Her Black Heart (The Dark Amulet Series Book 2) (5 page)

CHAPTER

TWELVE

Julia

This is so weird.

Julia sat on the edge of the bed she’d shared with a demon. A
demon
. And not some ordinary dastard but an unbelievably hot one. She looked over her shoulder. Aza was still asleep, his large, muscular body curled around a pillow. Good God, he was tightly ripped.

Julia thought about how he looked the first time she’d seen him in the woods all those years ago. His skin had been red then. She remembered their conversation perfectly from the second meeting ten years ago, right before school had let out for summer vacation and they’d finished up a brief unit on Greek Mythology. She’d dumbly hoped Aza was the god, Pan, a forest dwelling musician. Her mind left out the part of the imp being a womanizer. However, at eight years old, she wasn’t thinking about that.

“I know who you are,” she said.

“You do?”

“Yeah, you’re Pan. The god of—”

“No I’m not, go away.”

“Uh huh, I’ve been reading about you in school.”

“Doubt you’ve read about…me!”

“I-I’m not s-scared of you, Pan.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about; I’m not this Pan you’re—”

“Yes you are,” she crossed her arms, “goat feet, furry legs, only…where do you keep your pan flute?”

“Pan? Flute?”

“What’s that around your neck? It’s pretty.”

Then her mother came and ruined everything. Luckily for Julia, Aza left his magic amulet as a present for her. Now he wanted the necklace back so it could be destroyed. She wasn’t going to let that happen, but first she needed him to help her get the token back. By now, Maurice might already have possession of it. She ran her hands down her face.

The demon groaned and sat up abruptly.

“Bad dream?” she asked.

He huffed and cupped his junk with one hand, clearly annoyed by his morning stiffness. “I’m fine, Julia. Just forgot where I was for a moment.”

“What’s it like, your world?” She wrapped the sheet around her torso better before turning to face him properly.

He looked down. “I can’t talk to you like this, right now.” Aza stood and shook his legs out. He perched on the edge of the mattress.

He had an amazing ass.

She smirked at herself; she was just supposed to use him to find her lucky charm, the necklace he gave to her. “Am I really dead?” The question surprised her.

“Julia, you are…” He sighed.

“Why do I hear a ‘but’ coming?”

“What? I dunno what you mean.”

Julia looked to the ceiling. “It means I’m dead, but it’s not as easy as that.”

“Oh.” He cocked his head to the side. “It depends on what happened right before or right after your death.”

“What do you
mean
right before or right after?”

“What kind of a life did you have before your death?”

“Um,” she sucked air in between her teeth, “I didn’t do so well in life. I fucked up pretty bad.”

He leveled his stare on her over his shoulder. “How did you die?”

“I told you that—”

“Yes. Yes. But what happened afterward?”

“Well, I didn’t see a bright light if that’s what you’re asking.”

He shook his head. “What bright light? Did you see anything?”

“Ah, only a horned…beast.”

“What did he say to you? Did he touch you?”

“He kissed me and it was disgusting. He tasted like an ashtray.”

Aza snorted. “Ass tray.”

“No,” she giggled. “
Ash
tray.” They chuckled for a minute. A dead human and a demon.

So damn weird.

“Anyway, the creature started killing a bunch of cops and I stopped him.”

“No you didn’t.”

“Yeah, I
did
.”

“He just let you think that. Believe me.”

“So now what, I’m stuck roaming the Earth?”

Aza shrugged.

“What’s that mean?” She mimicked his shoulder shrugging.

“It means I’m not sure what will happen now that you’ve been poisoned.”

Her eyes went round. “What? How did I get poisoned and how do I get rid of it?”

“His kiss, and only he can remove his venom.”

“God. Dammit.” She rose from the bed, pulling the sheet off with her, and paced the room.

CHAPTER

THIRTEEN

Amalya

Amalya loathed when Virgil the Redeemer, micromanaged her dishwashing. The angel lived with her and her mate. “You know, I know
how
to wash a plate.” She stressed the “T” on the end of the word plate.

“I know that but—”

“You do? Then why are you hovering over me?” Amalya stomped her feet.

“Fine, I’ll stop being helpful then,” Virgil said and left the kitchen.

