"Chris, you're a human. Getting into hell withoutdying is nearly impossible."
She glanced at me before stepping into the water. "Inthe flesh, mate," she gestured to herself.
"I noticed." I couldn't help my sly grin.
Chris chuckled.
"Then I freaking banished you again. I didn'tmean to the first time, just so we're clear."
"Yeah, I know. I had no doubt of that." Also,not the complete truth, but I could sense the honesty in her words. Now I justfelt guilty about doubting her, but she had enough to deal with and I wasn'tgoing to burden her with my thoughts.
"I banished Ezra, too, if it makes you feel anybetter."
It did actually and she grinned when she picked up on thethought.
"It took me about a month to recover from that,then we tried to summon you. Got your message. Couldn't read it 'cause I didn'thave Ezra anymore. Fortunately, he showed up and here we are."
"Next time I need to send a message, I'll pick Latinor something," I offered.
"Naw, I speak and read demonic now."
"You do?" That made me pause before I joinedher in the shower.
"Yeah. Ezra dropped a whole library's worth ofdemon knowledge on me when I almost got myself killed again."
"He did?" Wow, that explained a lot.
"Yeah."
"Wait, how'd you almost get yourself killedagain?"
"Uh, we got attacked in New York and I didsomething stupid when I shielded us. Guess Ezra is tired of saving my ass, sohe fixed up his mark and gave me some knowledge and access to his power."
I reached out and traced the area on her back wherethe mark was, though it wasn't visible at the moment.
"You let him mark you?"
"No. Asshole did that without my permission.Though, I suppose considering why he did it, I guess I won't complain. Seems tohave backfired a bit on him, anyway."
I laughed. "How?"
"Seems like the control goes more in my favorthan his. Not that he's really tried to control me or anything." Sheshrugged and I ran my hand over her water slick shoulders and down her sides,before pulling her back against my chest.
"Do I even want to know what you did to end upwith Lucifer's mark?" I traced around the edges of the sigil, not braveenough to purposefully touch it, at least not yet.
"Price of getting you back, mate." Sheleaned back against me, tilting her head so she could meet my eyes. "Worthit."
I took a breath, not having expected that. "Let'shope so," I finally said.
She shrugged. "It's done. How are you feeling?"
"Ezra restored most of my power after we got youcleaned up," I answered, still shocked that he had done that for me. "Andyou've restored me in other ways. I'm okay."
"Asshole better have taken care of you," shemuttered.
"Are you mad at him?"
Chris sighed. "Yes and no. Not so much that itmakes a difference, anyway."
"Is he going to let you keep me?"
"Yes, Sabian. You are mine and I am yours andnothing is going to change that. Ezra has resigned himself to sharing my meageraffections with you and Mal and Aaron, and I think Mal has resigned himself tosharing with Ezra. He's fine with the rest. Aaron never had a problem with Ezrato start with."
"I feel like an entire lifetime's worth ofstrange things have happened while I was gone," I answered.
"Me, too." She sagged against me, and I heldher while we both absorbed the heat from the water.
After we stood there for a while, supporting eachother, I felt Ezra's attention brush across Chris.
She grumbled under her breath but straightened. "Guesswe should face the rest of the world."
I captured her for one more quick kiss, before westepped from the shower and dried off.
"You can use magic to get cleaned off, at leasthere, you know," I offered.
"Yeah, I know. Prefer the shower."
She had changed in the month or so we'd beenseparated. Fundamentally, she was still the same exorcist who'd rescued me fromthat cursed pendant what seemed like ages ago. Yet she had more power, moreconfidence, and more weight on her mind than she had when we'd first met. Ihadn't gotten the impression that Chris Price worried about much, but somethinghad her worried now.
"Someone's trying to start an apocalypse, mate.Kinda got me thinking, I guess," she said as she dressed.
"Wow, yeah, really going to take some getting usedto."
Chris laughed. "How do you think I felt?"
"Actually, you never really cared, or I wouldhave done my best to not listen."
"Okay, fair. I'm still working on not listening,so forgive me until I get it under control, please."
"I don't mind, Chris. I'm just not used to youknowing what I'm thinking. Ezra, yes, though I've had limited dealings with himuntil recently, but not anyone else."
"It's really fucking weird," she admitted. "Iswhat it is, I guess. Can all demons read minds or is it just you and Ezra?"
"Most demons have some ability in that area, butnot all of us. Succubae and incubi and crossroads demons are especially good atit. Aids us in what we do."
"Right." I changed the subject. "Let'sgo see if Ezra has any food suitable for my poor mortal form. I'm starving."
Oh…she didn't know…I buried that thought deep, too. Iwas not going to be the one to tell her that potential side effect of what Ezrahad done to her. He could handle that revelation. She very likely wasn't asmortal as she thought she was now.
She glanced at me when I hesitated.
"Food, Sabian. You've been fed. I feel like Ihaven't eaten in a couple of days. Which is about right, actually."
"Sorry." I hurried to her side. "Soapocalypse." That comment was starting to sink in, too.
"Yeah. That's about all I know."
I'd never been inside Ezra's home before. It wasrelatively unadorned, but nice enough. The demons that lived here skirtedaround my vision. I could sense them, but they were frightened of Chris, and Ididn't blame them one bit. It was better if they were afraid of her. If theygot too comfortable, they might challenge her. I had no doubt that Chris wouldwin, but no one needed her to get into a fight with Ezra's demons.
The sound of paws thundering
