need to know, including some of the things that are already on the papers before me. I try my best to listen, because, truthfully, I’m not very keen on the thought of going into that place clueless. By the way she’s speaking, she makes it seem as though they’ll be worse than the demons I’m trained to fight against, and not for one second do I doubt that.
Even so, it’s hard to concentrate and after the first hour – and once we’re well into the second – I’m struggling to focus. I continue my ‘mhm’s’ while she jabbers on, closing my eyes. I pretend to be asleep and, finally, Luna stops talking. I’m pretty sure she knows I’m faking it.
She doesn’t say anything however, and, after a while, I don’t have to fake it anymore.
When we arrive in Missouri, a car is already waiting for us. Luna doesn’t look surprised by that at all, and she slips into the vehicle without saying a word. I hesitate for only half a second before I follow her lead.
“I should have known you would have everything all planned out. Somehow, you still manage to surprise me.”
Luna doesn’t look at me. “How about you do the same and impress me at the meeting tomorrow?”
“Whoa, Luna. Harsh words.”
“Words you need to hear. This is a serious meeting, Melody.”
There she goes again. Mothering me. I sigh, looking out the tinted window. I wonder if the driver can hear what we’re saying. I wonder if he has the sight.
“Luna, relax. I know what’s at stake here.”
“I just want to make sure.” Then she pats me on the thigh in her typical tender fashion. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little tense because of the meeting. I know how annoying and anger-inducing these can be.”
“And you really want to put me in the middle of all that? The poster child for anger management?”
She laughs. The sound warms me. “I know you can handle it. Hell, you might even kick them down a few notches. Those people think they’re gods.”
“Well, then let me at ‘em.”
She laughs again. “You can relax a bit at the hotel. Who knows? Maybe you might spot one of them around. I’m sure a handful should be staying at the same one we are.”
“I think I’d rather stay in my room and look over the papers you gave me.”
She beams at that, clearly proud. “Alright, good idea.”
“Will we be sharing the same bedroom?”
“No.” She doesn’t miss my sag of relief. “Don’t worry. I know you young kids love your space. I won’t intrude.”
“I wasn’t …” I trail off, then concede. “Yeah, you’re right. I do love my space.”
“At least no one can say you aren’t honest.”
Honest isn’t a word I would use to describe myself. Honest people don’t hold monumental secrets like I do. Honest people don’t fall in love with the poster children for dishonesty.
I shake the thought away. Love is such a strong word. And despite how often my thoughts are with them, how much I crave different aspects of each of them, I’m not willing to put a label on my emotions just yet.
We arrive at the hotel half an hour later. As soon as we step out the car, another man approaches us, or rather, Luna. “Miss?” he calls.
Luna nods, scarcely looking at him. He accepts the gesture and proceeds to lead us through the entrance. “What did you tell him?” I whisper to Luna as we follow behind. “That we’re royalty?”
A smirk plays at her lips. “Something like that.”
That would have been much more believable if I wasn’t wearing ripped black jeans and a leather jacket, though Luna fits the bill in her wrinkle-free, form-fitting dress.
I stay silent as the man leads us to the elevator. A bellboy comes to take our luggage, and Luna hands over her bag. But I only have one bag myself so I hold up my hand, shaking my head. He nods and continues into the elevator behind us.
Once the elevator dings open, the man who met us at the entrance turns to us and – to my utter surprise – bows. “I hope this suits your needs, ma’am.”
Judging by the fact that they’re only two doors on this floor, I’m sure it will. Luna nods, eyes skimming over the man’s bowed head before she says. “It’ll do. Thank you.”
He nods, then nods again at the bellboy who opens her door to put down her bag. I draw closer to Luna. “Damn. Frigid, are we?”
“It’s a nice role to play.” I hear the laughter in her voice though she schools her features once the man and the bellboy turn back to us. “That’ll be all,” she tells them. “Thank you.”
