“They set fire to the club and killed a few halflings. Lilith blamed us for it because we’re the ones who are with humans,” Talon continued. “She put out a bounty on my head—I assume you know what a bounty is.”
Valac glared. He wasn’t an idiot just because he hadn’t been to the surface in two thousand years.
Alex tugged on Talon’s arm. “Don’t piss off the big demon,” he whispered.
Talon sighed, but Alex’s worry was enough to drain some of the irritation from the leviathan. When he spoke again, it was with a kinder tone. “Our humans were the ones suffering the halfling attacks. They were targeting Alex, because they know he’s my mate—my weakness. The only way to make it stop was to kill Lilith.”
“I went to the location of her death. Why are they still attacking you here if you killed her?”
“She had a lot of loyal bootlickers,” Talon said with a lopsided shrug. “A lot of people are pissed at us now for getting rid of her. She sucked, but she kept things in balance. She ran the club, she provided halflings with outlets for their debauchery, and she supplied a lot of their favorite illegal pastimes.”
“Are we in trouble for killing her?” Alex asked nervously. “It was self-defense. She tried to kill us first.”
Talon extended his arm, and Alex went to him immediately, pressing against his side and fisting a hand in the fabric of his shirt. Valac’s eyes were drawn to all the points where theirbodies touched. What did it feel like to hold someone close like that?
“As I said, I’m no enforcer. I was simply sent here to determine what happened and why.”
“Sent here by who?” Julian asked.
Valac felt Julian’s gaze like a physical caress, and goosebumps erupted on his skin. “I answer to Astaroth, who receives his orders from Lucifer.”
Julian looked faint. “Lucifer?TheLucifer?”
“Of course. He commands the underworld.”
“Demons aren’t quite as evil as we were taught, Paladin Heroux,” Nathan croaked from behind them. He was leaning on Storm, but he’d changed into fresh clothing and was walking upright. “Not all of them, at least.”
Julian turned bodily toward him. “How are you?”
Nathan nodded. “I’ll be okay.”
“How?How is that possible? You were gut-shot—and not for the first time.” Julian huffed. “You really need to stop getting shot.”
Nathan snorted out a weak laugh, then glanced around at the others. Some shook their heads, and some shrugged. “We have our ways,” he said simply.
Valac understood. All of these humans’ auras held a trace of their demon within them. They were ingesting demon blood on a regular basis, which increased their rate of healing and strength. Why they didn’t want Julian to know that, though, was a mystery.
Julian shook himself, like Nathan’s brush-off was the reminder he needed that he didn’t belong there. “You know what? I should go.”
“Agreed,” Talon sniped.
Valac wanted to snap at him, but he didn’t understand why. This human was a nobody to him. Why did the thought of himleaving fill Valac with unhappiness? He was here to do a job, and it didn’t involve Julian. He shouldn’tcare.
“Actually, you should stay,” Accardi said, and everyone turned to look at him. He sat on the sofa with a wince, and Storm settled beside him, watching him intently for any sign of pain.
“What?” Julian asked. “I can’t?—”
“You said you disobeyed orders to help us. Why?”
Julian hugged his elbows, and Valac only realized how close they were standing when Julian’s knuckles brushed his arm. A little shiver went down his spine at the sensation of skin against his.
“I know all of you,” he said, looking from face to face. “I grew up watching and admiring some of you. I don’t know why you’ve made the choices you have, but it doesn’t matter. I couldn’t stand by and watch any of you get hurt.”
Ira, the prophet, studied him for a long, silent moment. His chocolate curls were pulled back into a loose bun, and his dark eyes were somber. “How are things at the guild lately?”
Julian took a breath, but nothing came out. A low growl rumbled out of Valac. He didn’t like the way Julian had shrunk in on himself. Valac wanted to press him to speak, but he didn’t have to. Julian rallied, sucking down a breath and straightening his spine.
Bleakly, he said, “They arrested everyone who was going to those meetings. Erected a post in the middle of the courtyard, and one by one, they handcuffed each one to it and whipped them in front of everyone.”
