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“You tried to warn me. You tried to get me out of there, but I didn’t listen, even though I knew he was after me.” She swallowed hard and pushed away from him. “Even though you’ve been right from the beginning.”
“Let that be a lesson,” he intoned, but his eyes glinted with mischief. “I’m always right.”
God, he was perfect. He was a little moody, but with a past like his, who could blame him? He was also kind and smart and deadly.
He deserved better than what she’d given him, which was a whole bucketful of lies.
He’d been a Guardian, for heaven’s sake. He could handle the truth. He fought for the side of good… and since he was protecting her, he should know.
“Josh… I need to tell you something. It’s going to sound crazy—”
He put his finger to her lips. “Trust me, I know crazy, and whatever you say won’t fit into that category. I -promise.”
“Yeah, well—”
“I’m always right, remember?”
“You’re also pretty full of yourself,” she muttered, but she was teasing, and he knew it, and rewarded her with a smile that could stop the Earth from rotating.
“Lay it on me,” he said, sitting back on the bed and watching her expectantly.
“Remember our talk in Alexandria? About the humans charmed by angels?” She took a deep breath. “Well… I’m one of them.”
“Seriously?” His expression didn’t change, even when she nodded. He merely looked curious. “So, shouldn’t you be immortal and immune to injury?”
“Well, I can be hurt… but only if I want it or feel like I deserve it.” At his raised eyebrows, she said, “Like, once I lied to a nun, and I felt bad about it, so I let her rap my knuckles with a ruler. That hurt. A lot.”
“I could think of more fun ways to get hurt,” he said with a wink. And then he sobered. “But how do you explain Byzamoth?”
“That’s the million-dollar question. I was hoping to do some research… guess it’ll have to wait. Maybe you could feel around some of your Aegis contacts until I can get to a secure Internet connection?” When he nodded, it was her turn to narrow her eyes at him. “You’re accepting this pretty easily. Why?”
“I work in a hospital that uses magical cures.” He shrugged. “And there’s the Aegis thing.”
The tension poured out of her. It was such a relief to be able to confide in someone other than Val. Someone who cared about her on a different level than the man who hovered over her like she was a toddler learning to walk.
Josh’s brow creased. “I know about Marked Sentinels because of The Aegis, but the details are sketchy. Researching Byzamoth might be easier if you tell me the purpose of the charm. I mean, angels don’t run around charming people for shits and grins.”
“No, they don’t. Anyone who is charmed is in possession of something that needs to be kept out of the hands of evil.”
“Like the coin you found in Alexandria. That was what the charmed guy carried.” At her nod, he continued. “So what are you protecting?”
Her hand automatically went to her necklace. “This.”
“What is it?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. It’s called Heofon, Old English for Heaven. But that’s all I know. The guardian of the coin we found was the last Sentinel to have a full understanding of what it was he was holding. According to Val, Sentinels were no longer allowed to know exactly what their object’s purpose was, for fear that they’d reveal it to the wrong person, or that they would use it improperly, as the coin’s guardian did.”
“But didn’t he think he was helping souls cross over or something?”
“Yes, but by killing himself and leaving the coin unprotected, he risked allowing evil forces to retrieve the coin.” She now had to keep the coin with her until it could be given over to The Aegis. According to Val, once such an object was safely in the hands of Guardians, a new Sentinel would be chosen to guard it.
“So the Byzamoth guy… he’s been after you, hasn’t he? Not the tablet.”
“I think he definitely wanted the tablet to keep The Aegis from closing the Harrowgates, and I’ve no doubt he’d take the coin as a bonus, but yes, I think he’s after me. I’m sure he wants the necklace and my charm.”
“How could he get them?” Josh’s voice had gone deep and dangerous, and she shivered with both dread and feminine appreciation.
“Sex. That’s why I’m celibate. That’s also why Val is so protective.” She looked down at her lap and then back up again. “That’s not all. If Byzamoth takes the charm from me, I’ll die.”
She couldn’t read his expression. At all. With a curse, he got up and paced again, his hands in fists at his sides.
