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I couldn’t stop staringat the two angels in my apartment. Technically, there were three angels in my apartment, but Nate didn’t feel so foreign to me.
Both Joriel and Samuel were stunningly attractive, though in vastly different ways.
Joriel didn’t look more than a year or two older than me, and his style matched his youthful face, but when I’d looked into his eyes, I saw age and wisdom there.
Samuel’s brand of beauty was terrifying. He was what bad-boy crushes were made of, though I was starting to wonder how any girl had the courage to date his type. Nate was deadly—I’d seen him cut through dozens of demons by now—but Samuel was a whole different breed. Something about him made me want to shrink into myself and hide.
Nate’s hand rested on my thigh under the table, his touch grounding.
No one was speaking. We’d had a quiet breakfast where none of us ate much. My appetite had evaporated with the appearance of Nate’s “brothers,” and my stomach was twisted with nerves.
Samuel leaned back, typing away on his phone while chewing on a toothpick, generally ignoring us, while Joriel studied Nate with a mix of concern and fascination.
Finally Joriel spoke. “Look, I know you don’t want our help, but we’re not going anywhere. So why don’t you fill us in on the situation, and we can try to work together?”
I felt Nate stiffen slightly. “There’s not much to tell. I haven’t seen Dantalion or any other demon royals in a month. He’s biding his time, not making a move.”
“But he’s still sending demons,” Samuel said without looking up from his phone. He had an accent I couldn’t place. Sort of Bostonian but prettier.
“Yes,” Nate answered. “But they’re all lesser demons.”
“He’s trying to wear you down.” Samuel finally looked up. “And to get you to drop your guard. You’re getting used to the easy demons. It gives you an opportunity to get lazy, raises your chances of making a mistake.”
“So what do you suggest I do about it?” Nate’s question had some bite to it, but it also sounded genuine. He valued Samuel’s opinion—it was obvious.
Samuel smiled, the look more mischievous than cheerful. “Change the game on him.”
“How? I’m not allowed to attack him directly. He’s a duke of Hell.”
“True.” Samuel nodded, leaning back in his chair. “Give me some time. I’ll figure something out, find a loophole.”
“And what is that going to cost me?”
“A favor.” Samuel spat out his toothpick.
“No.” Nate’s voice was hard and definitive.
Samuel didn’t look the slightest bit ruffled by either the rejection or Nate’s tone. “You don’t have much of a choice.” His eyes slid to me. “You have to keep her safe. Nothing can come second to that, not with that pesky little bond.”
“I’m not agreeing to an open-ended favor,” Nate gritted out.
“It’s your funeral.” Samuel shrugged, returning his gaze to the phone in his hand.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Sure, take your time. Just try to come up with an answer before someone ends up dead.”
Strained silence followed Samuel’s words. The tension stayed, hovering around us like a thick cloud we couldn’t shake. I could feel the conflict radiating off Nate. He was anxious around the other angels, yet the friendship between the three of them was obvious. They had an odd kind of dynamic, but if I had to guess, I’d say they really cared about each other.
Hours dragged on as we lounged around the living room, not saying much. Samuel mostly ignored us all while Joriel tried to make conversation. He asked about my job and family, talked to Nate about fighting techniques and people they knew.
Around four hours after Joriel and Samuel had knocked on my back door, it opened again. Kylie stopped dead on the doorstep, her eyes bouncing around the room.
“Are you starting a harem?” she asked, her wide eyes settling on me.
Samuel snorted, but I chose to ignore him.
“Kylie, this is Joriel and Samuel. They’re friends of Nate’s.”
