8 WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING #2
Inching through the crack in his window, he flew back onto the roof, surprised to find Sunshine sitting on an air conditioning unit, jiggling her leg impatiently. She leapt to her feet when he shifted back to human form.
“Did you get the robes?” he asked.
“Yes. Did you have to take so long?”
“Yes.”
Her brow rose. “Interesting excuse you gave your friends.”
She’d been listening? Even a supernatural being couldn’t have heard what they were saying from all the way up here, especially with the city sounds around them. That meant she’d found some other discreet spying point. And it would have to be really discreet to avoid Mist’s hunter senses.
Impressive, yet creepy.
Her head tilted, sending her shiny dark hair sliding over one shoulder. “Why not make up a more elaborate lie about where you’re going?”
“The best lies are rooted in truth.”
“I suppose a demon would know that.”
His eyes narrowed. “Can we go?”
She stepped toward him, reaching out. Instantly, he remembered the nightclub and how she’d approached him across the dance floor. How he’d held out a hand, and she’d placed her palm in his and then ground that perfect body against him.
When she grasped his arm, he jerked it out of her grip, pinning her with a sharp look.
She returned it with an exasperated one. “I’m trying to flash you.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“I don’t trust you either.”
They glared at each other.
She reached out again, slower, fingers curling around his bicep. He couldn’t feel her touch on his skin through his hoodie, but he flinched at the contact nonetheless, resolutely repressing more memories of the club.
A sensation suddenly gripped him that felt like falling off a building, and he instinctively fought against it. The world steadied again.
Sunshine’s lips tightened. “Flashing with another person is only possible when they do not resist.”
“Is that why you drugged me first?”
“Yes.”
Well, at least she was honest. “Try again.”
Her grip tightened, and again, the falling sensation came and the instinctive aversion rose, telling him it was one of his enemies trying to spirit his body away to an unknown location.
She threw her hands up. “You keep fighting me.”
“I’m not trying to.”
“Well, you are.”
“It’s a little hard to relax.”
“Feel free to fly then if that’s what you want. I’m trying to make this easier for you.”
“Try again.”
Blowing out a breath, she gripped his arm once more. This time, when his stomach flipped, he pretended he was the one throwing himself off the building and not someone else.
The sensation consumed him, and for a split second, he was weightless. But not like a body falling through space. Weightless as in bodiless .
And then he opened his eyes and found them right back in Sunshine’s apartment.
She immediately dropped his arm and stepped away.
He headed toward the kitchen where he saw an open package of sidewalk chalk. Perfect for sigil drawing. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Where will we link the hellgate to?” Sunshine asked as he carried the chalk over to the living room area where there was another patch of clear floor space.
Hellgates worked by opening a portal of sorts, but they had to link to another hellgate at the desired destination. Unfortunately, Raum hadn’t left any open hellgates in safe places when he’d left Hell. He really hadn’t intended to go back any time soon.
There were public hellgates open in the center of the Blood Market for demons to come and go at their convenience, but the Blood Market was days of travel away from Murmur’s domain and Raum wasn’t keen on landing in the middle of a bustling crowd with an angel at his side.
There was one more secluded hellgate that he knew of, however.
Iris and Meph had used it to escape Valefor, the demon who had captured them thanks to Murmur’s betrayal. Valefor was dead now, and while Raum was sure there was an ongoing battle nearby to claim his territory, he also figured there was a pretty good chance that the gate was still intact.
Only one way to find out.
Mist heard Raum’s bedroom door shut and stood frozen, a plate in one hand and a soapy cloth in the other.
Then he shook himself. He returned his focus to washing, assuring himself he was imagining things. He wasn’t the Hunter anymore. Not everything unusual was a clue, part of a long trail he followed to his prey.
But the prickle of unease didn’t dissipate.
He washed several more dish items before he couldn’t ignore it any longer.
Dropping the cloth into the water and setting a clean pot on the rack, he stalked down the hallway, promising Lily he would return shortly.
He didn’t explain where he was going, still certain he was imagining things.
He cracked open Raum’s door and crept in, inhaling deeply and scanning the sparse furnishings. He didn’t scent any traces of what he thought he’d smelled when Raum had spoken to him earlier. He must have imagined it, just like he’d thought.
