Devilish Deal by Jenna Wolfhart

34

As soon as my boots hit the sidewalk outside the club, I shoved Suriel’s bare chest and stumbled back. “What the hell is this? Why did you bring me here?”

He folded his arms. “There are some pretty anxious demons inside who want to see you.”

I shook my head as tears filled my eyes. “Is this some kind of joke? Az just tried to sacrifice my soul to Lucifer. He came at me with a sword. He was going to kill me, Suriel. I thought you were saving me from him and instead you drop me right into his lap again?”

“He wasn’t going to kill you.” The angel pointed at the back door that led into the bowels of the club. “They’ll explain everything. You’re invited inside. If you don’t want to hear their side of the story, then fine. I’ll take you to your new apartment in Brooklyn.”

For a moment, all I could do was stare at him. I should leave. Go on with my life. But it was a life that Asmodeus had designed for me. Obviously, if he wanted me dead, he wouldn’t have to lift a finger to find me. He’d picked out my new name. My new job. Even my new apartment. And if I tried to flee to Canada or something, would I get very far?

Probably not.

Dammit.

With a growl, I ripped open the door and stormed down the corridor. When I reached the meeting room, they were all in there waiting for me. Pinched expressions were carved on every face. I stepped inside, bracing myself for battle. They all leapt from their seats and cheered.

The demons surrounded me in an instant. Arms wound around me, hair and muscled skin slammed into my cheek. I couldn’t even breathe for how hard they squeezed me. Caim was there. So was Stolas and Phenex and Bael. Even Valac joined in. The scent of flames roared in my head.

For a moment, panic ripped my heart open wide, but then it slowly ebbed. They weren’t trying to crush me. They were…hugging me.

When they all stumbled back, my eyes found Az. He huddled in the back corner, arms folded, eyes downcast. He’d been the only one who hadn’t rushed to my side the instant I’d walked through the door.

“You pointed a sword at me,” was all I could say.

His jaw flickered as his eyes stayed locked on the floor. “I’m sorry, Mia. I never wanted to do any of this, but it was our only choice. I had to make you believe that I’d betrayed you. She isn’t a demon, but Eisheth can scent emotions even better than I can.”

“Wait.” My stomach dropped. “You’re saying you planned all of that?”

He nodded and finally glanced up. Pain churned in the depths of his eyes. “The plan we told you about wasn’t the real plan. I hated to lie to you, but if you’d known the truth, Eisheth would have scented it on you. You had to believe you were in actual danger. She had to smell your fear.”

I stumbled back, heart hammering. “So, when Phenex went in to unlock the window…”

“I hammered it shut,” he admitted with an uneasy cough. “I’m sorry, Mia.”

“Because you wanted me to be scared.”

It made sense. Horrible, brutal sense. They’d lied to me about the plan.

“You have to understand, Mia,” Az said, pushing off the wall. When he stepped into the light, the shadows danced away from his skin. “Rafael told Eisheth everything before he left for Hell. She wanted to test me. She wanted me to prove the angels were wrong. I had to do whatever it took to keep my Legion safe. What I did tonight…it will go a long way toward convincing Lucifer that we aren’t against him. She thinks I would have sacrificed you if the angels hadn’t interfered.”

“The angels. Why did they show up?”

“We asked them to fly in to save you and the others since we couldn’t do it ourselves,” Az said quietly. “I took a chance in trusting they’d be on our side once they understood what we do in here.”

Caim gripped my elbow as all the blood rushed from my face. Az had used me. To protect himself. I shouldn’t have been surprised but I was. Had he ever really wanted me to back out of the Covenant Ball? Or had his objections been just for show, too? If I’d tried to leave before tonight, would he have let me?

At least he wasn’t actually evil, but…he’d still dangled me as bait. Without me knowing.

“You should have told me,” I whispered.

“I couldn’t, Mia.”

“That was dangerous, what you just did. What if something had gone wrong?”

“I was right there with you the whole time.” His hands fisted. “I’d never let anything happen to you.”

I turned away and blew out a hot breath. This hurt far more than it should have. What was worse, I understood why he’d done it. Hell, if I’d known, I would have volunteered myself. But I hated that he hadn’t told me. I felt like a pawn.

“What about everything else?” I asked, turning back toward him. “The apartment and the new job. If Eisheth tells Lucifer you tried to sacrifice me, then maybe I don’t have to go anywhere else. I can—”

“The job and the apartment are real.” His eyes shuttered. “I asked Suriel to bring you here so that we could explain everything to you. But it’s time for you to go now, Mia. You need to lead a normal human life. Without me or my Legion in it.”