Page 26 of Whispers From The Dark

“Yeah.” She draws out the word, confirming that I am, in fact, stupid. “Where’s the demon that’s supposed to be floating around up there?”

“Uh, well, I don’t—” I begin, and then I’m cut off as the door blows open and a shadow slams into my body. I stumble, and then I lose all control of my body.

“What do you want, bloodsucker?” Asmodeus’s voice comes out of me, deep and dark.

“Fuck you too, ghoul,” Margot says, as flabbergasted as I am by Asmodeus’s sudden arrival. “She owes me a favor, you know, for saving her from Roman’s wrath and all. I’m here to collect. We need to find someone, and rumor has it you’re well-connected.”

“She owes you nothing. No harm was done.”

Margot merely raises a brow before pulling out her phone. Her long, blonde hair seems to glow in the low light. “You want me to tell him you won’t help?”

“Fuck,” Asmodeus says, but only I can hear him. “I really do not want discordance with the coven, no matter how tenuous their leadership may be. Do you mind?”

“You’re asking me for permission after stripping me of the ability to speak or move?”

“I was on my way back to you when I felt her nearby. Do you think I took control for fun, or do you think perhaps I sensed trouble? You cannot condemn me for being ready to neutralize a threat to you.”

“Fine. Whatever. I don’t care. It’s not like they’ll attack me with you there, and she said she’s not even mad.”

He hesitates for a moment, and I wonder if he’s trying to read me.

“I just want to deal with it sooner rather than later so I can get home to Jack. If you promise to keep me safe, I don’t care.”

“Tonight. After her shift,” Asmodeus says.

“Oh, I guess you scheduled me after you locked me away,” I hiss, but he ignores me.

Margot smiles, then brushes a kiss to my cheek as she flounces out the door. “Catch up soon, doll!”

“Vampires,” Az grumbles, but then he relinquishes control back to me.

I don’t allow myself to think about how nice it was for someone to come to my rescue, whether or not I needed it. But even as I squash the thought, I can feel Az preen.

10

ASMODEUS

It’s been a while since I inhabited a host with abs. I tilt my new head and observe my body in the large bathroom mirror. The floor to ceiling windows feel excessive, but the light of the setting sun almost gives this human a glow.

I adjust Sam’s shorter hair in the mirror. I could tell Petra had liked it long, but it was a bit too unkempt for her tastes. It was one of the first things I fixed when I took possession of his body. Now, fresh out of the shower and glancing over his naked physique, I don’t think there’s much else I need to alter.

With broad shoulders and a narrowly tapering torso, he is somehow lanky but strong in appearance. It gave Petra pleasure upon seeing him. Delicious pleasure.

Sam’s phone rings from the living room of this luxury rental loft in Streeterville, and I smile, knowing I’ve blocked all calls from everyone but her. I check the time and frown. The courier is five minutes late.

“Hello, love,” I say, but I’m sure Petra doesn’t even hear me because she’s already yelling. We haven’t spoken since leaving that impetuous vampire’s home—I had a few errands to do without her presence after our nuisance of a meeting—and it’s likely she’s irritated about that. But answering a few questions about some mortal who’d been kidnapped by demons was a small price to pay for continued cohabitation of Chicago. I left them alone, and they left me alone. I was happy to keep the arrangement. But nonetheless, the new leader of the coven had been unendurable.

“My phone hasn’t worked all fucking day, and I’ve been stressing the fuck out about it, and now this guy shows up with a new phone, which is, well, okay, I guess, but he banged on the door like the cops on a fucking manhunt and I just got out of the shower and he’s being very pushy about me calling this number and I knew it was you, but am I just supposed to⁠—”

“Say thank you? Yes.”

It takes her by surprise for a second before deciding perhaps she does owe me gratitude.

“Thank you—wait a minute. How are you talking to me? Who…is that Sam?”

I make my voice sound like it does inside her mind. “You’ll see. I’ll send you the address.”

“Az, I have plans today.”