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“Don’t concern yourself.” Zander’s jaw twitched. “I had no choice. We couldn’t find you.”
“It had been only one day.” I sighed. “You could have waited.”
Zander gave me a sidelong glance, pain in his features. “Little Dove, you were missing for a week.”
He had no reason to lie, but it didn’t seem possible. Had I been unconscious for that long? I recalled being in and out of a daze, but nothing else besides dreaming about a tall striking-looking man with hair past his shoulders and a smooth velvety voice that sounded familiar. Though when I awoke, I couldn’t recall his face.
It had to be Zander in my dreams and his voice that woke me up. The man in my dream had called me Little Dove.
When I didn’t respond and scowled at the pebbled ground, Zander cupped my face. “You’re safe. You’re here. That’s all that matters.”
I squirmed free from his grip and kicked a cluster of small rocks. They flew toward the cloudy entrance. I expected them to bounce on the wall, but Tank caught a few just as he appeared through the mist, Otis, Dawn, and Snow by his side, strutting toward us.
“Already done, Zander?” Tank arched a brow and chuckled. “Eva was gone a week and you couldn’t last longer than it took us to get here?”
A soft growl escaped Zander. “Careful. I told you to come much later. It’s the first time Eva has seen our new home. She needs to be comfortable.”
Zander also wanted to give me time for the wound to heal. Though something about their banter escaped me. I couldn’t miss the feeling there was a hidden meaning to their jokes. Snow came closer to us, her pale skin and silver hair catching the sunlight streaming through the crack somewhere on the rocky ceiling.
“Sorry, but this couldn’t wait.” Snow dipped her head. “Gorgo came shortly after you left. He told me to tell you he had been betrayed by one of his men. He said to meet at No Man’s Pub tomorrow night when the moon is high, in a small town called Noroot. He wants to apologize in person and show good faith.”
“No Man’s Pub,” I murmured. “What a strange name.” But then I got the meaning. No men. A place for no humans.
Gorgo, the Underground Demon leader and Asmodeus’s younger brother, was our contact. I’d thought he had betrayed us. Apparently, he claimed it wasn’t him, but I would not trust him. Never again. But regardless, I had to play nice. He was our only ally so far.
I couldn’t even trust my own kind. Watchers and even some from the Order of Angels had sided with the demons for their own selfish reasons. And I hated to admit it, but I had to be careful with Tank, Otis, and Dawn. Though in the past months, they’d only shown loyalty, and we had built a bond, or the word humans used—a family.
“Men?” Dawn scoffed, her cheeks turning almost the same color as her hair and wings. “Demons are no men.”
I had given her the name Dawn because her orange and reddish hair reminded me of the sunrise, but now she reminded me of Levia. They looked similar with heart-shaped faces, pouty lips, and same color eyes and hair.
“I still don’t trust him.” Zander ground his teeth. “But we should go. Tell him we’ll be there.”
Otis extended his arms outward, his feet crushing the tiny pebbles as he came closer to the patchwork of flat rocks. “How do you like our new place?” He picked an apple that was tucked somewhere in his wings, took a bite, and said to it, “I couldn’t wait to eat you.”
Unlike humans, angels didn’t have to eat or drink water to survive, but we did have to rest when wounded. When I first arrived, I tried eating human food, but some things were an acquired taste. However, Otis loved apples.
“Anyway, I’m sure you two have lots to talk about.” Snow took steps back toward the entrance, tugging Dawn with her. “We’re going to the local pub …” Her eyes grew wider, realizing her mistake. “I meant to say the village to scout for vampires after we speak with Gorgo. We’ll be back much later.”
Vampires lived in a community of their own ruled by King Victus. No one knew where they had built their homes. Inside a cavern? In the forest?
Uncivilized vampires liked to hunt humans and demons. We killed the ones who went after the mortals, but if they went after the demons, we turned our heads.
The OA had been looking for Victus. He had tortured and slaughtered countless angels. He needed to face judgment and be locked away for eternity, but if I ever came upon him, I swear I would kill him with my bare hands. Hell wouldn’t suffice for an evil asshole like him.
“Wait for me,” Otis said around a mouthful running after the girls, his locks thumping on his back. “I like ale … I mean I’m going to help.”
“Take it slow and remember my words.” Tank lightly socked Zander’s arm. He dipped his head low to me and darted away faster than he had entered.
Zander shook his head and let out a chuckle. “Let me show you our resting place.”
I walked beside him. “Why did Tank tell you to take it slow?”
Zander rubbed his neck, unable to meet my gaze. I let it go when his cheeks flushed, and for some reason mine did too.
Farther into the darkness of the cavern where the stream rushed deeper and faster, another entrance appeared. Torch lights mounted on the walls, and in the far back was a huge boulder that caved inward.
On top of the boulder’s indentation lay layers of wool-covered sheep skins. At the far corner, resting between two tall woven baskets that stored weapons and extra clothing, was the divine sword, safe and secure.
