And, of course, he didn’t elaborate further.I stared at him, my brows arched, but when he didn’t respond, exasperation won the battle, and I threw my hands into the air.“Well?What reasons?”
Before he could reply, the bus approached, its headlights piercing through the darkness.Much to my dismay, Rathiel reached into his pocket and produced a handful of change.
My eyes widened.Where had he gottenmoney?
The bus came to a stop, the doors hissing open.I stepped on, flashing my bus pass while Rathiel dropped the coins into the farebox without a word.I made my way to the back of the bus, hoping for a bit of space to clear my head.Naturally, Rathiel sat down next to me, his leg brushing mine.
“Seriously, where did you get the money?”I demanded, eyeing him skeptically.
He didn’t bother looking at me, his gaze fixed on the window.Nor did he answer my question.
I rolled my eyes, irritated by his silence.“Are you purposely trying to annoy me?”
He finally glanced at me, eerily calm.“It’s not hard to do.”
I scoffed, unable to argue with that.Turning back to the window, I watched the city lights blur by, my mind racing with questions I couldn’t ask.I wanted to grill him about Lucifer, about whatever had happened to earn him a one-way ticket to Torture-Town, but this wasn’t the time.I couldn’t even ask how he’d found me or how he’d escaped Hell.Those were conversations for a more private setting.
A few minutes passed before I blew out a heavy breath and turned to face him again.His expression was as inscrutable as ever, but there was a tension around his jaw and a tightness to his eyes that hinted at a deeper turmoil.I wanted to dig into it, to unravel all his mysteries, but all I could do was focus on the one question I could actually ask.
“Alright, I give up.What are these supposed ‘other reasons’ that make you think I need you?”
A faint, infuriating smile played at the corners of his mouth, but he didn’t answer.Instead, his gaze flicked to mine briefly before he murmured, “Not here.”
This was why conversations with Rathiel usually ended in bloodshed.The way he spoke in riddles and withheld information drove me insane.But I understood his reservations.We couldn’t air our dirty laundry on a crowded bus full of humans.
I sighed, accepting the inevitable.If I took him back to my apartment, I could at least control the situation.There, I had my weapons, and I could use my magic freely, without worrying about witnesses.And if things went south, I’d be in a much better position to deal with him.In my space, I held the advantage.
Besides, what was the real risk?If Rathiel wanted to kill me, he didn’t need to lure me home to do it.He could’ve struck me down in the middle of the street already.And let’s be real—he likely would have followed me home, anyway, so there really wasn’t any point in trying to shake him.Better to face him on my own terms.
Guess I was taking him home.
Damn him.And damn my insatiable curiosity.
He’d won this round, and the worst part?He knew it.
ChapterTen
I unlockedthe door to my apartment and nudged it open.“Go on,” I said, knowing Rathiel needed permission to enter, thanks to his vampiric nature.“Get inside.”
There weren’t many rules about vamps that humans had right.Fangs?Yes.Feeding off the living?Absolutely, though they fed in secret to keep the humans from learning about—and extinguishing—them.Beyond that, most of the myths missed the mark.Crosses didn’t faze them, holy water was a joke, sunlight didn’t reduce them to ashes, and they certainly didn’t turn into bats.But one rule held true, no matter what: they couldn’t enter a home without an invitation.That was non-negotiable.
I once watched a vampire slam face-first into an invisible barrier, denied entry because they hadn’t scored a proper invite.The impact was glorious—like a bug smacking into a window, then slowly sliding down in defeat.I nearly doubled over laughing, knowing I’d never forget that splattered, baffled look from my mind.
Rathiel stepped in with deliberate slowness, his eyes scanning the room with quiet intent.I watched him for a beat longer than necessary before following him inside and closing the door behind us.
Just like that, I was alone with Rathiel.The one who had shaped me into a soldier, who epitomized strength and authority.I’d never really liked him—more like tolerated him.But he’d commanded armies of hellspawn over his long,longlifespan.And now, he stood in my apartment, with its mismatched furniture, peeling paint, and worn flooring.
With a quiet sigh, I dropped my keys on the small table next to my entrance and faced him, crossing my arms over my chest.
He didn’t meet my gaze.Instead, he entered my home and started roaming about, taking in every detail with what looked like great fascination.When his gaze landed on Purrgatory, he blinked and cocked his head.
“It’s a cat,” I told him.“Or what humans call a cat here on Earth.”
Hellcats were far larger and much fiercer, more akin to tigers but with demonic eyes and twisted horns.I’d only heard them described before, never laid eyes on one, probably because no one ever tangled with a hellcat and survived.
I walked to Purrgatory and touched his chin.His head rose a notch, and he closed his eyes, his chest vibrating with a pleased purr.
“They’re harmless,” I said.“Well, mostly.”
