Demon

He looked at me, and for a moment I couldn’t move, caught in the deep, fiery longing in his rich blue gaze. Yearning, sorrow, and the pure dark heat of sex flamed in his long, slow look, and I felt shaken inside, my assumptions shot to hell. His expression seared me, and for a moment I could feel my body quicken in response.

And then sanity returned as his lids lowered and his expression grew cool and distant. I quickly tried to change the subject. “What do you mean, ‘the God of that time’? Are you going to try to convince me there’s more than one?”

“There are as many gods as people can envision, but in the end they’re all the same, the Supreme Being who finally granted humankind free will and then stepped back to let them flounder on their own.”

“That’s not so bad, is it?”

“No, not compared to the harsh taskmaster who created the world. But he left the archangel Uriel in charge to enforce his word, and the results have been … less than optimal. There is no chance of forgiveness or redemption, merely eternal damnation.”

“So you’re damned?”

“As are you. Raziel leads the Fallen now, and he bade me bring you here to the Dark City to find out what you know. I have no power in this place. Sooner or later I will be forced to hand you over to the Truth Breakers, and there’s nothing I can do about it. They’re ruthless and unstoppable.”

I stared at him in surprise. “Why would you want to do anything about it? I thought you wanted me dead.”

He looked uncomfortable. “I have my reasons. But in truth, as long as you lived far away and your life didn’t come in contact with mine, I was willing to wait a few hundred years.”

“I’m not going to live a few hundred years. I’m human.”

He made a sound of disgust. “There’s no hope for you as long as you keep up this game. You’re not human, and haven’t been for millennia, not since you defied God and were cursed. By the end of the week, the Truth Breakers will take you and you will be destroyed, and I can’t change it.”

“So why are we even having this discussion?”

He leaned back against the chair and closed his eyes, and I watched the still, elegant planes of his face, the high cheekbones, the narrow nose, the angry, tempting mouth. “There may be a way out.” He spoke so softly I almost didn’t hear him.

“Which is?”

“If you tell me what you know, I might be able to find a way to sneak you out of here. You could go back to Australia, or anywhere you want to go, as long as you keep out of my life.”

“Being part of your life has never been a priority of mine,” I said, my voice icy. “You’re the one who was stalking me, remember?” I sat up, running a hand through my tangled hair. “And I don’t know anything. You keep insisting I’m an ancient sex demon, and you won’t believe me when I tell you you’re wrong. I have no idea where they buried Satan—”

“Lucifer,” he corrected sharply.

“I have no idea where they buried him. I can’t help you.”

“Then I cannot help you.”

We sat in silence, neither of us willing to break it. Finally I couldn’t stand it any longer. “Why did Beloch think we were going to have sex?”

“Beloch is not the kindly old gentleman you seem to think he is.”

“I’ve begun to figure that out. Why did he say … what he said?”

“It’s all part of his little game. He wants me to fall prey to your powers. In that way he can defeat me as well as you.”

“Why would he want to defeat either of us?”

“You’re the Lilith, the embodiment of female power and rebellion. Of course he wants you destroyed. And he hates me because I was once beloved of God and he never was.”

“Beloch isn’t a fallen angel?”

He hesitated. “It’s not clear exactly what he is. I expect he’s a demon.”

“Goddamn it!” I snapped. “Why the hell are you so set on wiping me out when you’ve got a demon right there, ready to be smited? Or smote, or whatever.”

“Not all demons are evil.”

“But I am.” I didn’t even bother to phrase it as a question, and he didn’t bother to answer.

“So I’m not sleeping with you,” I said finally. “You can tell Beloch he can just forget about it.”

“Then he’ll hand you over to the Truth Breakers without further delay.”

“And if I did sleep with you? Not that I would, but I’m curious. Does that mean I don’t get handed over to his minions? You’d become my willing slave?” It was an appealing thought. I liked the idea of him being on his knees around me.

“Of course not. Beloch is wagering that you would vanquish me. I know that’s impossible. Bedding you would mean nothing to me.”

“Ditto,” I snapped.” The answer to our problem is simple. We’ll just tell them that we did it. That we’re doing it. Doing the wild thing all night long, and you aren’t quite sure whether you’re going to succumb or not but you’ll need more time to figure it out. Which would give you enough time to come up with an escape plan.”