“Sorry. I know you don’t like that.”
My heart tumbled. “What even is it? You’ve done it before.”
“I’m reading you,” he murmured in that eerie voice. “Would you like me to show you to your room?”
My room. If only. I didn’t have a room. Anywhere. For the past couple of years, I’d drifted through life without roots, going from one place to the next. Never staying anywhere long enough for my heart to grow fond of it. It was starting to wear me down.
I sighed and closed my eyes. Memories of the night flashed through my mind like a horror film reel. And the worst part about it was, this was all my fault. If I’d kept my stupid curiosity under control, I’d be fast asleep in my Brooklyn apartment right about now. Actually…I glanced at the rising sun pouring across the Manhattan rooftops. I’d be waking up for another day in the office.
I didn’t really miss that last part.
“How about a chamomile tea?” Valac asked, making me jump. I’d almost forgotten he was standing there waiting for me to say something. I wasthatbone tired.
“Demons drink chamomile tea?” I arched a brow.
“No.” He strode across the floor, his footsteps silent. How strange. “But Priyanka loves it. She keeps a stash in the cabinet.”
“Oh, right.” I followed him into the kitchen just off the main room. Unlike Az’s place, this penthouse didn’t have an open floor plan. And the kitchen was almost as large as the living room. A little more life and color filled this space. Yellow curtains hung on the windows, matching the tablecloth.
Valac pulled the tea out of a cabinet by the fridge and got some water boiling. I perched on a stool beside the marbled island and dropped my chin onto my fisted hands. Valac didn’t say much. The guy was like a tomb.
“Thanks for letting me stay here,” I finally said, breaking the silence.
He pulled out a black mug from another cabinet. “No need to lie, Mia. I know you aren’t happy to be here. You’d rather stay with Az.”
I blinked. “Oh. Well, sure. All of that is true. But I’m still grateful that you didn’t slam the door in my face and tell me to go sleep in a dumpster somewhere. That would have sucked.”
Valac carried the mug over to the island and slid it toward me. He perched on the stool across from mine and shot me a twisted smile. “I follow orders.”
“Just not Lucifer’s, right? When did you decide to join Az’s Legion?” I blew on the hot tea and took a timid sip. The liquid nearly scalded my tongue, but it soothed me all the same, filling my belly with heat.
He stood and pushed away from the island. “I know you find me strange, Mia. There’s no need to have polite chitchat with me.”
My mouth dropped open, and then I snapped it shut. How was I supposed to reply to that? Truth was…Ididfind him strange. Extremely so. Surely he knew how he came across? Until now, I didn’t think he really cared.
“Don’t push me away, Valac,” I called after him.
He paused when he reached the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he arched his pale brows. “Push you away?”
“I can see what you’re doing. I’ve done it myself.” I took another sip of tea. “And that’s why it won’t work. We’re friends now, and unfortunately, that means you’re stuck with me.”
He gave me a blank stare. “I know how you feel about me, Mia. I can read it clear as day. Are you going to tell me I’m wrong?”
“Of course not.” I shrugged. “I do find you strange, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like you. In fact, being normal is overrated as far as I’m concerned.”
He continued to give me that blank, unnerving stare. After a long moment, he glided over to the stool and rejoined me at the island. His bleached white hair fell into his eyes, but he didn’t bother to brush it aside. “You’re a very strange human.”
Pain lanced through my heart. “Well, I’m not sure that’s true, Valac. A lot of people seem to think that I’m not human at all.”
“Hmm.” His soul-shattering gaze swept across me. “Itisvery odd. I’ve heard nothing else quite like it.”
“Do you think it’s true?” I asked him, holding my breath. Even though the Legion was as clueless about this as I was, I desperately wanted to know what they thought. Maybe one of them had an explanation, something that made sense. A way that none of it could be true…maybe then I wouldn’t feel like the earth itself had been ripped out from under me.
“I believe you aresomething, but I can’t say that I have any clue what that something is. When I try to read your origins, it’s like a void of nothingness.”
I loosed my desperate breath. A void of nothingness. That definitely didn’t make me feel any better about this.
“The truth is, Mia…” Valac suddenly gripped my hand. The tension in his fingers shot my veins with fear. “We have to convince Lucifer that you aren’t who he thinks you are. I know Az didn’t tell you, but Michael and Rafael are back to their old tricks. In the past week, there’s been another two murders. Just like the last time the angels were here. As long as Lucifer is around, we can do nothing to stop them.” He leaned forward, his voice a harsh whisper. “Get him to leave. Satisfy his curiosity. Make him believe you’re a werewolf. Do you understand what I’m asking of you?”
