Where Demons Fear to Tread (12 page)

Corbin sipped his absinthe. “I don’t usually take leftovers. But I wouldn’t mind a go at your present delight. What heavenly creature have you captured? There’s something quite exquisite about her.”

Julian wanted to punch him. He wanted to cover Serena with a tablecloth and drag her from this den of demons, far from the prying eyes of those who might hurt her. Bringing her here had been a mistake. He had vastly underestimated the power of her beauty to draw Corbin’s interest.

Corbin smiled, knowing Julian wouldn’t dare to touch him. Only a fool would dare start a war with the second in command to the Prince of Hell. Besides, they were on Corbin’s territory, surrounded by an army of his minions. “A Guardian, is she?” Corbin said idly. “How utterly delicious.”

Julian’s voice was a low growl. “Don’t even think about it.”

“I would never dare poach on your territory,” Corbin said, smoothing over Julian’s antagonistic tone with his suave manner. “Just admiring the view, old chap. What women never seem to realize when they go to the ladies’ room together is that it leaves the men behind to talk.”

Julian sent Corbin another warning glance. They sat in silence for a moment, sipping their drinks. If it came to an altercation, Julian wondered who would win. Corbin was powerful, but his power had been untested in recent years. Would Julian be able to take down the older Archdemon if it came to a fair fight?

If Corbin ever got his hands on her, Serena would suffer the worst kind of damnation imaginable. Corbin’s sexual perversions ranged widely; he was capable of inflicting intense and extended pain. Once he was done with her, he would cast her mutilated body to his Gatekeepers. On the surface, he and Corbin might be allies, but Julian would fight to the death before he let her fall into the other Archdemon’s clutches.

For Serena’s sake, as well as his own, he vowed it would not come to that.

I’m way out of my league,
Serena thought desperately.
I’ve got to call Arielle.

The few minutes she had bought herself were precious, and she knew she had to make them count. Heading toward the ladies’ room, she prayed that there was someone in there with a cell phone. Thankfully, a teenaged girl was there, washing her hands.

But before Serena could even open her mouth to ask, Luciana walked in.

Serena went to the mirror, reapplied her lipstick and tried to ignore Luciana’s obvious stare. At five foot six, Serena had never felt short, but Luciana loomed beside her, topping her by at least four inches. The demoness stood nearly six feet tall in heels—almost as tall as Julian. He and Serena made a striking couple. But paired with Luciana, the effect must have been breathtaking, with their eyes in complementing shades. They were two of a kind. Dark, sleek and powerful, like a pair of matched horses.

Or a couple of camouflaged bush vipers.

Luciana opened her purse and began touching up her makeup, as well. She looked down at Serena and said, “We ladies go through torture in order to make ourselves into creatures of beauty, no? Some have even used poison for its cosmetic effects. Do you know women once used belladonna, a very deadly type of flower, to make the pupils appear larger. To enhance the illusion of innocence. But I suppose you don’t need any help in that department, do you? What a sweet dress you have on. So angelic. Did Julian pick it out for you? It’s just his taste.”

“As a matter of fact, he did,” Serena said. She could not tell a lie, but it irked her to admit that Luciana was right, especially about Julian’s preferences. She wondered how long they’d been lovers, how serious their relationship had been.

“He is fantastic in bed, wouldn’t you say?” she said casually. “Knows exactly how to touch a woman. He makes you feel as though you’re the most beautiful woman in the world. But of course, he is a master of seduction.”

Serena remained silent, slipping her lipstick back into her purse and tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. She saw the flicker of Luciana’s smile in the mirror.

“So you haven’t found out yet?” Luciana laughed, a lilting, musical sound that grated on Serena’s ears. “What a pity. I see he hasn’t learned to stop toying with his prey before he goes for the kill. Such bad manners.”

“I’m not prey,” Serena ground out.

“You’re no match for him, my dear. Julian eats girls like you for breakfast. Why, I’ve seen him devour half a dozen little angels in one sitting. I don’t mean to scare you. Perhaps he’ll finish the job quickly before he tires of you and casts you into eternal damnation once you’ve fallen.”

Serena turned to face her. “Look, I don’t know what’s gone on between you two, but if you want Julian, you are more than welcome to have him. Be my guest. Trust me, I’m not your competition. Do us both a favor and take him.”

