Demon Bound by Meljean Brook

accurate.”
    â€œWe need to have a movie night,” Charlie said as she took the seat next to Drifter. “We’ll set it up at my place.” She glanced at Jake. “Maybe Pim and Becca would like to come up from San Francisco.”
    â€œYeah. They probably would.” The movie wouldn’t be a novelty for the other novices, but going anywhere but Caelum or the Special Investigations warehouse would be.
    He looked up, spotted the bronzed-skinned Guardian walking into the lounge wearing a pair of loose pants and a button-down shirt, his black hair shorn almost as short as Jake’s. The Doyen. Jake nodded a greeting, got a nod in return.
    Charlie went over to Michael with a wide smile before going up on her toes to kiss his cheek. The Guardian had to bend down—though not as much as when Charlie kissed Drifter. “Michael.”
    Alice paused for an infinitesimal second with her wineglass at her lips. No wonder. The Doyen was even less sociable than the Black Widow was; but considering that Michael and Charlie had had some connection when they’d jumped to Hell the last spring, Jake wasn’t completely surprised.
    He was surprised by the way Michael seemed to avoid looking at Alice. Not ignoring her, exactly—but when he said his greetings, he moved a little faster past her than he did everyone else.
    Finally, he looked at Charlie again. “Your sister is well?”
    It wasn’t, Jake knew, just a polite question. Charlie’s sister, Jane, was engaged to the demon Sammael. No one at the table had slain him yet—and thanks to a bargain, Drifter couldn’t slay him—primarily because the demon was also bound to leave any Guardians that Charlie cared about alone.
    But since Sammael also headed Legion Laboratories, and the organization protected and employed many of Belial’s demons, Michael kept tabs on Jane.
    Charlie gave a half smile, and shrugged. “She’s all right. You know.”
    Yeah. Way to bring a girl down at her party. At least he wasn’t the only dick, then.
    Michael smiled slightly. “I do. I’ve brought this for you.”
    At first Jake thought it was a Scroll—one of the texts from the Caelum archives. But it was a rolled-up sheet of music, instead. An original composition of some kind—and by a guy Jake hadn’t heard of but who was apparently good enough that Charlie was half in tears.
    Okay, so he was still the only dick.
    Alice was smiling, too, until she looked from Charlie to the Doyen. “Michael,” she said, and her lips firmed, her spine stiffened. “I fear the Marrakech Gate might have been found out.”
    He inclined his head. “I will warn the others.”
    â€œAnd,” she said in a lower tone, “I have been contacted by one of Belial’s demons. It would be useful to me if I could learn more about the prophecy.”
    â€œI see.” He looked to Drifter. “If you have anything more to share with Alice, you may feel free to do so.”
    â€œAll right,” Drifter said, frowning a little at her.
    â€œThank you. I must go; I wish you all well. Charlie, congratulations.” Michael turned and left, and a moment later Jake felt the light touch of the Doyen’s teleporting Gift.
    Jake resisted the urge to shake his head. The Doyen made jumping look easy, but he was God-knew-how-old.
    â€œCount me in on that movie night—and I’ll bring the novices up from San Francisco,” Selah said, rising from her chair. “Lucas and I have to go as well, Charlie. Does anyone need a ride?”
    Irena shook her head. Alice looked to Jake.
    â€œMay I impose on you after I speak with Ethan?”
    â€œBumpy,” he reminded her.
    Selah’s cupid’s-bow mouth curved. “It might help if you teleported with your eyes open.”
    â€œI do—so that I can see what’s coming at me. They’re just closed when I