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“Did you say what time your friends were coming? I forgot. Or is it up to chance? What if they’re too late?”
Neo made a gurgling sound. My head snapped around just in time to catch a glimpse of wild clarity in his expression while his hands were around his throat, like he was trying to breathe.
“Neo!” I called.
I rushed to his side when he fell to his knees, and knelt when he collapsed entirely. When I reached for him, though, a black mist seeped out of his back.
I went still as I watched the smoke condense and thicken, unsure if I was watching an angel’s soul leave his body. However, the mass got bigger and bigger until it shifted off him completely.
I scrambled backward on my ass until my back hit the far wall.
The mass began to take shape. I watched, mystified, as a large body solidified from it, the skin dark gray and littered with… carvings? Indented tattoos? Its legs took shape first, long and thick, and then came a broad torso with arms that ended in claw-tipped hands. The figure was big, needing to slouch to fit comfortably inside the room, yet I got the impression this was not even its full size.
A head formed last, and I had to fight not to react to what I was seeing.
Massive black horns protruded from the thing’s forehead, curving up towards the ceiling and back, ending in sharp points. Its eyes were bright red and pupil-less, having no definitive layers like any other beings—just a pure, opaque, bright red. It had no nose, but it did have a mouth that was currently curved upwards in a horrifying grin, greeting me with rows of sharp teeth.
I only realized the thing was naked when a long, black robe suddenly appeared to cover it.
My wolf had gone silent. She hadn’t made a sound since Neo collapsed, even, and I gathered the feeling that she knew exactly what I was looking at. Deep down, I think even I knew what I was looking at, but I refused to accept it.
I refused to believe that I’d just watched a demon come out of my angel friend.
“Hello, child,” it said, and my skin erupted into hives. I could feel a burning sensation spread across my cheeks and down my skin. Fear had paralyzed me.
“Oh,” it said, bending to observe me. “That’s quite an extreme reaction to me.”
I almost laughed. Hives? It was looking at the red patches that had broken out across my skin like they were novelties. Did it seriously expect me to believehiveswere the most extreme reaction it had ever gotten?
I mustered enough strength to narrow my eyes at it.
“Yes, yes. Usually, they slip into unconsciousness, or—” It made a vague sweeping motion with its hand. and I tried to shrink myself into the wall to get away from its extended claws. “—die from their own fear. Both of which areveryinconvenient for me, but not as bad as your own skin trying to hurt you. I find I like this reaction best, though.”
I could barely breathe. The demon had bent almost in half to get close to my face and inspect the way the hives had spread. I was shaking from how hard I was trying to shrink away from that mouth filled with sharp teeth and those unnerving, disgusting red eyes.
“Can you speak, wolf?” it asked as it pulled back, straightening to as much of its height as the room would allow.
I swallowed once, twice, in an attempt to unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth to answer it. When I couldn’t, the demon laughed.
“The scent of your fear is potent, but it is not like the others. What is holding your tongue?”
“You’re a demon,” I blurted.
“Archdemon,” it corrected, all pretense of humor gone. Great. The first words I ever say to a demon, and I insult it without meaning to. “We are not like the others.”
I got the feeling that this was an especially sore spot for it. “You… is… is Neo okay?”
The Archdemon glanced at Neo’s unconscious form behind it. “Yes. He is a strong angel. It took some maneuvering to get into his head, but I am nothing if not resourceful and determined. He will regain consciousness before they come to collect you for your execution. Hopefully.”
“Why?” I croaked. “Why would you—”
“Possess him?”
I nodded jerkily. I was aware that this demon meant me no actual harm, and yet my adrenaline had my heart racing a mile a minute. I couldn’t feel Sariel—I wasn’t sure which one of us had closed the connection, but I was grateful. That meant he wouldn’t be wasting energy worrying about me.
“Because the Council needed information,” it said. For the first time since its formation, I noticed its tail as it peeked from beneath the demon’s robe. The appendage was coiled around his legs, its end swishing along the floor; it was talon tipped as well, the tail itself being the same color and leathery texture as the rest of it.
Its words settled in me like a lead weight when I finally understood what they meant. “What?”
