“Bax, I love you, but it’s kind of a mood killer, listening to you talk about my dick as if it’s a science experiment of some sort.”
Baxter burst out laughing and clenched his muscles down around Liam’s cock, making his lover groan loudly. “I love you, babe.”
“Love you back,” Liam said.
Baxter pulled him down for another kiss, and then there was no more talking.
WHEN THE alarm sounded at eight, Liam woke with a groan that had nothing to do with pleasure and everything to do with wanting to reject the notion of getting out of bed. He and Baxter had fallen asleep quickly after they’d made love, and now, refreshed after a good night’s rest, Liam wanted nothing more than to spend the day in bed with Baxter.
But there was a mission, and they had work to do. With a heavy sigh, he sat up and nudged Baxter’s side. “Get up, Bax.”
“Don’t wanna,” Baxter slurred.
“Tough. We all have to.” Liam got out of bed and stretched, and then he grabbed the blankets and pulled them off Baxter’s body.
“What the fuck! Liam!” Baxter sat bolt upright, shivering. “It’s fucking cold!”
“Ah, but now you’re awake, so you can scrub my back in the shower,” Liam said.
Baxter grumbled petulantly but got up, and the two of them went to get ready for the day. They showered quickly, then dried off and got dressed, Liam packing his supplies—weapons, magic powders, and herbs—as Baxter looked on. The simple, innocent-looking backpack that he slung over his shoulder would get them past everything, unless someone wanted to inspect the contents. Liam decided that he’d cross that bridge if and when they got to it.
They went into the kitchen and had breakfast: toast, oatmeal, juice, and coffee, and then, laughing and talking of small, unimportant things, they left Baxter’s apartment and went down to the backyard to join Angelique, Riley, and Declan.
“We all here, then?” Angelique asked. “Good,” she added, nodding. “Shay will be here in ten minutes, so I’ve figured out where we’re going. He and the others will ’port us to a back street or alley or something, some place the mundanes won’t notice us. TCC has two offices in Bangor, and handily for us, they’re literally around the corner from each other. One’s by the public library, on Harlow Street, and the other’s in an old building on the corner of Columbia and Hammond Streets.”
“So where are we starting?” Declan asked. Like Liam, he carried a backpack, and Liam had no doubt that his brother was carrying the same sort of supplies he was.
“I think the library. We can walk around, scope things out, then make our decision from there,” Angelique said.
“Sounds good,” Declan said.
“Great. And here’s our angels.” She grinned as Shateiel, Asaf, and Vel joined them. “Hey.”
“Good morning. Are you all well?” Shateiel smiled warmly at them.
“Hey, Shay,” Liam said. “I think we are pretty well, yeah.”
“I heard that Danny is awake. I am very happy to hear that. Agrat has gone to offer her assistance to Raphael and Lily.”
“Thank you,” Angelique said. “And thank her, too, for us, please?”
“I will.”
“Where are we taking you today?” Vel asked.
“Bangor, Maine,” Baxter said.
“I’ve never been there.” Vel grinned at Asaf. “Why don’t we spend some time and check it out? Is it pretty?”
“Yeah, it is,” Liam said. “Maine is gorgeous, anyway.”
“Huh. Well, what do you think, Asaf?”
“Sure, that sounds good. Spend more time with humans in order to understand them better, and do it in a pretty town—I’m all for that,” Asaf said.
“Shateiel, sir, will you join us?” Vel asked, his voice respectful.
Shateiel considered it. “Thank you for the invitation. I believe I will.”
“Then we won’t have to yell too loudly if we need help,” Angelique teased.
Shateiel grinned. “That may have factored into my reasoning, too.”
Everyone laughed. Angelique clapped her hands, and Liam grinned at her officiousness, something that Angelique herself probably wasn’t even aware she was doing.
“Shall we get going, everyone? The day is marching on, after all.”
Shateiel saluted, and Liam moved closer to the others as they formed a small circle, holding each other’s hands. He took a deep breath, and then the next thing he knew was nothingness as they were teleported from the back yard of Michael’s apartment building and to Bangor, Maine.
