Asmodai turned back to Piers. “I’m sure Rosamund is pleased to have me here,” he said and tensed himself for Piers’s attack.
The other man didn’t like him. He hated the idea that Asmodai had had Roz under his protection for centuries. That he’d slept with Roz. Well, maybe not slept, but they’d been lovers a few centuries ago. Asmodai didn’t blame him; he actually thought Piers was showing amazing restraint.
It occurred to him that he’d been celibate for over twenty years, and maybe he was ready for a little recreational fun. Certainly not with Roz, but an image of the detective he’d just met flashed up in his mind and the heat caught fire. How strange.
Roz answered him. “Piss off, Ash.” She turned to Piers. “Ignore him—he’s trying to wind you up.”
Asmodai chuckled. She knew him too well.
“Could we get back to work here?” Piers snarled, showing the tip of one sharp white fang. “Ryan you were saying…?”
Ryan was the Order’s new human-liaison officer. An ex-detective with the metropolitan police, he had inadvertently gotten involved with the Order’s business and been offered a choice: be killed, be mind-fucked, or join them. Not so strangely, he’d decided to join them. He was okay…for a human.
Now he rose to his feet, shoved his hands in his pockets, and scowled. “Let me get this straight,” he said. “You want me to set up meetings with various organizations, government, military, and so on, and see how receptive they are to the somewhat improbable idea of your existence?”
“Yeah,” Piers replied. “That about sums it up.”
Ryan didn’t appear impressed. “You know they might just toss me in the loony bin and throw away the key.”
“If they do, we’ll come and get you out…eventually.” Piers grinned. “But you’re going in as an employee of CR International. That should at least get you a hearing before they fit you for the straitjacket.”
CR International was Christian’s company—set up after he’d left the Order over twenty years ago—and very successful. Propping himself against the wall, Asmodai let the conversation wash over him while he studied Tara. Perhaps his gift would please her.
She hated him. And while she bore no resemblance to him physically, he had quickly discovered that she was as unforgiving as any demon.
“Do I go to these meetings alone?” Ryan asked.
“No,” Piers replied.
“So…?”
Piers looked around the room and a small smile settled on his face. “Asmodai will go with you. He’ll be your partner. He can dress up smart and play nice and human. It will do him good, teach him restraint.”
“Hey, I am smart.” Asmodai peered down at himself. He was dressed pretty much the same as Piers in black leather pants and a black T-shirt, a leather duster coat covering him almost to the ankles.
“Right,” Ryan said. “I’m going in there with a fucking demon. Great. Just great.”
“It could be worse,” Asmodai replied. “You could be going in there with a fucking fairy.”
“Good point,” Ryan murmured.
“And at least I blend in a little,” Asmodai pointed out. “I mean, I could have worn my sword if I’d wanted to look like a total asshole.”
Everyone turned to the Walker, who shrugged. The Walker was a fae assassin as well as an asshole. While Asmodai could pass for human if he made the effort—albeit a pretty scary human—the fae never tried to blend in. The Walker looked like he was wearing fancy dress, in tight pants, long boots, and a sword at his side. Dickhead.
Asmodai forced down his revulsion. The world was changing. His people knew that and the old hatreds had to be set aside. At least until they had sorted out the new and growing threat of what to do about mankind.
“Can you do that mind-wiping thing like these two?” Ryan nodded toward Christian and Piers.
“Not quite the same but something similar. Enough to stop you from getting thrown in the loony bin if things go bad.”
“Great.”
“Okay,” Piers said. “The other things we need to talk about are angels.”
“Do we have to?” Roz muttered.
A month ago, they had discovered that Roz was quarter angel. Angels hated any beings with mixed blood. They knew of Roz’s existence and wanted her dead. The Order was breaking the rules by not handing Roz over, and war could erupt at any moment.
“Have any been seen?” Piers asked.
“Not so far,” Asmodai said. “But there’s a rumor that Raphael is on the move.”
“Shit,” Piers said.
“Maybe you should take Roz and go away,” the Walker suggested.
“Hide?” Piers sounded as though he didn’t know the meaning of the word. But he paused, obviously thinking about the option. As far as Asmodai was aware, the vampire had never had someone he cared for before. It was a whole different mind-set and while he was sure Piers wouldn’t hide for his own safety, he was obviously considering it for Roz. “Not yet. We’ve sent messages asking to talk. We’ll wait until we hear back. That should at least mean they won’t zap us without warning.”