Demons Like It Hot (Demons Unleashed #2)(7)
But what if it was something else? What if she was a demon too? Then again, from the conversations she’d heard between Rafe and Lucy, only those demons who’d been blessed could sense that hideous odor. Did that mean she was blessed? Was she a Paladin and didn’t know it or was she just a freak of nature? The way her life seemed to be going, it was safe to believe the latter.
“Earth to Serah.” Lucy pushed her lips together and slammed her hands to her waist. “So have you had any new revelations?”
Revelations? Ha. From the looks of it, that’s where they were heading. Hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes. Oh my, was this the end? She hoped not. She had a helluva lot of stuff on her bucket list. Saving the world from herself was not on that list.
“Nothing new, unfortunately. Like I said a million times, you’ll be the first to know when I do.”
“If Kalli doesn’t pick it up on her radar first.”
Kalli and her radar. Oh, Serah knew it wasn’t a real radar, but it still impressed her just the same. Anywhere in Connolly Park there was some sort of demonic activity, Kalli was there to either kick ass or clean up. Quite impressive.
“Trust me. Kalli’s radar won’t see any unauthorized demons here.”
“And I never expected demons to destroy my salon, either.”
“But—”
A blast of cold air slammed into Serah, swirling and churning as ice crystals danced in the air. Fog rolled up and filled the office. Goose bumps bubbled up, making the hairs at the back of her neck stand at attention. If she didn’t know better, she’d think the AC was on the fritz. But she knew that the churning ice and fog meant something else—Rafe was on his way. And from the size of the ice storm brewing in her office, he wasn’t alone.
“Get out of the way, Serah. You’re standing in Rafe’s poof space.”
Poofing was what Lucy called Peragrans. Apparently it was Latin for traveling. Now Latin, a language Serah thought was dead, reared its ugly head. She never was any good at it in Catholic school. Lucy, on the other hand, could speak and read it better than those holier than thou nuns. And she didn’t even need to study.
“Is it always like this?” Serah asked, frost rolling from her mouth. Ice sliced through the air. Winds gusted and spun around them. She caught her breath and pushed her way to the corner of the room. She’d never seen a Peragrans before, only heard Lucy’s stories. Lucy only traveled once and said that was enough for her. Being only half-demon, it really sucked all the energy from her. For Rafe, and many full-blood demons, though, it barely affected them.
“Not usually. I’ve never seen a double poof before.” Lucy yanked at the pink sweater clinging to her curvy form. Dark blonde hair whipping in the wind, she steadied herself. Well at least Serah wasn’t the only one affected by the winter storm brewing in her office.
“I know it’s almost December, but isn’t this a little strange?”
Lucy managed a chuckle, despite the ice pelting her face. “Sorry, but that word is no longer in my vocabulary, along with weird, f*cked up, and a few others.”
“Point made,” Serah gasped out.
Ice and snow still spun as two bulky figures formed in front of her eyes. Winds whipped and wound around, and the frost bit at her skin. She pulled her arms closer in an attempt to keep warm, but the cold remained relentless, surrounding her, slicing into her chef’s jacket.
The winds died down. Ice and snow drifted and melted away. The bitter cold evaporated into the mists. All that remained were two ice-covered hunks. All the descriptions Lucy had given her in the past few months did not compare to the volatile beauty she saw. Sure it may have been cold enough to freeze off an extremity or two, but fascinating just the same.
With a flick of his head, Rafe flung ice and frost from his hair. Dusting off the leather jacket that clung to his every muscle, he let his silver eyes gaze around the room. Spotting Lucy, a wide smile arched his lips. Even though he tried to hide it with all his pomp and pride, he was a man in love. And there wasn’t anyone but Lucy worthy of that love.
Just like that, Serah’s dreams of a spinster sisterhood went up in smoke.
Then it happened. The other hulk shook the ice from his thick, massive body. Any words she wanted to speak died on her lips. Her breath caught. Her heart thumped. She could only stare. Then his gaze met hers. Eyes the color of the darkest onyx burned into her, sending shivers racing from her head down to her toes. Not because it was cold, but something else. Something dangerous.
Biceps flexing, he flung the remaining chunks of ice from his short, light brown hair. A well-chiseled chin under a pair of strong, yet unsmiling, lips. Wonderful. Another demon with an attitude. But there was something about this demon that unnerved her. No hint of Infernati scent lingered in the air, yet her senses were on full alarm.
“Where are we?” His voice, deep and baritone, hit her like a brick. Her breath caught again. Her legs turned to mush. What the heck was happening? What was the deal with this Adonis standing in the middle of her office?
“Serah’s office, it appears.” Rubbing fingers against the stubble on his chin, Rafe scanned the room. “Don’t tell me there was another incident.”
Arching an eyebrow, Lucy flashed a wary glance at Serah. “No imps or demons involved this time, fortunately. I wish I knew what was going on.” She glanced at the man and back to Rafe. “So everything’s been arranged?”