She blew out a breath. When was Elliott going to be home? He had a way of dealing with the other angel that left her mystified. She picked up the last dish to be washed and the bowl slipped through her soapy hands into the stainless steel sink with a loud
clink.

Virgil appeared behind her. “What’s happened?”

She sighed heavily. “Nothing, the bowl fell into the sink. Don’t you have a hobby or something you could do?”

“No. But I’m hoping to have a task assigned to me soon.”

Thank God.

Redeemer angels completed tasks for Deus, the Creator of All Life. They involved helping individuals overcome a crossroad in their lives. Amalya, Elliott, and Virgil were all Redeemers. Elliott had texted her several hours ago that he was finishing up his latest assignment and would be home this morning. She missed him.

She shooed Virgil out of the kitchen again. When she went out into the living room he was sitting on the couch like he had a rod in his spine. Getting used to him sitting around staring at the walls was never going to happen.

What in this realm is he doing?

Amalya no longer inserted the word Hell into the rhetorical question. Hell wasn’t a place she intended to ever visit again. Ignoring him, she started straightening the magazines and fanning them out on the coffee table. Once she was satisfied, she picked up a pair of Elliott’s shoes and tossed them into the only bedroom, the one that she shared with her mate. And apparently, Virgil too now. The first time she’d woken up to Virgil in bed with them shocked her. She’d learned the boundaries of angels weren’t the same as humans, plus the male didn’t like to be alone. Ever. Since the first time he’d crawled into bed with them, Amalya slept in pajamas. Elliott didn’t even think the arrangement was odd. At least Virgil didn’t snore.

She returned to the living room and looked at the coffee table. “That’s it. I need a break. Go stand in the hallway,” she told him, and pointed at the apartment door.

“From what do you need a break?”

“You.” She stood with her hands on her hips, her shiny black wings flaring. She motioned with her head at the table. The magazines she’d organized were stacked perfectly one and top of the other, not how she’d left them.

He pursed his lips for a moment. The angel didn’t protest, he simply walked to the door.

Seconds later Elliott appeared in front of her. A smile crept on her face. He opened his arms for her and she embraced him. His pure white wings folded around her. The feathers of their wings intertwined, and she caught the contrast out of the corner of her eye before she closed them. “You’re the smartest person I know. I missed you.”

Elliott chuckled. “I love you too.” He rubbed circles on her lower back. She smoothed the underside of his feathers with the back of her hand. A purr started in his chest. “Did you want something?”

“Yes, please.” She led him toward the bedroom with him following at her heels. His surrender suited her just fine.

“Um…how come Virgil’s out in the hallway?” he asked.

“Time out.”

His rich baritone laughter filled her ears. “You’re bad.”

“And he’s annoying, so I guess that makes us even.” She shut the bedroom door.

CHAPTER

FOURTEEN

Aza’zel

“Are you sure this is the place?” Aza asked Julia. His eyes roved the hallway of a rundown apartment building. The fuzz covering the floor was matted and smelled musty. Not quite like sweaty asshole, but close.

“Yeah, Bryant lives here. Don’t ask me how I know this.” They rounded the corner, down another corridor of the “L” shaped complex. Aza spotted a brown-haired…holy shit,
angel,
with a short pointed beard and bulky muscles filling out his shirt. The demon’s eyes went round. Vibrant white wings rose above the male’s head. This wasn’t an angel he wanted to get into a scrum with. Aza reversed a couple of steps.

“What are you doing?” Julia asked.

“Look,” he whispered.

“So? It’s just some guy standing in the—” her jaw dropped, “Wow, an angel.” She moved closer toward the white-winged seraph.

“Julia? Julia!” Aza hissed but she either didn’t hear him or ignored him. He figured it was the latter and shook his head.

Females.

“You don’t look like a goat or a demon or whatever anymore, I’m sure it’s fine.” She urged him forward with her hand then glanced back. “Come on.”

Reluctantly, Aza joined Julia, lagging behind her in case he needed to run. Although he didn’t consider himself a coward, this realm proved to be full of surprises he hadn’t anticipated. Mainly, being attracted to Julia, her jeans hugging her bottom in a delicious way (
quit that
,
you stupid goat
), oh, and discovering everything for the first time, although the city gave him déjà vu.

