Infernal Games by Jenna Wolfhart

8

Valac peered out at us with bleary eyes, his front door swinging open. He wore a wrinkled black t-shirt and loosely fitting sweatpants. Just past his muscular frame, a yawning penthouse glistened beneath the pink sunrise streaming in through a bay of massive windows. Turned out Valac had a penthouse, too, only two blocks south of Az’s building. Damn, these demons were rich.

“I’m going to need Mia to stay here for a while,” Az said by way of greeting. “Her apartment is off-limits now.”

Valac rubbed his eyes. It was odd seeing him like this. So odd it almost made him seem normal. Almost.

“If that’s what you need, then of course. But is there a reason she can’t stay with you?”

“Lucifer knows Mia and I were...involved. He’ll expect her to stay with me. If she doesn’t, it throws off his game.”

Shrugging, Valac stepped aside and motioned us through the doorway. “Very well. Come on inside, Mia.”

Frowning, I trailed into the apartment, Az following close behind. His logic made sense in a very demonic game kind of way. But I still had questions.

“I’ve got to be honest. I don’t see how this is any better. Couldn’t he still find me here?”

“Sure.” The whites of Valac’s eyes bored through me. “But I already have a couple of roommates. Dancers from the club. It makes more sense for you to stay here than at Az’s place. There’s a precedent in place. This doesn’t give Lucifer any ammunition.”

“Sure. Alright.” I closed my eyes, weariness tugging at my bones. “This is ridiculous. You know that, right? It sounds he’s just going to bide his time and wait for us to take one wrong step.”

“Yes,” Valac replied, his voice harsh and full of darkness. The sound reminded me that, of all the demons, he unnerved me the most. The others, while strong and powerful and edged in danger, could almost come across human at times. Not Valac. There was something so otherworldly about him. The haunted look in his eyes told me he’d seen things that had shattered his soul.

And now I had to live with him.

“What about Hendrix?” I asked, twisting to Az. “He’ll be all alone in my apartment.”

His lips twitched. “Already taken care of.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “Good. Poor thing. I hate that I keep shuttling him around New York every few weeks.”

“He doesn’t mind,” Az murmured, his eyes flicking across my face. “As long as he’s with you.”

Something inside me squeezed tight. An overwhelming urge churned my gut. All I wanted was to wound my arms around his neck, press my face against his chest, and feel him surround me, blocking out everything else. The past twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind, and frankly, I felt fried to a crisp. I didn’t want to stay here. I wanted Az’s apartment. His bed. His arms. All of him.

Nothing against Valac, of course. He was kind to let me stay with him. But let’s be honest, he wasn’t Asmodeus, the First Prince of Hell.

Az’s fingers twitched by his sides, and for a moment, I thought he felt that same impossible tug between us. We’d forget about tricking Lucifer and give in to this connection while we still could. He’d collect me in his arms and take me home. Damn the consequences.

“I should go,” he said in a hoarse voice, ripping his gaze away from mine. “You’ve had a long day, and you should get some sleep. We’ll have an assignation in the morning.”

Assignation.I couldn’t help but smile fondly at that. Just another one of his little word quirks that gave him away as someone far older than what he looked. An immortal demon. One, I had to finally admit, I had feelings for. Dammit.

We said our goodbyes, and Valac led me into the living room. His place was sparser than Az’s, giving it an echoey, vacant feel. There was a single stone-grey sofa facing the windows. A tiny round table sat just beside it, holding a stack of well-worn books. My boots clicked against a floor that looked a lot like stone.

I hugged my arms around my chest as I gazed down a skinny hallway. Several shut doors lined the wall.

Valac saw me looking. “Bedrooms. The girls are both asleep. Long night at the club.”

His eerie voice echoed in the looming space. He turned his gaze on me, and for a moment, fear rattled my heart. It felt like he wanted to peel back the layers of my skin. He would burrow into me and shatter my bones. After a moment, he shook his head and glanced away.

“Sorry. I know you don’t like that.”

My heart tumbled. “What even is it? You’ve done it before.”

“I’m reading you,” he murmured in that eerie voice. “Would you like me to show you to your room?”

My room. If only. I didn’t have a room. Anywhere. For the past couple of years, I’d drifted through life without roots, going from one place to the next. Never staying anywhere long enough for my heart to grow fond of it. It was starting to wear me down.

I sighed and closed my eyes. Memories of the night flashed through my mind like a horror film reel. And the worst part about it was, this was all my fault. If I’d kept my stupid curiosity under control, I’d be fast asleep in my Brooklyn apartment right about now. Actually…I glanced at the rising sun pouring across the Manhattan rooftops. I’d be waking up for another day in the office.

