I finished my tea with a sigh, the amber glow of the afternoon light casting harsh shadows throughout the corners of my office. I’d been here all day, shuffling through demon after demon. And while I respected the importance of this audit, it didn’t appear to be helping much.
Setting my cup to the side, I reached out to ring for one of my assistants to bring me another when a knock echoed through my sanctuary.
As I didn’t have any demons on my staff with a penchant for fortunetelling, I assumed it was Ragus. He was the only demon with the balls to interrupt my work.
Well, except for maybe Zane. But as I’d left him with Guinevere, he better not be the one on the other side of that door. Unless he’d brought the succubus with him, of course.
“Enter,” I beckoned.
The doorknob turned with a slight creak of hinges, and Ragus stepped inside.
A subtle hint of disappointment hit me in the gut.
Interesting. Apparently, I’d hoped it was Zane and Guinevere.That’s new. I usually preferred to manage and schedule my own dalliances, not be surprised by my chosen lover.
Yet last night had been an eye-opening experience.
One I found myself reflecting on all day, craving a repeat performance.And more, I thought.Much more.
“Good afternoon, sir,” Ragus said without inflection. He very rarely exuded emotion. “Ashmedai has sent word regarding the ceremonial robe.”
“Oh?” I leaned back in my chair and arched a brow. “What did he find out?”
The Ordinatum cocked his head slightly to the left. “He says it’s unrelated to the mortal deaths but appreciated the information.”
I frowned and set my pen atop the notebook. “That’s it?”
“He also sounded amused, sir,” Ragus offered, a glimmer of curiosity shining in his coal-black eyes and breaking his stoic exterior.
“Amused?” I repeated.
“Yes, sir. I could be wrong, but...” he trailed off, the rest of his sentence hanging between us.But I rarely am. And he would be right—his instincts were almost always right. It was why I kept him as my second.
Well, that and he didn’t want his own territory.
Which worked for me. His loyalty and knowledge served me very well.
“Interesting,” I replied, rubbing my jaw. It was certainly notable that the appearance of the robeamusedAshmedai, as very few things did. However, his lack of details or explanation was just like him. He preferred his subordinates discover truths on their own, and if he claimed this reveal had nothing to do with my current situation, then I believed him. “All right. If he says the robe isn’t related, then we’ll set aside that evidence to investigate later.”
I would, after all, very much like to know why one of Bael’s minions was wandering aroundmyterritory.
Ragus nodded. “Of course, sir.” He excused himself, leaving me to wrap up my notes.
Only a new presence pulled me from my task mere minutes later.
Xai.His power gave him away more than his aura. He was growing, just like me, and would be a prime suspect for a case like this, except I knew him well. And he would never frame Guinevere in this manner. Evangeline would kill him if he tried.
Remy was with him, the Portal Dweller likely the one who teleported Xai to my Chicago estate.
I rolled my chair away from my desk and strode to the door, whipping it open just in time to see five of my Dargarian bodyguards descending on the two men in my hallway.
“Stand down,” I said calmly, waving them off.
Xai cut an imposing figure with his muscular physique wrapped in an all-black suit, and my bodyguards were just doing their job. But they’d known Xai for years and while his energy would set off all their protective instincts, they knew better than to challenge him.
My men bowed their heads at my command and faded back down the hall.
I greeted Xai with a nod. “Typically, one calls to inform the other of an impending visit prior to appearing.”
