“She had questions, Az.” Sam sighed. “I didn’t think it was fair not to give heranswers.”
“I can’t believe you, Sam.” Uriel stepped forward. “After all this time of not saying a damn word, you spill our worst secret without the rest of us there? How couldyou?”
“I didn’t tell her everything. I left your parts unspoken.” Sam turned slightlyaway.
“Enough,” Ramiel said, his voice firm and insistent. “We’ll talk about this later. For now, we have something far more important to worry about. We need something shiny. Otherwise, we will have to try to kill this snake, and I fear we won’t all make it outalive.”
“Something shiny,” I whispered as an idea popped up in my head. It might not work. In fact, it seemed ridiculous to think it could work. But it was kind of fitting, in a way. If this was the key, the answer, Berith was probably cackling in his grave, thinking how ironic it wouldbe.
Without a word, I turned back toward the door and pushed out into the cold. Immediately, more ice bullets came my way, but instead of ducking and shrieking, I waited them out. Then, I scooped a handful up into my arms and dove backinside.
“Erela, what the hell?” Ramiel demanded. “You can’t just run off without any warning. I ordered everyone to staytogether.”
“Why do you have a bunch of ice crystals in your hands?” Uriel asked, raising abrow.
I grinned. “They’re shinythings.”
Realization dawned on my companions’ faces in unison. They all rushed out into the cold, returning only a moment later with more ice crystals of their own. The snake had stopped hissing and whipping its head by the time we all had our handfuls of ice. Slowly, I stepped in front of our group, knelt down, and laid the crystals on the ground before thesnake.
“Hello, snake friend. We’ve brought you some gifts. Ice crystals. Since it’s pretty cold in here, they should last for awhile. In return, all we ask is that we can go to the other end of the hall there. What do yousay?”
I probably sounded nuts, speaking to this snake as if he could understand my words. But then he bowed his head, let out a light little hiss, and then shifted sideways so that we couldpass.
Chapter Thirteen
Erela
“Idon’t wantany of you to ever doubt me again,” I said, grinning broadly once we’d safely returned to the truck with the Amulet of the Inferno. I tossed it over to Lilith, who clasped it around her neck where it belonged. She’d kept it safe and out of the wrong hands for years. It was time for her to have it backagain.
“It’s not time to celebrate just yet,” Ramiel said. Always the optimist. “We may have the amulet, but we’re no closer to shutting down the portal. We don’t even have any idea where it might be. Unfortunately, we cannot close it unless we’renearby.”
“We’ll need to find out if there have been any reports of increased demon activity,” Lilith said, fingering the necklace around her neck as though it were a part of her she’d missed for a very long while. “We should focus our attention on cities. London might be a good bet. I’ve got a radio at home we can use. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find it before it’s toolate.”
Back at the house, Captain Rourke stood waiting for us in the drive. When he spotted Lilith through the front windshield, his face broke out into visible relief. I pressed my lips together and tried my hardest not to say anything, but I couldn’t help my eyebrows from arching up to my hairline.
“Don’t,” she said to me in a severe voice. “Don’t youdare.”
“What? I didn’t say a damn thing,Lilith.”
“I know what you’re thinking. And you can just stop it rightnow.”
“All I’m thinking is that it is very sweet of Rourke to make sure we got home safely. It was also very nice of him to help you heal. With the blood drinking. That made him look as though he’d just experienced somethingvery—”
“High,” she finished, clearing her throat. “It just makes him feel high. That’s all there is toit.”
“High orsatisfi—”
“Erela.” She turned to me then, an evil grin spreading across her face. “How is the sleeping situation going? Happy to be alone or was there someone you wanted to sharewith?”
My cheeks heated. I deserved that, though it only made me feel likeshit.
“My bed is empty, and I’ll leave it atthat.”
Lilith cocked her head, narrowing her eyes. “Really?But—”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said, shooting a glance at the four Fallen and at Lizzie. They were all pretending not to listen to my conversation with Lilith, but they most definitely were. Hell, they were only standing five feet away fromus.
But what could I say? Sam had effectively broken any hope I had of things progressing beyond what they were, and none of the other Fallen had made any move toward my bedroom either. It was as if they’d all suddenly realized that I was some kind of horrible hybrid monster they needed to stay awayfrom.