I didn’t really miss that last part.

“How about a chamomile tea?” Valac asked, making me jump. I’d almost forgotten he was standing there waiting for me to say something. I was that bone tired.

“Demons drink chamomile tea?” I arched a brow.

“No.” He strode across the floor, his footsteps silent. How strange. “But Priyanka loves it. She keeps a stash in the cabinet.”

“Oh, right.” I followed him into the kitchen just off the main room. Unlike Az’s place, this penthouse didn’t have an open floor plan. And the kitchen was almost as large as the living room. A little more life and color filled this space. Yellow curtains hung on the windows, matching the tablecloth.

Valac pulled the tea out of a cabinet by the fridge and got some water boiling. I perched on a stool beside the marbled island and dropped my chin onto my fisted hands. Valac didn’t say much. The guy was like a tomb.

“Thanks for letting me stay here,” I finally said, breaking the silence.

He pulled out a black mug from another cabinet. “No need to lie, Mia. I know you aren’t happy to be here. You’d rather stay with Az.”

I blinked. “Oh. Well, sure. All of that is true. But I’m still grateful that you didn’t slam the door in my face and tell me to go sleep in a dumpster somewhere. That would have sucked.”

Valac carried the mug over to the island and slid it toward me. He perched on the stool across from mine and shot me a twisted smile. “I follow orders.”

“Just not Lucifer’s, right? When did you decide to join Az’s Legion?” I blew on the hot tea and took a timid sip. The liquid nearly scalded my tongue, but it soothed me all the same, filling my belly with heat.

He stood and pushed away from the island. “I know you find me strange, Mia. There’s no need to have polite chitchat with me.”

My mouth dropped open, and then I snapped it shut. How was I supposed to reply to that? Truth was…I did find him strange. Extremely so. Surely he knew how he came across? Until now, I didn’t think he really cared.

“Don’t push me away, Valac,” I called after him.

He paused when he reached the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he arched his pale brows. “Push you away?”

“I can see what you’re doing. I’ve done it myself.” I took another sip of tea. “And that’s why it won’t work. We’re friends now, and unfortunately, that means you’re stuck with me.”

He gave me a blank stare. “I know how you feel about me, Mia. I can read it clear as day. Are you going to tell me I’m wrong?”

“Of course not.” I shrugged. “I do find you strange, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like you. In fact, being normal is overrated as far as I’m concerned.”

He continued to give me that blank, unnerving stare. After a long moment, he glided over to the stool and rejoined me at the island. His bleached white hair fell into his eyes, but he didn’t bother to brush it aside. “You’re a very strange human.”

Pain lanced through my heart. “Well, I’m not sure that’s true, Valac. A lot of people seem to think that I’m not human at all.”

“Hmm.” His soul-shattering gaze swept across me. “It is very odd. I’ve heard nothing else quite like it.”

“Do you think it’s true?” I asked him, holding my breath. Even though the Legion was as clueless about this as I was, I desperately wanted to know what they thought. Maybe one of them had an explanation, something that made sense. A way that none of it could be true…maybe then I wouldn’t feel like the earth itself had been ripped out from under me.

“I believe you are something, but I can’t say that I have any clue what that something is. When I try to read your origins, it’s like a void of nothingness.”

I loosed my desperate breath. A void of nothingness. That definitely didn’t make me feel any better about this.

“The truth is, Mia…” Valac suddenly gripped my hand. The tension in his fingers shot my veins with fear. “We have to convince Lucifer that you aren’t who he thinks you are. I know Az didn’t tell you, but Michael and Rafael are back to their old tricks. In the past week, there’s been another two murders. Just like the last time the angels were here. As long as Lucifer is around, we can do nothing to stop them.” He leaned forward, his voice a harsh whisper. “Get him to leave. Satisfy his curiosity. Make him believe you’re a werewolf. Do you understand what I’m asking of you?”

Dread shuddered through me. I lifted the mug to my lips and gulped down the tea, desperately wishing it was spiked with gin. This was not a good conversation to have sober. It felt like the future of everything rested on my shoulders, and I didn’t have the strength to support the weight of it. How could I do anything other than crumble when pitted against Lucifer?

The literal King of Hell.

“That’s a big ask,” I whispered.

“I know.” His eyes pierced my soul.

“How am I even supposed to do something like this?”

“One day at a time.” He paused. “One fight at a time. Remember?”

The Legion’s motto. Their rallying cry. I nodded, trying to find the courage within myself. It was a big mission, but this was a big, beautiful world. With lots of beautiful people within it. There was so much more at stake than my own safety.

I clutched the mug. “One fight at a time.”