Page 17 of Demon Hunger
Below, Jenna, Sage, and Benjamin finally walked out of the hotel, steaming cups of coffee in hand. They glanced in every direction, searching for me.
As I went higher and higher, my friends grew smaller. I opened my mouth to scream and call for Jenna, then, to my astonishment, Drevan stepped out of the building too.
Shit!
If Drevan was down there, then who…?
Slowly, I dared a glance upward. A pair of massive white wings beat above me.
Jophiel had me.
“Help!” I screamed.
Drevan’s head jerked as he glanced toward the sky.
“Help!”
His black wings spread out in an instant as he ran down the sidewalk, then jumped into the air, giving chase.
7
“Youfuckingangel!Letme go!” The words were barely out of my mouth before I realized what I was saying. We were flying higher than the buildings around us. If he let me go, I was dead.
Jophiel glanced down and said, “With pleasure.”
He let me slip from his grip. I started to fall. My gut jumped into my throat, but Jophiel caught me again, laughing with delight as if it were a child torturing a pet he hated.
I swallowed thickly, my heart hammering. Where was he taking me? And why? Eyeballs swiveling in every direction, I tried to catch sight of Drevan, but I couldn’t see him. I closed my eyes, my insides trembling and my ears deafened by thethumpof the angel’s wings.
Think, Lucia! How can you get free?
The command was loud in my head. I was good at getting out of trouble, but in this instance, escaping meant falling to my death.
Drevan will catch you if you fall.
I opened my eyes and glanced up. Jophiel was strong enough to hold me with one arm. The jacket was tight around my neck, making it hard to breathe. We passed dangerously close to a building with red lights flashing at its corners. They reflected on something, blinding me for a moment.
I squinted and realized that the light was bouncing off of something at Jophiel’s waist.
Swiftglory!
Without thinking, I tried to reach for it, extending my right arm. My fingers came within inches of the dualistic weapon. I clenched my teeth and tried harder. My middle finger brushed the hilt. Suddenly, Jophiel jolted me as if I were an empty sack of potatoes. My bones rattled.
“You insolent human!” he growled. “I should drop you and be done with you.”
I didn’t doubt he wanted to do just that. What got me wondering was his restraint. He had no compunction about shooting me before, so why was he so charitable all of a sudden? Not that I minded.
A gust of frigid wind slipped under my jacket, making me shiver. If we went much higher, I would freeze to death.
Seemingly out of nowhere, thethumpof a second pair of wings joined Jophiel’s.
Drevan!
Jophiel changed directions and flew faster. Drevan banked right, his golden eyes meeting mine. He couldn’t fight Jophiel in midair, could he? At least the angel wouldn’t be able to take me to some inscrutable part of the world where no one would be able to find me. Drevan was with me. He would not abandon me. Despite everything, I knew that deep in my heart.
Something seemed to cross Drevan’s face. A decision? That must have been it because, in the next instant, he charged toward us and rammed his shoulder into the angel’s. I swung violently and cried out in fear. Buildings rushed by below us as Jophiel took a nosedive.
My stomach dropped as we plummeted, and my heart jumped in my throat.
