Devilish Deal by Jenna Wolfhart

17

Istood just beyond the open door, shifting on my bare feet. On the way, I’d grabbed the fluffy robe, but other than that, I wore nothing but my soaked bra and panties. And now I was supposed to climb into bed with Az.

He’d carried my duffel bag inside and was tossing clothes into a hamper beside the open closet door. Inside, there were rows of dark, pristine suits, along with a dozen t-shirts in various shades of grey. The curtains were closed, just like the last time I’d seen them, blocking out the city.

Other than that, the room looked…normal. I couldn’t help but wonder why he’d been trying to keep me out of it.

He slammed the lid on his hamper and turned to me. “What are you waiting for?”

“I mean…do you really think this is a good idea?”

Frowning, he grabbed a pillow from the floor and tossed it onto the bed. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

I flushed. “You and me. Sharing a bed…”

A slight smile tipped up the corners of his lips, dimpling his cheeks. “You think you can’t keep your hands to yourself?”

“I…” My flush deepened. “Don’t flatter yourself. But we don’t exactly get along, do we? Unless I’m hallucinating, we just got into a fight. Another one. What if you decide I’m not worth the trouble and eat my soul in my sleep?”

He shook his head, still smiling. “Just get into the bed, Mia. But do me a favor and change into some dry clothes first. The en suite is through there.”

I followed the line of his finger to see an open door leading into a messy bathroom. “An en suite. Should have guessed.”

After grabbing some sweats and a t-shirt, I quickly changed in his bathroom, resisting my itchy fingers’ urge to poke around. When he wasn’t here, it was one thing, but he was only one closed door away. And I was pretty sure he had enhanced hearing. He would for sure know if I started opening and closing his cabinets.

I made a mental note to search it when he wasn’t here. If he ever let me out of his sight again.

When I pushed back into the bedroom, Az had already changed and climbed into bed. He wore a loose-fitting black shirt and his silken sheets were pillowed around his head. Even in the dark, his eyes pierced into me. Swallowing hard, I climbed into bed beside him.

Tension rattled my body.

I could smell him. The sheets were covered in the aroma of bonfire and musk. Shadows curled across my skin, as timid as a light caress. I twisted my head to the side to catch him staring at me in the dark. Heat pulsed between my thighs.

“I’m never going to sleep if you keep staring at me.”

His lips quirked. “And why is that?”

“Because it’s creepy, that’s why,” I lied.

“Guilt is not the only emotion I can read, Mia.”

Alarm throttled my heart. Oh god, please let him be lying. If he could read my emotions, he’d known every single time I’d felt even a hint of anything. I’d admired his body more than once. Not that it meant I wanted him. I just…noticed…that was all. And he knew it.

Oh my god, this was mortifying.

“If you can read my emotions, then you’ll know I’m in no mood for games, and I just want to go to sleep,” I snapped.

He chuckled.

I growled out my irritation and flopped sideways so that my back faced him. There. Now, he couldn’t lie there staring at my face all night, and maybe I could get some needed sleep. It was probably after five in the morning by this point. It had been a very long night.

Just thinking about what happened brought on an overwhelming wave of exhaustion. I was trying to think up another retort so I could snap back at Az some more, but sleep tugged me under as my thoughts grew heavy. Darkness curled around my mind, soothing my frayed nerves.

* * *

Iawoke to a warm arm around my body. My heart jolted in my chest as my eyes flipped open. The room was still dark, even though it must have been hours into the day. And I was still in Az’s bed with his arm around me.

Swallowing hard, I tried not to panic. It felt kind of nice, in an abstract kind of way. If he wasn’t Az, the demon who had basically enslaved my soul. If I thought of him as just a guy trying to protect me from a serial killer, I didn’t feel the sudden urge to leap out of bed and throw his arm off me.

“Good morning,” he murmured into the back of my head. His breath whispered across my neck. I gritted my teeth at the sparks that lit up across my skin. Go away, sparks.

“I thought you were still asleep.”

“I’ve been awake for a little while.”

“Oh.” Heat crept into my cheeks. “And so you just decided you wanted a cuddle?”

“You were shivering in your sleep. Your teeth were chattering.”

“Right.” I closed my eyes again and sighed. “That happens sometimes. Serena thinks it means I’m having a nightmare, but I never remember what they’re about. It’s all just hazy when I try.”

“It’s your past,” he said quietly. “It haunts you.”

I sucked in a sharp breath and slowly eased out from under his arm. “I don’t want to talk about my past.”

Something told me he wasn’t going to let it rest. Asmodeus did not seem like the kind of guy to let things go easily. I normally admired determination but not when it came to this. He needed to stay out of my life. In a month, we would no longer know each other. I wasn’t going to let a stranger in on my darkest thoughts.

I pulled open the door and strode into the kitchen, leaving him in bed alone. The clock on the wall said it was well past two in the afternoon. We really had slept all day. For me, it had been sorely needed. Hendrix sat on top of the dining table, his head cocked expectantly. A smile crept across my face.

