The Order Boxed Set (67 page)

“What?” she muttered.

He shook his head. “Nothing, Detective.”

“Good.”

“Would you like to take a seat? I can get you some coffee, tea…a double brandy?”

Obviously, she was looking as shell-shocked as she felt. She sniffed and mustered her dignity. “No, thank you. I’ll just wait over here. Come along, Jessica.”

…

Piers Lamont, current head of the Order of the Shadow Accords, glanced up as Asmodai slipped into the room. “You’re late,” he snapped. “And who the fuck invited you anyway?”

“I did.” Christian rose to his feet, probably sensing an imminent fight. Oh goody. Asmodai had been bored recently, restless. This might actually be just the diversion he needed, and with the added incentive of a chance to get close to Tara. After casting him a blatantly disinterested glance as he’d entered, she’d pointedly turned away. She was stubborn. Like him.

“We have representatives from all the main races,” Christian continued, his tone reasonable. “I asked the Demon Council, and I guess this is who they thought most appropriate. And they’re right. Of all of them, he’s the one who has had the most contact with mankind.”

It was strange to hear Christian defending him. At one point Asmodai’s whole existence had focused on destroying the vampire and everyone he loved and cared for. But if his daughter loved him, then Asmodai would put aside his own need for revenge.

Asmodai turned back to Piers. “I’m sure Rosamund is pleased to have me here,” he said and tensed himself for Piers’s attack.

The other man didn’t like him. He hated the idea that Asmodai had had Roz under his protection for centuries. That he’d slept with Roz. Well, maybe not slept, but they’d been lovers a few centuries ago. Asmodai didn’t blame him; he actually thought Piers was showing amazing restraint.

It occurred to him that he’d been celibate for over twenty years, and maybe he was ready for a little recreational fun. Certainly not with Roz, but an image of the detective he’d just met flashed up in his mind and the heat caught fire. How strange.

Roz answered him. “Piss off, Ash.” She turned to Piers. “Ignore him—he’s trying to wind you up.”

Asmodai chuckled. She knew him too well.

“Could we get back to work here?” Piers snarled, showing the tip of one sharp white fang. “Ryan you were saying…?”

Ryan was the Order’s new human-liaison officer. An ex-detective with the metropolitan police, he had inadvertently gotten involved with the Order’s business and been offered a choice: be killed, be mind-fucked, or join them. Not so strangely, he’d decided to join them. He was okay…for a human.

Now he rose to his feet, shoved his hands in his pockets, and scowled. “Let me get this straight,” he said. “You want me to set up meetings with various organizations, government, military, and so on, and see how receptive they are to the somewhat improbable idea of your existence?”

“Yeah,” Piers replied. “That about sums it up.”

Ryan didn’t appear impressed. “You know they might just toss me in the loony bin and throw away the key.”

“If they do, we’ll come and get you out…eventually.” Piers grinned. “But you’re going in as an employee of CR International. That should at least get you a hearing before they fit you for the straitjacket.”

CR International was Christian’s company—set up after he’d left the Order over twenty years ago—and very successful. Propping himself against the wall, Asmodai let the conversation wash over him while he studied Tara. Perhaps his gift would please her.

She hated him. And while she bore no resemblance to him physically, he had quickly discovered that she was as unforgiving as any demon.

“Do I go to these meetings alone?” Ryan asked.

“No,” Piers replied.

“So…?”

Piers looked around the room and a small smile settled on his face. “Asmodai will go with you. He’ll be your partner. He can dress up smart and play nice and human. It will do him good, teach him restraint.”

“Hey, I am smart.” Asmodai peered down at himself. He was dressed pretty much the same as Piers in black leather pants and a black T-shirt, a leather duster coat covering him almost to the ankles.

“Right,” Ryan said. “I’m going in there with a fucking demon. Great. Just great.”

“It could be worse,” Asmodai replied. “You could be going in there with a fucking fairy.”

“Good point,” Ryan murmured.

“And at least I blend in a little,” Asmodai pointed out. “I mean, I could have worn my sword if I’d wanted to look like a total asshole.”