They both give a short bow at the two of us and the man hands me my keycard before heading back to the elevator. Once we’re alone, Luna turns to me. “I’m going to take a nap. You do whatever it is you want, as long as you stay on the premises. I don’t want you getting lost.” I open my mouth to speak but she beats me to the punch. “I’m not to trying to baby you. Just making sure you know your responsibilities.”
“I do.” If I don’t know anything else, I definitely know that much. I have the responsibility of finding the person who took my father.
She nods, watching me a bit longer before she nods again, as if to confirm to herself that I’m being serious. As much as I’m not a big fan of her lack of faith in me, I can’t blame her. I haven’t really done many things to inspire her faith in me in the slightest, both before and after Mr. Black’s disappearance. Hopefully, this meeting will change all that.
Luna goes into her room and I go into mine. I shouldn’t be, but once I step foot into the room, I’m taken aback by the sheer size of this place. They really do think we’re royalty. I drop my bag into the nearest chair, heading straight for the balcony doors on the other side of where I stand. White curtains billow past me as soon as I throw the doors open and I step outside, enjoying the feel of the wind and sun on my face.
But it feels wrong somehow. Somehow, as much as it warms me, as relaxing as it is, I’m weighed down by the overwhelming feeling that I shouldn’t be here. Standing on the balcony enjoying the view feels too much like a waste of time. I should be inside, studying up on the Guild leaders, planning my search for the angels, doing something productive.
As if attempting to solidify my thoughts, a strong gust of wind roars past my ears, causing the balcony doors to shake violently. My hair blows around my face in the sudden gale, but I don’t move. Not straightaway. I take it in, allowing myself just a few more seconds of peace and quiet before I finally turn and make my way back inside, closing the door behind me.
The bedroom, nice as it is, is a far cry from the beauty of Lucifer’s master bedroom in the castle, but it’s still great – at least, by human standards. I shake my head at that thought, not able to help the wry smile. I’m already thinking like a demon.
Get back on track, Melody.
But first, I need a shower. I rummage through the bag, pulling out the first pair of underwear I find before heading to the adjoining bathroom. It’s gold and white, a long tub taunting me from the other side and I waste no time shedding my clothes, leaving them littered on the floor. As soon as I’m by the tub, I turn the tap on and allow the water to fill it. Then, aimlessly, I stand in front of the mirror.
My skin is the same as it’s always been, covered by the white reminders of old wounds. I run my finger over my stomach, trailing my bellybutton. There should be a scar there. There should be a reminder that I almost died, that my mother drove a sword through my stomach in an attempt to kill my soulmate. But there’s nothing, nothing to show for the things I’ve been through. Nothing but my own painful memories.
I rub at the spot on my stomach, staring into my eyes. My father’s eyes. The same hard cynical look in them, the same quiet strength. I’m like my father in more ways than one. And now, I’m going to have to use the help of those he hates the most to find him.
I think back on what Charmeine said before she died, searching my
brain for something I might have missed. I can’t shake the feeling that somewhere in the conversation I had with her there’s a clue. A small something that can point me in the direction of the angels.
Jezebel, before I ran my dagger against her throat, had mentioned that Charmeine came to her in the form of a bright, white light. But that doesn’t help. A bright white light is as hard to pin down as these elusive angels are, worse even.
A sigh escapes before I can stop it. I can think about that later. For now, I have a few Guild leaders to brush up on.
I turn to the tub and turn the tap off before the water gets too high. Sighing, I sink into its hot embrace, feeling my limbs relax and every tense knot in my body disappear almost instantly. I pin my hair up and slip even deeper inside, resting my neck on the back of the tub, and close my eyes.
All of a sudden, I’m overwhelmed with Lucifer’s essence. Even from the distance, I feel him, sense him, hear a whisper of his thoughts. I don’t know what he’s hearing or seeing, but I know he’s tense, agitated, and angry. Angry, above all the rest. To my surprise, my fist clenches in its own breed of fury.
