As in the famous painting of The Rape of the Sabine Women,the men had been lured away, their women taken and abused. No one spoke ofthose who had fought to return to their rightful mates, to those who lovedthem. They had been murdered for their efforts. Pagans, they were called,because they were different, as if they did not feel, did not care.
No one ever spoke of the innocents who had died, only ofthose who had submitted under force.
History, after all, was written by the victors.
But Asmodeus remembered, his heart twisting, as did all theDaemonae.
He and his brothers had hoped and prayed for a time when theDaemonae might be able to return to their rightful plane and take mates onceagain. Now after millennia, there was Gabriel. And hope for something beyondmere existence.
Under these circumstances and in this place.
His throat tightened.
Asmodeus took a breath of the slightly cleaner, fresher airas they stepped outside into the modern world with all its myriad changes. Hetipped his face up to absorb what little sunshine he could for the briefmoments they permitted him to enjoy it.
Such did not exist on the other plane. The sunlight therewas thin, that world sere and barren under a dying sun—hot during the day andbitterly cold at night, as were the deserts of this world, which he had visitedin his travels of old.
This plane had once been their home. Once upon a time hiskindred had roamed freely beneath this sky—so nearly the color of Gabriel’seyes—flying beneath its golden sun, the light beaming warm on their wings. Theylonged to return to this, their ancestral home. But not like this, not underthese conditions.
If hate were a sword, Templeton would have been dead a thousandtimes over, cut to shreds with every glance.
Still, it had been a shock at first to walk out into thesounds and smells of this world he had once known. The sheer cacophony had beenoverwhelming. His every sense had been assaulted. The air stank appallingly ofthe effluvium of the vehicles they used. Any place where people gathered innumbers always tended to be noisy and smelly but this was shockingly so. Hisother senses had been equally violated. There had been too much to see. Hispeople had not ventured into this plane in centuries and even in ancient timesthey had preferred more bucolic places where they could spread their wings.
Along with Templeton’s people, Asmodeus got into the waitingvehicle.
That had been another adjustment, being able to travel asfast as or faster than he could fly.
* * * * *
As a group, they toured an aircraft development plant underthe guise of a friendly visit. Busy and bustling, it was a place of innovation,of creation. Asmodeus could feel it—energy and life seemed to seep from thepores of those they passed. Folks smiled.
Not for long.
Glancing over his shoulder at his minions, Templeton singledout one of them and said, “I want the plans. Find a way. Get them. Or I’ll haveAsmodeus turn you to cinders.”
Asmodeus would not. There were lines he would not cross, didTempleton but know it. Templeton could set the whip to him all he liked butAsmodeus would not kill, not in cold blood. Gabriel or no Gabriel, his truemate or not, he would die first. She would not love him for doing such a thing,even under duress.
To Asmodeus, Templeton said, “They have a new aircraft. It’sgoing to experience unforeseen difficulties. Make it happen. George will bringyou the plans.”
He gave Asmodeus a significant glance and then looked away,smiling as he strode to greet the man who approached them.
Asmodeus shuddered. What Templeton pictured in his mind washorrific. Thousands would die if he did as Templeton ordered and the changesweren’t caught in time.
Only Templeton would know the planes would fail. While wordof the new plane would drive the price of the company’s stock up, he would waituntil the first report of a crash, driving the price down, before offering tobuy at rock-bottom prices. A simple fix, the error found, and the company couldassure everyone its product was safe. The stock would rebound and Templetonwould be covered in glory for having saved the company.
This man was willing to slaughter thousands to line hispockets with gold, but he would call Asmodeus debauched, a villain, evil,simply for being what he was.
What greater monster was there than one who would sacrificethe lives of others for his own gain?
For money?
Chapter Five
Templeton’s men brought Gabriel the food she’d asked for. Itdidn’t appear to have been tampered with. Despite her hunger though, Gabrielate it slowly, taking a few bites and then waiting to see if perhaps Templetonhad drugged it. Apparently he hadn’t. The food helped restore some of thestrength she had lost to Asmodeus’ feeding.
Just the memory of that sent a rush of heat through her. Notthat she let those who watched see.
She had already tried to get past the apparently nonexistentbarriers surreptitiously, on the pretext of testing to find the limits of them.They definitely existed. They looked like soap bubbles—faint iridescentbarriers—except she was on the inside.
Venturing even a cautious fraction of an inch too close, shesensed something whip out of the shadows of half-seen jungle-like trees. Sheglimpsed movement from the corner of her eye and quickly stepped back.
Something flashed by only inches from her face. Somethingtangible enough to eddy the air as it passed.
In the outer darkness of the room someone laughed.
There was a sense of being watched not just from those outsidethe rings but from something within them, as if her startling trip over themhad awakened something within each…and they waited. Hungrily.
She hid an atavistic shudder. Her skin crawled.
Knowing Templeton’s people watched, she stretched, bent,paced, and considered Templeton’s words.
Everything was a weapon, even her body. She would usewhatever she had to free herself and Asmodeus.
Weapons. She felt naked without hers, exposed and helpless.Chewing on her lip, she looked at the firepots. If Asmodeus could conjurethose, could he conjure her gun and badge?
Suppose he could, where would she
