Page 25 of A Hunter Cursed
Destin nodded. “But if it was a vision, how is it thatherecognizedyou?”
Keegan actually felt the blood drain from her face as her stomach dropped. She hadn’t considered that. Licking her lips, she shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Another crack of thunder had her jumping as the angel reappeared and immediately said, “Okay. Here’s what I found out.”
Attempting to focus through the roaring in her ears and the multitude of questions spiraling through her brain, Keegan heard the angel say, “Most people aren’t aware, but several high-level demons are on this side of the veil at any given time. Unlike the Smudges, they can take human form, blend in, and for the most part, they leave people alone since they have no desire to be deported back to the hell realm.”
“For the most part?” the wolf alpha prompted.
Cam nodded. “They’re allowed to intercede should a human make a tempting enough offer.”
“What kind of tempting offer?” This from Morgan.
“The ‘I would do anything’ or the ‘I’d sell my soul for’, kind of offers,” the angel said, making air quotes with his fingers. He shrugged. “If that human has something the demon wants, they answer that plea.”
The angel’s liquid silver eyes lit on Keegan and she felt a niggling of something, some forgotten memory just out of reach that made her stomach churn with a feeling akin to regret, but as she tried to catch it, it whispered away.
“Are we talking souls here?” Kane Fletcher asked.
The question elicited a chuckle from the angel. “Souls,” was followed by a scoffing sound. “As kin to those demons, you should know better. It’s power they seek, same as the Born though the source might be different. While your kind seeks money and influence, demons have a taste for the angelic powers the witches possess.”
“So, Evangeline…” Destin began with no need to finish that statement.
Cam nodded. “She lured a demon to her and stole that demon’s power.” The angel chuckled. “Clever really, but demons talk, and as the saying goes, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice…” he trailed off with a shrug. “Needless to say, none of the demons were dumb enough to fall for her trickery again. She must have been truly desperate though if she tried to open a portal. Smudges have no real power and that’s all she would have found on the other side of that gate.”
Rolling his shoulders with a grimace, the angel’s wings retracted and disappeared as he clapped his hands together loudly. “Now. Show me to the spot you found so I can tell you how worried you should be.”
Chapter Thirteen
Arriving at the spot in the alley, Keegan found herself standing next to the angel, and while there were more important things he needed to be focusing on – the immediate threat of demons looking to possess some unsuspecting humans for example – she couldn’t resist asking, “How is it you know me?”
He shot her that lopsided smile that would probably have women all over the world swooning at his feet. “Zeph’s bloodline is strong in you.” His silver eyes swept her from head to toe as he looked her over in speculation. “In fact, I haven’t felt his influence this strongly since that first generation of witches. It’s quite remarkable.”
“Zeph?”
Cam nodded. “The origin of your gifts.” His face turned thoughtful. “Though I can feel Bath’s influence as well. You have visions?”
Bath?Keegan gave her head a little shake and raised her hands, palms out before her. “I do. But how do youknow me?”
Without answering, the angel squatted down near the thinning and put his hand on the asphalt, seemingly unfazed by what had so strongly affected both her and Destin when they’d come into contact with the area.
The tension in the air thickened as their little group waited quietly for the angel’s prognosis of just how deep this pile of shit they’d found themselves in was going to get.
Cam sighed, stood, and planted his hands on his hips as he glared at the spot.
“Fucking hell, you’re killing me,” Kane Fletcher snarled, only to let out a whoosh of air as Morgan whacked him in the belly with the back of her hand. She then hissed out of the side of her mouth, “Let’s not piss off the angel that’s come to help.”
Much more diplomatically, Destin prompted, “What are your thoughts, Mister – er, Cam?”
Alpha Langley, meanwhile, had stayed quiet, though his eyes had shifted to those of his wolf’s as he watched and waited, displaying the patience of the predator inside.
“At least one has escaped,” the angel confirmed. “Maybe more.” Cam glanced around before he added, “And I don’t think this is the only spot.”
“Fuck!” was Kane Fletcher’s rather eloquent response as he swiped a hand through his thick brown hair and paced away to kick at a dumpster with his booted foot. Turning back to face the angel, his eyes were glowing red and Keegan took a quick step back.
“So what are we looking for?” the Born vampire snarled. “Projectile vomit? Rotating heads? Speaking in tongues?”
Seemingly unaffected by the display of anger or the dire consequences of the bombshell he’d just dropped on them, the angel shrugged. “Depends on the Smudge.”
