Chapter 10
Chapter
Ten
The group around the table looked at our small group with a great deal of rage.
“Did I not make it clear what the deal was?” Shane asked in a level voice that boded ill.
I shrugged and glanced at my ferret. “Things don’t always go to plan.”
“Wait, you know my brother?” the pix said, looking betrayed.
I gave him a flat look. “Is there somewhere else you could wait with your little sister while the adults talk business?”
He gave Shane a look, then took the girl to the stairs that led up. Was he going to be in our room? There were other rooms on that level and a few levels higher.
“We should kill her,” the fish guy spat, literally, all over the table. Happily, we were far enough that it didn’t reach us. Shane, however, was liberally sprayed.
Shane’s eyes tightened as he subtly brushed off the side of his face. “The deal was very clear.”
“True. I guess I’ll just go kill Romi so we’re square, and then I’ll keep the little pix according to my signed contract.”
His eyes darkened. “You have a contract from Romi transferring ownership? But slavery is illegal. What good would a contract do?”
“It’ll be respected by any group he turns to for help, such as the Dogs.
You hang up that contract and no one’s going to accept the job to get her back.
Also, it has my signature. You aren’t related to the little thing, but your brother is.
Half-brother. Are you the type who will give her some options?
After being a goblin’s slave, she should have options. ”
Laughter came from the doorway, and there was Cupid looking particularly golden and glowing. He also smelled strongly of alcohol. “He’s right about your soul. It’s positively glowing.”
Was he close enough to grab? No. I ignored him, refocusing on Shane. “Are we square, or do you want me to end a life and take the kid with me?”
He sighed heavily while the fish guy glared.
Shane said, “I shouldn’t have trusted someone who took up with an angel.”
Gavriel smiled coolly at him. “Are you insulting my friend?”
Shane threw himself back in the chair and shook his head. “No. Your friend took care of things even better than I anticipated. Does your friend want to join a crew?”
“You can’t invite her to stay after she screwed everything up!” the fish guy exclaimed.
Shane winced and then scowled at him. “Rafe, chill or I’m putting you on ice.
Why does she make you so hysterical? She’s a professional.
Maybe you can be a professional too, hm?
” He shook his head and gave me an apologetic glance.
With a little effort, he could be guided to do good.
Pity I wasn’t a demon who manipulated people. He had a good heart.
“I’ll keep your offer in mind,” I said, then looked at Gavriel. “I need to look at the bullet wound.” I tugged on his hand, heading towards the stairs.
The cupid said, “Can’t wait to get him alone, hm? Too bad he’s so noble and incorruptible. I can smell his purity from all the way over here.”
Gavriel scowled at him. He was still out of reach, but he tensed, like he wanted to try to catch the cupid.
I tugged him towards the door. “Doesn’t seem possible to smell Gavriel’s nobility over your own corruption, but what do I know?”
“You can smell corruption?” the Cupid asked, taking a step closer, away from the door. Was he close enough? Now was not the time to capture the angel. I needed to bandage Gavriel and pour some healing elixir down his throat.
“Gavriel, I need to take off your shirt and check your wound.” I frowned at him, tugging him closer to the door.
“You can. You must have had angelic or demonic blood before you turned.” The cupid’s eyes glowed golden.
“It’s not Gavriel that you’re attracted to; it’s just his blood.
You don’t want to fall for someone like him.
He’ll just lead you on and then eventually drop you when he gets what he wants out of you. ”
I turned to hiss at him. “I’m a murderer. You should be warning him about me.”
“Yeah? He was Mirabel’s favorite, but then after she counted on him, he broke her heart, refused her after he’d used their connection to move up the ranks of the Hosts.”
I looked at Gavriel and saw the way he was looking at Lorien. Dark. Angry. He was bringing up old wounds.
“I was not worthy of her,” Gavriel said softly, but there was a cutting thread of anger beneath it.
“You weren’t worthy? The great, noble, pure Gavriel Harthorn isn’t worthy? How humble of you. That didn’t stop you from accepting every promotion that the Commander gave you as you advanced up the ranks. Did it?”
Gavriel spun around and put a hand on his hilt. “You wouldn’t know what I did and didn’t accept. You abandoned us all, and for what? Perhaps if you’d stayed, Mirabel wouldn’t have abandoned the angels like you did.”
