Tucking her wings away, she approached, her boots striking the floor with light taps. A moment later, she went down on her heels, forearms resting casually on her knees.
One slender hand reached out to tip his face up. “Who are you?”
That voice! That smoky, deep voice that sounded like sex on a bed of hot coals.
“Raika?” he croaked.
Startled, she leaped backward into an aggressive crouch, a blade poised to punch through his skull. “Who are you?”
“Gabriel.” He coughed, spraying blood. “I’m…Gabriel.”
Silence. Then, “You’re not Gabriel. Not the Archangel Gabriel, anyway. I’ve met him. He was way hotter than you. Smelled better, too.”
She thought he was hot?
She thought heusedto be hot. Now, she thought he was ugly and stinky.
“I can prove it.” He swallowed, making a futile attempt to work up some saliva to relieve the dry pain in his throat. “Look at my hair. It’s all the colors of humankind. It’s unique, even among angels.”
“It’s shit-brown right now. All of it. You’re filthy. Try again.”
“I know your father,” he wheezed. “He used to call me Jim Bob. I met you at his manor, remember? He made you change out of the bikini.” He’d also threatened to make cocktail olives out of Gabriel’s eyes if he didn’t stop staring at his daughter.
“Oh, yeah. I guess youareGabriel.” Cocking her head, she appeared to think on that. “So, you were yeeted from Heaven?” At his nod, she added, “And Vanthora captured your pathetic, Unfallen ass?”
Pathetic? Kinda harsh. “Not Vanthora. Lilith. And another fallen angel named Fearr.” Stifling a groan, he staggered to his feet. “You need to release me before she comes back.”
“Lilith?” Raika casually flipped her blade into the air and caught it with two fingers, clearly unconcerned that one of the most powerful demons in history could return at any moment. “Hmm. Makes sense. This is one of her temples.”
“Right.” He thrust his bound wrists at her. “Quickly!”
Another agonizing moment of contemplation. “Lilith is one of the demons I’m tasked to capture.” She strolled around the perimeter of the room, moving her hands in complex patterns as she weaved some sort of magic he couldn’t see.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m setting a trap.”
“Then you’ll release me, right?”
Barking out a laugh, she swung around to him. “Why would I do that?”
He stared in disbelief. “You can’t leave me here.”
“Of course I can.” She moved toward him, a malevolent smile lifting one corner of her luscious mouth to reveal a shiny, sharp fang. When she reached him, she crouched down and booped his nose. “You’re the bait.”
Chapter 11
Scotty couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so exhilarated by a chase. Maybe it was a release from the anxiety over sending Mace to the hospital. Or maybe it was the cool night air, invigorating her muscles and filling her lungs with energy. Or maybe it was the location. The rugged wilds of Alaska called to the huntress in her.
Whatever it was, she leaped nimbly over fallen logs and ducked through briars that made Blade curse as he tried to keep up.
She’d always been the fastest of their DART team, nimble and flexible. But it wasn’t as if the boys were slouches. Blade was a powerhouse, strong and fierce, rock-steady in battle, while Mace was quick and light as a fox, with a creative and tricky unpredictability that kept his foes off balance.
“Scotty.” Blade’s voice, hushed and harsh, sounded extraordinarily loud in the eerie silence. “Did you hear me? We’ve been chasing this thing for hours. We should check in on Jon and Skoll.”
“Just a couple more miles.” She came to a halt at the edge of a clearing. To the west, the rocky mountainous slopes full of nooks and crannies would make great shelters for a wendigo. And according to the info packet Kynan had provided, the area had recently become known for its cave systems after being discovered by a geological survey team.
But to the north and east, forested land provided cover for anything that wanted to hide.
