Gingerly, Jaxon reached out and took it, shaking on the deal. His eyes grew large then, and he paled. “Oh shit, did I just make a deal with a demon?” Snatching his hand back as if he’d been burned, he studied it, turning it this way and that, looking for any indication he’d been marked.
A booming laugh filled the room before Malachi clapped him on the back. “You did, but don’t worry, I won’t claim your soul this time.” Rising back to his full height, he rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck. He extended his wings as far as they would go and flapped once. “Alright, let’s do this!” Turning to the door, he started towards it, then paused. He glanced back at Chuck. “You know I believe in you, but you must also know you can’t come with me. In fact,”—he spun to Glenda—“get her out of here. If this goes south, and I die, I need to know Amaryllis won’t immediately kill Kelly.”
His words were met with a cacophony of protests from everyone in the room. They all quieted down when Chuck stomped over and grabbed one of his wings, yanking him down to her level.
“Ow… Ow… Ow…” Malachi complained. “Dammit! I’d rather have your sharp elbows instead. Feathers are tender, you know?”
“No. I don’t know. Because I haven’t had time to learn more about this side of you yet. And I fully intend to. So, you better not fucking die, Malachi. Also, I’m not going anywhere, because if youdodie, I’m going to go down fighting to avenge your death. I love you. I won’t do this alone anymore. Not when I’ve finally found you. We go together or not at all. Got it?” Chuck crossed her arms under her breasts and snapped her teeth on the last word. Fury radiated off her small frame, and she practically vibrated with anger.
Under it all, Malachi could see the fear. Streaks of yellow and black were zipping through her glow. She was terrified. His heart swelled, and he went warm all over. Dropping to his knees, he pulled her against him and rested his forehead on hers. “Kelly, you stubborn, beautiful, perfect creature.” Lowering his lips to hers, he kissed her gently. “I love you, too. So, I agree. Together.” He entwined their fingers and stayed there for a moment, breathing her in. The mechanical racking of a rifle drew their attention across the room.
“As cute and really weird as this is, and you better believe I’m sending you my therapy bill,” Jaxon deadpanned. “I’m not leaving my friend undefended. You may be a demon, but I’m a damn good shot. So is Nathan. Although I’m still a little confused why you’re here when your son tried to kill Chuck, but I’ll let that go for now.” He handed the gun to Nathan, who bobbed his head once in thanks. “Chuck, you good?”
At her silent and surprised nod, he continued, “Glenda, do you need a weapon?”
The witch merely grinned and held up her hands, fire springing forth from her palms. “Locked and loaded, baby.” She winked at Nathan, who was staring at her in open interest now.
“Witches are real, too. Check,” Jaxon murmured and shook his head. Clearing his throat, he jerked a thumb to the open gun safe. “Last call for anyone wanting additional weaponry.”
“Jax,” Chuck called softly. “Please don’t. This could ruin your career. I don’t want you to be involved in this. I’m in too deep. So is Nathan. Glenda’s a civilian, and no one outside of this room knows about Malachi. So, sit this one out. It’s not worth your life.”
Moving next to her, Jaxon smiled softly. “Kelly, do you remember graduation day? How your dad pinned my badge because I didn’t have any family to do it? You and your dad were all I had; you became my family during the academy. And when he passed, that left me to live up to the promise I made him that I would always look after my little sister. I loved you too, you know? For the longest time, I wanted to be more than big brother Jax.” He glanced up at Malachi’s growl. “But I know we weren’t meant to be. How were you meant to be with a demon? I don’t get that, but that’s another story for another time. The point is, I do love you. Youaremy sister, and I made a promise to big Chuck that I fully intend to keep. So no, little Chuck." He laughed softly as she punched his shoulder. “I will not sit this out. I’m all in.” He turned his gaze to Malachi. “All in,” he repeated firmly.
Wrapping an arm around the man’s shoulder, Malachi smiled genuinely. “You know, I take back most of the references to you being a douche and dumbass. I like you, Jaxon. Although… do you have a middle name? Because that one…” he waggled his hand in a so-so gesture.
“Byron,” Chuck declared with undisguised glee. “Jaxon Byron Raifson.”
Eyes wide, Malachi choked down the nausea that engulfed him. “Ew, fuck no. Okay, Jaxon, it is.” He turned towards the others. “Let’s do this.”
