Devilish Deal by Jenna Wolfhart

14

He strode across the alley. Heart in my throat, I fisted my hand again, trying to figure out what it was I did before. If I had even done it. I still didn’t understand what had happened, but it felt like it had come from me. Or that ring. Of that much, I was certain.

So, now I just needed to do it again. Simple, right?

Except I had no idea what I’d done. Heat had enveloped my entire body, and then…it had lurched out of me and slammed into the attacker’s chest. Only he hadn’t caught fire. He’d just been thrown back.

It didn’t make much sense, but if I could do it again, I had another chance to escape. And I really needed it. As much as I hated to admit he was right, he was. If anyone had heard my scream, they weren’t coming. They would have been here by now.

Suddenly, I sensed a pair of eyes on me. Darkness filled the alley like a storm, and a heavy sense of despair shuddered through my body. It was almost enough to knock me to my knees.

“Mia,” a low voice spoke from somewhere nearby, but I couldn’t see the man attached to it. “Don’t move.”

Listening to a disembodied voice didn’t seem like it was in my best interests, but I also didn’t want to be stabbed to death. Not exactly the best two choices, but it was all I had.

“Sure,” I said, lounging against the wall like this situation was totally normal. “I’ll just stay here while you do your thing.”

Asmodeus slithered out of the shadows. Obviously, I’d had a hunch the voice belonged to him, but seeing him still made my breath catch. Pure and unadulterated danger rippled through his eyes, and the sword he held in his hands was...

Wait a minute. Was that a fucking sword?

He levelled it at the attacker. “If you touch her, I will fucking kill you.”

“Um…” My jaw almost literally hit the floor.

“Stay back, Mia,” he said, his voice so full of commanding anger that it shut my mouth. “Abaddon is feeling hungry for blood, and he struggles to understand the difference between friend and foe. I need you to stay back while I take care of this.”

“Should I be worried that you seem to think your sword is a living creature with a mind of its own?”

“As long as it makes you worried enough to stay the hell away from it, then yes. Very much so.” He stalked further into the alley where the silent attacker was eyeing him like he was a platter of juicy meat. Asmodeus growled, his entire body trembling with anger. “Get the hell away from her.”

“You’ve finally come out to play,” the attacker said with the hint of a smile in his voice. “Thought you were too cowardly to leave your little club to face me in the streets.”

I whipped my head toward Az, who lifted his glittering sword before him. “I’ve had better things to do than engage with someone as spineless as you.”

“Spineless?” The attacker barked out a laugh. “I’m the one out here taking care of things while you and your Legion are lost in your fancy drinks with your fancy friends.”

“Who are you?” Az asked in a low, dangerous voice. “Why are you killing innocent girls?”

“Innocent?” He laughed again. “They are anything but.”

“Mia has done nothing wrong.” Az took another step toward the attacker just as police sirens blared through the air. I whipped toward the sound, surprised. There were more of them? Were they coming here?

My stomach flipped. Had they heard my screams?

Logically, I knew this was a good thing. The cops would save me from, you know, getting murdered. Az wouldn’t have to go through with this weird sword fight, and the night would end without bloodshed.

There were two problems with this scenario, however. First, I’d definitely have to give a statement. This serial killer thing was huge news, and I would get wrapped up in the whole thing. It would turn into a circus, and my past would get dragged into it. I’d run from that party, too.

Second, I definitely didn’t think it was legal for people to carry real-ass swords around Manhattan. As much as I hated the guy, Asmodeus had come to my rescue, and I didn’t want to see him locked up because of it.

Could demons escape prison?

While I was distracted by the sirens, the attacker took the opportunity to bolt. One moment he was there, the next he was gone. It was almost like he’d literally vanished into thin air.

My demon let out a growl of rage.

That left me and Az alone in the alley with a sword and zero killers. This would definitely look way worse than it had before. Especially since there’d been two murders nearby already.

“We need to get out of here,” I said at the same moment he did.

He stopped short, arching his brow. “Why do you want to run from the cops?”

