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"Fastest I've done it is three hours," he said, turning so I could see his face. "Longest was eight hours, and it was messy and imperfect. I've learned a lot since then."
I must have given him a blank look because he said, "Sixteen. That's how many I've killed, and I've spent wayyyyy more hours killing people than you. I'm a planner, remember—I watch, and learn everything about them, and then there's all the cleanup. I think we're pretty equal."
I gave him a dry look. "Serial and mass murders aren't the same."
"Ark, you wanna go?" X asked, his expression too bright, no revulsion in his voice.
Ark scratched the back of his neck, which was unusual enough that he caught my entire attention.
"I'm older than these two." He gestured to Taj and X, both in their twenties. "There was a failed uprising years ago, when Taj was too young to fight. Your number is two hundred and something, right?" he asked me.
I nodded. My skin prickled, waiting for the axe to fall, but it never fell. Fuck, Dev was right—I needed them to teach me that love wasn't supposed to be fear and pain.
Ark met my stare and said, "I stopped counting at five hundred. I didn't see the point when the wordcountlesssufficed."
"So," I breathed, licking my dry lips and burying my shaky fear, "just to check. You're not disgusted by me?"
"I'm disgusted to learn you only wipe your knives instead of properly cleaning them," Taj drawled, his eyes shockingly gentle when they met mine. "You're actually really gross, you know that?"
I smiled, my eyes creasing. "Thanks."
"We know what you are—and who you are," Ark said seriously. "It doesn't come as a shock that you've hurt people."
"Even a lot of people," X put in, a strange note of awe in his voice. So he, um,likedme killing that many people?4
"We only met because you killed a demon," Joseph pointed out, reaching over to brush my face with a cold touch. "And you tried to killusseveral times. Why would we run scared now?"
I was a grade-A idiot. "I don't know, for funsies?"
Taj snorted. X held me tighter.
"Good," Dev barked at his armies, finally satisfied. "Jezebel, oversee them here; wait for our signal."
"Got it, uncle devil" she replied, saluting very seriously.
"Malefic Circle, with me," Dev boomed, striding across the grass towards us. Fuck, he looked good like this, alldon't fuck with meattitude, dressed in sharp leather, his six horns viciously sharp. A sword was strapped down his back, but I knew he didn't need it. Even with his devil power stripped, he was terrifying and powerful. The blade was just because he was a sexy badass.
"Avie, have you met the Malefic Circle?" he asked when they reached us, the vicious expression on my devil's face catching and holding my attention. He was terrifying. Truly bone-chilling. "Aveline," he repeated.
"Mm? Sorry, I was thinking about riding you. We kinda met earlier—not you two, though."
The beautiful supermodel warrior was part of the circle, and the redhead Viking giant, I knew.
I'd vaguely glimpsed the other giant, a dark-haired guy with a scar through his eye and a wicked grin that promised trouble.
The last member of their circle was less physically impressive than the others, but wore enough steel to make up for it. His dark head was shaved, gold piercings gleaming from his brow, septum, lip, and ears, the metal bright against his deep brown skin. Matching gold eyes shone unnaturally, veins of the same colour threading through his wings and horns. Pretty—but there was something dead in his eyes.
I gave them all a little wave, and asked my devil, "Why do we have tag-alongs?"
"We know one of Eidolon's generals. He used to be our circle member," the blonde woman answered instead, her mouth pursed with disgust. "We can predict his moves, and take care of Eidolon's supporters while you handle him."
"By handle we mean murder, right?" I checked.
"Of the most brutal kind," she agreed.
Say what you want about Hell, but you couldn't fault the vicious women. I was going to makesomany friends if I didn't die a horrible, gruesome death.
I turned to look at Ark, feeling the bond for his mental state. Far more stable than me, although vicious with bloodlust.