Lorien’s eyes sparked bright gold. “Now it’s my fault that she married an ogre?” He pulled a sword that shone with a strange light, not quite heavenly, but something otherworldly. Maybe it was elven.
Shane stood up and slammed his hands on the table. “You two want to brawl, take it into the alley. No interference from bystanders,” he said, frowning at me.
I blinked at him and then shook my head. “They aren’t brawling. Gavriel got shot. I still have to take out the bullet and check to make sure it wasn’t poisoned or cursed.”
“Yes, you’re so eager to take off his shirt,” Lorien spat and then spun around and marched into the alley.
This is what we’d been waiting for, the chance to grab him and get some answers about the demonic threat, but Gavriel was injured.
Gavriel swept me into his arms and brushed my hair back from my face with his warm, strong hand as he gazed into my eyes. “If you really don’t want me to fight him…”
I took a deep breath and then stepped back, crossing my arms. “No, of course you should fight him about some girl you used to know. That sounds like a great way to spend your time.”
He gave me an apologetic look and then turned and strode towards the door, leaving me seething after him. He’d been shot. This was not the time, but at the same time, when else would he be able to get his hands on the angel?
Shane put a hand on my shoulder for a second before I glared at him. He raised his hands in surrender. “Angels duel over honor all the time. It shouldn’t take long.” He headed towards the door and then held it open for me.
I hesitated and then walked through it in time to see Lorien throw a fireball at Gavriel. Gavriel captured it in a shadow of death and leapt at him with his sword. The gold angel blocked Gavriel’s blow and then punched his face, smashing his nose.
The scent of Gavriel’s blood bloomed, and I leapt towards the fight. Unfortunately, I hit a ward that hit me back five times as hard.
I went flying back, hit the brick wall, and crumpled to the ground. I rolled to my feet, but my vampire blood was trickling down my scalp. I’d have to wash my hair.
Shane gave me a look that I ignored as I focused on the fight. Every time Gavriel took a blow, I winced. Overall, his hits were harder and faster, so Lorien was slowly being driven down the alley to the other ward. Gavriel was going to win, but he’d be bloody and bruised by the time it was over.
I hated watching him get hurt. It made my skin itch and my whole body ache from my gums to my fingernails.
“He won’t kill him,” Tiago the elf’s low voice assured me.
I didn’t take my eyes off the fight. “I know.” Right? Gavriel wouldn’t die, but being hurt was enough to make me crazy. He was mine to keep safe.
“You shouldn’t be so obvious about how fixated you are on him. He’s a weakness of yours that anyone can take advantage of.”
I bared my teeth at him, distracted from the fight for a second. When I looked back, Lorien kicked Gavriel’s body, snapping several ribs. I ached for him. Literally. “I’m sure that telling me not to be fixated is very helpful.”
Tiago chuckled, melodious and calming. “Then again, that weakness is what makes you accessible, relatable, someone Shane is comfortable inviting to his crew.”
“Being part of his crew would be another weakness.”
“Would it? Ah. You have a strong sense of loyalty. How lucky for you that none of your masters engaged it.”
“Yes, I’m very lucky.” Yes, the fact that both of my masters had been so vile was lucky. The elf was so irritating.
I edged closer to the ward, so close that I could feel the buzzing of it over my cheeks.
Crucible chittered in my ear, telling me that I needed to be more careful.
I fished a handful of treats out of my pocket and let him eat out of my hand.
He hadn’t disappeared into the shadows once he’d found me, almost like he didn’t want to lose me again. Crucible was loyal to me.
Gavriel was playing the part he was supposed to play, but it wasn’t real.
And he’d been lured into a fight over the other girl, even when he was supposed to pretend to be in love with me.
What would it be like to have someone’s true devotion?
I’d never know. And that was fine. I didn’t need devotion, just the cupid to have a brain hemorrhage and drop dead so Gavriel didn’t break another rib.
He was going to be hurting after this was over.
Lorien wouldn’t be hurting, because once I tortured the information we needed out of him, he’d be dead.
They rolled across the pavement, swords and fists striking, and then Gavriel was on top, steel blade pressed against Lorien’s throat.
The golden angel struggled, gritting his teeth, but the blade edged closer and closer. The angel looked past Gavriel, saw me, and then a flash of something malicious went over his face. He shifted slightly and pulled something out of his sleeve.
“Gavriel, get back!” I yelled, but I was too late.