Eve of Chaos

“Infernal blood.”



She almost asked where he got it, but decided she didn’t want to know. “Demons find demon blood soothing? We could win the war with that. Kill some, spray the others.”



“It wouldn’t have any effect on a healthy Infernal. In this case, it’s just canceling out the overdose of Mark blood I gave him earlier. I doubt you want to try your scenario with Mark blood.”



“Right?’ Moving closer to the cage, Eve studied the little stone beast. “That was a very ferocious reaction this guy had.”



“Oil and water,” Fred said. “Infernal and Mark don’t mix.”



“No kidding.”



“About the Nix.” Hank walked over to the counter where Fred had set down the clipboard.



“Yes?”



“I dug out that punch bowl you brought me before. I know Cain wanted me to scry for the Nix through any residuals that might be on it, but I’m afraid that isn’t possible.”



“Oh.” Her nose wrinkled. “Would have made things easier, but since he’s after me, we’ll see him again regardless.”



Thanks to the necklace, the Nix was the least of her problems at the moment. She pushed thoughts of him aside for more pressing problems.



“Right, but using a combination of bits and pieces of the mask, I was thinking I could create a repellent of some sort.”



Her brows rose. “Unless it’s a permanent repellant, I think I’d rather just kill the sucker and be done with it.”



“Well, I didn’t know about the necklace at the time.” Hank leaned into the counter with one hand and set the other on his hip. It was a very feminine pose and made her smile. “Now that I do, I’m thinking I might be able to tweak it in the reverse.”



“Reverse?”



“Make you more attractive. Irresistible.”



“She doesn’t need any help being irresistible.”



Alec’s low, deep voice hit her ears just before she registered the sound of his boots thudding rhythmically onto the cement floor. He appeared out of the darkness, wild-eyed and dangerous, the veins in his forearms and biceps thick and visible. She might have swooned if she was the type and Unmarked. As it was, she licked her lips. She’d always had a thing for his bad boy vibe, but this… yowza.



“You resisted me well enough earlier,” she managed.



He kept on coming, a raging force of nature that pinned her against the cage holding the tengu.



His hand caught the back of her neck. “Don’t you ever hang up on me.”



Her shoulders went back. “What are you going to do about it if I do?”



As she’d thought he might, he yanked her closer and kissed her, his lips mashing hers without any semblance of finesse.



His hand at her nape moved, sliding around in a quest for her breast, focused solely on his animal urges despite their audience. Reaching up, she caught the necklace chain. She pulled it up and over her head, then dropped it around his neck.



Alec froze. There was an awkward moment when they stood like statues with their lips pressed together.



What the hell?



Eve pushed him back and moved away from the cage where the mischievous tengu had been poking her in the butt with his stubby fingers. She studied Alec, noting the drastic change in his eyes and stance.



Sucking in a deep breath, she greeted the Alec she knew. “Hi.”



He frowned at her.



“How do you feel?” she asked.



Hank sidled closer. “Yes. How do you feel, Cain?”



“How the fuck am I supposed to feel?” he barked, but it lacked bite. He scrubbed both hands over his face, as he did when first waking up in the morning.



“Not angry?” Eve suggested. “In control?”



Alec lifted the amulet and stared at it. “What is this?”



“A lucky charm.”



“Lucky for whom?” His gaze lifted and met hers. A pained look crossed his face. Guilt settled like a heavy stone in her gut. Not hers. His.



“Lucky for us,” she said. They’d deal with guilt later. “We need you on top of your game now. If decking you out in a pimp chain does the trick, I’m all for it.”



“Where did you get this?”



“I tossed it to her,” Hank improvised. “It’s something I’m working on.”



Eve shot him a grateful glance.



“Whatever it is,” Alec said, “it’s perfect. Glad something is working out for us in the experimental department.”



His head tilted to the side as if hearing something she couldn’t, then, “Montevista woke up. I need to talk to him.”



Hoping the guard would be able to tell Alec what she couldn’t, Eve said, “Go check it out.”



“You’re coming with me.” He gave her a stern look. “I need to talk to you, too. Best to get you, Sydney, and Montevista together, and see if we can figure out what happened last night.”



“I still have some business with Hank’ she protested. He looked at the occultist.



