“We need to find a more permanent method,” he said as he gave her a meaningful look. For a moment, all they did was stand there staring at each other while a weird, tensed silence peppered the air. Every now and then, one of them flicked their eyes my way. For a good, oh, ninety seconds, before I’d had enough of it. With a frustrated sigh, I pushed up from the stool and stepped between them.
“I don’t like this. It’s like you two are having a silent conversation.”
Serena lifted her shoulders in a small shrug. “We are. Kind of. He’s trying to make a suggestion to me, and demons can beverysuggestive.”
My stomach did a little flip. “Suggestive?”
“It’s one of their powers. The Princes are especially good at it. However.” She smirked at him. “It doesn’t work on everyone.”
“Hold up.” I whirled on Az and jabbed a finger into his chest. I winced when my skin met unyielding rock. Ouch. “Are you telling me you can convince people to do things just by looking at them?”
“No. I cansuggestthings.” He smiled, though his dimples didn’t make an appearance. They hadn’t all night other than during the dumpster incident. Typical. “That’s much different than convincing someone to do something.”
“It can be pretty convincing,” Serena muttered. “But not to me, or most supernaturals. It works best on humans.”
“Please tell me you’ve never done that to me. Convince me to do something with your demon magic.” I couldn’t help but ask, thinking back to the many times I’d felt drawn to him. When he’d pressed me against the wall. When I’d climbed on top of him, on the very dining table that sat just behind us. I flushed, horror twisting in my gut. Had all that happened because he’d messed with my mind? Surely not…
Az pressed his lips together as his expression went dark. “You still don’t trust me. After all this time.”
A pang went through my heart at the betrayal in his eyes. Az, I’d learned, could not stand it when anyone questioned his integrity. He’d been burned in the past, just like I had. Only what had happened to him had been far worse. A woman he’d trusted had destroyed one of the demons in his Legion. And the Legion was his family.
“You just tried it on my best friend,” I pointed out.
“No,” he said evenly. “I made asuggestionto her. Nothing more than that. The truth is, Mia. We are in a terrible position. Lucifer wants you, and he doesn’t believe the story I’ve tried selling him. He especially won’t believe it after tonight. And when he finds you, he will take you to Hell and force you to become his bride. Serena told you, didn’t she? What he wants with you?”
I winced. “Yeah, she might have mentioned the bride part. But what I don’t get is why?”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “He won’t say.”
“Doesn’t that strike you as a little odd?” I said, edging off the stool to take a step toward him. “I mean, I’m just a random human he’s never even met. What would be the point? Surely he doesn’t just take brides from humanity all the time.”
Or did he? Was that his thing? Pretty weird if so.
“Not typically, no.” Az strode toward the floor-to-ceiling glass door that opened out onto his balcony. My eyes caught the tension in his back and the way his suit jacket stretched tightly across his broad shoulders. Something was bothering him. Something more than what he said. It seemed like there was always another secret to uncover with him.
“Well, then why? It doesn’t make any sense,” I tried, casting a quick glance at Serena. She merely shrugged. Her life might be firmly entwined in the supernatural world, but she knew as much about Lucifer as I did at this point.
“Unfortunately, Mia, I don’t think we can worry about the whys right now.” His hands fisted by his sides, his back still facing me as he stared out at the twinkling city lights. “None of that matters more than getting you to safety. We need to mask your scent and get you out of New York before he can find you.”
“No,” I said, taking a step back. “I told you before. I’m not leaving New York.”
It was my home. The only one I had left. Sure, my only friends were supernaturals who I couldn’t see or contact for fear of being found by the literal King of Hell. And sure, I was going by a fake name and hiding out in an empty apartment most of the time. New York was loud and hard and often reeked of a million different disgusting things. But it was still the only place in the world I wanted to be.
When I walked down the streets, I could feel the pulse of the city beneath my boots. This place was alive, and it made me feel that way, too.
Plus…it had Az.
“Mia,” Serena whispered from beside me. I twisted toward her to find unshed tears bubbling in her eyes. “Lucifer has caught your scent. He won’t give up until he finds you. Staying in New York will mean…”
“Hell,” I whispered back, my gut twisting.
She nodded. “If you don’t leave, you’ll be ripped away from here, anyway. Lucifer will not stop until he finds you.”
I let out a shuddering breath. This day really had not gone according to plan. Maybe it had been a bad idea not to chooseFriendsreruns over spying on a demon club.
“You know why I asked you here, don’t you?” Az asked quietly, finally turning to face us. His frame was back-lit by the city lights, drowning his face in shadows.
Serena nodded. “I have a pretty good idea. And I’m not convinced it’s the right move.”
