Zayne pulled back suddenly, stiffening at the same second an explosion of tingles erupted along the nape of my neck. I stared at him, still a little dazed from his kiss. “You...you feel it, don’t you?”
His gaze moved beyond me. “A demon is near.”
I opened my mouth, and out of all the stuff I could’ve said, the stupidest thing spilled out of my mouth. “Demons don’t come to the park because of the zoo. Roth said so.”
“Roth doesn’t know everything.” Zayne rose swiftly, bringing me with him. He gently sat me on my feet behind him. I blinked, wondering how he’d managed that maneuver and sort of jealous that he’d been able to when he said, “Stay put.”
I turned around. “But—”
“You’re hurt. I’m not.”
“I’m not hurt. I’m the Trueborn—oh God,” I groaned, nose scrunching as the scent of sulfur and decay reached us.
“The smell,” Zayne confirmed.
I squinted as a dark shape appeared from out of the tree line across from the path. Whatever it was, the thing was at least seven feet tall, and smelled like the bowels of Hell on a bad day. Grace sparked inside me. The only demons I knew who were that tall and smelled that bad were the kind not allowed topside for obvious reasons. I really hoped it wasn’t another Ghoul.
The thing crossed under the lamppost, and I sighed, recognizing its moonstone-colored skin.
Nightcrawler.
Which was worse than a Ghoul.
That was the kind of demon one didn’t want to tangle with. They were extraordinarily strong and they carried a toxic venom in their mouth and claws that could render a person paralyzed, but this one was...chained? The metal circled its neck and clanged against the ground, and at the end of the chain...
The pressure at the nape of my neck intensified, and within a heartbeat I could make out the shape of another form. This one wasn’t as tall or broad, but instinct told me it was far more dangerous than the Nightcrawler.
As if it were out for an evening stroll, it slowly crested the embankment and passed through the lamplight. His features were blurry, but I knew he had to be painfully beautiful.
All Upper Level demons were.
I frowned as I realized he held the end of the chain.
“Are you actually walking a Nightcrawler?” Zayne asked, and my brows lifted. I was seriously wondering the same thing, and I was glad he’d asked.
The Upper Level demon laughed, but the Nightcrawler didn’t find the comment amusing. A low, rumbling growl radiated from the rabid creature, raising the tiny hairs all over my body.
“My name is Purson,” the Upper Level demon announced in a voice full of brimstone and smoke. “I’m the Great King of Hell, commander of twenty-two legions of pet Nightcrawlers, and I’m here for the nephilim.”
17
Iinhaled deeply and then slowly exhaled. “No one uses nephilim anymore,” I said for what had to be the millionth time in my life. “It’s offensive and outdated.”
“Do I look like someone who cares if you find it offensive or outdated?” Purson said, and I was going to go out on a limb and say no. “I’m not.”
“Shocker,” I muttered.
He ignored that. “I want to make it very clear who I am so there is no unnecessary drama.”
Him talking sure felt like a whole lot of unnecessary drama.
“I’m the finder of hidden treasures and knower of secrets. There is nowhere you can hide that I won’t discover.”
“So, you’re the Indiana Jones of demons?” I asked. “Cool.”
“Indiana Jones?” the demon repeated. “I don’t who that is.”
My brows lifted. “You don’t know who Indiana Jones is, and I’m supposed to believe that you’re the knower of secrets and finder of things?”
“I don’t care what you believe. If you run from me, you won’t make it far,” Purson warned. “You’ll just irritate me, and you don’t—”
“Shut up.” Zayne cut him off. “I don’t have the time for this. I was just reunited with my girl, and you’re really ruining the moment.”
Slowly, I looked at Zayne—
Oh.
Oh, wow.
I saw his back sans wings for the first time. With just the moonlight, I could make out an odd pattern along his back that hadn’t been there before. It looked sort of like a tattoo with ink only a degree or so darker than his skin, but it...it appeared raised, like a scar.
“I don’t know who you are.” Purson sounded curious, and that was interesting. He couldn’t tell what Zayne was, but the Seeker demon had. It had run, but Zayne had the wings out then. “You feel...different and yet familiar. It would be very intriguing to explore, but you’re standing between me and what I need. Therefore, you’re nothing but his personal chew toy.”
The Nightcrawler let out a chuffing laugh. “I like to gnaw on things I’m not supposed to.”
“Sorry,” Zayne replied. “I’m a one-person, personal chew toy, and I belong to her, so I’m going to have to pass on the offer. Appreciated, though.”
“I didn’t say you had a choice,” Purson snapped.
I needed to be paying attention, but the pattern along Zayne’s back fascinated me. Because I had absolutely no control over myself or the common sense that dictated that now wasn’t the time for such nonsense, I reached out to touch—
“I got this,” Zayne said to me.
A golden fire lit the veins under his skin, racing across his back. I jerked my hand back in surprise, my mouth falling open as the grace rushed down his right and left arms, flowing under the skin and then firing into the air.
Heavenly fire spilled from his hands, churning and spiraling, taking shape and solidifying rapidly. Two burning handles. Two four-foot flaming blades shaped in a semicircle.
The Nightcrawler jerked back a step.
So did I.
Holy crap, he had that inside him this whole time? Even when he was a Fallen determined to dominate me, he hadn’t whipped his grace out like that.
“What was it that you said?” Zayne asked casually. “I don’t have a choice? We all have choices. Well, except for you. You definitely don’t have one when it comes to living or dying. You’re going to die.”
It happened so quickly.
Purson let go of the chain, and the Nightcrawler rushed forward, but Zayne was...he was like a bolt of lightning, and I didn’t think that even with 20/20 vision I would’ve tracked his movements. He was in front of me and then he was dipping under the Nightcrawler’s outstretched arm and popping up behind it—