Page 73 of Cursed
He had a point. If it hadn’t been for him, Phoebe and I would still be in dire straits. Remembering what Malachi had planned for her, I tightened my grip on the stem of my glass. I had to channel more ether into remaining calm.
If I keep this up, I’m going to need a new soul by tomorrow.
“Thank you for your help,” I growled, hating the way his eyes lit up. He enjoyed my discomfort far too much. Yet my hands were tied because I was only human.
Weak. Cursed. Powerless.
“There, there. That wasn’t so hard, was it?” He sipped his wine then held it out and inspected the liquid. “Where did you find this dreadful vintage?”
It happened to be the cheapest brand I owned, and I flashed my own smile. “At a discount store.”
He raised an eyebrow.
For some reason, my tiny act of defiance pleased me greatly. Samael obviously needed something from me, which meant he’d overlook my slight. Probably.
Though I didn’t go shopping like a normal person, I did use my power to blink the bottle from the store. It was a great way to furnish my home, and it also gave me tremendous satisfaction taking from those who’d sooner stick a knife in my throat than listen to what I had to say.
Some might call it stealing, I called it being resourceful and taking what I deserved.
He lifted his booted feet from the table, sat forward, and set the glass on the surface. “Cain.” Steepling his hands, he propped his elbows on his knees and settled his chin onto the tips of his fingers. “You truly are only one step away from being one of us.
So, tell me”—he leaned back into the couch and spread his arms across the top of the cushions—“why does it look like you’re courting your mission?”
I took a drink of my wine and held it in my mouth for a few seconds.Ugh. This really does taste horrible.I watched Samael, who seemed completely at ease in my house.
“It’s part of my plan to get answers for Lucian. Phoebe is a delicate case. I can’t just cower her into submission.”
“Why not?” He cocked his head. “You of all people know how effective pain can be at producing results.”
He referred to my earlier days in Hell, when Lucian had needed to teach me obedience and the true path to becoming something stronger, back when I balked at taking innocent souls. “My power doesn’t work on her as it should. Plus, she’s stubborn and—”Precious to me.I snapped my mouth closed for fear the rest of the sentence would find its way out.
If she’s so precious, then why do I plan on offering her as a sacrifice?I fidgeted under his knowing stare.I have orders, Lucian demands her soul, and I demand justice for what my father did to me.It didn’t matter how much my heart seized at the thought of her in pain...of her death and soul’s torture.
“You’d better find a way to kill those feelings you’re trying so hard to hide, or they will be the death of you and your dream.” Drumming his fingers against the back of the couch, he let his stare rove across the room then up to the balcony at the top of the stairs, where the front door lay hidden from view. “This is the ultimate test, and I would not see you fail.”
“Why do you care?” I gulped from the glass, fighting a grimace as the sour liquid slid down my throat.
“I wouldn’t normally.” He hitched a shoulder and returned his gaze to me, then inspected his fingernails. “But I have a vested interest in your success.”
“For fuck’s sake, can you spit it out already? I grow sick of the games you Chosen play.”
A flash of annoyance crossed his face, sparking orange fire in the pupils of his gold eyes.
Inwardly, I smiled.If I can’t beat his power, at least I can still get a good old-fashioned rise out of him.
“Because there’s something in Heaven I need to retrieve, which means I’m coming along for the ride through the portal you’ll open.”
“And why can’t you go yourself? You’ve got your own wings.”
“My presence—and any of the original Fallen—would ring the alarms of every angel in Heaven.” He toyed with the black leather shirt covering his torso. “But because you’d become a new angel, no one in Heaven would recognize your presence. You’ll be able to slip in without anyone the wiser, and I’ll be able to mask my presence with yours.”
“What exactly do you need?” I couldn’t imagine anything he couldn’t make himself.
“That’s none of your concern.” He leaned forward, gripped the wine, and downed it in one gulp, setting the empty glass onto the table with a plink. “Now, do we have a deal? I keep Malachi at bay, you fulfill your mission, and we both get what we want.”
An image of Phoebe’s face swam in my mind, the hurt twisting to simmering anger. Did I have a choice? Not really. Once a person made a deal with the devil, they were compelled to obey or suffer unending pain of their failure in Hell’s Lake of Fire.
And oh, how I grew tired of being a weak human.