Everyone turned to the Walker, who shrugged. The Walker was a fae assassin as well as an asshole. While Asmodai could pass for human if he made the effort—albeit a pretty scary human—the fae never tried to blend in. The Walker looked like he was wearing fancy dress, in tight pants, long boots, and a sword at his side. Dickhead.

Asmodai forced down his revulsion. The world was changing. His people knew that and the old hatreds had to be set aside. At least until they had sorted out the new and growing threat of what to do about mankind.

“Can you do that mind-wiping thing like these two?” Ryan nodded toward Christian and Piers.

“Not quite the same but something similar. Enough to stop you from getting thrown in the loony bin if things go bad.”

“Great.”

“Okay,” Piers said. “The other things we need to talk about are angels.”

“Do we have to?” Roz muttered.

A month ago, they had discovered that Roz was quarter angel. Angels hated any beings with mixed blood. They knew of Roz’s existence and wanted her dead. The Order was breaking the rules by not handing Roz over, and war could erupt at any moment.

“Have any been seen?” Piers asked.

“Not so far,” Asmodai said. “But there’s a rumor that Raphael is on the move.”

“Shit,” Piers said.

“Maybe you should take Roz and go away,” the Walker suggested.

“Hide?” Piers sounded as though he didn’t know the meaning of the word. But he paused, obviously thinking about the option. As far as Asmodai was aware, the vampire had never had someone he cared for before. It was a whole different mind-set and while he was sure Piers wouldn’t hide for his own safety, he was obviously considering it for Roz. “Not yet. We’ve sent messages asking to talk. We’ll wait until we hear back. That should at least mean they won’t zap us without warning.”

“Good luck with that,” Asmodai said.

Maybe now was the time to hand over his present. He pushed himself away from the wall and took a step toward Tara. She’d been talking in a low voice to Christian, but she glanced his way with a vaguely hostile expression in her clear green eyes. Okay, maybe the “vaguely” was wishful thinking on his part—definitely hostile.

As he came to a halt in front of her, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the talisman. “I have a present for you,” he said.

Tara eyed the jewel as though it might reach across and bite her.

“What is it?” Christian asked.

“A talisman. It will protect my daughter against the white fire of the angels.”

“Give it to Roz,” Tara said. “She needs it more than me.”

Asmodai shook his head. “The white fire won’t harm Roz—her angel blood will protect her. They’ll have to find another way to kill her. But you’re half demon—the fire would burn you.”

“Take it,” Christian urged.

She peered at it dubiously. “Why don’t you keep it?”

Christ, she was suspicious. “I can take care of myself. The fire won’t kill me.”

Piers took a step closer. “But I’m betting it will hurt. And that would protect you?” He nodded at the talisman. “It must be potent stuff. I thought only the blood of Lucifer could protect from angelfire.”

Asmodai shrugged. “I did a deal.”

“Really?” Piers studied him for a moment. “Take your coat off.”

“You want me to strip? Kinky.”

“Just do it.”

Asmodai sighed. He knew where Piers was heading with this and while he didn’t want to go along, it might be for the best. He couldn’t speak of the sigil, that was part of the binding spell, but he could show it, and they would no doubt understand.

He shrugged out of his coat and tossed it on a nearby chair.

Piers studied him for a moment. “And the shirt.”

Asmodai unbuckled the shoulder holster and dropped it on top of the coat, then pulled his T-shirt over his head. Piers stepped closer and examined the sigil, which twined around his upper arm like an intricate tattoo.

“Hey, it’s like that thing Roz had,” Ryan said.

“A demon’s sigil. And not any demon—Lucifer’s.” Piers studied him out of narrowed eyes. “Shit, you indebted yourself to fucking Lucifer. Are you a total fucking asshole?”

“Hey, he’s a mate,” Asmodai said. “He’s not going to ask anything I don’t want to do.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Don’t believe all the bad press. Nobody’s all evil, just as nobody is all good.” He held out the talisman again and this time Tara took it, though her fingers shook slightly. As she lifted it over her head, he released his breath in a sigh.

“One more thing. If all else fails, break it. And he’ll come to your aid—but one time only.”

“Aw, what a sweet gesture,” Piers murmured. “The perfect gift: a visit from Lucifer. What more could a girl want from her daddy?”