“He’s not making you anything to attract the Nix. That’s an order.”



Hank lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I have no idea if I can pull it off, but if I could, it can help you set the time and place of the showdown to your liking.”



“That could come in handy,” Eve pointed out.



“Like you don’t have enough Infernal trouble with the bounty?” Alec scoffed, tugging her toward the door.



She waved bye to Hank before they moved too far away and he was lost in the darkness.



If I could get Gadara back, she wondered, what would happen to Alec?



She’d like to ask whoever endorsed Alec’s promotion, but that could run the risk of them killing him. If Alec was the emissary, they wouldn’t hesitate.



He’s not the emissary, she scolded herself. Besides, she didn’t have a clue about who was responsible.



A sudden image of eyes the color of blue flame filled her mind. She almost set the thought aside, telling herself that of course she would think of him. He was the only seraph she’d ever met.



Then, she realized the thought came from Reed.



***



Chaney slumped back into the plastic chair, clearly taken aback. “I knew you hated your brother, but this. . . Aren’t you going to get in trouble for this?”



“Actually,” Reed picked up his beer, “I’m sanctioned.”



“Someone gave you the authority to get rid of Cain?” Asmodeus was clearly disbelieving.



Reed considered how much to reveal. “Something went wrong with the ascension. He’s a danger to himself and to others.”



“We could use a man like him.”



“He’ll be fatally wounded by the absence of God in his soul, I suspect. Worthless to everyone.”



Reed looked at the increasing number of tourists as the amount of Infernals grew in proportion. Casting a glance into the dark interior of the restaurant, he regretted his decision to sit outside. The same exposure that gave him a modicum of safety around Asmodeus also bared him to any of the dozens of Marks policing the overabundance of demons in the area. They were too visible out here.



“A fate worse than death for you guys, eh?” Chaney cut into his rare steak and bit into a piece with relish. “Hope I never get on your bad side.”



“Then don’t fuck up this exchange.”



“How do you propose we do this?” Asmodeus asked, poking at his VooDoo Shrimp appetizer with his fork.



“I need you to bring the Nix,” Reed murmured, twisting his beer bottle to catch the sunlight. “But rein him in. He needs to be a threat, nothing more. Cain will come to the rescue and I’ll make sure there’s no one around to get in the way.”



“What about Raguel and the priest?” Chaney licked blood off his lips. “Who’s going to play the hero? You?”



“No. Let them escape.”



“What are you getting out of this, then?”



“The seraph who endorsed Cain wants his mess disposed of,” he lied. “That’s a favor I can call in later. And without Cain, Evangeline Hollis serves no purpose. Raguel will appreciate both the loss of his replacement and the end of the bounty. Again, another favor to call in at a later date.”



“Lose one, save many.”



Asmodeus’s fork tapped against the edge of his plate. “I’ll need help to pull down Cain.”



“That’s your problem,” Reed dismissed. “Not mine. However you go about doing it, just show up the day after tomorrow at Hollis’s condominium complex. The Nix knows where she lives, if you don’t. Say.. . midafternoon? We’ll be out by the pool. I’ll open the water lines so the Nix can get in. He can be the distraction while you do whatever you have to do.”



“That place is a fortress,” Asmodeus growled. “It will be an all-out bloodbath.”



“Which is why you better make damn sure that Raguel and the priest are already on the move, if you want to avoid pegging yourself with a Vanquish Me sign.”



“Pick a different place,” Chaney said.



“Can’t,” Reed retorted curtly. “After the way the priest was snatched, Hollis is locked up tight. It’s either her home or work, and there’s no way you’re getting into Gadara Tower. We all know that.”



“Shit.”



“No.”, Asmodeus said. “I’ll wait until things settle down, then I’ll go after her when it’s more convenient.”



Reed’s foot tapped silently beneath the table. He’d prefer to wait, too, but the priest wouldn’t make it that long. And if the priest died, Eve would never forgive herself. “She and the priest might be dead by then.”



“I would rather lose them,” Asmodeus snapped, “than me.”



“You might lose Cain, too, if he doesn’t get his shit together.” Standing, Reed pulled his money clip from his pocket and tossed a couple of twenty-dollar bills onto the table. “You know where I’ll be, if you change your mind.”