Focus, Melody, I tell myself for what feels like the millionth time. I open my eyes, sitting up. Whatever Lucifer’s doing right now doesn’t concern you. Mr. Black concerns you. The Guild leaders, the meeting. Those are the things that concern you. Whatever it is going on with Lucifer will have to wait until he gets back. He can handle it. Handle your own business.
It doesn’t take long for me to relax again and, before I know it, almost twenty minutes have gone by. I get out of the tub before my fingers turn to prunes and grab one of the towels hanging on the rack nearby. I dry myself off, then tug my underwear on.
In nothing but my panties, I go back to the bedroom not prepared for the shock that courses through my body. Brotus is sitting in a chair at the corner of the room. He looks up at me when I walk in.
“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” I grunt, crossing my arms. “Maybe it’s not something you demon-folk are used to, but humans call that common courtesy.”
“My apologies.” He looks away, then a second later he rises. For a moment, I swear I see a hint of redness on his cheeks. Big, bad, burly Brotus is definitely blushing. “I didn’t expect you to step out so …”
“Underdressed?” I quirk a brow at him, watching him walk toward the window on the other side of the room. “Well, excuse me for thinking I would be allowed some privacy in my own room.”
“You’re right.” He turns, but still doesn’t look at me. Instead, his eyes are on the exit. I could be seeing things but … is that desperation in his eyes? “I shouldn’t have barged in on you like this. I should take my leave.”
Before he gets the chance to take a step, I say, amused, “It’s fine, Brotus. You already saw everything there is to see. There’s no need for you to run like a little child.”
His chin lifts. “I’m not running. Nor am I child.”
“Oh?” I come closer and he visibly stiffens. “Don’t demon females have breasts, Brotus?”
“That’s hardly the matter here,” he says stiffly. “But yes, they do.”
“So, why do you look so out of sorts after seeing mine? I’m sure they look the same as the ones you’re used to.” When he doesn’t say anything, I gasp slightly. “Unless, you aren’t used to seeing them, huh?”
He turns again, toward the window. Unable to help it, I come closer until I’m sure he can sense me right over his shoulder.
“You’ve never seen breasts before, Brotus. Nothing’s wrong with admitting that, you know.”
He still remains rigid. I have half a mind to touch him to see how he’ll react. Instead, I make my way over to my bag and silently pull out a large shirt. “How old are you, Brotus?”
“Hundreds of thousands of years, Melody.”
“And you’ve never seen a pair of breasts? What kind of chaste life do you live?” I pull the shirt over my head and take a seat on the bed. As much as I would love to keep going, I’ve tortured him enough. “You can turn around now. I’m decent.”
Clearly, he doesn’t believe me because he peeks over his shoulder first. Once he sees that I’m telling the truth, he turns fully. “You always make up the answers to your own questions?”
He shrugs. “Only when the source refuses to answer for himself.”
“Well, Lucifer should be happy he has someone as devoted as you are,” I taunt and reach over into the bag and pull out the folder Luna gave me. “Speaking of. Doing your routinely check-ins on me?”
From the corner of my eye, I see him relax. “I just wanted to see how you were holding up. Your father is missing. That must be a lot on you.”
I glance up at him, settling my body into the cushiony pillows. He’s hovering by the edge of my bed, and despite the words that should have been tender, his face is as straight as ever. It almost makes me laugh. “If you knew any better, you would know that my dearest father and I didn’t have the best relationship.”
“So? Being at odds with him shouldn’t protect you from the pain of his disappearance.”
“That’s funny, because it does.” I snuggle in closer, pulling the papers out the folder. “DNA is the only thing that makes him my father. He’s never been anything other than the Guild leader otherwise.”
“So, you’re saying you don’t care that he’s gone missing?”