8
WITH URIEL at his side, Raziel entered the enormous boardroom at the top of Ondrass’s business tower in Portland. It never failed to surprise him a little just how opulent Ondrass’s holdings were, although he knew that the Archdemons had no compunction about owning and acquiring wealth—often through means that Raziel did not approve of. They were, after all, of Hell, and cheating, lying, manipulation, and sometimes outright theft were par for the course.
“This place stinks of smugness,” Uriel growled as he pushed open the glass double doors that led into the lobby. “Smugness and illegal money.”
“Does illegal money have a different scent to legal money?” Raziel asked as he walked over to the elevators and pressed the call button.
“Yeah. It smells like desperation, fear, and greed.”
“You’re the expert, I suppose. I haven’t spent a lot of time smelling money to know.” Sometimes Raziel wondered how he ended up having these strange conversations.
“I’m not a damn expert on money. I just know what evil smells like.”
“And if it’s illegal, it’s evil?”
The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open, and Raziel entered, Uriel on his heels. He pressed the button for the top floor, and as the doors slid closed, Uriel huffed.
“Most of the time, sure. What, you think we should go into illegal money?”
“What sort of a ridiculous question is that?” Raziel shot Uriel an incredulous look. “Of course I don’t. I’m just curious as to how you determine that money, which has little odor at all, can smell illegal. Does illegality have a fragrance? Eau d’Illegal?”
“You’re making fun, now,” Uriel said.
“A little.” Raziel grinned at him. “Smelly money? Really?”
“Oh, shut up.”
Raziel laughed and continued to chuckle as Uriel’s expression became sour, and the elevator swept them upward. When the doors opened, Raziel stepped out, still grinning, and Uriel was on his heels, scowling at Raziel’s back like an Archangelic cloud of doom.
“I can feel you glowering at me,” Raziel said over his shoulder.
“Yay for you,” Uriel grumbled.
“Oh good, it’s going to be one of those days,” Raziel said. He paused before moving to open the wooden doors that led into the boardroom. “Are you going to be in a snit all day?”
“No. I’ll get over it. Just… let me grumble for a bit.”
“All right, Captain Cranky, whatever you want.” Raziel shook his head and went to the doors, opened them, and walked into the boardroom.
Ondrass was seated at the head of a long, rectangular table, Markus to his left and Adramelek to his right. Lix Tetrax and Melcherisa sat beside him, and there were folders in front of them, along with a pitcher full of iced water and several crystal glasses. It was all very formal and businesslike, and Raziel approved. He took the seat beside Markus, nodding a hello to the Archdemons opposite, and Uriel sat down in a sprawl beside him.
“We’re here,” Raziel said, “obviously. So what’s on the agenda for today?”
“A few things, some of which are just bookkeeping,” Ondrass said. “Markus, be a dear and read the minutes.”
“Of course. I’m always happy to bring our feathery friends up to speed,” Markus said.
Raziel shrugged. “If I have to listen to you lot be sly and snarky, I want a beer.”
“And I want a cigar,” Uriel said.<
br />
“My, you two are touchy today,” Ondrass said.
Raziel shook his head. “Ignore it. What’s on the agenda?”
Markus shot Ondrass a quick look, and Ondrass nodded. Markus licked his lips, opened his folder, and began to read. Raziel leaned back as he listened—Markus’s report didn’t contain anything new, but then, it was a summary after all. When he’d finished, Raziel leaned forward and rested his hands on the table.
“Danny is awake,” he began, but got no further as all of the Archdemons and Markus erupted into an expression of relief that made Raziel stare at them in astonishment. “You all like him, huh?”
“Lily is who we like,” Lix Tetrax said. “He’s awake, so Lily is happy, and that’s good news.”
“Does she require anything?” Adramelek asked.
“Like what?” Raziel asked. “Have I missed something here? Why are you all so fond of a shifter who’s a Venatores and works for Michael?”
“Lily is more than just that,” Adramelek said, a sneer curling his upper lip as he looked down his nose at Raziel. “She’s been to Hell and survived there, unnoticed by anyone. She emerged, relatively unscathed, and she called us—not you, us—when things went from bad to worse in Yaak. That alone would endear her to me, but her connection to Hell and her personality are further endearments.”
