Demons Like It Hot (3 page)

“We don’t have time for this, Serah.” The greenish-amber glow of Lucy’s gaze sliced into her. “This is the third time this month Kalli and I have come to your rescue.”

“Maybe I irritated some demon king,” Serah said. “It’s nothing, really. I have Mr. Whiskers to protect me now anyway.”

Lucy rolled her eyes, something she was way too good at. “The hell it isn’t.” Lucy wrinkled her nose. “Mr. Whiskers? What kind of name is that?”

“Whoever had him before cut his whiskers.” She balled her fists. Who in their right mind did that to a cat? “It seemed appropriate.”

“Poor guy. Speaking of the little ball of fur, how’s he handling his new home?”

“Too well. He’s already out chasing the Persian tail next door.”

“Sounds like a cat.” Lucy scraped fingers through her mussed hair. “I thought he was neutered.”

“I have no idea. Nothing surprises me anymore.” She blew out a breath. “So what other matters is Rafe discussing with the all-knowing Fore-Demons?”

Lucy looked down to the floor and let her gaze roam to the wall. She punctuated her review with a small sigh. Serah knew that expression well. She was hiding something.

“Another mission, huh?”

Lucy shrugged. “I guess.”

“Is there another demon outbreak?”

Lucy scooted the chair closer and leaned over the desk. “I don’t know. Is there?”

Serah contained her gulp. Did she know? God she hoped not. She wanted a normal life, away from imps, ghouls, and demons—present company excluded. “How would I know?”

“Serah, you know how much I hate beating around the bush.” Her friend’s hazel eyes sparked and swirled. Her fingers gripped the side of the desk as her knuckles whitened. Even before unlocking her succubus nature, Lucy was a force to be reckoned with. But now, the potent energy rolled from her every pore. Frightening, yet amazing just the same. “So spill it.”

Why did Lucy have to be so damn astute? Then again they were best friends. They’d known each other for over twenty years, so reading each other had become second nature.

So did bullshitting. And Serah could BS with the best of them. Taking a deep breath of air, she leaned in to challenge Lucy’s stern glare. “I have nothing to spill.”

“Except a pot full of chocolate,” she muttered. “Oh wait, that was more than a spill.” Resting back in the chair, Lucy heaved a sigh. “This is serious, girl. I’m worried about you. Something’s going on. I know it. And I know deep down inside you know it too. What about the Bernstein’s Bar Mitzvah? Pork Rolls? Even I’m not that stupid.”

Oh no. Not the Bernstein’s. Leave it to Lucy to bring up her most infamous culinary catastrophe, and Serah’s first run-in with malevolent minions of hell. Apparently some of these demons didn’t like her much. Why else would they have replaced her chicken kabobs with pork instead? Thank goodness she tested all the food before she served it, and thank the gods for Kalli and her magical “cleanup” abilities. Crisis averted.

“For crissakes, Lucy. Did you smell demons when you came in? If there was a demon in my kitchen, they would’ve left a bigger mess than an exploding pot of chocolate, don’t you think?”

“Fine. I’ll wait until Rafe gets here. Maybe he can get the information out of you.”

Serah shrugged. “I’ll tell him the same thing. I don’t know what’s going on.” Not a complete lie. She knew an occasional demon or imp enjoyed giving her a hard time, but this wasn’t a demon. This was all Serah. Something inside her made the pot erupt like Mount Vesuvius. White-hot energy streaked through her, radiating to everything around her. Uncontrollable. Scary, yet exhilarating—And she didn’t like it one bit.

***

Matthias sheathed his sword. This had to be some cruel joke at his expense. The Fore-Demons knew his secret. They were deliberately toying with him. He’d rather be a mercenary for an eternity than weakened by her hooded sapphire gaze. Never mind that gaze was framed by a sinfully sweet oval face. Shifting to ease the discomfort his tight blue jeans suddenly caused, he stifled a growl. Not in front of Deleon. He was the last person who needed to know what was going on.

