"Not if we're careful." I squeeze her fingers reassuringly. "The house is warded against tracking magic, and I know ways through the forest that even other demons don't. We'll have to travel through the night. I’ll fly us some of the way to throw them off, but I won’t be able to carry both of us and what we bring with us for long distances."
"And the bodies?"
I grimace, remembering the mess upstairs. "I'll take care of them. Demon bodies burn hot—there won't be anything left to find."
She nods, accepting this with the same quiet strength she's shown since falling. Another angel might have balked at the violence, the necessary darkness of what we are. But Elysia sees me—allof me—and chooses to stay anyway.
"I'll help you pack," she says, standing. My shirt falls to mid-thigh on her, and the sight challenges my self-control. "We should take only what we need, right?"
"Right." I force myself to focus on practical matters. "Warm clothes, medical supplies for your wings, food for Shadow?—"
"The coffee machine?"
I laugh, pulling her close for another kiss. "I'll buy you a new one. The best one they make."
She hums against my lips, smiling sweetly. "My demon sugar daddy."
"Sugar—what?" I pull back, baffled by the term.
"Human phrase." Her eyes dance with mischief. "I've been watching their tv shows during the day while you work around the house.Veryeducational."
"Clearly I need to monitor your viewing habits more closely." But I'm grinning, helpless against her playfulness even in the midst of crisis.
We spend the hour preparing, packing essentials into bags that won't slow us down. I show her the secret compartments in the house where I keep emergency supplies, teaching her the passwords that unlock the wards. Just in case we get separated, though the thought makes my chest tight.
By the end of the hour, we're as ready as we'll ever be. I've disposed of the bodies, cleaned away all evidence of the fight. Elysia has packed food and medical supplies, plus a few smallcomfort items—photos of the forest, Shadow's favorite toy, a soft blanket she likes to wrap around herself in while reading.
"Are you scared?" Elysia asks quietly.
I consider lying, but she deserves honesty. "Terrified. Not of what they'll do to me, but..."
"Of what they might do to me." She traces one of my tattoos, sending little sparks of electricity through my skin. "I'm scared too.” We stand in silence for a moment before she continues. "When I was in Heaven, everything seemed so certain. Good and evil, right and wrong, angels and demons. Now..." She gestures at her darkening wings, at my glowing tattoos, at the domesticated predator dozing in her lap. "Now I think maybe nothing is that simple."
I catch her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. "We'll figure it out together."
Outside, a wolf howls—a sound of wildness, of freedom, ofbelonging. Shadow chirps from Elysia’s arms, ready for whatever adventure comes next.
“Together,” Elysia repeats as she takes my hand. “Lead the way,demon.”