“How did she get into Hell?” Uriel asked. “I guard those damn gates; no one goes in or out without my knowing.”
“During the war, wasn’t your attention a bit scattered?” Melcherisa asked. “She says she fell through a portal. No gate that any of us knew of, so I would surmise it wouldn’t be one you’d know of, either.”
“Huh.” Uriel looked thoughtful. “Maybe I should have a chat with her about it. Oh, I’m not going to yell at her, fucking hell,” he added, as he took in the profoundly disapproving expressions on the demons’ faces. “I’m curious. I bet you lot were, too.”
“That’s true, we were,” Ondrass said smoothly. “However, we are also far more civilized and charming than you are, and so we’re much easier to talk to.”
“I’m curious too,” Raziel said, interrupting before an argument broke out. “We’ll both go and pay her and Danny a visit, Uri.”
“All right.” Uriel seemed content with that, and Raziel was relieved.
“So what brought the young man from his coma?” Adramelek asked.
“Iss and his music, apparently,” Raziel said. “I don’t know either, so don’t ask. I’m waiting on Raphael’s report.”
“That lends more weight to our theory that the coma was induced by magical means rather than medical,” Melcherisa said thoughtfully. “I had thought from the outset that it was more to do with some kind of stray magic, some failsafe programmed into the beasts in the facility, designed to activate if a creature was about to die.”
“What an interesting theory.” Raziel leaned forward. “I’d be very interested in discussing that further, later.”
Melcherisa gave him a little bow. “I shall place myself at your disposal once this business is done.”
“While that is indeed excellent news, what is being done about Transom Corp., or whatever they’re calling themselves today?” Ondrass asked.
“Angelique’s pack, minus Lily and Danny, obviously, have found that their main offices are in Bangor, Maine,” Raziel said.
“Maine?” Ondrass looked astonished. “Why Maine? It’s a pretty enough place, I suppose, but it’s hardly a major business hub. Why not California or New York?”
Raziel shrugged. “No idea. Our Venatores have gone there to do some intel gathering.”
“I see. And are they able to do so, considering they are minus two of their pack?” Ondrass asked.
“I think so. Liam and Declan Jones have gone with them, and Shateiel, Vel, and Asaf are lingering in the city while the kids do their job.”
“Hm, all right.” Ondrass looked at Adramelek. “We have some information as well.”
“Do tell,” Uriel drawled.
“I’ve been playing the stock markets,” Ondrass said. A wicked smirk crossed his face, and Raziel was suddenly reminded of old twentieth-century Chinese gangster movies set in Hong Kong, full of violence and crime. “I have made acquisitions in several futures funds. I appear to have made quite a splash with my, ah, talent for the markets.”
“You’ve been using your power to manipulate them, you mean,” Uriel said.
Ondrass shrugged. “Of course I have. Not much, mind you. Not because I object to doing so, but because I wanted to see if I would be contacted by Transom’s people. I’d just made quite a bit of money speculating in some stock in chemistry products, and I received an e-mail from another investor, a Transom employee, who congratulated me on my successes. He said his employers were interested in meeting with me.”
Raziel sat up straight. “Really now? Do these people know who and what you are?”
“What do you take me for, Raziel? I am not an idiot, and I’m not new at this. Naturally, they have no idea. My company here is staffed by demons who are all entirely loyal to me. There is no way these idiots could know who I am. They believe that I am the CEO of Youdu Industries.”
“Youdu Industries?” Raziel couldn’t help but snort at that. “You used the Chinese name of the capital city of Hell for your corporation?”
“Why not? It means ‘Dark Capital,’ and my home in Hell is indeed a dark capital.” Ondrass smiled an oily sort of smile. “In any case, our friends are not likely to be well versed in Chinese mythology. If they are, and they recognize the name, I will simply say that it’s my family’s name, and we chose to embrace it rather than be ashamed of it.”
“Okay,” Raziel said. “I guess you know what you’re doing.”
