“Hello, I’mMelvin.”
She couldn’tstop a giggle from escaping from her mouth. Another unlikelydemonic-sounding name. “Pleased to meet you, Melvin.” Stillgiggling. Bloody champagne.
“I’m so gladyou said that, angel.” Melvin pulled out a chair.
Evie meant toperch daintily on the wrought-iron seat but collapsed in anunflattering flop.
Malcolm satdown too, putting the twins on either side of her.
“Did my brothermention we’re very close?” Melvin asked.
She wasn’t sureMalcolm even mentioned he had a brother, but then with the din inthe bar, she hadn’t caught much of anything he’d said.
Malcolm restedhis elbows on the table and edged closer to her. Melvin did thesame, the heat from their demon bodies coming at her from bothsides, like all-consuming flames flickering ever closer.
Despite thecoolness of the night, a bead of sweat trickled between hershoulder blades.
Evie spottedanother bottle of champagne on the table, along with threeglasses.
She swallowed.Was this part of the demon’s plan? A plan she wanted no partof.
Malcolm strokedhis fingertips along her upper arm. “Angels are a particularfavourite of both of ours. And we like to share everything, don’twe, Melvin?”
Her stomachhollowed as she got an inkling of what he was implying. His touch,while scorching hot, sent ice-cold shivers across her skin.
Fuck.
“Okay, boys,”she said, feigning bravado. “I think you have the wrong angelhere.”
“Are you sureabout that?” Melvin asked, running his fingers along her otherarm.
Evie squashedher arms into her sides, but it didn’t help. “Look, I’mopen-minded, and each to their own, as they say, but I’m strictly aone guy type of girl.”
Her declarationappeared to go unnoticed as they inched closer still, theirscorching heat oppressive.
Only one guyowned her heart. Her best friend, Caleb. Yes, she was mad at himfor leaving her, but it hadn’t stopped her from missing him, and apiece of her had died without him around.
She wished hewas here now.
Evie sat backin the chair as far as she could, searching the terrace for anyonewho might be able to help her out of her dangerous predicament, onethat, despite being tipsy, she was fully aware she’d brought onherself. “I’m sorry, but I’m feeling a bit woozy.”
The BrothersGrimm exchanged a look.
“Perhaps you’dlike more champagne?” said Malcolm, his black eyes glinting, hisface twisted in a smile.
Fear racedalong her spine. “I…I really have to go.”
Evie scrapedthe chair back and stood, albeit unsteadily. Her ankle smartedagain as she put her weight on it, but she didn’t care; she had toget out of there.
“Hey, where’sthe fire?” Melvin sneered. “Oh, yeah, that’s later, when we takeyou back to Hell with us.”
The brothersburst out laughing as though they had some private joke she didn’tfind even remotely funny.
Before she knewwhat was happening, the demons seized her patagium, the leadingedge of her wings, and forced her to sit down.
Burning heatfrom their hands sizzled her feathers.
“Get off me!”she yelled.
No one lookedher way, as if they hadn’t even heard her.
In less than asecond, she spanned her wings and thrust them downwards.
Malcolm heldfirm, his grip scorching her feathers down to the bone, but Melvinlost his grip on the other wing.
It was enough.It had to be.
She stood,twisting her torso and flapping her free wing violently. Its forcewhacked Melvin off his chair. As luck would have it, his headstruck the wrought-iron table, and he slumped to the floor like asack of potatoes.
Evie foughtMalcolm with everything she had. She punched him and kicked himwith her stilettos, gritting her teeth against the pain in herankle.
Still, none ofthe crowd took any notice.
With a finalburst of strength, she broke free of his blistering grasp.
Half sprinting,half stumbling, she leapt off the roof terrace and spiralledtowards the city streets below.
She spread herwings to get her balance, as Caleb showed her the day she fell offher fire escape.
Acute painseared through her left shoulder blade.
She flappedagain, the pain worse this time.
The ground cameever closer.
ChapterEleven
Caleb landed onEvie’s fire escape and tucked his wings behind him.
The table lampnext to the sofa wasn’t on, but the moon shone its silvery lightinto her flat.
Perhaps she’dgone to bed; it was kind of late, but this couldn’t wait.
He put down thebottle of wine and two new glasses, a peace offering, cupped hishands around his eyes and peered through the window.
No sign of her.Not in the tiny kitchen leading off her lounge either, from what hecould see from his position.
Caleb liftedthe latch and leaned over the windowsill. “Evie, are you there? Icome with wine.”
Silence greetedhim.
Wherever shewas, she would be back soon. He was sure of it.
He fetched thewine and glasses and climbed inside with nothing more on his mindthan seeing Evie again.
Caleb placedthe bottle and glasses on her coffee table and then padded aroundher flat.
He had to offerhis sincerest apologies for leaving her and for ignoring all hertexts and voicemails.
He poked hishead around her bedroom door. Her bed was made.
Memoriesflooded back to him of the last time he’d seen her, lying on thebed, so peaceful as he’d covered her with the duvet.
Yes, he’dbehaved appallingly, and part of him would never forget that, butonce he told her how much he loved her…
He smiled as herecalled the way she’d snuggled into him when they lay there satedand breathless, the duvet tangled around their legs. Maybe, justmaybe, she loved him too.
Caleb checkedthe bathroom. Empty. He returned to the lounge and sat on the sofa,only now realising how improper it was to be in her flat when shewasn’t there.
The silence wasoppressive.
He leapt upfrom the sofa and paced to the window and back again. Then heflitted around the room, tidying a few things for her, more to passthe time than anything else. He couldn’t care less what her placelooked like, despite jibing her about her untidiness. She’d madethis place a home, made him feel like it was his home too.
Caleb sat onher sofa again. Strumming his fingers on the arm, he debated whatto do.
Maybe he shouldcome back later.
Where was sheanyway?
He fetched hisphone from his pocket and went to text her, but what could he sayin a text message?
What he neededto say had to be said face to face.
He checked thetime. Half past midnight.
Evie didn’tusually stay out this late.
Then it hithim. She could be on a date.
His heart sunklike it was made
