Hes five-eight, skinny, with black hair, the gas station attendant snapped into his phone, his Spanish accent thickening as he yelled, Pendajo! at Adrian for destroying his bathroom mirror. And hes driving...a mi Dios!
That last part was screamed when Adrian moved with his incredible speed, yanking away the shotgun the attendant had pulled out. Then he broke it over his knee and handed the two pieces back with a growled, Have a nice day.
Diablo, the attendant moaned, sinking behind his counter.
I didnt think Adrian was a devil, but I still didnt know what he was. The fastest way to get the silent treatment from him was to ask again what line he was from. He did explain that Archon glamour masked his appearance, so he wouldnt be recognized by minions. Now I knew why Detective Krogers first punch had hit Adrian in the shoulder. He thought hed been striking a much shorter opponent. That was also why Adrian had demanded that I describe him soon after we met.
You could see through demon glamour, hed explained, throwing me one of those hooded looks. Minions can do that, too, but only humans from one of our lines can see through Archon glamour, so I needed to find out what you were.
What if Id failed to describe you accurately? Id asked.
A shrug. Then youd have been a minion, and Id have killed you.
Between that admission, the compulsive mirror smashing and his impenetrable secretiveness, I was well on my way to getting over my attraction. Adrian wasnt just damaged goods, he was deranged goods, and coming from someone with a history of psychosis, that was saying something. By the time we pulled into a motel at the halfway point of Kearney, Nebraska, I wouldve been happy never to see him again.
I called shotgun on the bathroom as soon as we entered the hotel room. Adrian obliged after smashing the mirrorhe had to have ten thousand years of bad luck by nowthen finally, I was able to take a shower. Thank God the motel had complimentary bottles of shampoo and conditioner because I wasnt about to ask Adrian for any. For all I knew, the bulky duffel bag hed brought in was filled with severed minion heads.
After I showered, I washed my clothes, making a mental note to insist that we shop before hitting the road tomorrow. With everything I owned now hanging to dry, I donned Adrians coat over my towel before leaving the bathroom.
He stood in front of the motel door, flicking something from a glass vial onto it. He did the same with the window, all while muttering in that strange, harshly lyrical language.
He probably wouldnt tell me, but I asked anyway. What are you doing?
Setting supernatural locks, he replied, with a jaded glance at me. This motel isnt on hallowed ground, so we have to demon-proof this room. I dont think we were followed, but Id rather you werent murdered in your sleep.
I swallowed. Id rather that not happen, too. So, that stuff youre sprinkling around is like demon-mace?
His mouth twitched, making me wonder if he fought back a smile. Close. Know how a priest blesses water and then its considered holy? This is the Archon version of blessed oil, which briefly renders any place it touches as hallowed.
How brief is briefly? I wondered.
A shrug. Long enough for us to sleep.
If it hallows out any place, then why did we spend last night in a spider-infested crypt? I asked at once.
Now I was sure he was fighting back a smile. You looked like you slept there just fine to me. At my instant glower, he added, I can only get this stuff from Zach, and hes stingy with handing it out. This is the last Ive got, so after tonight, well need to sleep on real hallowed ground until he decides to show up and give me more.
A stingy angel. Now Id heard of everything. Guess Id better enjoy the real bed tonight. Who knew what Id be cuddling up next to tomorrow. Speaking of that, I needed to handle some things before I went off the grid any longer.
You have a phone I can use? I need to call my roommate, Delia. Tell her Ill be gone for...a while.
Adrians expression changed from suppressed amusement to stern refusal. Not a chance. No calls, texts or emails.
Who did he think he was, my new father? Let me rephraseIm calling my roommate, either with your phone or with someone elses.
I couldnt just disappear on Delia. I, of all people, knew how awful it was to wonder if someone you cared about was alive or dead, and she wasnt just my roommate. After Jasmine, Delia was my best friend.
You call her or anyone else you know, youre making them a target, Adrian replied coolly. Not many people escape a demonic kidnapping attempt. The ones that do are usually helped by me, so that makes the demons extra mad. By now, minions have combed through every aspect of your life, and theyre waiting for you to connect to someone so they can use that person against you.
Nothing changed in the room, but it suddenly felt smaller, as if the walls were edging toward each other.
Whats the point? They already have my sister, I said, anger and despair sharpening my tone.
Adrian leveled that gemstone stare at me. Right, so dont give them anyone else.