“You’re so kind to have faith in me,” Ondrass said drily. “I am overwhelmed with joy at your blessing.”
Raziel rolled his eyes. He was about to say something, but his cell phone rang. Frowning a little at the interruption, he pulled it from the pocket of his leather jacket and answered it.
“Raz, hi. I’m glad you answered, I’ve tried to get hold of Uri, Gabe, Mike, Tzad and Shay and Agrat, and no one’s answering their bloody phones!”
“Minnie?” Raziel was surprised to hear her voice.
“Yes, it’s me. You know, you need to tell the others in your choir that it’s really great they give us their phone numbers, but it kind of helps if their bloody phones are on so that when Max or I call, they can bloody answer!”
Raziel grinned. “I think Uri’s butt-dialed his phone to switch off by accident. The others, no idea. They’re probably not in places where you could reach them, aside from Shateiel, who’s on assignment.”
“Oh. Well, that’s all right, then. I was going to say, if this is some sort of technological lack of understanding, you need to hold a class and bring them up-to-date.”
Raziel burst out laughing. “I can imagine that would go down very badly. So to what do I owe the honor of your call?”
“We found things. You need to get down here.”
“Things?”
“Yes. Things. People might be listening.”
“Ah. I’ll bring Uri with me.”
“Good idea. Bring an Archdemon or two, too, if any are handy.”
“As it happens, I know exactly where all the Archdemons of the Guild of Glass Knives are at this precise moment,” Raziel said.
“Okay, awesome. Bring them too. I’ll see you soon.” The call ended before Raziel could say good-bye.
“I take it we’re going to Minnie’s, then?” Uriel asked.
“Yes, and we’re supposed to bring an Archdemon or two. She didn’t say why, just that she thinks someone’s listening in.”
“Indeed?” Ondrass quirked one elegantly curved eyebrow. “Then I shall come with you.”
“I will too,” Adramelek said.
“Markus, keep me informed of how my stock is doing and if any other Transom people bite at the bait we’ve set up.�
� Ondrass got to his feet. “Shall we go now?” he asked, looking at Raziel.
“I suppose. We need to discuss the plans for this meeting you’re having with those people, too,” Raziel said.
“We will. After we see that Minnie and Max are all right.”
“Is the world ending?” Raziel wondered as he too got to his feet. “This is the second pair of humans that you seem to like without any ulterior motives.”
“Perhaps it’s more that you’re spending more time with us than you have ever in the history of existence and are seeing that we are not fueled by purely evil intent,” Adramelek said. “We will meet you at the front gate of their house.” He put his hand on Ondrass’s shoulder and they disappeared.
“He’s in a mood,” Lix Tetrax said. “He’s under pressure from Lucifer. Our lord wants answers, and we have few to give him.”
“Isn’t Lightbringer going through all the stuff the kids brought out of Yaak?” Raziel asked her.
“He is, but I think he’s wondering how it all fits together. Of course, that’s something that we’re all wondering, so all we can give him is speculation, but he wants solid facts.” She sighed and shook her head. “I’ll go back to work while you go and speak with the lady and her lord.”
“Okay.” Raziel turned to Uriel. “You want to move us, babe?”
“Sure.” Uriel took Raziel’s hand in his and moved them.
Adramelek was leaning against the wall, and Ondrass was smoking a Russian cigarette when they arrived. Raziel could see the packet in Ondrass’s hand and recognized the brand. The two Archdemons looked for all the world as if they’d been waiting for hours, not minutes, and Uriel growled a little as he looked at them.
“Easy, babe,” Raziel said in an undertone.
“They are so fucking annoying sometimes,” Uriel murmured.
Raziel gave his hand a squeeze. “I know.”
“Now that we’re all here, shall we go in?” Ondrass asked.
“After you,” Raziel gestured to the gate.
Ondrass and Adramelek entered, and Raziel and Uriel followed, Uriel pausing long enough to close and firmly latch the gate behind them. They were greeted by a chestnut pony staring balefully at them, a duck, and a tiny white lamb bleating.
A Fire in the Heart Page 9