Rebel Angel: A Sainted Sinners Novel by Vivian Wood Page B

at the bright sunlight, drawing her hood up further against the invading sun.
    To their left and right the ground trailed out to sandy beaches. Perfect azure water lapped at the shores, the waves just the color of Aurora’s eyes. Before them rose an enormous sandstone wall, a wide opening cut in the stone, beckoning entrance. Above the arched doorway, the word PARADIS was engraved in the wall.
    “Very Tuscan,” Aurora said as she stared up at the wall.
    “Indeed,” Ezra said. “We should go in. Try to be inconspicuous. As quiet as you can, and stay behind me whenever possible.”
    “Of course,” she said rolling her eyes. “Lest we forget your role as my protector.”
    Ezra reached out and snagged her wrist, pulling her close and staring down at her.
    “Don’t forget who you are today,” he said, squeezing her wrist firmly. “You speak when I give you permission. You follow me wherever I go. You eat what I give you, drink from my cup. Do you get my meaning?”
    Aurora’s eyes flashed with annoyance, but she nodded. “Yes.”
    “Just stay out of the way and stay quiet, let’s get in and out as fast as we can with all our limbs intact. Yes?”
    “Fine.”
    Ezra didn’t like the stubborn set of her jaw, but he released her and turned toward the entrance.
    “Aurora,” he said, leading her toward the entrance.
    “Yes?”
    “Try to appear content with having me as your master,” he said, glancing back. “Or you might start getting overtures from other Kith creatures.”
    She paled a little, but Ezra just kept going. His words were true enough, and it would be better if Aurora was at least a little afraid of drawing attention to herself.
    “Onward and upward,” he said, more to himself than to her.
    Ezra strode through the entrance, Aurora right on his heels. Before them, a miniature city spread out for perhaps half a mile. The dusty beige streets and sandstone villas seemed to rise in straight lines, from where Ezra stood all the way up to the topmost building in the city. Aragoth’s personal villa was dead center, if Ezra had to guess.
    With the city laid out on the hill, Ezra could see practically the whole of it from the entrance. Thus, Aragoth could look out from one of his balconies and do the same.
    Smart, especially for a hedonism demon. They weren’t known for their spectacular planning or organizational skills, to say the least.
    Eight smaller villas settled in a circle against the back wall, and below that was a haphazard mishmash of pueblos. In the center was a large and bustling marketplace, just as Aurora had described it.
    Two humans pulled a rickshaw down the main street, heading straight for Ezra and Aurora. He pulled her to the side, ignoring the annoyed glare she shot him. The rickshaw slowed as it passed, giving red-skinned demon inside plenty of time to stare Ezra down.
    Ezra shooed Aurora down the street, ignoring the fact that the rickshaw stopped, the demon standing to watch him as he moved toward the marketplace.
    They walked unheeded for a minute, then two short, froglike demons appeared in Ezra’s path. Three feet tall, slimy green skin, wide warty mouths… except their mouths were filled with razor-sharp teeth.
    “Fallen,” one of them croaked, his voice low and sibilant.
    “Fallen in Paradissssss,” the other agreed, blinking his big yellow eyes. “Why?”
    Ezra heard Aurora’s sharp intake of breath. He caught her hand before she could go for one of her knives.
    “I am a Destroyer,” he said. “Lucifer sent me to cull three souls that are overdue.”
    The two demons made identical burping sounds, looking at each other with alarm.
    “Who Fallen cull?” one asked.
    “Not Rathnu,” the other said, presumably naming himself.
    “No demons, only human souls,” he said, crossing his arms. “One was sent here by Lucifer, for safekeeping. I must go to your dungeons and cull it.”
    “Must see Master,” not-Rathnu said.
    “Master Aragoth,” Rathnu