“Despite the fact you’re afraid of me.”
“It comes and it goes.”
“For the record, I’m afraid of you, too.”
Eden touched her amulet. “The black witch thing?”
He shook his head. “I wish it was that simple.”
She did, too.
“And the demon let you go?” Oliver asked.
Ben had answered these questions several times already. He was far past the point of being annoyed by them. “Yes.”
“Just like that.”
“Yes.”
“And the demon was in full possession of Eden Riley’s body at the time.”
“Correct.”
“Did you tell him anything about our organization in return for your freedom?”
“No.”
As a Malleus elder, Oliver had an ability that helped him gauge when an underling was lying to him. Since Ben wasn’t lying, he didn’t have anything to fear. Still, the whole situation had a “trip to the principal’s office” feel to it.
“It’s just as I thought,” Oliver said after a moment.
“What is?”
“The fact the demon released you. He should have murdered you without conscience. He’s developing humanlike morals thanks to absorbing the nephilim’s celestial energy.”
“If you say so.”
Ben still couldn’t believe he’d gotten away — that Darrak hadn’t used that knife to slice right through him. Then he’d stopped the other demon from finishing the job.
He was still breathing only because Darrak had saved his life.
No. He wouldn’t feel grateful to that thing that lived inside Eden’s body like a cancerous tumor. Ben had learned a great deal in his short time as a member of the Malleus, and he hadn’t liked everything he’d learned, but he knew right from wrong. The most evil criminal was capable of doing a good deed if it served his ultimate plan. Ben was no chump.
“What about Eden’s father?” Ben asked. “The angel. You told me he would be disturbed to hear what had happened to his daughter and he’d help us.”
“I assume he will. We don’t know exactly when. Until then we must be vigilant. Eden Riley is more dangerous than I ever could have predicted.”
“I don’t know about—”
Oliver cut him off. “She’s a black witch and received her magic because of the demon. We’ll keep an eye on her and wait for the right time to strike next.”
“But what if—”
“No, Ben. You will follow orders. Until then you will wait and not initiate contact with her again.”
He hated being interrupted. “I’m not afraid.”
“And we appreciate your bravery. We will apply it to cases other than Eden’s.”
“But—”
“Ben”—Oliver smiled at him coolly—“arguing will not win you any friends here. You will do what you’re told, when you’re told. If you’re unable to follow our rules and guidelines, I’m afraid we’re going to have a serious problem. Now, go home and await further instruction. You’re dismissed.”
It was on the tip of Ben’s tongue to tell Oliver to shove his rules and guidelines up his ass. But he said nothing. Instead he stood, nodded his head like an obedient child, and left the room.
His fleur-de-lis brand itched as he stalked through the halls of the underground Malleus headquarters. He’d been taken for a tour there and shown the cells where they kept various evil creatures locked away awaiting punishment or for experimental purposes.
Ben’s face ached from where the other demon had used him as a punching bag. He’d been unable to move, held in place by magic. Hardly a fair fight. His eye socket and jaw had felt better, that was for sure.
He passed a cell just as a guard exited holding a tray. The tray held. . feathers?
A deep, muted voice could be heard from inside the metal cell warded by magic. Ben couldn’t make out the words. On the door was a tiny opening at eye level.
“Don’t you want to help us?” the Malleus guard asked. “You came here to help, and now all you do is whine. You would be smart to keep your mouth shut.”
He closed the door completely and it locked with a click, then he walked off down the hall. A white feather fell off the tray and drifted to the ground in front of Ben. He leaned over and picked it up, twisting it between his fingers.
“That’s mine,” a voice said.
Ben looked to his right. A face peered at him through the opening on the door to the darkened cell. A man. His face gaunt, his eyes sunken. A lock of bright red hair fell across his forehead.
Ben pushed the feather through the opening and the man took it.
“Thank you.” The man’s voice was weary and barely audible.
“No problem. Feather pillow?” he asked.
“No. My wings. Or, rather, what’s left of them.”
“Your wings?”
“Ben!” Oliver shouted down the hall. “I thought I told you to leave?”
“How long have you been here?” Ben asked the man.
“A while.”
“Who are you?”
Distrust flickered in the man’s green eyes. “What do you care?”
Ben glanced at the opening again but the man’s face was gone. Talking to prisoners without permission was breaking the rules. The Malleus had a lot of rules.
He left the building without speaking to another soul and went back to his house. He picked up the phone and dialed Eden’s number. It went through to her voicemail. He hung up without leaving a message. The next person he phoned, however, did pick up.
Twenty minutes later she arrived. Her face fell when she saw how beaten up he looked.
“Ben!” Sandy exclaimed. “What the hell happened to you?”
“Don’t you mean,
He’d been given some healing ointments by the Malleus. He wouldn’t scar, but it hadn’t taken care of his wounds overnight.
She touched his face, worry filling her expression. “Honestly. You’re a magnet for trouble, you know that?”
He snorted. “I know.”
“At least you’re okay.”
“For now.”
That earned him a stern glare. “So now what do we do?”
“We wait. At least that’s what I’ve been told.” He frowned. “Do you know of any prisoner at the Malleus who has wings?”
“Wings?”
“With white feathers. And he has red hair and green eyes.”
She seemed distracted by inspecting his wounds. “Sounds like an angel to me.”
His eyes widened. “An angel?”
She nodded. “I’ve never seen one before — not one with wings, anyhow. They’re usually up in Heaven. The
