“He was sent to my judgment chamber, so apparently you are mistaken,” Minos replied.Shit, shit, shit.
“I think,” Kushiel continued, stepping closer, “that he looks like he should be under my… guidance. If he feels the need for punishment, I’m sure I can…satisfythose needs.”
At that, Adam stepped forward, ignoring Minos’ firm grip on his hand. Minos had a moment of panic, because if Adam asked to go with Kushiel, he couldn’t very well say no, but he didn’t think he could let the human go either. Adam had shaken something loose in Minos and woken him from his state of boredom, and Minos was drawn to him in a way that was inexplicable. Watching him be punished by Kushiel would be torture (and him calling it that was saying something, because heknewtorture), but he didn’t think he could just walk away. Nor did he think he could deny the human what he was justly permitted to have. Good souls got to seek penance with Kushiel.
“Umm, excuse me, buthell no,” Adam said, surprising both Minos and Kushiel. Minos actually watched as Kushiel’s mouth fell open a little in surprise. “I don’t know who you think you are, Mr. Rigid One, but no thanks, I don’t need a piece of your rigid anything. And I amnotdealing with any more angels, nope, no thank you. So you can march straight back ‘upstairs’”—and Adam did that cute air quote thing with his fingers again—”and you can tell them tofuck off. And fluff those wings all you want, Mr. Rigid One, but I am still not going with you for some of your kinky punishment. I got a demon and I don’t need another one, thanks.”
Adam turned to Minos then, half whispering, “I mean, so the wings are sexy, but don’t worry Big Guy, I’m a one demon kinda guy. And he’s way too cocky for me. You’re all sexy brooding hotness, which is so my jam. He’s got the cocky prick energy, and that isnotmy jam. So can we lose him and finish what we started?” Then the little human actually looked back at Kushiel and stared him down. Well, tried to stare him down even though he was shorter than Kushiel.
Minos was once again speechless, and it seemed Kushiel was as well.
Until the angel started laughing. Loudly. A full-out belly laugh thatalmostmade Minos want to smile, but he kept his broody look on by sheer force of will (especially now that he knew how much Adam appreciated it).
“By all that is unholy, you’ve found the perfect match for yourself,” Kushiel chuckled. “I wish you luck, brother, in your endeavors with this one. He’s feisty. If you need any tips on taming his boisterous nature, let me know.”
“I expect I’ll do just fine without your assistance, Kushiel,” Minos said. He relaxed a bit knowing that Kushiel had turned off the sex appeal and was showing some level of support.
“All the same, what will you do with him? He isn’t, strictly speaking, supposed to be here. And I’m still not sure he belongs under your judgment, although he seems quite happy to be there,” Kushiel said, looking more closely again at Adam. “In fact, I’m quite sure he doesn’t deserve eternal punishment.”
Adam huffed. “Well I’m not being eternally punished, so don’t worry your pretty little wings about that.”
“Humans are not allowed in Sheol,” Kushiel replied, looking from Adam to Minos.
“Yeah, but I definitely do not belong ‘upstairs’ either,” Adam said, shrugging. “Minos is the Judge of the Damned. He’s creative. He’ll figure it out. But I amnotleaving, so maybe we can just be on our way, hmmm?”
Kushiel looked at Minos, raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Adam and then back at Minos. Minos shrugged and then nodded. Yes, it was a problem. Yes, Adam didn’t seem to think so. Yes, Adam seemed to think he was staying. And yes, hewasstaying.
It was amazing what an angel and a demon who knew each other for eternity could communicate with a few expressions.
“Well, then, I wish you luck, brother,” Kushiel said. “And I shall send you on your way.”
At which point Kushiel opened his wings and surrounded Minos and Adam with them. The feathers became an endless darkness that consumed them, and then, in a blink, the darkness was gone and they were in Minos’ home.
What a show off, thought Minos with an eye roll.
Chapter7
Adam
Adam wondered if people ever just walked anywhere after death, because all this fading into new surroundings was definitely getting old. And ok, the wing thing had been cooler than any of the other transitions so far, but still.
“Don’t you people ever just walk anywhere?” he asked, because apparently the filter wasstillbroken.
“And I’m sorry, but I seem to have absolutely zero filter around you. Like usually I’m all about the word vomit, but Icankeep things to myself. Like I can’t help telling you that I totally want to climb on top of you and ride you off into the sunset, and that is something I would usually keep to myself.”
And he was about to continue, but then he actually noticed his surroundings. They were in some type of living space, and most of the furniture was grey, but it looked incredibly comfy, and there was a huge window along one wall, and the view was… wow.
“Oh man, is that anactualwaterfall of fire? Firefall? Lavafall? Because man, that is amazing. Andthose trees. They are just… they are freaking awesome. All reaching branches, and it looks like there’s a layer of snow on them, but that isn’t possible, right? Because, you know, hell. And fire pouring down some gorgeous cliffs, so snow would totally melt. That isawesome.”
“It’s the ash from the firefall,” Minos replied, and when Adam turned toward him, he realized Minos was staring at him, not out the window. And he looked… odd. He didn’t have his normal brooding face on, nor was he looking all sexy and ready to jump Adam’s bones.
“Ok, what’s wrong, because something is wrong. Your normal broody face is missing,” Adam said, walking over and wrapping himself around his sexy demon. Yeah, it was totally weird to be randomly snuggling up to someone he had only met that day, but Minos didn’t seem to mind, so he was just going with it.
After all, he’d had a rough day. He’d died and everything. Cuddles were totally necessary.
Minos wrapped his arms around Adam, and Adam’s head fit just under Minos’, so Minos could rest his cheek on top of Adam’s head, and it was about the nicest thing Adam had ever felt. He’d never been with anyone tall enough to do this, and it was kinda awesome to be snuggled up to Minos’ chest and feel like he was totally surrounded by him.
They cuddled for a few minutes in silence, but silence for too long wasn’t Adam’s style. “So?” he asked. “What was the look?”
