“But he lives,” Keon said. “Thanks to your quick thinking.”
Quick thinking that involved stabbing him with my scythe.
“I guess not just any Dominus can navigate Purgatory freely,” Cora said with a grimace.
“The scythe chooses its wielder, and each scythe comes with a domain,” Keon said.
“Malachi was chosen specifically for his resilience to that accursed place. However, you were able to siphon a malignant, even though it isn’t your calling. That takes great force of will. The fact the malignant inside Uriel didn’t kill you means the celestial was fighting it, which also takes immense force of will.”
There was respect in Keon’s eyes as he looked down on the celestial. “The mander root the shaman is using will speed up his healing. He will be back to normal in the morning.”
Petra tutted. “And what do you know of herbs, boy?”
Keon blinked at her. “I could teach you a thing or two, old lady.” He smirked. “If you ask nicely, I may even bring you some medicinal roots from the Underealm.”
She sucked in her cheeks. “Could you now? In that case, maybe I’ll brew you some sincture tea.” She shrugged. “To be nice, of course.”
Keon looked confused.
It was Petra’s turn to smirk. “A little concoction that will mask your true appearance to the human eye, at least for a few hours.”
Keon’s eyes narrowed to slits, and I wasn’t sure if he was offended or considering her offer.
“There’s nothing wrong with his appearance.”
Cora stared at me.
Wait, had I said that?
Now everyone was looking at me. I cleared my throat. “He’s a daemon. That’s what daemons look like.”
God, what was wrong with me? He didn’t need me to stand up for him, especially not in this situation where it was obvious Petra was trying to do something nice for him.
My brain was obviously fried from my trip to Purgatory. A wasted fucking journey where I’d only been able to save one core and almost got my backup killed. Urgh.
“The tea could come in handy,” Cora said. “Allow Keon to come out with us during the day.”
Keon’s brows shot up. “Yes, I want this tea.”
“It’s a deal then,” Petra said. “I’ll make you some tea, and you bring me roots from the Underealm the next time you go.”
We fell into silence, and my attention went back to Uriel, sleeping peacefully on the sofa. The guys had stripped off his jacket and shirt, and his side was swathed in bandages. Someone had slit his jeans, and Petra had bandaged his thigh wound.
He looked like a designer angel with his mussed dark hair and unwittingly stylish stubble. The knot in my stomach loosened as the last of the adrenaline that had flooded me dispersed.
It could have been so much worse, but, “It shouldn’t have gone down like it did. Uriel shouldn’t have been possessed. The fact he was means that he isn’t full celestial.”
Grayson padded over and handed me and Cora each a mug of coffee. “I have to head out on patrol,” he said. “We got a lead on a vamp nest, and we’ve been staking it out in the hope that the super vamps will attack.”
Yeah, we needed to make sure business as usual didn’t slide. I nodded wearily. “I’ll down this and get changed, then we can go.”
He smiled and leaned in to kiss my forehead. “I think you can sit this one out.”
I didn’t even have the energy to argue. “Thanks.”
He left with the pack a few moments later.
“The celestial didn’t know,” Keon said. “He wouldn’t have risked your life by going with you if he thought he could be possessed.”
“I know.”
“So, what now?” Cora asked.
“First thing tomorrow, I pay Cassius a visit.”
Grayson wasn’t back from the stakeout yet, and the bed looked too large and empty without him. I was bone-weary, and if I was going to face Cassius in the morning, I needed to be on form.
I changed into my sleep shorts and vest and was about to climb into bed when Cyril slid into the room.
“Where the hell did you come from?” I glanced about. “Don’t tell me this place has nooks and crannies too?”
“You’d be sssurprised,” he said.
There was movement behind him and then Delphine joined us. She was smaller than Cyril, but her body shimmered pink and coral with an inner glow that was pure magic. She was beautiful.
“I wanted you to meet Delphine,” Cyril said.
“Nice to meet you officially.” Delphine’s voice was a sibilant purr.
“Likewise.”
“Cyril speakss highly of you.”
Strange to think they chatted about me. “Um, thanks.” I sat on the bed, suddenly curious about this creature that lived on a daemon’s back. “So, Delphine, how does this work? You and Keon? Are you real?”
Delphine flicked out her tongue. “That would depend what your definition of real is. I belong to Keon, and I live because he livesss. We are symbiotic, and we are autonomous.”
Interesting. I guess she was as much his eyes and ears as Cyril was mine. I made a mental note to ask Keon about her. “And how are you liking Necro City.”
“It’sss noisy and the air is always wet,” she said. “But we are adjusting.”
We? Was she talking about Cyril and her, or Keon and her?
“We’ve found a nesting nook,” Cyril said. “The acoustics are optimal. Ssso if you need me, just call. I’ll hear you.”
Nesting? “Um, okay.”
They slid away into the shadows and were gone. Nesting…why did that ring a bell… I was too tired to think right now.
I climbed into bed, ready for sleep to take me.
I was in my Vista, running through the trees. The air was filled with the fragrance of the forest after rainfall, but my paws left no prints in my wake. I flew over logs and wove between tree trunks.
A mournful howl filled the air, and my step faltered.
I knew that tone.
Not Grayson.
Hunter.
I altered my path and headed toward the sound, heart pounding in my chest. This was it. This was a way to communicate with him and let him know it was okay to come back. My way to tell him we needed him back. I broke out of the tree line into the huge clearing where the lake gleamed with a thousand shards of the huge full moon.
Hunter sat on his haunches, his dark silken coat kissed by silver rays of the moon.
I stopped, afraid to get too close, afraid I’d spook him.
You came, he said. I didn’t know if this would work.
Hunter, you need to come back, there are things you don’t—
No time, Fee. Listen, you need to—
Hunter’s body bucked, his golden eyes flaring wide for a second, and then he vanished.
What the hell?
I woke to Grayson’s arms around me and the scent of an impending storm in my nostrils. I turned to face him, snuggling against him as I surfaced from the dream. The pulse in my throat was beating hard, and apprehension was a coil in my belly.
“Fee, what’s wrong?” Grayson held me tighter and smoothed back my hair. “You’re shaking.”