Page 41 of The Morning Star
“Thank you, Ni-ni. Thank you for coming to my rescue, even if you’re too late.”
What was that about? This gratitude when I’d clearly dropped the ball big-time. And a hug?
“Uh, yeah. If it happens again, I’ll be more prompt.” I pulled back and again looked over at the girls who were still staring at us. They were pointing their guns downward, but still eyeing me as if they were ready to lock and load with one false move.
Leethu waved the girls back into the house with a smile, then turned back to me. “Let’s walk some distance from the house so we can discuss things.”
Huh. I fell in behind the succubus, noting that she disarmed several magical wards on our way out as well as stopping to type in a code on a box attached to a giant metal gate. This place was a serious fortress. Who was this Red Bird and why was she so paranoid?
“It’s the girls,” Leethu told me as the gate beeped and swung open. “All this makes them feel safe. Plus, they’ve been a bit trigger happy after that demon tried to assassinate Red a few days back.”
“Assassinate? She’s a terrorist?”
The succubus laughed. “No, silly. She’s an angel—an archangel to be exact. That poor demon was quickly killed, but the girls have taken it upon themselves to be an angel’s protector. It’s sweet. They’re proficient fighters, and I have no doubt that they could take down a lower-level demon should one choose to attack us.”
There was a pride in Leethu’s voice that I took note of. Then I realized what she’d said and my jaw dropped. “Uriel? You’re holed up in this place with a bunch of teenage girls and Uriel?”
“Yes.” The succubus’s lips curled up in a sappy smile. “She’s strong and protective, and smart. Her household, the inner circle, are these human women who have been forged by life’s fire. I’m so honored to be included. And I’m equally honored that she’s expressed an affection for me.”
“Affection?” Holy shit, what the fuck had happened? The archangel goes away for some hair-shirt penance and returns with a sex demon on her arm and a whole host of female teenagers who know how to handle a gun.
“Yes, affection. Of course we have been intimate, both in our physical forms and in the way angels do it, but I wonder sometimes if her feelings for me go deeper than just pleasure and friendship. I know mine do, and I was quite surprised about that.”
I shook my head, still shocked by the concept of Leethu and Uriel. “You joined? Because angels don’t do that sort of thing casually, at least not more than once. If she’s regularly angel-fucking you, her heart is already in it.”
“Oh, I hope so. I wanted to tell you this away from the others, because I don’t think they quite understand our relationship. They are all experienced enough to know that we have a physical bond, but not quite the extent of my feelings for my beloved Red Bird. I wanted you to know, Ni-ni, so you understand why I do not return to Hel or your domicile with any frequency from now on.”
“Yeah, I’d guess you’d want to live here with Uriel.” I still struggled to wrap my head around this. Leethu and Uriel. I never would have imagined it, but now that I knew, the pair seemed oddly right for each other.
“Stay here with us for a few days,” she said with a charming smile. “You can become better acquainted with my Red Bird and my new sisters. It will be fun.”
It did sound like fun. If only I didn’t have a fallen archangel to kill and a baby angel to safeguard.
“I’ve got to grab Dar and take him to Oregon so we can interrogate a warmonger about his part in a plot to kill angels. Maybe in a few months when things settle down?” Or years. Or centuries.
“What?” she laughed. “Since when do you need Dar to help you interrogate a demon?”
“Since there’s a good chance said demon is going to run out the back door while I’m cutting through his household in front.”
Her face softened in nostalgia. “I haven’t seen Dar in a long time. How is he?”
I snorted. “Whipped. That angel of his says ‘jump’ and he’s ten feet off the ground before the word finishes leaving her mouth. And that baby angel of theirs? I get the feeling that number two isn’t far behind.”
“Oh!” Her eyes sparkled. “Maybe my Red Bird and I…”
Maybe. Sheesh, we were all turning domestic here.
She smiled. “Shall I will go with you tonight? It will be like old times, you and Dar and me.”
“You’re welcome to come along,” I told her, knowing both Dar and I would be grateful for the extra help. Sex demons didn’t have a lot of offensive ability in battles, but Leethu was shrewd and could be a vicious fighter. Plus, having a succubus there gave us the element of surprise. No one expected to encounter a sex demon in a battle. The shock factor might buy us a few much-needed precious minutes.
“It won’t be all that exciting,” I warned her. “I’m going in the front, basically trying to fight my way through as many as fifty demons without dying in the process. You and Dar would be keeping watch at the perimeter, grabbing Caramort if he attempts to escape.”
“Caramort?” Leethu suddenly began to laugh. “You’re trying to grab Caramort?”
I stopped walking and turned to face her. “Yeah. Do you know him?”
“Carnally. A few decades ago we were at a party in Dis and we spent some quality time together. He’s been sending me breeding petitions ever since—exclusive ones, wanting me to be his consort and promising me all sorts of absurd things if I were to agree.”
