Revenant

He opened his palm to reveal a small vial containing a few drops of what she assumed was blood.

“Thanatos was… uncooperative.”

“Oh, Gods, Revenant,” she said. “I’m so sorry —”

“It’s okay. Nothing I can’t handle. I’m nearly healed already.”

“I wasn’t talking about the injuries.”

His black, bloodshot eyes locked onto hers, and for the next thirty seconds, all she could do was think that of all the females he could look at like that, he’d chosen her.

“Don’t be sorry, Blaspheme.” His voice was throaty, as smoky as his clothing. “Whatever consequences my actions have earned, I’ll be glad to pay them.”

Her eyes burned and she didn’t know what to say… and it turned out she didn’t need to say anything, because abruptly, Revenant shifted into battle mode. Expression stony and body taut, he went for the Pruosi spellbook and slapped the vial of blood down on the table.

“You sure this will work?” he asked.

She flipped to the page that went into the details of the procedure. “It should. All I need is DNA from whatever species I’m going to disguise myself as. We’ve got False Angel DNA samples in storage, so I can maintain my cover —”

“You’ve got to disguise yourself as something else. And you’ll need to get a new job.”

She stared at him. “Are you high? I’m not leaving UG.”

“You have to.” He jammed his hand through his lush hair. “Satan is onto you.”

“Funny, Rev.” When he didn’t smile, her heart seized. “Wait… you aren’t kidding, are you?” Satan was onto her? Satan?

Revenant inhaled a shaky breath, held it, then exhaled softly. “It’s my fault. I led him to you, and now he wants to use you to ensure my loyalty. The only way you’ll be safe is if you get a new identity and a new life.”

There had been a time when getting a new identity and a new life was a regular event, but she’d put down roots here, and she couldn’t give that up. “I can’t do that. I’ve put everything into this job. This place. These people. This is my life, Revenant.”

“And it’ll be your death if you stay.”

She sank numbly into a chair. “This is unbelievable. I’m always going to be the worm, aren’t I?”

“The worm?”

“The one that doesn’t turn into a butterfly. I knew that re-disguising myself as a False Angel again wouldn’t be me, exactly, but at least I know what to expect. I’ve felt like an angel… of sorts. Now I’m going to be trapped again, inside a body I don’t want.”

“You won’t be trapped. You’ll be —” He broke off as Eidolon entered the cafeteria and jogged over, his expression calm, but she knew the look in his eyes.

Trouble was brewing.

“We have a situation,” he said, lowering his voice so no one but Blaspheme and Rev would hear. “Angels have surrounded the hospital and the clinic, and somehow, they’ve managed to shut down the Harrowgate. No one can get in or out without going through the angels.”

“I can,” Revenant said.

Eidolon inclined his head. “You and Reaver are probably the only ones who can still flash in and out.”

“What do they want?” Blaspheme asked, even though she knew.

“They want you. And your mother. And they said they won’t leave until we hand you both over.”

Revenant watched the Seminus demon who ran the hospital, hoping that the next words out of his mouth weren’t Come on, Blaspheme, let’s hand you over.

Because the doctor would have to die.

“Blaspheme,” Eidolon said, “don’t worry. We’ll figure this out.”

“I can flash Blaspheme and her mother out of here,” Revenant said. “I’ll get them to safety. And then I’ll deal with the angels. Wipe out the lot of them.”

And he’d relish every second of it. When he was finished, it would look like giant ogres had a pillow fight in the hospital’s parking lot.

A bloody pillow fight.

“That’ll be a temporary measure at best.” Blaspheme tucked her hands into her lab coat pockets. “They know who I am. Where I work. And I don’t think —”

A flash of light filled the cafeteria, and on its heels was the warning tingle unique to Reaver. A heartbeat later, the angel materialized, still looking as pissed as he had been at Thanatos’s place. His murderous gaze zeroed in on Revenant.

Here we go again.

“This sibling rivalry is becoming tiresome,” Revenant drawled.

Reaver, having no sense of humor that Rev could see, hissed. “I’ll deal with you later.” He looked over at Eidolon. “What’s happening outside? There’s an entire legion of angels barricading the hospital.”

“You think I didn’t notice that?” Eidolon turned away to order a nurse to test Harrowgate operation between the hospital and the clinic.

Reaver rounded on Revenant. “Is this your doing? Does this have something to do with why you attacked Thanatos for his blood?”

“He has nothing to do with the angels,” Blaspheme said, putting herself between Rev and Reaver. Which was adorable. “As for what happened with Thanatos, that’s my fault. Revenant got the blood for me.”

Reaver scowled. “For you? Why?”