Duncan's Descent by Marie Harte

and the current idiots in heaven and hell. I call them the balance brothers. It pisses them off.”
    Sapphira frowned. “But they’re angels.”
    He shrugged, settling his arm behind her on the couch. “Technically, I suppose they are. But their goal is to keep peace throughout our existence. So, in reality, they’re referees in black and white shirts, keeping us, the black, and you, the white, in line.”
    â€œYou talk about black and white, but a lot of what you do is really in the gray.”
    He nodded, delighted that she seemed to truly understand him. “As is what you do. For the past few days, you’ve put souls in my hands, effectively giving them to hell. Doesn’t it strike you as odd that Uriel gave you a list of sways who definitely belong to the lower realm?”
    She pulled out the crumpled list from her back pocket and stared at it. “I did think it a little weird. That or I’m the suckiest Decision maker this side of heaven.”
    â€œWe’ve yet to determine your ‘suckiness’,” he teased, suddenly intent on her mouth. “But I’ve no problem getting to that.”
    â€œDuncan.”
    â€œMy point is that you’re being tested. I’m almost certain.”
    â€œTested?” She looked puzzled, and then as if a light had turned on inside her head, she blanched. “Ah, no. Not tested. Uriel knows I’ll do what I’ve set out to do.” Nerves rang in her voice, and he wondered what she was keeping from him. Guilt seemed to work better on her than anything, so he applied some of his finest acting.
    â€œSapphira?” He frowned. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
    â€œNot a thing.” Yet she wouldn’t meet his eyes, and he knew. His angel had been lying again. He couldn’t have been more pleased.
    â€œI thought we were friends. Friend and lovers, and something more,” he said quietly, willing her to trust him.
    Her head shot up, and she stared at him, tears making her eyes look like pools of amber. “I meant to tell you before. That I wasn’t going to go through with it.”
    â€œWith what?”
    â€œUriel sent me with you to…”
    â€œTo what, Sapphira?” he encouraged in a soft, hurt-sounding voice.
    She sniffed, and he wanted to grin his triumph. For all that his angel could lie, cheat and yes, steal, she was still a softie at heart. “He wanted me to push you to Ascend.”
    Of all the things he’d expected to hear, that hadn’t been one of them. “ What? ”
    â€œTo Ascend,” she repeated, a fat tear running down her cheek.
    Duncan couldn’t help it. He broke out into laughter and leaned back on the couch.
    â€œDuncan? You’re not mad?”
    When he could contain his mirth, he sat up and wiped his eyes. “Hell no, I’m not mad. Come on, Sapphira. You didn’t honestly think you could sway me .”
    She flushed, but the guilty look in her eyes faded under a sweep of anger. “Yes, I honestly did think I could sway you. That is, until I realized how incredibly large your ego is, almost as big as your fat head.”
    He chuckled again and sought her hand, only to have her bat him away. “Don’t be mad, honey. It’s just that Uriel’s been trying to turn me since I hit my sixteenth birthday. And I’m sorry, but just because my mother’s human and my father’s fallendoesn’t mean squat. I’m a demon. Pure and simple. And I like being a demon.”
    â€œYou do?”
    â€œHell, yeah. It’s my job to hang out in the Ordinary. To eat, drink and be merry.” He eyed her breasts and mouth, and his grin widened. “Honey, I do damned good work for the good of Creation, and I’m rewarded for it on a daily basis. What isn’t there to like?”
    She gnawed on her lip, and he had a moment of empathy, realizing she couldn’t possibly