“Josh, look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner—”
“It’s not that,” he snapped. His fury was a storm in the room, an electric surge that stood her hair on end. “Dammit. Goddammit! I hate this!”
She hugged herself, rubbed the goose bumps that pebbled her arms. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore, okay? We just need to get out of here.”
“Agreed,” he growled. “I already booked us on the next train.”
“When is that?”
He looked at his watch. “Tomorrow. Five p.m. Actually, today. It’s after midnight.”
She’d been out of it for longer than she thought. Which would explain why her stomach was growling. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “Where’s my knapsack?”
“Uh-uh.” Josh held her in place with a palm splayed between her br**sts. “You need to rest. I’ll get your bag. What do you need?”
“I need to not be babied,” she said, but she was only half serious. It felt good to be cared for like this. “And I need a granola bar. I always keep a couple in my bag.”
“I figured you’d wake up hungry, so I had the kitchen prepare some grub for you.”
He went to the dresser, lifted the lid off a large plate sitting on a bed of ice. When he brought it to her, she practically drooled at the delicious sight of the meats, cheeses, and fruits. No matter what the circumstances, she’d always been able to eat.
And then, like a big baby, she began to tear up. “That was so thoughtful.” She covered his hand with hers. “You really don’t need to take care of me like this, but I can’t thank you enough. You’ve done so much. You’re a good man, Josh.”
“There are so many reasons you’re wrong,” he said quietly.
“I doubt that.”
“Yeah, well… you don’t know me.”
She tightened her grip on his hand when he would have pulled away. “I know you saved my life.”
“I did what any guy would do.”
“No, any guy wouldn’t have done that. They would have run screaming from those demons. You fought them, and you saved me from Byzamoth. I can never repay you or thank you enough.”
He slid her a troubled glance she didn’t understand. “I should let you eat and get some rest. I’ll be out in the front room.”
“Please,” she said. “Stay. I don’t want to be alone.”
Her fear was stupid and childish, a kid afraid of the dark, but after everything that had happened, she felt safe with him. And not so utterly alone, especially now that he knew the truth.
“Yeah. Okay. I’m just going to do a sweep of the hotel floor—” His entire body convulsed, and he stumbled backward before catching the back of the chair with one hand and the wall with the other.
“Josh?” She tossed the tray of food to the bed and leaped up, ignoring the spinning in her head. “What’s the matter?”
“Stood… too… fast.” He breathed deeply and braced his forehead against the wall.
“You got hurt in the fight, didn’t you?” She ran her hands over his body, looking for injury, but he hissed—honest-to-God hissed—and spun away from her.
“Stop,” he croaked. “I’m fine.”
She reached for him again, catching him by the wrist. His tattoos felt like they were on fire, and the one on his face stood out starkly against skin that had gone ashen. “You are not fine.”
“I’ll live.” His voice was gruff, but his touch gentle as he peeled her fingers off his arm. “I just need to do a check for demons who might want to rape you, and then shower.”
Whoa. He was worked up. “Be careful. Please. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”
Letting out a long breath, he closed his eyes and bowed his head. “Damn you,” he breathed. “Can you stop worrying about me? Stop caring?”
“Can you stop being an ass?”
His head snapped up. “What?”
“It’s rude to ask someone to stop feeling something they have no control over. So get over yourself already. I care, and I’m not going to stop. Accept that, or leave. Your choice.”
He stared at her for so long her stomach began to churn. What if he truly decided to leave? She needed him, and for the first time, she realized that she needed him for more than protection.
Oh, God. She was falling for him, wasn’t she?
Finally, he nodded. His expression was fierce, but his voice was quiet as he said, “You’re going to be the death of me, Serena. I really think you are.”
Wraith was practically hyperventilating by the time he got to the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and collapsed against it as though doing so could hold back the demons chasing him
The demons that had been with him all his life. In his head. His soul.
You’re a good man, Josh.
If he wasn’t having so much trouble breathing, he’d laugh. He wasn’t good. He wasn’t even a man.
No, he was a sex demon whose libido had been killed by a powerful toxin.
