Thanks to Gray, a handful of demons here know me only by Rock. The nickname doesn’t bother me, but I prefer to go by my given one.
The woman nods. “I’m Jassy,” she says, reintroducing herself. “I worked in the Wrath rehabilitation facility after the war. We were in a small handful of meetings together.”
It takes a second to find the memory, but it comes. I do remember her. She enjoyed taking notes, and she was quiteexpressive while doing so. She spent half of our meetings rolling her eyes, and the other half shooting dirty looks whenever somebody suggested an idea she disapproved of. I liked her.
Jassy continues. “I’m sure you’re busy, but I wanted to take a moment to formally welcome you back. I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times these past few days, but we’re grateful for your sacrifice. I can’t imagine living in Greed for so long.”
I force myself to smile. I chose to go after Mammon for selfish reasons, not for the greater good of Wrath. I was one of the unlucky ones who were there the day Luca was killed. I saw what Mammon did to Aziel’s youngest, how she had him tortured and dismembered. I murdered her for him, and only him.
“Thank you,” I say. It’s the polite response, the one people are looking for when they thank me. “Do you work here now?”
Jassy nods. “I was on Aziel’s team for a while, but I’m working for Cassia now.”
For Cassia? She shouldn’t be seen with me, then. I glance around, subtly taking stock of the demons around us. Cassia hasn’t kept her hatred of me a secret, and I don’t want to further provoke her by speaking to a member of her team. She’ll read too much into it.
“How nice.” I clear my throat, eager to end this conversation. “I’d actually love to speak with Cassia. Is she working today?”
Jassy smacks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “She’s not, but I can let her know you asked. I’m sure she’ll love to see you.”
I highly doubt that. Judging by the hitch in Jassy’s voice, she does too.
Cassia hasn’t been seen for three days, and I’m growing concerned. Is this typical for her? I made considerable efforts not to harm her while she was attacking me, but there was blood on the floor when she teleported away.
I assume she’s still alive and I didn’t inflict any severe damage. Aziel may have allowed me to restrain Cassia and defend myself the way I deemed necessary, but I’m fully aware of what he’d do to me if I severely injured his daughter—or any of his children. He’d kill me, and he’d do so without question.
Aziel has calmed considerably since meeting Charlie, but he’s still a Wrath. There’s no changing that.
“I should get going,” Jassy says. She takes a step backward.
“Of course,” I say. “It was nice seeing you again.”
She nods, walking away, and I take another quick scan of the hallway. A few Wraths are meandering about, but it doesn’t seem that Jassy and I were paid any special attention. I hope that’s true, and I drag my fingers through my hair as I continue toward Aziel’s office.
I’ve done my best to remain current in Wrath’s dealings, but knowledge was limited within Greed. Mammon was effective in shutting down her borders. My few sources were occasionally helpful, but meeting with them was risky—especially as my relationship with Mammon grew.
The risk became too great.
These past few days have been enlightening, to say the least. Wrath is familiar, but enough has changed that I feel more like an outsider than a demon born and raised within its borders. I’ll adjust. If I could adapt to life in Greed, there’s nothing I can’t handle.
One of Aziel’s assistants looks up as I approach. “You can head right on in.” He gestures toward Aziel’s office door. “He’s expecting you.”
I force a pleasant smile and push open the door. “Thanks.”
Aziel’s behind his desk. He leans back in his chair, his gaze flicking lazily over several documents. He shoots me a quick smile as I enter, but he otherwise remains silent.
He looks like shit. His clothing is wrinkled, his hair is unbrushed, and it doesn’t appear that he shaved this morning. I’m surprised Gray allowed him to leave the house in this state, and I suck my cheeks into my mouth as I sit in one of the chairs opposite his desk.
“Long night?” I ask.
Aziel snorts. “You could say that. Two of my children are refusing to speak to me, Silas is a conniving liar, and Charlie has recently decided that she wants to return to work.”
I flinch at the mention of Charlie. I’ve yet to see her since returning. I should’ve done so already, but I’ve been putting it off. I betrayed her by sneaking into Greed, and Silas helped me. She must be furious with me, and Charlie’s fury is frightening. I go to great lengths to avoid it.
“Have you had a chance to look through the documents I gave you?” Aziel asks.
I nod. “I have, and I have a few questions.”
“Of course. I’m happy to talk through anything.”