Luciana glared at her, venom seething in the depths of her demonic green eyes. Out of the demoness’s open handbag, a foot-long snake slithered, its shiny green skin the same piercing shade as its owner’s eyes. Luciana picked it up and kissed the top of its sleek head.

“Watch yourself,” Luciana said languidly. “It would be a terrible shame if you had an accident during your stay here. You never know what creatures lurk in these desert locations.”

The door swung open, and another unsuspecting human woman walked into the bathroom. The demoness tucked the snake discreetly back into her purse, as casually as if she were tucking away a compact.

It was on the tip of her tongue to retort, but Serena realized there was no sense in engaging in conflict with Luciana. She hated to admit it to herself, but when it came to Luciana, Julian was her ally.
Better the devil you know?
The jury was still out on that one, but between the two of them, she’d take Julian.

The roast vegetable soufflé Serena ordered was delectable, but she barely picked at it throughout the meal. Thinking of the poor waiter, her appetite abandoned her entirely. Luciana’s warning and the presence of the demons around her didn’t help. Julian chose neither the lamb or angel hair pasta that Luciana had suggested, but opted for seared sea scallops and pepper-crusted filet mignon. He proclaimed the food delicious. Luciana, for her part, spent the duration of the meal glowering over her lobster tail, shooting Serena threatening looks whenever the men’s attention was diverted.

“The chef has outdone himself,” Corbin declared, sitting back in satisfaction. “I’m always surprised at the incentive of everlasting damnation to put some drive into these mortals.”

The three demons laughed. Serena wished they’d all go back where they came from: hell. She pushed the remains of her meal around her plate, thinking about how nice it would have been to curl up in the cozy armchair in her living room, beside the fireplace. She’d rather be anywhere but here.

A familiar voice made her head turn. “Serena, Julian! Here you are.”

“Nick!” Serena almost leaped from her seat, she was so grateful to see him. “When did you get here?”

The young actor’s face was shadowed with beard stubble, eyes bloodshot from a bad hangover. She wondered exactly how much he’d had to drink last night, what drugs he’d taken. She’d been so preoccupied, first with her brother’s safety, and then with her own, that she’d had little time to keep track of Nick. He was still her Assignee, and she was determined to protect him as best she could. But he was sliding downhill at an alarming rate.

Even with his rumpled clothes and ashen skin, Nick was still a handsome young man in his prime. Luciana eyed him as though he were more succulent than the lobster she’d just eaten.

He grinned broadly and said, “Not too long ago.” Then he saw Julian’s arm slung casually around her shoulders and his smile faltered.

What a mess. Things were getting too complicated. She wanted to tell Nick there was nothing going on between them, that Julian had coerced her into being here. But she couldn’t. Especially not in front of the Axis of Evil gathered here at the table. Satan’s three helpers would eat both her and Nick alive.

“Looks like it’s double-date night,” Nick said, flustered as he eyed them together. “I don’t want to be a third wheel…”

The demoness batted her eyelashes like an old-fashioned actress as she held out her hand for Nick to kiss. “
Tesoro,
you’re hardly a fifth wheel,” she said, her accent pronounced as she mangled the idiom. “You’re more like…dessert.”

Nick laughed, lapping up her outrageous flirtation. He bowed gallantly. “It’s you who is utterly delicious, madam,” he said, making a show of admiring Luciana’s figure.

“Come and sit next to me.” The demoness slid in closer to Corbin, pushing him closer to Serena, who was forced to lean even closer into Julian. Luciana patted the smooth leather next to her, signaling for Nick to sit.

“Aren’t you adorable? I’m going to make you my pet, my dear,” Luciana cooed.

Nick grinned. “But I’m not properly trained. Do you mind the kind of pet that bites?”

The demoness giggled. “I absolutely prefer it. You don’t mind, Corbin, my darling, do you?”

Corbin’s pale gaze revealed nothing. Nick slid a glance in Serena’s direction to make sure she’d caught their innuendo. She wanted to leap over the table and warn him. But of course, she couldn’t. It would break protocol to reveal the existence of divine entities. Besides, his human mind would never believe her. But Nick was her responsibility. It was her job to keep him safe. She had to find some way of keeping him out of Luciana’s clutches.

