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“Asura.” The name tasted like poison on my lips.
“Samuel,” she purred in a voice no woman should ever use when talking to her son. “It’s been a long time.”
“What do you want?” I spat out.
She didn’t answer me. Instead, her cool gaze moved from me to where Siren was standing slightly behind me. Her nostrils flared delicately, and I knew what she was scenting. Even though a fallen angel, Asura still had her enhanced senses. She could put together what no human or low-ranking demon could. She knew I’d been fucking Siren, and I was sure she’d use the information to her advantage.
“Is it a crime to want to see my son?” Asura asked, her attention slowly returning to me.
Siren sucked in a breath, and I felt her go rigid beside me. Telling her about my bitch of a mother was the best decision I ever made. It was the best protection I could offer her against Asura’s charms and games.
“I’m not your son. You lost the right to call me that a long time ago.”
“When Micah stole you?” she asked, widening her eyes as if that would make me believe her.
I snorted derisively. “I wasn’t a sword—he couldn’t steal me. And it wasn’t Micah’s fault that you were a shit parent.”
“I didn’t have a choice,” Asura protested. “When your fatherfell, Micah swooped in to fill the space. There was nothing I could do. He wanted you for himself. I couldn’t keep you, but I always knew I’d come back for you.”
“Why now?” No part of me thought she was telling the truth, but I wanted to know her game.
“I needed time to make connections, to make you listen.”
I sensed them only seconds before I saw them. Half a dozen lesser demons appeared at the mouth of the alley. It was dusk, but there was plenty of light for Siren to see their red skin and pointed horns. I knew she saw them. She inched closer to me, her fear radiating off her.
Welcome to my world, baby.
“I’m listening,” I said, keeping my focus on Asura. “What do you want?”
“I want you to hear my side of the story.”
“And if I tell you to fuck off?”
“Samuel, don’t do anything stupid,” Asura said, as if I were being unreasonable or childish.
“Get the fuck out of my city,” I snarled, reaching for the weapon at my hip. The small cylinder expanded into a spiked club wrapped in heavenly fire. The glow reflected off the silver spikes, making the thing look more deadly.
Asura swore, backing away from the flaming weapon in my hand. She said something in an ancient demonic language I didn’t understand. The demons charged, and I almost laughed. Asura could play the mother card all she wanted, but she had no problem sending demons after me when she didn’t like what I had to say.
I let go of Siren’s hand and moved so I stood more firmly in front of her, my wings expanding from my back just before the first demon reached me.
They were trained, just like the ones who’d attacked the night Thomas got hurt. At least now I knew how they’d been trained for killing angels. My womb donor had taught them.
For the next few seconds, I got lost in the fight. I’d turned four demons to red smoke when I heard Siren scream my name. I spun toward the sound, and my heart froze in my chest.
A demon’s claws dug into Siren’s arm. Those claws were going for my wing. And they might have made it too if Siren hadn’t gotten between us.
My own shout of rage mixed with Siren’s cry of pain. Fire pulsed in my veins, creating an aura of light around me. The remaining two demons turned tail and sprinted away. I wanted to run after them, to take them down and make them pay, but Siren needed me.
I dropped to my knees beside her, reining in the fire so I could touch her.
“Why?” I growled at her as I ripped a strip of fabric off the bottom of her shirt. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“You didn’t see him,” Siren said through teeth gritted in pain. “He was going to hurt you.”
“So you used yourself as a human shield? Dammit, Siren.” I tied the strip of fabric around the wound and lifted her into my arms. “I’m going to fix this.”
* * *
