Embraced (The Eternal Balance #2)(15)

She made a show of straightening her shirt then turned back to the tarp. With a snap of her fingers, the whole pile disappeared, along with the remaining mess in the room. The couch and carpet were spotless, and the splatters decorating the walls and the ceiling were gone. Even the glass was back in place. I did my best to hide my surprise. I hadn’t dealt with other witches, but if they were all as powerful as Sadie, they could give the demons a run for their money.

I doubted there was anything I could do to persuade Chase to remove the cuff. Other than doing what he wanted, anyway. But having her track him down would provide a failsafe. I’d kill him if I had to. Fuck the rest of the world. Let hell come. Sam was all that mattered to me. “Do it.”

“I’ll work my magic.” She limped toward the door and paused with her hand on the knob. “No promises though. In the meantime, you should probably lay low. Fakori cuffs, whatever their individual purposes are, are dangerous.”



Sam insisted that Sadie ward Kelly’s house before leaving. I wouldn’t admit it, but it was a good idea. Sam had gone over, introduced her as a friend, and kept her aunt busy while Sadie did what she needed to. After that, we’d each packed a bag and gotten in Rick’s old car. It was almost nine in the morning when we pulled up outside the Inferno.

I parked in front of the bar and killed the engine. Sam hadn’t said a word since we’d left the house. She’d spent the entire drive staring down at her wrist. The demon got frustrated when she was upset. Sometimes downright violent. I felt it welling up and clenched my fists tight to keep from smashing them against the dashboard.

“We’ll figure this out.” I unfastened the seat belt and got out of the car as she did, hurrying to the door of the bar. When I pulled on the handle, it didn’t open. The place was dark.

“Not a good sign.” Sam cupped her hands against the glass to peer inside. The smallest flutter of gray rose from her shoulders, sticking out against the still swirling muck of her emotions. “He’s always here.”

“Well, he’s not right now.” No need to upset her further by telling her I’d already tried the Inferno on the way home last night. Or that Heckle still hadn’t returned the messages I’d left, and his cell phone voicemail was now full. I tugged her away from the building. “Let’s go. I don’t want to stand out in the open.”

“Hey there,” someone said as we started walking back to the car.

I turned. The man was tall, with a lean but sturdy build and odd green eyes. The expression on his face bothered me. It was too warm. Eager, almost. But that wasn’t what put Azi on alert. Every human had colors. Happy, sad, horny, or pissed—they were always there, even if only as the faintest waves rising to tint the air around their shoulders. This guy? There was nothing. Not a wisp in sight. He smelled wrong, too, and I couldn’t peg it. Not a demon. Not human. A creature I’d never seen before. “Not interested,” I said, taking Sam’s hand and sidestepping him.

“You here to see Heckle?” the guy called.

I had every intention of getting into the car and moving on, but Sam stopped and turned. “You know where he is?”

The guy smiled at her. Beamed like the f*cking sun. It made me want to put my fist through the back of his head. “He’s tied up at the moment, but I know where he is. I can take you if you’d like.”

Sam looked from him to me, expression hopeful, and I snorted. “No,” I said to her, teetering on the edge of anger. The sun was just cresting the buildings, and the Monday morning traffic was starting to increase.

“We need to find him,” she said, leaning close. A surge of gray rolled off her.

I looked from her to the guy. Still no sign of emotion. “What are you?” I asked, maneuvering myself between him and Sam. “’Cause you sure as shit ain’t human.”

The guy laughed. Not annoyed or defensive. Amused. The f*cker thought it was funny. “No, I’m definitely not a human.” He looked back toward the Inferno and laughed. “I doubt there are many humans who know Heckle personally.”

“That didn’t answer his question,” Sam said.

Finally she was getting the picture.

“You truly don’t know?” he asked, taking a step toward us. Eyes on mine, he smiled.

“Not a human.” Sam tilted her head. “You don’t look like the Easter Bunny. So, what are you?”

“An interested party,” he replied, that same twisted smile on his face. Azi shifted, and a flash hit me like a sucker punch to the nuts—two hulking forms, their shadows looming against an unfamiliar battlefield.

“His eyes,” Sam said with a gasp.

Her voice pulled me from the vision. The man’s eyes were black as night. “A demon,” I whispered, stunned. I inhaled, breathing in my surroundings. Sewage. Old garbage. Car exhaust. Sam. That was all. Not right. That couldn’t be right. Demons had a scent. They had colors. It was unmistakable and impossible to hide.

I took Sam’s hand and tugged her close. The thing’s gaze followed, staying locked on our intertwined fingers. It laughed again, but it was different. Sharp and dangerous. Predatory.

It reminded me…of me.

“You got me. I’m a demon.” It motioned over its shoulder to a dark SUV parked a few storefronts down. “I can take you where you need to go.”