There was another alternative though, one he didn’t want tothink about.If she’d bonded with it, he’d have to kill her.That wasn’t thesucky part, though.The sucky part was that, after her death, thethestone would need to be purified in the blood of a dyingangel.
Which meant waiting like some kind of Heavenly vulture for afellow angel to die.
Shit.
He swiped a glass of sparkling wine off a passing server’stray and cursed this stupid event.He hated parties.He especially hated demonparties.And this one was crawling with the suckers.
Suck it up, cupcake.You are, perhaps, only mere minutesaway from being reinstated as a full-fledged battle angel.
Fresh enthusiasm sent a shiver of anticipation through him,even as his ring pulsed more feverishly.He looked around, seeking the source,and there, in the corner near the punch bowl, was Jedda.
And damn...she was...extraordinary.His breath clogged histhroat as he took her in, because although he had known the greatest beautiesto ever have existed both in the Heavenly realm and the human one, she wasunique.
At least a foot shorter than he was and dressed in astunning sapphire sheath that blurred the line between business-chic andcocktail dress, she was peering into her own glass of pink bubbly, her long,silver-blue hair framing a delicate face.As in the image he’d seen of her inhis mind, her creamy skin glittered almost imperceptibly, and when she lookedup, eyes that matched her hair glowed like twin gems.
Amazing.
She was a demon for sure, but what kind?He’d never seenanything like her.
He’d just started toward her when a hand came down on hisshoulder from behind.Instinct kicked in, and he spun around, prepared todefend himself from whatever malevolent scumbag was trying to accost him.Instead, he found himself staring into a familiar face.A familiardeadface.
“Lexi?Is that...you?”
The pretty lion shapeshifter grinned and did a little twirlin her strapless red evening gown.“It’s me,” she said in her sing-songyIrish lilt.“In the flesh.Again.”
Againwas right.“Ithought you died.”Helookedher up and down as if toreassure himself that she wasn’t a ghost.He hadn’t known her well, had onlymet her because her shifter pride had helped him follow a dead-end lead abouthis Enoch gem a while back.“I was told you’d been killed in a dance clubexplosion or something.”
“Yeah,” she sighed.“Thirst blew up and sort of dismemberedme.But it turns out I have nine lives.And not because I’m a cat.”Sheshrugged, her long brunette curls bouncing around her bare shoulders.“Evilwitch, ancient curse, you know the drill.”
“Sure, sure,” he said absently, his gaze locking on Jeddaagain.Excitement surged through him now that his prey was nearby.“Excuse me,”he said.“I need to see someone before I go.”He gave her a brief hug.“It wasgood seeing you.Glad you’re alive.”
“Me too.”She clanked her glass againsthis.“Enjoy your evening.”
He moved toward Jedda, his pulse inexplicably growing fasteras he neared her.He’d been in the presence of blindingly gorgeous females withunimaginable power in his centuries of life, and none of them had affected himlike this.No, this was different, a mix of attraction and anticipation hewould almost compare to battle lust.
The thought made him slow his approach, his mind trippingover the implications of that.Was he hoping she was one of the demonsresponsible for the theft of his property and the deaths of his friends, inwhich case he’d kill her, or was he hoping she wasn’t involved?And which wasworse?Oh, he had no problems with killing demons—it was what he’d been bredfor.But it seemed like such a shame to slaughter someone so unique.Or soattractive.
Idiot.You never drooled over demons when you were afull-fledged angel.
No, he hadn’t.There had been a clear separation of classand species back then.But ever since he’d had his wings bound and his powersmuted and had been tossed intoSheoul-grato serveAzagoth, he’d relaxed his standards.Not intentionally, buthe had to admit that living life on the other side of the tracks had given himnew perspective.
He just wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad one.
Jedda looked up as he stopped in front of her.This close,she was even more beautiful, with full, pouty lips made to stir up some wickedmale fantasies.Her fine, perfect features made her seem delicate, fragile,even, but something told him she was stronger than she looked.Which made himwonder how that strength would play in bed.
Down, boy.Get what you want and get back to Heaven andfemales suited to your status.And species.
“Hello, Ms.Brighton.I’m Razr.”
Cocking her head slightly, she gave him a long, assessingonce-over before saying with just a hint of an English accent, “Razr?That’snot a common human name, is it?”
Either she couldn’t sense his species or she was testinghim.Either way, he didn’t see any reason to lie.“It’s my fallenangelname.A take on my given name.Razriel.”
“Ah.”She gave him another long, measuring look, taking inthe expensive suitAzagothhad given him for theevent, and he wondered what she was thinking.“Until tonight, I’d never met afallen angel, and now I’ve met two, including you.”
“Tonight?Is the other one here?”
She nodded.“Shrike, the event organizer.He owns thisplace.”
