"How have you avoided it for so long? Being inyour profession."
"Well, I've got a lot of personal protections inplace to prevent it. Ezra was able to slip in because I was basically dead."
You were very dead.
"You probably don't need to worry about it,though. Angel blood and all."
He shook his head. "I still don't even know whatto think about that."
"So, you can tell when folks are lying. Meltdemon possessed charms with a touch..."
"Hurts like a son of a bitch," Aaroninterjected.
"And anything else?"
"Yeah, if I get really stressed out aboutsomething it gets kind of weird." He didn't elaborate and I didn't push.
"Great. So, you on board with helping us stop theoccultist or should we leave you at home?"
"I'll help. I'm not sure what good I'll be. I'mjust a physicist and a sports and chess coach."
His angelic nature will be very useful, and it willprotect him from a lot of the danger.
"Ezra says the half angel thing will keep youpretty safe, well, probably not from getting shot, but from all the demonshenanigans, anyway."
Aaron nodded acceptance.
"And it'll probably be pretty useful in theconfrontation. So, glad you're sticking around."
"You're very intriguing, Chris Price. I've nevermet anyone quite like you before."
"One of a kind, that's me."
He laughed, the rich sound going right through me anddragging me back to all those naughty thoughts.
"I'm not sure the world could survive two of you."
"Yeah, that's a terrifying thought. We'd eitherhate each other and destroy everything around us fighting, or be best friends."
"And destroy everything around you having a goodtime?" Aaron supplied.
I grinned, studying his profile. Smart. Handsome. Makethat really smart. I wanted to trace those firm, lean muscles, explore thosecrazy eye markings, run my tongue along the wings draped along his back...Fuckme.
You do any of that and you're going to be unconscious, Ezra warned, voice dark.
It's your damn fault I'm not getting any.
You'll survive for a few more days.
I don't know about that.
Ezra, probably wisely, didn't reply.
As if sensing the turn my thoughts had taken, Aaronglanced at me. "Yes?" he prompted.
"Um, just, you know, living with an incubus isentertaining."
Sure, now you're blaming it on him.
You said I could!
The demon prince laughed.
Aaron shook his head. "I'm getting thatimpression. I like him. Mal, too."
"You sound surprised."
"Never met a demon or a vampire before," he answered."Guess I never really thought about it. I like how they treat you. Theyseem like decent folks. Maybe once this is over, we can still hang out?"
"Yeah, mate. I'd really like that."
You know,Ezra said, surrounding yourself with powerful men is not a terrible idea.Especially with as much as you seem to attract trouble.
I ignored him. Pointedly. Though, yet again, Iwondered why he cared beyond my usefulness in our current mission.
"So, we haven't turned off of this highway in awhile, but I kind of feel like that dirt road needs exploring," Aaron suggestedafter a moment.
"If we hadn't already established that naughtythings were off the table until I'm no longer hosting a demonic prince, I'dwonder what you had in mind." I laughed when he practically choked.
"It was more that something feels off, and I'velearned to trust my feelings," Aaron stammered.
I'd have nudged him playfully, but when I went to doit on reflex, Ezra froze my limbs.
Jerk.
"Yeah, let's check it out," I said aloud.
Aaron gave me another long, searching look, before heturned back to the road.
"How are you defining your relationship with Maland Sabian?" he asked, voice almost carefully neutral.
"We haven't really had time to figure it out yet.I didn't meet them too long ago and we all know we need to discuss it, but notgetting killed, or, well, in my case, recovering from getting killed, has takenpriority." I was trying pretty hard not to think about nearly dying toomuch, but I probably was going to have to have a good freak out session aboutit later. Even though I didn't want to think about it, I'd brought it up enoughthat it was clearly on my mind.
"Why?"
He shrugged. "Just curious."
He's far more than curious, Ezra chimed in. Unnecessarily.
Yeah, getting that idea, mate. Thanks.
Phantom fingers curled around my neck before trailingdown my spine. I managed to hide my reaction outwardly, but Ezra stilled.
Sorry. Hemuttered and disappeared from my awareness.
"You have any family?" I asked as I studiedthe landscape. We were driving deeper into the desert. There were a few mesasnearby and this road twined between two of them, whatever was beyond them outof sight, and probably where we were headed.
Aaron's brow furrowed as he concentrated on the roadand whatever feeling was nagging at him.
"Yeah, parents are still alive. They're down inAlbuquerque. Got a sister in Colorado. Aunts, uncles, and cousins all over theplace. Sister's got a couple of kids.
"No Mrs. Reed?"
He glanced at me before looking back at the road. "No.Why?"
I shrugged. "You're the one asking relationshipquestions." I deflected the question back at him, not really ready totruly go there.
"I've dated. Not extensively. The markings andother abilities make things awkward after a while."
"Know that feeling," I said. My markingswere chosen, and my abilities crafted and honed, but even before I'd met Darius,I hadn't exactly been what most people considered normal.
Aaron chuckled. "I suppose you would."
"Do you think I'm someone you could take to visityour parents?" Okay, maybe I was going there a little bit.
Aaron frowned. "Yeah, sure. They're cool with alot more than you might imagine." He shrugged. "I wouldn't even tellyou to leave the exorcist part out. I do need to talk to them about the Nephilimthing. It'll explain a lot, but I didn't think it was something I should broachover the phone."
"Yeah, probably not, mate."
That he thought his parents would be cool with me blewmy mind. That, I had not expected.
We fell silent after that, listening to the woosh of theair conditioner and the crunch of dirt under the tires. I thought about turningthe radio on, but we were out of range of the good station, so I left it off.
After a long silence that wasn't completelyuncomfortable, we rounded the mesa and Aaron hit the brakes.
We