All the talking brought the attention of the angel. He watched them as they approached. The angel’s brows rose while they walked past him, but he didn’t move from his lean against the wall, nor did he uncross his arms. Aza kept his focus on the angel and continued to eye the winged one by turning his head.

Julia knocked on the apartment door, three down from where the angel stood. There was no answer so she rapped on the door again. Still no answer, although Aza sensed someone in the dwelling. “Someone’s in there.”

She pounded on the door with the heel of her hand. “Come on, Bryant. I know you’re in there!” She grabbed the door knob and twisted.

Aza looked and saw the angel had stepped into the middle of the hallway and cocked his head at them.

The door creaked open. “It’s unlocked,” she whispered. “Not a good sign.”

“Why?”

Julia sighed. “Do I really have to explain why?” They entered the apartment. “Oh, man…” She crept over the threshold and he followed in her path. She stopped suddenly and he ran into her back.

He hissed. “Can’t you warn me if you’re going to stop like that?”

“Or maybe you could
not
shadow me,” she snapped back.

Aza took a deep breath. She had a point.

“Will you look at this place?”

He scanned the area. The furniture was torn apart, a lamp was tipped onto its side on the floor and looked broken, books and magazines littered the floor. Aza sniffed.
Blood.
He ran through the apartment searching for the source. A trail of red dots led down a hallway. The door to the bathroom was slightly open. Two shoes stuck out into the hall. “Shit…Julia.”

“What is it?” she asked, brushing past him. “God dammit. Bryant, you fucktard, you better not be dead.” She squatted down next to him and looked him over. A pool of blood had formed under his head. His throat had been slit.

“He’s still breathing,” Aza said.

She leaned over his face. Bryant’s eyes went wide and he shook his head. “No…no…” he mouthed. Air trapped in the back of his throat. His hands twitched and his face became paler, if that was even possible.

“Oh, quit freaking out. I’m dead, asshole. But not dead enough. Where’s the necklace you stole from me?”

His mouth opened but he didn’t say anything. Bryant looked at Aza.

Julia grabbed him by the shirt and lifted his torso off the floor. “Where’s my amulet?” The man smiled, revealing reddish teeth. He coughed and wheezed.

“I don’t think he has it,” Aza told her.

“Yes, he does! Where is it?” She shook Bryant. When his eyes looked toward the door she shoved him back down. “Is it still here?”

The bleeding man could no longer answer her; his eyes glazed over and became fixed. He was dead.

“Dammit, now what?” Julia stood up and washed her hands in the sink. She opened a cabinet over the basin and riffled through it, pushing bottles off the shelves. “Well, it’s not in there. Come on, let’s look for clues or something.” Aza blocked the doorway. “Excuse me.”

He stepped aside. Despite the strong coppery smell, he got a whiff of her hair as she walked past him.

Oh…Deus.

“What clues do you hope to find?” he asked when he joined her in the kitchen.

“I dunno. Anything that might help. I don’t think Bryant gave Maurice the amulet yet.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because he smiled at me and looked into the hall.”

Aza’s forehead crinkled. He wasn’t sure he understood her logic. “I’ll go search the other rooms.” For what, he had no idea. He cursed under his breath while he poked his head into the bedrooms. They needed to make this a quick search, given that Bryant had murdered Julia and maybe others. He was most likely bound for Netherworld and shadow demons would come for him soon. The amount of time they took varied and could be days, hours, or minutes.

“Aza, I found something!” she called from behind him. He found her waving a piece of paper in her hand at the head of the hallway.

He grinned. “It’s paper.”

She giggled. “It’s a card from a storage place; it was stuck to the fridge. He’s not very bright, apparently. Or wasn’t, I guess.”

High-pitched squeals filled the air.

Julia covered her ears. “What is that?” Her knees hit the floor. She hunkered down. “Oh God. Stop!” she cried.

Shadows formed on the wall and headed toward where Bryant lay but Aza wasn’t taking any chances. The demons might ignore them or they might not.

“Julia we gotta go. Now!” She didn’t move. “Get up.” She still didn’t budge. He took a deep breath and held it, bent down, and lifted her into his arms. He ran out of the apartment without looking back.