My throat was too dry to answer on my first attempt, so I swallowed and tried again. “Anna.”
“Anna, my name is Pharzuph, but among humans I go by Richard Rowe. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a badge so unusual.” He stared at my chest with a bit too much interest, and I had to refrain from crossing my arms. Kaidan came back in wearing a black shirt and sat on the love seat, keeping clear distance between us.
“Do I recognize the color of Belial?” Pharzuph asked. I didn’t like how he spoke, as if he were practicing his lazy, sexy drawl on me.
“I... I’m sorry?” I asked.
“Belial is your father’s dark angel name,” Kaidan explained.
“Surely she knows that,” Pharzuph scoffed. But as he looked at me he got that same look of confusion Kaidan had worn the night we met.
I coughed and swallowed again, keeping my breathing even in hopes of calming my aura. I wanted to take a drink of the tea to wet my throat, but I didn’t want to spill it.
“I just found out I’m Nephilim. Kaidan explained some things to me.”
My voice came out calmer than I’d expected. I was careful to say only that I’d learned from Kaidan. I didn’t want to talk about Sister Ruth or Patti.
“And how did the two of you meet?”
“By coincidence,” Kaidan answered for me. “She was at one of my gigs.”
“I take it Belial has not taught you what it means to be of the Neph race, then?”
“No. We haven’t met.” I shifted, still in disbelief that I was sitting here explaining myself to a demon who looked so normal.
“I assume he doesn’t know of your existence? I daresay he would not have neglected your training otherwise.” Pharzuph appeared relaxed, amused even, but his tone was cold and calculating.
I didn’t answer, opting for a small shrug. Playing dumb felt like the best option here.
“I can assure you that I will have him informed at once. But in the meantime, you cannot be left unattended. Kaidan will show you the ropes. First things first—you reek of innocence. Yes, that’s right. I can smell it—your virginity.” He said it like a bad word, and my face flushed hot. “Like overripened fruit. Not to mention your emotions hanging about your person for all to see. How old are you?”
“Sixteen.”
He leaned forward and smacked his knee with astonished laughter at my answer. “A sixteen-year-old Neph virgin! How do you expect to be a bad influence to humans if you aren’t behaving badly yourself? I assume you at least partake in substances with your peers?”
“Yes.” Surely I could be given a free pass if I stretched the truth to a demon.
I tried to process all he’d said. A bad influence on humans? Oh, boy. And what had he called me? Neph? Ah, short for Nephilim.
“You must not be partaking enough or you wouldn’t still have your virtue. Get my bag, Kaidan.”
His bag? That sounded like creep city. Pharzuph picked up his tea and sipped it until Kaidan returned. Pharzuph pushed aside the tea tray and opened the small black bag, laying out vials of powders and liquids, baggies with various dried plants, silver pipes, syringes, and other drug paraphernalia that made my skin crawl with revulsion and need. Please, please don’t ask me to do any of these.
“Which draws you most?” he asked me.
Steady. It was hard to choose. My hand slid toward one of the powder vials and pointed.
“Cocaine. Very nice.” He leaned back and sipped his tea again, eyeing me.
I let myself breathe when Pharzuph’s phone rang. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen, and pushed a button to silence it.
“I must return to work. Anna, I trust you won’t mind spending time with my son?”
I shook my head.
“Of course you won’t. Kaidan will take good care of you. He’ll have you working to the best of your abilities in no time at all. Don’t take too long about it, though. Learn what you need to learn, and get to work.” He turned his attention to Kaidan now. “I’m expecting company this evening and you are to join us. Marissa is bringing one of her nieces.”
“Yes, Father,” he replied, eyes darting away from me.
Pharzuph stood and was dialing as he left the room. Kaidan packed up the little black bag.
“Have you ever been to Lookout Point?” Kaidan asked me. He made an exaggerated nod, as if I should play along. I tried to sound natural, though it felt like I’d just survived a series of small heart attacks.
“No,” I said.
“Well, then, that’s where we’ll go.”
We left together in his shiny black Hummer, which felt extremely conspicuous. It was as large as my bedroom. What boy needed a huge Hummer all to himself? As he began driving, he pointed to the odometer and held up five fingers. Five miles? Then he put a finger to his lips. Could his father hear within a whole five-mile radius? I turned enough to peek at the black bag he’d tossed into the backseat as we got in. Kaidan saw me looking.