Page 49 of Unholy

“Demons are worse at these meetings than the paladins,” Alex remarked, sliding his glass over and beaming when Wolf refilled it with a patient smile.

Malachi growled, sliding his fingers into his hair and tugging. They were being watched. By paladins, he guessed. “So, what, they think they can keep tabs on us and we’ll eventually reveal our secret master plan to seduce their people away from the guild?”

“Something to that effect, I think,” Talon said. “Either way, they’re watching us. They can’t follow me to and from the club, because I have the ability to teleport. You halflings don’t have that advantage. They probably know where you all live, other places you frequent. Wediddrive here the other night to meet with you, because I… promised Alex he could drive my car.” He shot Alex a withering look, though it was tempered by fondness. There was likely a story there, but Malachi didn’t dare to ask. “There’s been a black SUV outside our building ever since.”

“I’ve seen one outside the club for a while now. Close to a month,” Wolf said, wiping the pristine bar with a rag. There were no spots on the bar. Malachi thought it might’ve been a nervous tic. “Or that’s when I noticed it, at least. It’s not unusual to see them occasionally, so I didn’t think anything of it at first. They like to keep tabs on the place, make sure we aren’t getting too comfortable. It was just a few days ago that it finally hit me how regularly I’d been seeing them.”

“They can’t really be stupid enough to believe our master plan isseducing them, can they?” Malachi asked. “I mean, they don’t even know about Luke and me. As far as they know, Hawk’s the only one who got the hots for a demon and stopped toeing the party line.”

“Hey,” Alex protested. “Don’t dumb it down like that.”

“Dumbing things down is what he’s good at,” Talon drawled.

“Oh, bite me, leviathan.”

“Not on your life, halfling.”

“Would you two shut up?” Alex groaned. He turned toward Malachi. “Listen, you two warned us about the guild. We’re just returning the favor. They’re obviously keeping tabs on Talon and anyone he’s associated with. That puts you and Paladin Morgan in danger. If you’re spotted together, everything goes up in smoke for you two. For him, especially. And I don’t know him well, but I know he’s been at that guild since he was in diapers. It’s all he’s ever known. Losing it…” His gaze went a little distant. “It was worth it to me in the long run. Will it be worth it to him?”

Malachi’s drink tasted like ash. He pushed it away with a sigh. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “As long as he wants tojuggle both, I’ll make it happen. We’ll be discreet.” They’d been spotted together once already. They both knew what was at stake if they were seen together a second time. He sighed again, put-upon. “And thank you for the warning.”

Alex gave him a smile that made him feel like a puppy who’d successfully performed a new trick. “You’re welcome.”

“What about Lilith? Does she know paladins are staking out her bar?” he asked wearily. Lilith was the authority in the area, for better or worse, though Malachi did his best to avoid having to deal with her.

There was a collective sigh that had Alex glancing around at them all in confusion.

“No,” Wolf said. “She doesn’t know. If she knew, she’d be pissed at Talon and Alex. The last thing they need is for her to get the demons worked up about them on top of the humans.”

Malachi hummed. “Have you thought about just leaving town?” he asked Talon.

Alex and Talonbothscowled. “This is my town,” Talon said. “I was here centuries before Lilith was spat out of Hell. Over my dead body does she get to take LA without a fight.”

“You two and your petty squabbles,” Malachi murmured.

Talon opened his mouth, no doubt to say something scathing, but Storm interrupted him, his voice a deep rumble.

“Hey, when the shit finally hits the fan, who would you rather have at your back? That red-eyed snake or a leviathan like Talon?”

“When the shit hits the fan, I plan to be elsewhere,” Malachi said. “Maybe on a beach somewhere. I’d like to see Luke stuffed into a speedo. Can you imagine?” He sigheddreamily, imagining a wet Luke on the beach in a skin-tight black speedo, all his sun-browned muscles on display, water sluicing down his body, plastering his body hair to his skin.

Alex snorted. “I hate to break it to you, but you’ve all but sworn yourself to a do-gooder. If there’s trouble afoot, Luke’s going to be there. He feels obligated to protect the innocent. That won’t change even if heisbanished.”

Dammit, that was probably true. Why else did somebody like Luke, who didn’tlikethe fighting itself, continue to fight? Because he felt called to.

He groaned, long and loud, and downed his drink in one swallow. “All right, fine. What do we do about our holy shadows?” He flicked a hand at the door.

“Nothing for now,” Talon said. “Let them think we’re none the wiser. I just wanted you all to be aware. You’ve got your human to worry about,” he said to Malachi, “and you two are here alone the most.” He smirked. “And you’re also not loyal to Lilith.”

Storm rumbled out a laugh, hiding it behind his glass.

“You know what I don’t understand?” Wolf said.

“Probably a lot,” Storm teased, and Talon and Malachi snorted into their drinks.

Wolf glared. “Okay, assholes.”

“What don’t you understand, Wolf?” Alex asked patiently.

---