Brotus sinks onto the bed, placing his hand on his knee as he stares at me. He’s here to be the listening ear, I realize. For some reason, that doesn’t piss me off like it should. Instead, I’m glad he came instead of Merlidon. He’s much easier to talk to, and just as great to look at. “Oh, I care. Because if it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t be here trying to cram all this,” I throw the papers on the bed between us, “for a meeting I’m sure to hate every minute of. Not to mention the fact that I’m expected to lead the other hunters to find Mr. Black when I have no clue how to go about it.”
“Maybe I can help.”
I scoff at that. “I would love any help right now, but I doubt you know anything more than what Lucifer’s already told me. You know I’m leaning toward an angel being the attacker, right?”
Brotus nods his head. “Lucifer did mention something like that to me, yes.”
I resist the urge to ask when. As far as I know, Lucifer left right after he ravished me on his bed. “Well, you and I both have no clue how to find them. My only hope is for them to come to me. For whatever reason, they chose to take Mr. Black instead of killing him where he stood. I’m hoping they had a reason for that.”
“If they had killed him at his office, the likelihood of their aim to be rid of all demons would be greater.”
I frown. “Meaning?”
“Killing the Guild leader would only deepen the hatred you hunters have for us.” He says that with no emotion, no remorse, no regret, no resentment. “It would inspire another uprising.”
“Maybe that is what they really want. I’m here, aren’t I? About to alert the other leaders of his disappearance. If another person goes missing, it’ll surely bring about the end.”
“Then there you have it,” Brotus says calmly. “That might explain why they’re doing this.”
“Doesn’t explain why they didn’t just kill him,” I say bluntly, a little too blunt considering I’m speaking about my father, my own flesh and blood. “It would have been easier and would have gotten the job done much faster.”
Brotus only shrugs. “You’ll have to ask them when you find them.”
“Yeah, well,” I reach for the papers spread out between us. “I’ll have to get through this set of demons first.”
“Would you like some help?”
“How could you possibly help me with this? Unless you’re planning on shoving the information into my brain using your little mind magic.”
“If you want,” he says, his features straight.
I blink at him. “I was joking. You can really do that?” I know he can weed into peopl
e’s minds and read their thoughts, but I never stopped to think that maybe he can create his own thoughts in their heads as well. A scary notion.
Brotus doesn’t answer straightaway. Then, ever so slightly, the left side of his lip crooks upward. “I’m joking, as well,” he says.
“You surprise me every time I see you, you know that?”
His smile falls and in its place comes that blush I thought I saw before. It has me blinking in bemusement. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Then he stands again, turning away. “I’ll leave you to study.”
“No, don’t go,” I say without thinking. When he looks at me expectantly, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know why I asked him to stay. I’m fine with being alone. I usually am. It’s how I’ve lived my life for all these years. And, at a time like this, I need to be alone, to focus on the things I need to do. But for some reason, I want Brotus here with me.
“Is there something else you need?” he asks me when I take too long to respond.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Just stay. Keep me company for a little bit longer?”
Slowly, he makes his way back to the bed, watching me. “I thought you weren’t a fan of me checking up on you.”
“Maybe it’s grown on me a little.” I smile. “You can sit on the bed, you know. Take your shoes off. Get comfortable. Don’t worry. I won’t flash you again.”
Brotus blushes again. As unusual as the sight is to me, it makes me smile and I watch him crawl onto the bed after taking his shoes off. It isn’t until he’s beside me do I realize how small the bed really is. Or rather, how big he is. There isn’t much space to separate us, although Brotus is trying his best to put as much of it as he can find between us.
And he’s looking everywhere but at me. I stare at him until he can feel my gaze, then, almost painfully, he looks at me.
Fuck, he’s gorgeous. We’re close, closer than he’s expecting because when he looks at me, his eyes widen in surprise. But he doesn’t move and neither do I. Caught up in everything that has been happening, I almost forget how handsome he is, how chiseled his jaw is, how firm his lips are. Suddenly, I want to touch them. I want to feel them. Something moves inside me and I abandon all reasoning. I reach forward, brushing my fingers over his lips.
Hunting Light: Hunter her Lovers (Demon Hunter Book 2) Page 9