The dense air near him shifted. Pangur appeared in a swirl of dark smoke. “Seen Azgor yet?”
Nate cut the demon a flat stare, not in the mood to give his vocals another workout.
“Okay then.” A wry smile twisted Pangur’s lips. “I’m guessing it’s a fight he wants that’s put you into this black mood. Let’s get a drink. It should help.”
Pangur flashed.
Nate hesitated, then followed. Maybe a stomach-gouging brew would make him feel something—anything—instead of unending emptiness.
In the dark, bustling town, they entered a busy tavern lit by veins of fire beneath the floor. The demons gave him a wide berth. Others stared. Yeah, his rep had shot up fast after his first fight years ago when he’d decimated his opponent. Now his demonic beast side was revered.
A table suddenly cleared. Nate dropped onto the chair, back to the wall. With his boot, he pushed the table away for more leg space.
Pangur flicked a hand for drinks, then straddled the seat opposite, his light eyes pinned on him. “This win’s guaranteed, too.”
Nate didn’t respond, the noise in the place crowding his mind as the void within grew. Drinks appeared. He slugged back the burning liquor in one swallow, the liquid fire settling in his belly like live coals.
“Pangur?” a gruff voice yelled.
“Be a moment.” His chair scraped back, and he strolled off.
Nate set the glass down and motioned a waitress for another, counting silently, waiting for the emptiness within to ease.
“She’s just fine,” a laughing voice said from several tables away. “There’s a huge price for her delivery.”
Fucking cretins, always targeting unsuspecting females. While he might be a bastard for most things, he didn’t condone that shit. He shoved off his chair, stalked over, and grabbed the demon by his collar, slamming him against the blistering black wall. “Whatever plans you have for the female, lose them. Or I will rip you apart.”
“Not me—not me,Sicari!” he yelped, terror leaking off him. “Someone else wants the unicorn—I mean the angel on Earth who kills our kind. They think it’s time for payback to teach those Guardians not to mess with us.”
A strange cold rage started deep in his gut, surprising him. Thelaika?
“Who’s after her?”
“I-I don’t know.”
Nate dropped him, and the fight he didn’t want roiled through him. Finally, he found the perfect way to work through the nothingness within as a scorching rage took over. He stalked over to Pangur, seated at the back of the tavern with his cronies, the latter eyeing Nate warily. “Who’s after the angel?”
The burly demon frowned. “What?”
“The female Guardian,” he snapped.
“Oh, right.” Pangur scratched his chin and pushed to his feet. “Just heard about that. I don’t know. The buzz suddenly sprung up tonight.”
There was only one asshole stupid enough to go after her. “Derrodus.”
“Even he wouldn’t dare.” Pangur motioned him out of the tavern with a head tilt. “I wouldn’t bother about it. It seems no one’s keen to take the job. It would have been right up your alley, though.”
Nate sliced him an unamused stare.
“Just saying.” Pangur shrugged, stopping outside the tavern. “Not even Azgor, who goes after the impossible, bothered with this trophy. Take on an invincible Guardian and have the archangels coming into the Dark Realm?” He shook his head, snorting. “Whoever put up the bounty must have lost their ever-loving mind. But I’m sure she can take care of herself.”
Nate didn’t give a shit. The fact remained they’d put a price on her. “Find out.”
Leaving Pangur behind, he strode for the barren land beyond the town to open a portal and get out of this infernal place. Now, he not only had to keep an eye on thelaikabut hunt down the piss-stain after her.
CHAPTER6
Hours passed,and the night grew colder. Ely pushed her hands into her coat pockets and trudged deeper into the bowels of the Bowery, passing grime-covered buildings, her boots squelching in the water running from a cracked pipe.
