“For a second! Not even a second.”
“And a devil escaped.”
“Like with horns?” She hadn’t seen anything like that. But then, it had been so dark. And Khan and been there, so close. Oh crap, she was shaking.
Adam sniffed. “Nope. The devil is a woman. Caucasion. Five-two and about a hundred pounds.”
Layla stood, knocking over her chair. “That was her !”
“Yep,” Adam said.
“She killed those men.”
“Yes.”
“Because I opened the gate.” Stars formed before her eyes. She needed to sit.
“Put your head between your knees,” Talia soothed and drew her down, shoved a chair under her butt. “It’s going to be all right.”
“Not for those guys. Where’s Khan?” Layla spoke to the floor. She needed to see him. Now. He was superstrong. Mr. Powerful. He could get rid of the devil woman, right?
“Khan’s got a day job now,” Talia answered. “Busting up the gate.”
“But Custo was doing that,” Layla argued.
Adam shook his head. “When Custo tried, he hurt you. If he were to continue, it’s likely that you’d die. The hope is that since Khan built it, he can tear it down again.”
Layla lifted her face. “Aren’t I about to die already?”
Talia grabbed hold of Layla’s hand so tight that Layla could feel a heartbeat in the connection. “I lost you once. I’m not letting you go again. Neither is Khan.”
“We’ll keep you safe,” Adam added. “This isn’t our first battle against an otherworldly creature. Custo’s wife, Annabella, had a real keeper for a while. Bloodthirsty thing, he was.”
“But why’s the devil here? She’s after me, right?”
“Well, yes,” Adam said. “It’s in her best interests, and the gate’s, to get to you. The gate was built for you, and so it’s connected to you. The concern is that if she manages to . . . to kill you, or if you die by some other means, like an accident, then the gate will never be able to be destroyed. And since a gate to Hell is not ideal for the mortal world, it’s necessary that it be destroyed immediately.”
Which was what Khan was doing. A gate to Hell? He was the man for the job. He could destroy it. Okay. Fine. She could wait until night.
What time was it?
Talia squeezed her hand again. “The good news is that this devil has no chance against Khan. None whatsoever. We just have to hold out until he gets here, until he finds her.”
“What about the babies?” Tears finally spilled. If Talia or the babies or even Adam were hurt . . .
“Segue has excellent security,” Adam said. “None of my alarms on the interior grounds has been tripped. You set off a dozen on your first visit to Segue. I think the devil backed off for the moment and is reconsidering her approach. She’s not very subtle.”
“She’s a devil! She doesn’t have to be.”
This time Talia answered. “A devil is just a bad person who died and was sent to Hell. Nothing more than that, though, like Custo, she very likely has some extraordinary abilities.”
“Security cameras got footage of the assault,” Adam added. “I’ve sent a screen shot to the FBI already. If she died recently, they should be able to identify her.”
“She’s just a bad person,” Layla repeated.
“No horns,” Talia confirmed. “But very bad.”
And Khan could destroy her as soon as he was done with the gate.
kat-a-kat-a-kat: The gate tittered at her, like a metallic giggle.
Layla drew back from Talia. Let go of her hand while Hell laughed, at home in Layla’s head.
kat-a-kat-a-kat: Best to give yourself up now.
No.
kat-a-kat-a-kat: You don’t belong with them. You belong to me.
No.
kat-a-kat-a-kat: He can’t destroy me.
He will. He can do anything.
“Layla?” Talia’s face loomed before her.
“I think I’m going to head back to my room.” Layla forced a smile. “Take a shower. It will probably be a long night.”
“How ’bout I walk you there?” Talia said, glancing over her shoulder at Adam.
Layla felt her lack afresh. She braced herself against the hollow feeling. A little time and Khan would be back. She looked at the painting of Twilight over the mantelpiece. “I need to be alone, but, um, could you have someone bring that painting up?”
Khan’s appearance in the window last night was too unsettling and she needed to talk to him. Bad.
The rattle in her mind receded as she fled to her room, but she knew with sick certainty that the gate still stood.
Chapter 12