“Morning, Hendrix. If you go get Az out of bed, he might make you some pancakes.”

He let out a little chirp and flew through the apartment, a tornado of feathers. Huh, I thought as I watched him vanish into the bedroom. It was almost as though he’d understood me.

* * *

Backstage was a whirlwind of activity. It was only my second shift at the club, which was crazy. With everything that had happened, it felt like I’d been there for weeks. Priyanka dropped down beside me as I painted on some eyeliner. There was a haunted look in her brown eyes.

“Are you okay?” she asked gently.

I glanced up from the mirror. “Yeah, I’m fine. More importantly, are you?”

She’d known Willow a little longer than I had. A sense of melancholy had settled over the dancers, but Az had decided not to shut the place down for the night. He hoped the killer might be tempted to corner me here. And now that he’d met him face-to-face, albeit masked, Az was certain he would spot him in an instant.

Tears filled Priyanka’s eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. “No, it’s horrible. I didn’t know Willow well, but she was a nice girl. Always said hello with a smile. Never complained. Even if she was the only werewolf here. The rest of us are fae.”

I stiffened and lifted my brows.

“Az told me that you know everything,” she admitted. “To be honest, I’m glad. I hate secrets. I think it’s about time humanity knows we exist. Here, let me help you with that.”

She took the eyeliner from me and motioned for me to turn her way. I did as she asked and sat still while she flicked the edges of my lids.

“To be honest, I don’t think a lot of humans would react the way I have. A lot would freak out,” I said.

“You’re probably right,” she said, sticking her tongue out between her teeth as she did my makeup. “But that’s not why we keep it secret.”

I frowned. “Then why?”

“Ancient laws. Set forth by the Creator and Lucifer. We’re supposed to control humans for whichever side we’re on. If you know about us, it’s harder for us to do that.”

My stomach flipped. “Um, wait a minute. Control us?”

“Yep.” She dabbed on the last flick. “We’re competing for souls. It’s a game that’s been going on for centuries.”

Horror flooded through me. “You mean to tell me all of this is about a game?”

Priyanka leaned back and sighed, dropping the eyeliner onto the table. “I’m sorry. This is probably too much to unload on you.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I want to understand. Tell me about this game.”

“It was a bargain struck between the Creator and Lucifer, centuries and centuries ago. Who could win fifty billion souls the fastest?”

“And what happens when one of them wins?” I whispered.

She pressed her lips together. “This world ends, and everyone goes to the winner’s afterlife.”

My hands fisted as I shakily pushed up from the chair. “So, you’re telling me that everyone will go to Hell if Lucifer wins?”

“That’s right.”

“And you’re okay with this?”

“Absolutely not.” She patted my shoulder. “That’s why I work for Az. The Legion do most of the dirty work, but I help out when I can. Fae can do things demons can’t.”

Priyanka’s words stayed with me as I finished getting ready for my shift. Even though I’d discovered supernaturals as a child, I realized now I hadn’t known the half of it. There was so much more to this, and likely loads more that I didn’t yet know. This, the supernatural serial killer, and the sacrificial cult…I really, really needed a vacation. Preferably to a sunny beach where a hot guy would deliver me mimosas at regular intervals.

Unfortunately, I had to go dance in front of a bunch of supernaturals for the next four hours and hope a serial killer didn’t teleport into my oversized birdcage.

“Mia.” Az found me in the hallway just moments before I was due to step onto the club floor. He pulled me away from the other dancers and dropped his lips to my ear. “The vampire in charge of the invitations to the ball has come tonight.”

I stared into his ice-flecked eyes, questions rolling through my head. There was so much I wanted to ask him. The game, the souls, the afterlife. More specifically, just how far along were the Creator and Lucifer on collecting their souls? How soon would the world end? It couldn’t be far off.

Instead, I tried to focus on his words. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Good,” he said with a nod. “It means I’ve caught their attention. Now, we just need to demonstrate our bond. I need you to step out onto the floor with me and pretend like you adore me.”

“Right. That makes sense.” I cleared my throat and ignored the heat tripping through my veins. This was exactly what we needed. A chance to pretend we had a thing in front of the very person who needed to believe it. Az needed that invite. If he got it, he had a chance at stopping the sacrifices.

“I have a question,” I asked him as he pulled my hand into the crook of his elbow.

“What is it, Mia? We need to hurry before he leaves.”

“The humans who get sacrificed at this ball…where do their souls go?”

“To Lucifer.” He frowned. “They always go to Lucifer. Why?”

Of course they did. It was all starting to make more sense. Lucifer needed souls to win his game, and he would stop at nothing to get them. That meant he was ahead. If he won, the entire world would go to Hell.

“That’s all I needed to know,” I said with a nod. “Let’s go convince a vampire we’re in love.”