The light twinkled on the black jewel, revealing glints of crimson in the dark depths, and Asmodai had a moment of foreboding. He hoped he was telling the truth and his old mate Lucifer wouldn’t ask for anything he didn’t want to give, because things could get downright nasty.

His new partner was staring at the sigil an expression of horror on his face as though it came from the devil himself—which of course it had.

The meeting was obviously over. He pulled on his shirt and buckled on the holster, while the others wandered from the room leaving him with Ryan. He threw himself down on the black leather sofa and rested his arms along the back. “Actually, now that we’re alone, I have a message for you.”

“You do?” Ryan sounded wary.

“There’s a Detective Faith Connelly in reception.”

“There is? Shit.”

“Well, she was there as I came in, and she didn’t look like she was about to leave without seeing you.”

Ryan ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends. Releasing a sigh, he picked up the phone on the desk. “Graham? Is Detective Connelly still there? Let me talk to her.” He tapped his fingers on the desk as he waited. “Faith, how are you?”

He listened while she spoke.

“She’s here with you now? That’s unfortunate because Roz isn’t around. I’m not sure who told you I was working with her, but—”

Obviously, she cut him off. Ryan gave a reluctant smile at whatever she said.

“I’ll see if I can get hold of her, but I’m not promising anything. Give me a few minutes.”

He put the phone down and stood up, paced the room a couple of times. Asmodai waited for him to speak. In the end, he went back and punched a number in the phone. “Graham, can you see if Roz is still in the building?”

He paced some more.

“So who is Faith?” Asmodai said. “Nice name by the way.”

“My ex-partner from the force.”

When no more was forthcoming, Asmodai rose to his feet. “And what does she want? Come on, we’re partners now, tell me what’s going on. Is this woman going to be a problem?” He curled his lips into a smile. “You want me to sort her out?”

Asmodai had no intention of “sorting out” Ryan’s ex-partner. Well, maybe he did—just not as Ryan no doubt imagined. But he was interested in what she meant to Ryan and, from the alarm that flashed across Ryan’s face, he and this Faith must be close.

“No, I don’t want you to sort her out. I don’t want you anywhere near her.”

“So what does she want?”

Ryan sighed. “She’s still working on the murder case—the girl Jack killed.”

Jack had been a renegade vampire in league with Andarta, a mad bitch of a demoness intent on taking over the world. Piers had killed him but not before Jack had left a few dead bodies littered about the place for the human cops to find.

“And…?” he prompted when Ryan remained silent.

“There was a second girl. Roz helped me find her before she was killed. Now she’s asking to talk to the woman who found her. Faith is hoping she might remember something else. Anyway, she’s downstairs in reception with Faith.”

“Why did she bring her here?”

“That’s what I don’t understand. Apparently, someone told her I was now working with Roz, but she wouldn’t tell me any more until we meet.”

The phone rang. He picked it up and listened, before placing it down again. “Roz is still here. She’s meeting us in reception.”

Asmodai shrugged. “So let’s go find out what your ex-partner knows and get rid of her.”

“What do you mean ‘get rid of’?” Ryan asked.

“You have such a suspicious mind, Detective. I mean, tell her something that will satisfy her, and send her on her way.”

“You don’t know Faith,” Ryan muttered. “Only the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, will satisfy her.”

“You sound as though you admire her?”

“She’s a good detective. She’s tenacious, like a dog with a bone—she’ll keep worrying. And for some reason this murder meant something to her.”

“Maybe we should get Christian to deal with her.”

“Deal with her how?” Ryan sounded suspicious again.

“He can see what she knows, then wipe out anything that might be a problem”

“I’m not having Christian do any of that vampire shit on Faith. Besides, there’s something else. The girl—Jessica—Roz saved her life, but more than that, she saved her sanity. And if Jess is hurting now, maybe Roz can help her again.”

Asmodai didn’t think that was the number-one priority here—humans had always been expendable—but didn’t want to disillusion his new partner so soon. “Okay, we do this your way, but if your friend knows too much, we call Christian in. It doesn’t hurt and does no permanent damage.”

Ryan glared. “No ‘mind-fucking’ unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

At least he was considering that it might be necessary. There was one other option. “What about we offer her a job? I know they’d like more humans on the team and if you’ve worked with this woman, trust her…”