The door to his personal chambers flew open, a cold burst of air spiraling around him. Rafael Deleon strode into the room, slamming the oak door behind him. With a steely gaze, he scanned the room. “Are you ready yet, Ambrose? We haven’t got all day.” Rafael swiped a strand of dark hair from his face. With a snort, he glanced down at the gold watch on his wrist.

Odd. He remembered the old pocket watch the brute had always taken such good care of. Perhaps Rafael Deleon was succumbing to modern inventions after all.

“Where’s your pocket watch, Deleon?”

He shrugged. “I wanted something newer, and it was a gift from Lucy… my fiancée.”

And succumbing to human emotions as well. To each their own. If it was what Deleon wanted for himself, then so be it. Matthias, on the other hand—he’d given up his humanity a long time ago. There was no way he’d ever get it back. Which was fine by him. He wouldn’t know what to do with it anyway.

“How touching.” Matthias said with a chuckle. “Who knew that the ever-so-staunch and severe Rafael Deleon would fall in love.”

“I wouldn’t say staunch, Ambrose.”

“Oh what would you call it then?”

“I had a stick up my ass.”

And he’d grown a sense of humor too. Well, good for him. “Sometimes a stick serves a purpose.”

“A purpose maybe, but uncomfortable still the same.” Rafael’s gaze grew serious. “If you truly want to be a Paladin, the stick serves a better purpose elsewhere.”

“We’ll see about that.”

Rafael crossed his arms and leaned against the alabaster wall. “I’m sure the idea of protecting a human leaves little to be desired, but Serah SanGermano isn’t just any human. There’s something special about her. Plus, we need your help locating the assassin who was hired to kidnap her.”

Matthias’s blood, had he been truly alive, would’ve run cold. He struggled to rein in every bit of calmness within his body. This would not go well. His first mission as a Paladin trainee would end in failure. Perhaps this was what the Fore-Demons had planned.

Deleon was right about one thing. Serah was not just any woman. She had power. That much he could tell. He was lucky he was able to wipe her memories. If only he could wipe his own. If only he’d never taken the mission in the first place. The Infernati, however, drove a hard bargain.

If Deleon knew the truth, he’d be beyond pissed. He’d probably send Matthias back to limbo for an eternity. The mad side of him sank. The sane part of him cheered. Limbo was a better fate than guarding Serah SanGermano. Matthias stifled the chuckle that threatened. The only thing Serah truly needed protection from was him.

He balled his hands into tight fists. He wouldn’t let Deleon see him in such a weakened state. That was the Paladin way, as he remembered. Never succumb to your emotions. Then why in the hell was Deleon still a Paladin. He’d succumbed to the most infamous emotion of all.

Love.
He’d loved once before. He’d be twice damned if he’d do it again. The only thing love brought him was an eternity of anguish and guilt. And the hold Serah SanGermano had on him wasn’t good. He’d felt that way once before. Nearly eight hundred years ago.

He finally found his voice. “Mercenaries don’t generally move in the same social circles. What makes you think I can find this one?”

“I’m sure you have connections, Ambrose. Business and networking contacts?”

“When you’ve done this as long as I have, it’s no longer a business… it’s my life.”
Time
to
lighten
the
mood.
Or at least try to. “And I turned in my DAMN card centuries ago.”

Rafael arched a brow. “DAMN?”

“Demon Assassin and Mercenary Network.”

“Ridiculous.”

“Tell me about it, considering there is a big difference between the two. By the way, I’m a mercenary, not an assassin.”

“Is there really a difference? You’re both paid to kill people.”

Leave it to Deleon to bring him down a few notches. “I’m a hired soldier, not a hired killer.”
But
not
far
from
it.

“Fair enough. Thank you for the distinction.”

Apparently Deleon wasn’t thrilled about this mission either. Matthias would give him kudos for that. He was pretty damned astute. Two reluctant heroes? This would be interesting, if not suicidal.