The scent had changed after his shower, and it was highly possible he’d mistaken—
Unless …
Mist’s gaze landed upon a pile of black clothes on the floor beside the closet. He crouched beside it, lifted the clothing to his nose, and inhaled deeply once more.
His spine stiffened, and his eyes widened. He sniffed once more, but there was no mistaking it. But how … ? And why had Raum not explained?
Unless … he couldn’t.
Mist dropped the clothes and went back to the hall, only to stop short as indecision gripped him. His tail flicked restlessly. His first instinct was to tell Lily and ask for her opinion. But perhaps that wasn’t the best course at present.
He did not keep secrets from Lily, but she might not understand the severity of this matter without some explanation, and he had to act quickly. He would consult with her later, but first …
His head swiveled toward the closed door at the end of the hall.
Stalking toward it, he opened it and peered into the dark room.
Heavy drapes had been pulled over the tall windows to block the sunlight streaming in, but he could still discern the sizable bulk sprawled across the mattress.
Belial lay on his stomach, head turned to one side, arms spread out above his head.
He must have awoken sometime in the night since they’d deposited him here, because his shirt was missing.
Normally, Mist wouldn’t dream of disturbing a sleeping Belial, but this was important, and time was of the essence.
“Belial.”
He didn’t so much as stir. Mist shifted uncomfortably. This was the last thing he wanted to do, but he told himself it was necessary.
He lifted his tail and prodded Belial in the cheek lightly.
Bel’s fist shot up and snatched it out of the air, and his eyes popped open. Hellfire flickered in them momentarily until he recognized Mist looming over him.
He groaned and released the tail, which Mist gratefully moved out of reach. “You’d better have a good reason for waking me up.” His voice was hoarse.
“It’s important or I wouldn’t disturb your sleep.”
“What is it?”
“I believe Raum is in trouble.”
“Raum?” Bel rubbed his eyes. “What’s he done now?”
“He came into the kitchen and told us he was leaving for a few days. Though he seemed calm, there was a scent on him. It was so subtle I almost didn’t detect it, but I went into his room and scented it again on his clothing.”
“A scent? What scent?”
“An angel.”
“An … angel.” Belial closed his eyes briefly as if hoping that when he opened them again, Mist wouldn’t still be there. “Like … a heavenly-ass angel.”
“Yes.”
“Was it Dan? Dunno why he’d be hanging out with him, but—”
“It was not Dan, nor another Grigori. It was an angel.” Angels’ powers were stronger than Grigori, and therefore, so was their scent. Mist could tell the difference.
Bel rolled over and sat up. Bending his knees, he propped his elbows against them and dragged his hands through his hair, leaving it all standing up. He looked quite haggard, truth be told, and Mist felt another twinge of guilt for waking him.
“Why the fuck … Raum? Makes no sense. He didn’t say anything to you?”
Mist shook his head. “I feared that perhaps … he couldn’t.”
Belial dropped his hands, and his gaze sharpened as he focused on Mist. They exchanged looks of mutual understanding, and then Bel said, “Fuck.”
“I will hunt him and find out where he is and what he is doing. But if my assumption is correct, we need to be prepared to trap an angel. I don’t have access to the necessary equipment—”
“I can get it.” His tone was anything but enthusiastic, and he rested his forehead on his palm. “I’ll get us whatever we need. Just … make sure we actually need it first.” He lifted his head and pinned Mist with a sharp look. “No false alarms, got it?”
Mist nodded.
“Good. Raum? Who would want to fuck with him? He’s too goddamn nice, the idiot.” Bel’s hand curled into a fist. “If some angel puts so much as a scratch on him, I’ll see how bendy their spine can get when I shove their head up their own asshole.”
Mist winced. “I’ll go hunt now. But I need to tell Lily—”
“Go. I’ll talk to her. I’m up now anyway, and I’m going to need a fuckload of coffee to get through this day.” Bel waved toward the curtained windows as he climbed out of bed. “Window’s open.”
Without another word, Mist dissolved into mist and ghosted through the window into the brisk morning air.
It was time to hunt.