I sat down on what I guessed was my bed, since Adrians duffel bag was on the other. The zipper was open, revealing nothing more sinister than clothes and toiletries. And here Id been so sure about the severed minion heads. I did give the toothbrush a longing look. This motel didnt have those as freebies, and my breath could probably slay a dragon.
Help yourself, Adrian stated, nodding at the bag. Zach packed supplies for both of us.
He didnt need to tell me twice. I went to his bed and began to rummage through the bag. Thanks to his large build, it wasnt hard to distinguish what was meant for Adrian and what was intended for me. The only surprise was that Zach had guessed my size, even on the intimate items.
What kind of angel notices cup size? I muttered under my breath as I added a bra to my pile.
Adrians bark of laughter let me know that Id said it too loud. Zach is nothing if not detail-oriented.
You sound like youve known him a long time, I observed.
His face closed off in a now familiar way. I could let it go, like I had most of the drive here, but I was getting tired of his frequent bouts of silent treatment.
I get that you dont want to be here and you really dont want to talk about whatever it is that you are, but if were going to be fighting demons together, I should at least know more about you.
Adrian walked toward me, a hard little smile twisting his features. Then he bent down until his face was level with mine. His eyes looked even more vivid in the overhead light, and he was so close, I could see that his lashes were dark brown instead of black.
Heres the most important thing you need to know. I hate demons more than you do, so you can trust that Ill help you kill them. But, Ivy harsh laughter brushed my skin in its own caress whatever you do, dont trust me with anything else.
The last time wed been this close, hed had me pinned to his car. He wasnt touching me now, but somehow, his gaze made the moment equally intense. The scary part was, I liked it. Without thinking, I moistened my lips.
His gaze dropped there, and I sucked in a breath at the hunger that flashed across his face. So finding out about my supposed lineage hadnt killed his attraction to me! With that knowledge, things lower down began to tighten. Adrian was maddening, confusing, dangerous...and what would I do if he tried to kiss me?
Suddenly, I saw a blur of motion and then he was gone, the door vibrating from his exit.
I awoke to the wonderful smell of hot, greasy food, and the even more tantalizing aroma of coffee. When I opened my eyes, a bag of McDonalds was on my nightstand. I hadnt heard Adrian leave to get it, but then again, I hadnt heard him come back last night, either. He must have since his bed was mussed, and from the sounds of it, he was now in the shower.
I fell on the food like a starving animal. A candy bar and a small bag of peanuts had been all Id eaten over the past two days. Getting yelled at by multiple gas station attendants after Adrian broke their mirrors hadnt made me want to browse for more substantial fare. After I finished, I quickly put on new clothes, not wanting Adrian to come out while I was half-naked. Things were strange enough between us already.
My necklace snagged on my sweater as I yanked it over my head, reminding me there was one mirror Adrian hadnt smashed yet. Since the shower was still running, I opened the locket, a pang hitting me when I saw my sisters picture on one side and a small mirror on the other.
This way, well always be together, Jasmine had said when shed given it to me the night before I left for college. Shed cried a little then, and I never admitted it, but when I was alone in my room that night, I did, too. Sure, we fought like mad sometimes, but no one was closer to me than Jasmine. With everyone else, I had to keep faking so theyd believe everything was fine. For my parents, it was so they wouldnt worry about me. For my psychologist, it was to avoid more tests or inpatient stays. For my friends and the occasional boyfriend, it was so I wouldnt have to explain things they probably didnt want to understand. With Jaz, I could be myself because whoever that was, she was okay with it.
Nuts, normal, doesnt matter, shed said years ago when I was upset after my psychologist told me I might never be cured. Youre my sister, Ives, so no matter what, were stuck with each other.
As I stared at her picture next to my own reflection, her loss hit me all over again. It took everything I had to hold the tears back. After several hard blinks, her image became less blurry. As I looked at her, I silently made her a promise. No matter what, I will find you. Shed never given up on me. I sure as hell wouldnt give up on her.
Vow made, I could look at her picture without tearing up again. We didnt resemble each other, of course. Jasmine was a blue-eyed blonde like my adoptive parents, and I had hazel eyes and brown hair. My greenish-brown eyes, light skin tone and other markers had caused my pediatrician to speculate that one of my parents had been Caucasian. We guessed the other was Hispanic because that was the nationality of the immigrants whod been unable to flee the tractor-trailer accident, but who knew?