“I didn’t sign up to baby-sit a mortal. I’ve over a half century of demonic combat skills. I could be better use elsewhere.”

“I’m not disagreeing, Ambrose.” Rafael flexed as he crossed his arms. “But the Fore-Demons chose this mission for you.” Much to Deleon’s disappointment, it seemed.

“They’ve made mistakes before.”

Rafael shrugged. “True, but the mistakes always managed to work themselves out.” His expression grew stern. “I’d rather have someone else protecting Serah, but the Fore-Demons chose you, so I am bound to honor their decision.”

“So dedicated to the cause.”

“To a fault. Truth is, I don’t trust you. You haven’t chosen a side in over seven hundred years. You’re a mercenary. The only things guiding your decisions have been wealth and self-preservation. Why all of the sudden now?”

“I have my reasons.”

“Are they honorable or just self-serving?”

Matthias returned his answer with stark silence, his jaw ticking with aggravation. The less Rafael knew the better. He drew his lips straight.

“Until you can answer that question, I’ll have my doubts. Make no mistake, I will be watching you… like a hawk.”

“I appreciate that, Deleon. It shows your dedication. Don’t worry. My decisions, although personal, are honorable.”

“Very well. I’ll still be watching you.”

“As my handler, I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Deleon took a controlled gulp of air. “Good. We’d better get going. The sooner we get you into your duty, the better.” His face turned to stone.

Matthias stifled a groan. Not only did Rafael Deleon not trust him, he didn’t even trust himself. This would prove a tough mission, indeed.

“You make a good fondue.” Kalli strode into the room, broom in one hand, chocolate-covered strawberry in the other. With a quick lick of her lips, she plopped the remaining strawberry into her mouth. “I wonder if this is what heaven tastes like.”

“Heaven could be closer than you think. With your miraculous cleaning abilities, that has to count for something.” Serah flashed a confident smile. “And I’ll pass your compliments to Edie. It’s her recipe.”

“No wonder she was flipping out,” Kalli replied. “No worries. Your chocolate pot and its heavenly contents are intact. The kitchen is clean.” She turned to Lucy. “Is everything under control?”

“For now.”

“Good.” Kalli turned to glance at the clock. “I have a haircut in an hour. So if everything’s fine?”

“Rafe is due back anytime. We’ll be fine.”

Kalli nodded. “I’ve got a few minor things in the kitchen to take care of and I’ll be on my way.” She spun on the heels of her clunky boots and sauntered out of the room.

Lucy stretched out her legs. “Seriously, though. This is getting tiring. You’re hiding something and I don’t like it.”

“I told you I don’t remember anything. Have I hidden anything before?”

Lucy coughed. “Do you want my honest answer?”

They’d known each other for over twenty years, ever since Nonni and she had moved from Chicago. There wasn’t much they could keep hidden from each other, no matter how hard either of them tried—which was why this was so difficult.

The more Lucy pried, the more she chipped away at the truth. And truth could be scarier than fiction. What if one of the demons Lucy and she had loosed managed to possess her? Maybe that’s how she was able to smell demons. She just hoped she didn’t go Linda Blair on everyone. That stuff only happened in the movies, right?

Then again, so much crazy shit had happened that night, anything was possible. Nonni always warned her that demons existed. Serah always thought she was just babbling a bunch of nonsense. But after that night, she realized how true it was.

But what if it was something else? What if she was a demon too? Then again, from the conversations she’d heard between Rafe and Lucy, only those demons who’d been blessed could sense that hideous odor. Did that mean she was blessed? Was she a Paladin and didn’t know it or was she just a freak of nature? The way her life seemed to be going, it was safe to believe the latter.

“Earth to Serah.” Lucy pushed her lips together and slammed her hands to her waist. “So have you had any new revelations?”

Revelations? Ha. From the looks of it, that’s where they were heading. Hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes. Oh my, was this the end? She hoped not. She had a helluva lot of stuff on her bucket list. Saving the world from herself was not on that list.