But by the time dessert was served, it was clear that Nick was dazzled by the demons’ charisma and their glamour. Luciana flirted shamelessly with him, feeding him chocolate-dipped strawberries as if they were lovers. Serena watched them from across the table and stirred at her crème brûlée, but found that she had no more appetite for the delicious dessert than she’d had for her dinner.

Between the two women, Corbin had gone quite still. Serena wondered what was going on in his mind. It seemed to her that watching his lover flirt with Nick ought to drive any red-blooded man wild with anger, but it was impossible to tell what Corbin thought. From his earlier behavior, she fully expected him to burst into a fit of rage. Yet, he sat observing the scene as though there was nothing amiss. Serena watched as Luciana flirted simultaneously with both men, touching each of them frequently. But the demoness also threw Julian surreptitious glances. Serena wondered, was the she-demon trying to make Julian jealous?

Corbin drained his drink and set the empty glass on the table. “Why don’t we swing by Devil’s Ecstasy and have a peek inside.”

“Right now? It will be completely empty,” Luciana said, stroking his cheek with the back of her fingers. Her pale gaze widened in mock innocence. “Whatever will we do there?”

On her other side, Nick said, “I’d love to see it bare, without any people.”

“That’s not the only thing he’d like to see bare,” Serena muttered under her breath.

Julian raised a questioning eyebrow at Serena and whispered, “Jealous?”

She shook her head, feeling the fabric of Julian’s suit jacket slide against her bare arm where they touched. Yes, perhaps she was a little jealous. Although not of Nick, but of Julian.

“You must be tired, Nick,” she said, hoping the actor would take the hint and save himself. “You flew all the way from L.A. today. Don’t you want to rest?”

Nick shook his head. “No,
Mom.
The flight only took an hour. I’m good to go.”

“Well,
I’m
feeling a bit sleepy,” Serena said, trying not to feel slighted by his little joke. “I might turn in early.”

“I wouldn’t hear of it,” Julian glowered.

The nightclub was a short walk across the lobby from the restaurant. As the group moved, she hung back, pulling Nick aside. “Be very, very careful. These people are dangerous,” she whispered.

He shrugged and said, “They seem pretty cool to me. Serena, you need to cut loose a little. Have some fun!”

Fun.
For the second time that day, Andrew’s words echoed in her mind. She knew how to have fun. She just liked to do it safely.

Nick had no idea that his life was in jeopardy. All he could see was the shiny surface of the demons’ wealth and beauty. She wanted to shout it to the rooftop pool that the three people walking in front of them were demons. Wanted everyone in this sinfully luxurious hotel lobby to turn and stare at them, to drag the demons away and destroy them. But that was impossible.
“Supernatural occurrences must never be disclosed to humans, except under exceptional circumstances,”
Arielle had told her at the beginning of her training.
“It can be done, but you must always seek my permission first.”
Which Serena didn’t have. Furthermore, demons swarmed the hotel, by far the majority here. Overpowering them on their own turf would require a massing of angelic forces that was beyond her capabilities at this moment.

She whispered to Nick, “There are things you don’t know about these people. As your friend, I just want you to make the right decisions.”

Julian glanced over his shoulder, breaking off his conversation with Corbin. “What are you two talking about back there?”

She clung to Nick’s arm, glaring a warning at the Archdemon. Julian merely smiled.

They walked into the club, and a feeling of déjà vu swept over her. In design, the club was similar to Devil’s Paradise. But the new club was more garish and more opulent. Crimson draperies swept from the ceiling. A grand staircase rose up from the main floor to the unknown pleasures of the second floor. Through a massive set of glass doors at the far end of the club, an outdoor pool was visible, its still waters gleaming in the moonlight.

Julian climbed the short staircase to the DJ booth, and a moment later, an old, slow song played over the sound system. She recognized it immediately as Chuck Berry’s “Earth Angel.”

Nick took Serena’s hand and led her to the dance floor. He was pulling her into his arms when Julian stopped him.

“Not this time, son. It’s my club, and I’ll christen the dance floor,” Julian said. To Serena, he said, “We didn’t get to dance at my party.”