Demons Prefer Blondes (Demons Unleashed #1)(95)
“We’ll see, my dear.” With that, Lamia curled her tail around her, pulling her closer to her slithering body.
“Hurry!” Larissa punctuated her screech with a point of a clawed finger.
Lamia turned her head, a low growl forming deep in her belly. “Bloody hell.”
Curiosity wriggling its way through her, Lucy joined in. Light reflecting against the snow, a car barreled its way down the road. At least 80 miles an hour, easy. Her spirits lifted. Deep in her heart, she knew that car was on its way for her. Rafe was nearby, getting closer by the second.
“I told you love would kick your—”
Deep bone-wracking cold permeated her entire body, freezing her in place. Arctic air swirled and blew around her, slicing into her face. Ice crystals formed in her hair and her lashes. Any colder and her eyes would freeze shut. Thank goodness she didn’t have a runny nose. Talk about snotcicles!
Frost darted across her cheeks and over her face, the ice glazing over her eyes. Headlights dancing and reflecting against the thick sheen. She sucked in a cold, bitter breath. Almost here. Lamia’s iced-over tail still kept her tight in its grasp. Tires squealing and moaning, the car slid to a stop.
“Lucy!” Rafe’s shout echoed through the bitter cold night and throughout her mind.
Lamia’s deep chuckle reverberated through her ears. “Too late!” she shouted as the car doors swung open.
With that, the ice cracked and shattered, the sound screeching in her ears. As if she were swept up in a giant tornado, her body twisted and pulled as the winds sucked her in. A loud pop reverberated, bursting in both her ears. Her eardrums pounded and throbbed as the blood rushed to her head. She used to think flying in an airplane was bad, but this was ten times worse. Spiraling and whooshing through the portal, she had no choice but to let snake-lady tighten her hold.
With a violent gust of air, the portal slammed her forward. Face freezing as wind licked at her cheeks, she kept her eyes closed. This would, no doubt, be messy. Insides squeezing and constricting, she struggled for a breath of air. Her head pounded and her stomach heaved. Would traveling be like this every time? If she managed to survive, she hoped not. Hopefully, if she was lucky, the journey would kill her, and all of Belial’s plans would backfire.
The familiar, gut-wrenching odor of cinnamon intermingling with rotten eggs wafted through the air and straight up her nostrils. Her stomach roiled and bile rose. Saliva, thick and heavy, coated her tongue. Belial, golden mane swirling around his head, stood tall, his beady amber eyes glowing in the darkness. A large, sinister smirk crept across his face.
“Ahh. My bride has arrived.”
Nope, luck wasn’t on her side.
Chapter 27
Rafael raced toward the icy swirls, Lamia’s cackle echoing in his ears. The remaining winds churned and swirled around him—mocking him. The cold snow pelted his face, feeding his despair. With an eerie pop, the portal closed. Lucy was gone.
“?Mierda!” Gerardo flew from the car and came to stand next to him. With a shake of his head, he let out a defeated sigh. “I tried to warn her.”
Rafael blinked. Warn her? He turned to face the Latino, his glare steady. “When?”
“Hmm.” Eyes glazing in thought, Gerardo twirled a bright red feather around his finger. Were there any shirts in this man’s wardrobe that didn’t involve some sort of plumage?
“Before you arrived at the shop,” he finished, his mouth spread in a wide toothy grin. “The day I tried to touch your hair.”
What in all that is holy? “You remember?” Rafael gritted his teeth. Humans never remembered enrapturement. They only remembered the suggestions left. And Rafael had only left Gerardo one. Never touch a demon.
“Oh yes, I remember everything. Including the rather intriguing conversation with Mrs. Carlson. Absolutely fascinating, I may add.” With that, he reached out and patted Rafael’s back. “Mighty impressive Deleon.”
Rafael reached up, grabbed Gerardo’s wrist, and yanked him to face him. “What are you?”
All of a sudden, Gerardo reached out with his other hand and grabbed Rafael’s other wrist. Gaze narrowed, he drew his lips into a straight line. “Not Infernati, so don’t worry about that.” What was it about this town? Never in his four hundred-plus years had he never encountered such a concentration of magical beings. This wasn’t natural.
“Just someone who cares about Lucy.”
Rafael’s grip grew tighter. “This isn’t the time or the place for cryptic banter. Lucy is in danger and I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to her.”
“We are in agreement.” Gerardo’s smile spread from cheek to cheek. He loosened the hold on Rafael’s wrist and raked his fingers through his hair. He smoothed the feathers on his shirt and turned his back to Rafael. “This is what I am.”
Throwing his hands up to the sky, he bowed his head. Bright bursts of energy poured down, showering Gerardo in radiant light. Bloody hell, Rafael had seen that light before. And usually, it meant things were worse than the Paladins knew.
Feathers, as white as the snow spiraling around them, crept from Gerardo’s back, spreading farther and farther across, each plume as thick and fluffy as the last. With a flick of his new grown wings, Gerardo turned to face him. “I can’t show up in public like this, you know.”