Page 37 of Indecent

“Not really.”

“Well, you must maintain contact with everyone you wish to bring with you.” Draego held out one hand for Daniel to take. He did so reluctantly, then turned and threaded his fingers through Chaol’s. “Then, you simply think about where you want to go. Much like you reached for the hellblade, you’ll reach through the folds of space, but instead of pulling something out, you’ll pull yourself through.” He bobbed his head from side to side in a thoughtful way. “There will be some fire, but don’t worry, it won’t burn any of us.”

Daniel frowned, his gaze going distant as he pictured the Rink. He could feel the aether all around him, like shadows just at the edges of his vision. His body tensed as he tried to visualize moving through them, but nothing happened.

“Calm,” Draego said softly. “Think of it like a hall beyond a doorway. You can see it through the open door. All you have to do is step through it. We’ll follow you with no resistance.”

“Easy, darkling,” Chaol added. “You’ll get us there. I know you will.”

Daniel clung to the sentiment. Chaol had faith in him. He could do anything with Chaol by his side.

The aether parted, and flames engulfed them as they hurtled through empty space. When the flames died out, they were standing under a disco ball, and someone started screaming.

Chapter 12

Daniel

A shrill scream filled the air, like a railroad spike to Daniel’s newly enhanced hearing. He ripped his hands away from Draego and Chaol’s and clamped them over his ears, turning instinctively toward Chaol, whose arms enveloped him at once.

“Shut the fuck up!” Chaol shouted. “We mean no harm! Shut her the fuck up right now!”

“Who the hell are you?” a new voice added as the screaming tapered off. “How’d you get in here? We have this place warded to prevent uninvited people from entering, human or demon.”

“Holy shit, that’s the harbinger,” someone else said, and a hush fell over the room.

Daniel raised his head and lowered his hands. Names came to him unbidden as he looked around the room. Talon and Shadrach were side by side, shoulders squared like they were expecting a fight. The others were in the meeting area behind them. The Rink was different than he remembered it. The training area was now covered with cots and sleeping bags, some spread out and others rolled up. And there were people. Far more people than he ever remembered there being here. People sat on the cots and sleeping bags, people stood around the snack bar, people crowded the meeting area. And all of them, all around the room and peering in through the doorways of the other rooms, were staring at them.

“I said who the hell are you?” Talon repeated. His dark eyes were wild with barely contained fury.

“Oh my God, wait.” Ira lunged toward them, grabbing Talon’s arm. His brown eyes were wide with shock, and he tucked a stray lock of curly hair behind his ear. He pointed one finger at Daniel. “It can’t be. Nic! Nic, get over here! It’s Danny!”

Exclamations rippled around the room, and the beginnings of wary adrenaline flooded Daniel’s body. Everyone was talking at once, crowding closer and moving around him to get a better look at his face. He didn’t like being under so much scrutiny. He inched closer to Chaol, whose long fingers curled around his hips and drew Daniel flush against his chest.

Nicolas pushed past Talon and Shadrach, and the word reverberated through Daniel again.

Brother.

Messy brown curls, warm, hazel-brown eyes. Daniel remembered the little mole just under his right eye and the scar on the curve of his jaw. The way he’d lift the blankets of his bed and let Daniel climb in when their parents’ shouting voices got too loud for him to sleep. This was his brother, this was Nicolas, and the hole he hadn’t realized he was carrying around finally mended.

“Danny?” Nicolas croaked, drinking him in with increasing horror, and Daniel looked down at himself for the first time, trying to see what Nicolas saw. He was covered in black blood and graveyard dirt. “Is that really you? How are you here? What happened to you?”

The room around them was silent as… well, the grave. Daniel suppressed a hysterical giggle. Chaol, who was watching him closely, settled a hand on his shoulder. The touch was grounding, and he swallowed back the inappropriate laughter.

“I went to Hell.”

Nicolas sucked down a sharp breath. “What?” It was barely a whimper. “Why? How? They told me that wasn’t where you would go.”

Daniel realized his error and quickly shook his head. “No, no. I wasn’t sent there. I went there willingly, so I could become a demon and return to Earth.”

That didn’t seem to make anything better, because Nicolas choked on a sob. “What? You what? Why would you do that?” He moved toward them, dashing the tears away as they fell. “Are you okay? What happened? Oh my God, we buried you. You’re wearing the suit that we—” He was close enough to touch now, and he brushed his fingers down Daniel’s crooked tie.

“Shut up and come here,” Daniel said, hauling him in for a hug. The hot ember in his chest flickered to life as his brother sobbed into his neck, like he could fight off whatever was making him cry. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come back. I couldn’t leave you alone. We weren’t done yet. I’ll never leave without you again, I swear.”

“No, Danny, no. I’m sorry I let you die. I should’ve been better. I should’ve been faster. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

Daniel huffed, fighting the rage that smoldered through him. He wanted to rend the angel limb from limb for making it harder for them to get through Hell, wanted to go back and hunt down every demon that tormented him and made it impossible to travel at night. While they toyed with him, Nicolas had been up here wallowing in guilt for something that couldn’t possibly be his fault. Daniel didn’t remember how he died, but he didn’t have to. Nicolas could never be responsible.

Nicolas hissed, jerking back just as Ashmedai appeared beside them, ripping Nicolas out of his arms and shoving Daniel away. It was a good thing, too. Hellfire engulfed him, that kernel of heat exploding inside him as it took over. Power rushed through him, and the training mats melted under his feet.