Page 32 of Indecent

Daniel understood. He wouldn’t like watching Chaol put himself through something painful, either. He hooked a hand around Chaol’s neck and drew him down for a kiss. One last kiss as a human. He tried to commit it to memory, the shape of Chaol’s mouth and the taste of his skin. It was over all too soon.

And then he backed away. He didn’t take his eyes off Chaol as the black liquid sloshed around his ankles, his knees, his thighs. It was freezing cold, and his breath shuddered in and out of him. Tension filled his body as the liquid reached his chest and shoulders. The last thing he saw was Chaol’s handsome face, lined with misery, before he sucked down one last breath and disappeared beneath the surface.

He didn’t know what to expect. The liquid around him seemed to block out all light, but he got the sense that he was sinking. It occurred to him that he had no idea how deep this pool actually was. How far down would he go? His fingers clenched into fists at his sides. How long was he supposed to wait? The anticipation was almost worse than pain.

When his lungs began screaming for air, he tried to swim back to the surface, but his limbs didn’t obey him. He couldn’t move. He tried to thrash, but it felt like his body was numb. He was going to drown. Panic shot through him. He couldn’t hold his breath any longer. It hurt-hurt-hurt, oh God. He couldn’t die here, but his lizard brain didn’t understand that. All he knew was that he needed air and there wasn’t any to be found down here.

His body convulsed as his mouth opened against his will. Black fluid flooded into his lungs, and sharp pain radiated through him, spreading from his chest through every inch of his body. His blood was boiling in his veins. Muscle shredded below skin. Organs cooked in his belly. His skin felt like it was on fire even though he was submerged in icy liquid.

He couldn’t scream, but that didn’t stop him from opening his mouth and trying anyway.

Chapter 10

Chaol

It was an eerie thing, standing on the shore of the black pool with Lucifer and waiting for Daniel to reappear. Neither of them spoke, and Lucifer didn’t come any closer, which suited Chaol just fine. He’d never actually laid eyes on the master of Hell before, and he was perfectly fine with never seeing him again. There was an unsettling aura of danger around Lucifer. Chaol was a bug to him, and all he wanted was to avoid Lucifer’s boot.

An indeterminate amount of time passed in absolute silence. The sky darkened, and though he could hear other demons nearby, clicking and skittering, none of them dared to come closer. Chaol didn’t blame them.

Finally, Lucifer broke the silence. “It is done.”

Chaol turned toward him, questions written on his face.

“He will return to you soon. Make your way to the nearest gate right away. The angel will sense his arrival and be drawn to the power he holds. Waste no time. I will see to it that the gate is open. Lead the angel through it and find a way to kill him on the surface. Do this, and you both can spend eternity together in peace. You have my word.”

Chaol nodded, looking more certain than he felt. Dealing with the angel would be hard, but a bigger part of him worried about Daniel. What would he be like when he resurfaced? “What—What did you turn him into?”

“A very rare demon. You’ve heard of Draego, the harbinger?”

Harbingers were very rare indeed. Draego was the only one, and the last Chaol had heard, he was topside. If he’d been in Hell, maybe he could’ve been the one to deal with the angel. But with the gates closed, Draego couldn’t get here to help even if he wanted to. He was incredibly powerful, capable of summoning and controlling hellfire. Lucifer was the most frightening thing Chaol had ever seen, but a harbinger would be a close second.

“You’ve turned Daniel into a harbinger?” he breathed. His human was going to be a hurricane in a bottle.

Lucifer smiled, a showing of teeth that made Chaol want to cower. “Yes. May he burn the wings from that wretched angel.”

Chaol shivered. He probably would.

He looked out over the pool, pensive, and when he glanced back over, Lucifer was gone. But Chaol didn’t dare to relax.

He sensed Daniel before he saw him, an aura like billowing heat on his other side. Whirling around, he gasped, “Danny!”

On the surface, Daniel looked exactly as he had before he went into the pool. There was no black residue on his skin or clothing. His eyes were no longer honey brown but black like his own. And deep within the pupil, an orange glow burned, like embers of a fire waiting to be stoked. The front of his shirt was ripped, and a black symbol was visible in the center of his chest. A circle, with a cross rising up in the center and two branching off on either side.

Mine, his instincts roared, just as he’d known they would. Daniel might have worried that Chaol’s feelings would change, but he’d known better. Chaol reached out for him, and Daniel turned his head into the cradle of Chaol’s palm, his newly dark eyes fluttering shut as though in ecstasy. When they opened again, he met Chaol’s eyes with amusement.

“Ouch,” Daniel deadpanned.

Chaol laughed, maybe a little hysterically. His other hand fell to the symbol on Daniel’s chest. It felt like a part of his skin, tattooed on. “What is this?”

Daniel peered down at it. “I don’t know.”

“Are you okay? Do you feel—okay?”

“I feel… great. Strong.” He flexed his hands, then raised them, framing Chaol’s face. “And you…” Dark hunger crossed Daniel’s face. His heated gaze roamed Chaol’s face, settling on his lips. Chaol felt like a bug pinned to a board, waiting to be devoured. His grip tightened on Daniel, preparing to drag the brand new demon in.

A distant boom split the air. They both turned as what looked like a white meteor rocketed straight up into the air.

“The angel,” Daniel growled.