can participate more in our patrols and operations—if you’d like that."
He paused, but Darian and the other two didn’t say a word.
"I know you’re excellent natural fighters," Jake added, "but I can teach you things. Techniques. Ways that humans think, ways they’re likely to act. It’ll make you more effective in combat with any human foe." He cleared his throat. "Again, if you’re interested."
The Astaroths remained silent for what felt like a very long time. The afternoon sunlight kept playing havoc with Jake’s thoughts, as if it could grab hold of his soul, yank out his wings, and propel him out that window to fly for hours, days, weeks—
No!
By the time he caught himself, he was halfway to translucent.
Shit. I never lose control like this. What the hell is happening to me?
Was it the Astaroths? Being so close to his own kind? Pain stabbed at his temples, and he was actually glad for it. It pinned him to Earth, made his human form real and whole again. Jake breathed slowly, steadying himself as Darian nodded.
"We have desired to work with you, Leader, but we believed you did not truly wish to be near us."
Darian’s expression remained nearly vacant, but Jake knew he had to look shocked as hell.
Leader?
What is that about?
"By your leave, we will work with you on mornings you’re free, and any day it rains." Darian managed an expression that approximated a smile. "Afternoons like this," he lifted his hand toward the open doors as he reassumed his full Astaroth form, "weren’t meant to be spent indoors or on the ground."
Voices drifted through the library, and Jake heard people enter the room behind him. For a moment, Darian, Jared, and Quince remained visible. Then Darian’s eyes narrowed and his lips pulled back again. This time the demon did hiss—and all three Astaroths vanished.
Poof. Gone.
Air rushed past Jake’s face.
"The Astaroths have left the building," he muttered as he turned to face Freeman, Merilee, Delilah Moses—and behind Delilah, the goddamned drifting, empty-eyed image of his mother. Wearing that goddamned red dress.
Jake’s heart stuttered. He tried to swallow, but found his throat paper-dry and too tight to work properly.
He tore his eyes away from Delilah and the psychotic ghost-bitch, and his gaze landed directly on Merilee, who was standing beside them. She was dressed in a loose-fitting shirt and pants, and he figured she had been meditating or doing yoga in the basement gym.
Shit, but the thought of how she looked when she stretched, of her lithe, flexible body in various yogic poses, almost destroyed him on the spot. As it was, the way her flowing shirt draped against her breasts and the way those silky warm-ups hung at her hips absolutely pummeled Jake’s rational thought process.
Her sea-blue eyes stole his ability to move. Run away. Fly into the sky like Darian and the others.
Why did I get up today?
Why the fuck did I ever come here?
Freeman was talking, and Jake wanted to slam his fists against the sides of his own head to knock sense back into his brain.
"Did you hear me?" Freeman sounded delighted as he pointed to the open terrace doors. "I said great job. They were talking to you, weren’t they? You got somewhere. I swear those three—they’re weird. They’re different from the other Astaroths we’ve dealt with, just like—"
He broke off, and streaks of red flared across his cheeks.
"Yeah," Jake said. "I know what you mean. It’s okay."
Merilee’s gaze was fixed on the open terrace doors. "They’re like beautiful wild spirits that need to be tamed."
Her voice traveled all over Jake’s body like warm fingers—but her words made him twitch.
Wild spirits and taming.
Does she like them?
Do they like her?
He had a sudden image of killing Darian in their first training session. Accidentally separating his longhaired head from his scrawny pale shoulders.
Leader, my ass.
Jake had to grind his teeth to bring himself back to
He paused, but Darian and the other two didn’t say a word.
"I know you’re excellent natural fighters," Jake added, "but I can teach you things. Techniques. Ways that humans think, ways they’re likely to act. It’ll make you more effective in combat with any human foe." He cleared his throat. "Again, if you’re interested."
The Astaroths remained silent for what felt like a very long time. The afternoon sunlight kept playing havoc with Jake’s thoughts, as if it could grab hold of his soul, yank out his wings, and propel him out that window to fly for hours, days, weeks—
No!
By the time he caught himself, he was halfway to translucent.
Shit. I never lose control like this. What the hell is happening to me?
Was it the Astaroths? Being so close to his own kind? Pain stabbed at his temples, and he was actually glad for it. It pinned him to Earth, made his human form real and whole again. Jake breathed slowly, steadying himself as Darian nodded.
"We have desired to work with you, Leader, but we believed you did not truly wish to be near us."
Darian’s expression remained nearly vacant, but Jake knew he had to look shocked as hell.
Leader?
What is that about?
"By your leave, we will work with you on mornings you’re free, and any day it rains." Darian managed an expression that approximated a smile. "Afternoons like this," he lifted his hand toward the open doors as he reassumed his full Astaroth form, "weren’t meant to be spent indoors or on the ground."
Voices drifted through the library, and Jake heard people enter the room behind him. For a moment, Darian, Jared, and Quince remained visible. Then Darian’s eyes narrowed and his lips pulled back again. This time the demon did hiss—and all three Astaroths vanished.
Poof. Gone.
Air rushed past Jake’s face.
"The Astaroths have left the building," he muttered as he turned to face Freeman, Merilee, Delilah Moses—and behind Delilah, the goddamned drifting, empty-eyed image of his mother. Wearing that goddamned red dress.
Jake’s heart stuttered. He tried to swallow, but found his throat paper-dry and too tight to work properly.
He tore his eyes away from Delilah and the psychotic ghost-bitch, and his gaze landed directly on Merilee, who was standing beside them. She was dressed in a loose-fitting shirt and pants, and he figured she had been meditating or doing yoga in the basement gym.
Shit, but the thought of how she looked when she stretched, of her lithe, flexible body in various yogic poses, almost destroyed him on the spot. As it was, the way her flowing shirt draped against her breasts and the way those silky warm-ups hung at her hips absolutely pummeled Jake’s rational thought process.
Her sea-blue eyes stole his ability to move. Run away. Fly into the sky like Darian and the others.
Why did I get up today?
Why the fuck did I ever come here?
Freeman was talking, and Jake wanted to slam his fists against the sides of his own head to knock sense back into his brain.
"Did you hear me?" Freeman sounded delighted as he pointed to the open terrace doors. "I said great job. They were talking to you, weren’t they? You got somewhere. I swear those three—they’re weird. They’re different from the other Astaroths we’ve dealt with, just like—"
He broke off, and streaks of red flared across his cheeks.
"Yeah," Jake said. "I know what you mean. It’s okay."
Merilee’s gaze was fixed on the open terrace doors. "They’re like beautiful wild spirits that need to be tamed."
Her voice traveled all over Jake’s body like warm fingers—but her words made him twitch.
Wild spirits and taming.
Does she like them?
Do they like her?
He had a sudden image of killing Darian in their first training session. Accidentally separating his longhaired head from his scrawny pale shoulders.
Leader, my ass.
Jake had to grind his teeth to bring himself back to
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