Malachi’s body shook with the need to barge up the stairs and storm through the door—Hellfire blazing, of course. His hands practically itched with the desire to be coated in blood. But the need for stealth when surrounded by humans was not lost on him, so they quietly crept up the stairs under the cover of his and Glenda’s quieting spells.
At the top of the landing, he rolled his shoulders and faced the unassuming door for unit 2112. There was a pleasant welcome mat and a wreath announcing how joyful fall was. The area was clean of leaves and other detritus that tended to collect around people’s entryways. A simple brass knocker invited the visitor to announce their arrival in a basic way. No fancy cameras or video doorbells here.
Glenda pushed past the others and, with a deep fortifying breath, knocked firmly on the door. She clasped her hands demurely in front of her body while she glanced around casually, studying the empty landing with idle curiosity. After a few moments without response, she frowned and knocked again. Still, no answer. Glancing over her shoulder, she widened her eyes at Malachi in a silent, ‘now what?’
Stepping forward, Malachi dissolved his body into ash and shadow, slipping slowly under the door, wary of any traps. He faintly heard Jaxon and Nathan’s quiet exclamations of surprise at this ability. Ignoring them, he tuned in to the interior of the darkened living space. Casting his senses, he realized no one was home. Huffing out a disappointed sigh, he quickly ran through the rooms and double checked there was nothing amiss before returning to the front door to open it for his friends.
“She’s not here,” he announced flatly, trying not to let his anger show. Turning away, he stalked back through the home to search it more thoroughly. This time, for any indication of where or what Amaryllis was upto. “Look for clues, I guess,” he threw over his shoulder. Standing in the small single bedroom, he glanced around at the minimal furniture in the space—no homey touches like pictures or plants. No artwork graced the walls. Peeking in the closet, he found no clothing. The place was sterile, bland, staged. Huffing out an irritated breath, he clenched his fists and had to bite his tongue until he tasted blood to keep from punching the wall.
A pair of arms slipped around his waist as Chuck moved beside him and stood quietly. She seemed to understand his frustration and was offering her silent support when he was ready for it. Shoulders drooping in defeat, he shimmered back into his human form and pulled her closer.
“Dammit,” he cursed softly. “This was just a setup to get Jaxon up here so she could use him to distract us.” Shaking his head and holding her tightly, he bent his lips to Chuck’s ear. “Why, Kelly? What are we missing?”
“I don’t know, Malachi, but come to the living room with the others and let’s see if we can come up with anything together.”
Nodding, he turned to follow her when something caught his gaze under the edge of the bed. “Be right there,” he murmured. “I just want to check the bathroom.” He watched her head back to the front, where the rest of the group was gathering. As soon as she was out of sight, he reached down and snatched the object. A quick glance confirmed his suspicion, and his gut filled with a sickening sense of betrayal. Shoving it in his pocket, he hurried back to the living room with the others to hear their theories.
In the car, Malachi sat in brooding silence. He wasn’t sure whether his concerns were correct or another wild lead. Staring out the window, watchingthe streetlights pass in a hazy blur, he concentrated instead on how his breath fogged the glass. Wiping the condensation, he breathed on it again and used his finger to sketch a row of question marks in the haze before growling low in frustration.
“What’s eating you, Malachi?” Glenda interrupted his musing.
“Just… frustrated.” He sighed and glanced at the witch in the backseat. “Wondering how many more false trails we have to go down while people keep making threats on her life.” He turned his gaze towards Kelly. The woman who loved him, in spite of being a demon. “I don’t know what my next step is here. I need…” He swallowed heavily. “Help.”
Nodding wisely, Glenda quietly added, “And you aren’t used to asking for it. But you did once. You prayed, and it was answered. There’s no shame in asking, Malachi. In fact, I think it makes you smarter and braver to recognize your limitations and speak up.”
After pondering her words, Malachi sighed. “Thanks, Glenda. Speaking of helping, do you think Jaxon’s okay with everything now?”
After the disappointing end to their search of the upstairs neighboring apartment, they’d returned to Jaxon’s and filled him in on the rest of the details about Chuck’s dad being an angel and her half-angel status. They left out the revelation that Nathan killed Roger for now. Only sharing that Nathan’s son was corrupted by the demon, thus his involvement.
