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"Kye and I just happen to be in need of a good fight Stay as long as you want"

That was the thing with the Harpies They ht irritate him, but they always had his back Even better, they were a Bianka and Kaia into a dangerous situation--while they were drunk--was a guaranteed way of earning the ire of Lysander and every Lord of the Underworld

"Thank you, but we’ll be gone within the hour"

"Dude, you are soout on the best nunchuck skills ever, but whatever I offered, and that’s all I can do--before I pretend you never spoke and do exactly what I want" He heard footsteps, a grumbled "Save some wine for

He re lifelessly to the floor The disgusting creature must have opened the urn and touched what it contained inside, the essentia instantly absorbing into his skin

Zacharel misted his hand, reached inside the creature’s chest and--yes, felt the warainst his pal out of the demon’s shell

For a ht he’d done this to his brother Just as before, he held tight, and when he pulled his hand free, so…as left of his brother Will not react

Before a single drop could absorb into his body, he commanded the cloud to produce an urn He scraped the riertip to elbow, until every bead had fallen into the container After sealing the lid, he shoved the urn into a hidden pocket of air Angels and deain

Zacharel turned his attention to Annabelle He cleaned her up, bandaged her wounds and dressed her in a warm, fur-lined robe All the while, emotions threatened to overwhelm him More of the shame, more of the fury, helplessness and hopelessness He couldn’t iine what had been done to her, to turn her into this Even when a demon possessed a human’s body, the appearance of that human was never altered

Annabelle was a deht as a wave of possessive heat h hio, at the e her So…what did that leave? Not that he minded her appearance She had been beautiful before, but she was equally beautiful now She was simply his Annabelle But she would be bothered, and he could not bear that

Zacharel eased beside her and traced his thuh left her as she leaned into his touch She ht do the opposite when she awoke, and turn away from him She would remember what he’d done to her, how he’d hurt her She would probably run from him

He sed back a roar of denial If she wanted to run from him, he would have to let her He could never atone for what he’d done to her Never But he could follow and protect her for the rest of his days If thatup his place in the heavens, so be it

She would have to be an important part of his life, Haidee had said

She was Far more important than his job, his home

Unable to stop himself, he touched her nohile he could, and the more he stroked her, the an to heal and her scales began to dis withered, finally disappearing from view

His human Annabelle was back Hohy, he didn’t know, but he offered up a prayer of thanks, anyway, so sounded behind hi his sword

Lucien, the Lord of the Underworld possessed by Death, held up his hands, paled over his forehead, and his lips curved down, a thick, jagged scar bisecting one corner "Whoa there, angel I coue dripped froistering when it vanished Urgency battered hih Burden’s secrets The high lord you’re looking for, the one who claiiveness The nah his"I have never fought him" Had heard of him, yes Who hadn’t? The baddest of the bad, the worst of the worst Zacharel had hunted him the few times he’d heard the deiveness ed to hide before his arrival

"Thank you," he said to Lucien, already relaying the infored to capture three more minions, Thane said inside his iveness

Lucien inclined his head in acknowledgment "You’re welcoether again" With that, the warrior disappeared

Zacharel bundled Annabelle in the blanket fro to draw the de up and lashing out at anyone but hiive ive myself?

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

ANNABELLE AWOKE WITH A JOLT, jerking upright She was panting, sweat running down her chest and back in rivulets The ued her She had becoht Zacharel

Zacharel

With his name came a burst of dread she couldn’t explain, but knew she was supposed to taht

What was? The eaze darted around She was in another hotel room, alone I should run I have to run She didn’t question the thought, just threw her legs over the side of the bed Before she could unfold to a stand, Zacharel appeared in front of her, his expression unreadable