I pressed my lips together. “It doesn’t matter. You’re holding a sword. Unless you want to get arrested for what I’m definitely sure is illegal carry and become a murder suspect, then we need to get out of here now.”

He nodded and strode across the alley, stopping when he was nothing more than an inch away from me. Once again, my back pressed against the wall, but this time, the fear was replaced by something else. Something I didn’t understand.

And it wasn’t entirely welcome. This guy annoyed the shit out of me.

Still, I couldn’t help but notice the flecks of ice in his eyes. The shadows that curled around his jaw. The power that rippled off of him, and the strength in the way he moved. The sword helped.

I swallowed hard. “Thank you for not letting me die in a grungy back alley in Hell’s Kitchen.”

His eyes flicked across my face. “Are you alright?”

I nodded.

“Good. I have to say, I’m impressed. It looks like there’s been a scuffle. Did you fight him off for a bit?”

“Um.” How could I explain what had happened? I was pretty sure it had something to do with the ring the angels had given me. If I told him about it, he’d know they’d been speaking to me. He might not be so willing to save my ass next time.

Next time.Fear tripped through my veins. The attacker had gotten away, and there was nothing stopping him from killing again. I’d pissed him off. He would bide his time and come for me again. I was certain of it.

Until this guy was caught, I needed Az on my side.

“He underestimated me,” I said. “I don’t think he’s used to people fighting back.”

“Hmm.”

Thankfully, he didn’t pry further than that. He took my hand and led me through the alleyways, away from the sirens. When we reached a single black door, he pushed it open to reveal the ground floor of his club. Somehow, we’d ended up here once again.

I glanced up at him with raised brows. His jaw was set firm, and his eyes had grown cold. “What are we doing here?”

“I need to tell the others what happened tonight. We lost someone.” His shoes clicked against the slick floor as we strode down the dimly-lit hallway. Music bounced against the walls, and a distant shriek of laughter echoed toward us. The club had been untouched by this crazy night, but it sounded like it wouldn’t be for long.

Az led the way into the small room where his bouncers sat playing cards around the folding table. There were only three of them tonight. Valac, Caim, and a third whose name I didn’t know. His dark hair fell into silver eyes, and a scar ran down the length of his arm. The three of them spun on their chairs as we entered the room.

“Ah.” Caim grinned. “Mia. You’re back. I was afraid we’d scared you off. This place can be a little intense for humaaa….humanitarians. Not that you’re necessarily a humanitarian. You just seem like a nice girl, so maybe you would be one. Shit.”

“No need,” Az said with a tense smile in my direction. “Mia knows about supernaturals. You can drop the act now.”

Caim’s eyebrows winged upward. “Well, this certainly took a turn. I didn’t think you were going to tell her.”

“I didn’t tell her.” He sighed and dropped into one of the open chairs around the table. “She grew up next door to a werewolf.”

“Ah.” Valac nodded as if that made all the sense in the world.

“The killer tried to attack her tonight,” Az said quietly as he palmed the table. “After murdering Willow at the party. I tried to save her. It was too late.”

The third demon paled, and his hands clenched around the cards. “The dancer who started working here last week? That’s two in a row. First, Allison. Now, Willow.”

Oh. So, that was why the other dancers had paled at the mention of Allison. The serial killer had gotten to her, too.

Az’s hands fisted. “He’s targeting people close to me. The closer we get to catching him, the bolder he gets. If I hadn’t heard Mia scream, she would have died tonight.”

Valac and Caim both turned to stare at me. I gave them a weak smile. “It’s true. The guy backed me into an alley and—”

“Why exactly were you wandering around in alleys, Mia?” Az suddenly asked, whirling toward me, as if it had just occurred to him. “Why weren’t you at the party? Why did you run off?”

“Um, it’s complicated,” I tried.

“Explain.” His eyes flashed.

I glanced from his face to the others. They were all looking at me with expectant curiosity. It reminded me of the looks I’d seen from the neighbors, from my old classmates, from random people in Walmart. It made me want to crawl under the table and hide.

“Later,” I said, clearing my throat. “When we don’t have such a rapt audience.”

Caim’s brows arched.

