Rathiel’s gaze never wavered from mine, and I thought he might press the issue further.But then he simply nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing ever so slightly, though his expression remained unreadable.
I returned to the stove and started scrambling my eggs before they burned to the pan.
“What in the world are you making?”Rathiel asked.“It smells like sulfur.”
I leaned forward and sniffed, to ensure the eggs hadn’t spoiled.But they smelled fine to me.Shrugging, I said, “These are eggs.And they’re delicious.”
“Another human delicacy?”Rathiel inquired.
“Sure.”I’d take eggs any day over the lack of fine dining Hell had to offer.
“And why are you making eggs?”Rathiel pressed.
“Because I need to eat.You may subsist off blood, but I sure don’t.And since I have a full day of work ahead of me, I need to fuel up.”
“Work,” he repeated.
Vol let out a snort.“Work is what these humans do to keep themselves from going completely broke.They trade their precious time and energy doing the most mundane tasks—making drinks, moving things around, pretending to care about stuff—for shiny coins and bits of paper.It’s a never-ending grind.”
He leaned closer to Rathiel’s ear, lowering his voice conspiratorially.“And my favourite Meat Sack here?She spends her days serving the poor, lowly mortals coffee.Keeps them from going mad, you see.And at night, she slings drinks at a bar catered to the paranormal.What a glamorous life she leads.”
“One you ought to be grateful for,” I retorted.“It keeps you fed, stocked with yarn, and dressed in those ridiculous outfits of yours.”Of which, today’s looked like it belonged to Safari Ken.
Laughing gleefully, Vol climbed down Rathiel and shot back into the living room, chittering loudly as he shot past Purrgatory.
“And how often do you need to work?”Rathiel asked.
“Depends on the week and the schedule.But most days and nights.Someone has to pay the bills for this glamorous place,” I said, spreading my arms wide to gesture at my decrepit kitchen.“And speaking of which, I need to get a move on if I’m going to make the bus in time.I trust you’ll be fine on your own today?Don’t wander off.And don’t let Vol convince you to doanything.Assume he’s always lying.”
“Hey!”Vol called from the living room.
“Absolutely not,” Rathiel said.“I’m coming with you.”
I sighed and scooped my scrambled eggs onto a plate.“Rathiel, I don’t have time for this argument.”
“Good.Because I have no desire to argue with you.We have no idea where the other fallen are.So, I’m going with you, and that’s the end of this discussion.”
I shook my head, then took my plate to the table.I truly didn’t have time to argue, especially when I knew he’d simply follow me anyway.And now, I needed to waste more time finding him a winter jacket.Hopefully, one of my neighbours had one they could spare.
Guess today was now “bring your vampiric bodyguard to work” day.
ChapterThirteen
As we exited the bus,the cold morning air slapped me right in the face, a sharp reminder that regardless of my infernal problems, we were still very much on Earth.Blowing out an icy breath, I readjusted my purse and hurried onto the sidewalk before the bus closed its doors with me still descending the stairs.Had I experienced that before?I’d never tell.
Rathiel walked beside me, his presence an unwanted shadow I couldn’t shake.He moved with a deadly, silent grace that definitely called attention to him, even though he was trying to blend in.He, however, kept his gaze fixed firmly ahead, as though nothing in the world could deter him from his self-appointed mission: to hover over me like the wannabe bodyguard he was.
“This really isn’t necessary,” I muttered, my voice laced with frustration.“I’ve been managing just fine on my own for a decade.”
Of course, he didn’t even spare me a glance.Why would he?Instead, his eyes scanned the street, searching for any threats, with an intense focus that spiked my irritation.
“Yes, well, a lot has changed,” he said, as if I didn’t already know that.“You are far from safe.Any of Lucifer’s fallen?—”
I waved a frantic hand and shushed him.“There are innocentearsaround,” I hissed under my breath.“You can’t just drop the L-word like that in public!’
This time, he shot me a look, but I pointed at the people walking around us.Thankfully, they were nose-deep in their phones and oblivious to our conversation, but that wouldn’t always be the case.
“As I was saying,” Rathiel continued.“We must take precautions, Lilith.And if that requires me escorting you to and from work, then so be it.”