Az folded his arms and leaned back into the chair. “Absolutely not. This is my Legion. Everything I know, they know.”

“Yeah, about this whole Legion thing, I don’t really know what that means.”

Valac frowned. “How much do you know?”

“You’re all demons. From the underworld, I guess.” I drifted further into the room and shrugged. “I know you make deals for souls, but I don’t know what you do with them. Or what your powers are. Or what a Legion is.”

Caim let out a low whistle and glanced at Az. “Think we should fill her in?”

“Yes,” I said, at the exact time Az said, “No.”

We glared at each other.

“Look,” I said. “You’ve dragged me into this whole thing without my knowledge, and now the serial killer wants me dead, too. He made it clear it has something to do with you, so I think it’s time you explained to me exactly what it is you’ve gotten me into.”

Caim grinned. “I like this one.”

“Me too,” Valac said with a strange, twisted smile. “Most humans go screaming in the other direction.”

“Because you steal souls.”

“No,” the third demon said quietly, still staring down at the table. “We save them.”

Az swore, and Valac dropped his head into his hands.

Caim sucked in a sharp breath and stood. “Honestly, Stolas. Think before you speak. The last thing we need is a human to tell someone what we’re up to in here.”

I blinked. “Wait a minute. You…save souls?”

Caim let out a heavy sigh and shot another glare at Stolas. “We’re trying to help people instead of corrupt them. Lead them away from a path of destruction. Sometimes, that means we end up saving their souls. Other times, just their lives.”

“We shouldn’t be telling her all this,” Az said, voice hard, eyes cold. “If Lucifer finds out what we’re up to, he’ll drag us back to Hell. And I know none of us want that. We can’t help humanity there.”

Um, what?!This was a lot to take in. Numbly, I stumbled forward and sat hard on the only empty chair left. My gaze locked on the table. Not only were these actual, literal demons, but they were somehow working against the King of Hell himself. And I was all mixed up in it.

“Wait a minute,” I said slowly, raising my eyes to Az’s face. “If you’re saving souls, then why did you trap me in a demon contract with you?”

“Because it was the only way to get what I want,” he said with a voice devoid of all emotion. “While we might be doing some good here, I am still very much a demon, Mia McNally. And I will do whatever necessary to get what I want.”

Chills swept down my arms. My voice dropped to a whisper. “What is it that you want?”

“Entry into an exclusive party,” he replied, his gaze locked on mine. Flames of darkness flickered in the depths of his eyes. “Invitations are only extended to supernaturals who have pretty, little human sacrifices on their arms.”

All the blood rushed from my face. “Sacrifices?”

“He wasn’t actually going to sacrifice you,” Caim interjected. “It’s just a trick to snag an invite.”

I frowned. “But why do you want to get in?”

Fury rolled off Az’s fisted hands. “I plan to stop the sacrifices.”

“Oh.” I leaned back in the chair. Everything was starting to make a lot more sense. I’d thought it was weird he’d fake a girlfriend just for a few dates. Why would business investors care if he had a plus one to some lame parties? Now I knew why. I was to be…bait.

I swallowed hard.

“I need you to listen to me very carefully, Mia.” Az’s eyes bored into mine. I felt myself captivated by them, lured in, and held firm. His voice was as soft as a caress, even with the underlying danger in it. What would happen if I stretched out my hand and placed it on the table between us? With my breath locked in my throat, I palmed the metal.

Az leaned forward and gripped my fingers. Heat sizzled up my arm.

“These people need to be stopped,” he said in a low growl. “They’ve held this party every year for over a decade, and at least twenty humans are sacrificed each time. That’s over two hundred deaths. Two hundred souls lost to Hell. We can’t let this continue, and the only way I can get inside is with a human companion. One meant to be a sacrifice.”

My heart throttled forward into next gear.

“I never wanted you to know because I didn’t want to scare you. We had a plan to keep you safe, none the wiser. You were my ticket in, and then the Legion planned to sneak you out safely before the bloodshed began.” He sighed, and his gaze went sharp. “But now that you fully understand who we are and what is happening here, I am going to give you a choice. Will you help us stop these deaths, or do you want me to break our deal?”