The Demon's Song

CHAPTER Seven


It was a good thing she was cute when she was angry, because Phenex was beginning to think he might see a lot of that from Sofia. At least until she came to terms with the fact that he wasn’t going anywhere.

He watched her bang a few things around in the kitchen while she got herself some coffee, noting that she hadn’t asked if he wanted anything. Nor would she, from the couple of infuriated glares she’d shot him since he’d laid it all out for her. He’d given her the basics: a*shole vampires, witness protection, and, of course, how lucky she was to have a former Hell-dweller at her disposal. Sofia hadn’t said a word, but her face left no questions about what she thought of all this. He didn’t really blame her—she’d had her universe upended. But he didn’t feel sorry for her, either. This was the sort of thing that caring too much about others got you. Better she learn that now.

Actually, the point where he’d mentioned that was about when she’d gotten up and walked away. Humans—always so oversensitive.

As Phenex watched her, with all her misdirected anger, all her useless caring, the irritating wound deep within that had plagued him so much lately opened anew, flooding him with unwanted memories. Ages ago, when his wings had been the color of snow, he’d tried to inspire humanity to beautiful, wondrous things. He’d cared. Until he’d watched passion born of that inspiration destroy one too many lives. He’d hated them for wasting what he’d given them. Just as he hated them for experiencing emotion with a depth that he had never been able to muster for anything but song itself.

His Fall had not cured the emptiness inside him.

“Here.”

Phenex jerked his head up. He’d been so lost in his own thoughts that he’d forgotten where he was for a moment. The way Sofia was looking at him suggested she’d seen more on his face than he would have liked. The mask he’d perfected slipped more and more often lately. Justin was right. He was wallowing. He needed to get a grip.

He needed to figure out what was so special about this woman who made him coffee even when she was completely pissed off at him.

“Maybe I don’t like coffee,” he said, just to see whether Sofia would throw it at him. It was better than pity, or whatever this was. Instead, Sofia just shrugged, her fury channeled into cool detachment for the moment. It fascinated him—her beauty covered steel.

“More for me if you don’t. You just looked like you could use something, since you’re sitting here looking like you lost your last friend.”

“I don’t have friends,” Phenex said, unpleasantly confused about his reaction to her small act of kindness. She was gorgeous. Her fire entertained him. The heat between them promised to be even more entertaining. But this…he didn’t know what to do with this. Was it compassion? Simple manners? Nonplussed, he took the coffee and sniffed it.

“No sugar?”

Without a word, she dangled two packets of sugar in front of him, along with a spoon.

Chagrined, Phenex took one of the packets and the spoon, then set his mug on the coffee table to doctor it.

Sofia tossed the other packet on the table and headed for the love seat, apparently unwilling to get too close. For now. Phenex eyed the extra sugar packet, considered, then decided that now was a lousy time to develop a sense of shame. So he dumped that one in his cup, too, stirred it, and took a sip. The sweet, smoky taste was soothing, despite the fact that he didn’t particularly want to be soothed.

Sofia watched him silently with those catlike green eyes, drinking her own coffee. He ignored her, mostly, until she got tired of it and spoke.

“So you really think you’re just going to stay here until this Justin figures out who’s messing with his clientele?” She still didn’t sound like she could quite believe it, and she sure as hell didn’t like it.

“I don’t think I’m staying here,” Phenex replied. “I am staying here. You need a bodyguard until this network of vamps, if that’s what they are, is taken care of. They know who you are, remember? That one I grabbed in the parking lot wasn’t waiting for you just to talk, I promise.”

She frowned and looked away, giving Phenex another opportunity to stare. She was more mouthwatering in scrubs and a ponytail than he had previously believed might be possible. Everything about her, including his reaction to her, was unexpected.

And because he could be honest with himself, if no one else, Phenex knew that was one of the main reasons he was sitting here. In an eternity of sameness, she was, for some reason, different.

“Even if they saw me, I’m no threat. That’s what I don’t understand. I’m just a human who was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Sofia said. “If I had some secret insider knowledge, I would have done something about it by now.”

The forlorn note in her voice tugged at him. Phenex tried to shake it off. “One, these vampires are outside of Justin’s purview. They don’t accept him as king. They don’t follow rules, and they don’t care about peaceful coexistence. Two, they don’t know what you heard, what Sara might have said to you. You might know something as simple as a name you shouldn’t. They’d consider that too much. Three, they enjoy killing, so it’s not like they need much of an excuse.”

“So you followed me around until one of them tried,” she said.

“Didn’t take long. I told you, you made excellent bait.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Yay for me. Did you at least find something out?”

Phenex considered her. Normally, he would have refused to say. But these rogue vamps weren’t going to leave her alone regardless of what she did or didn’t know. Terra Noctem was off-limits in conversation, because staying hidden, staying little more than an obscure myth, was key to its survival. But as far as the vampires, why not? They weren’t his kind. If she wanted to get pissed and turn vampire hunter eventually, it was just less work for him in the long run.

“Interrogating him isn’t my job,” Phenex finally answered. “I passed him off to one of my brothers, which is how I got here before you did. Your admirer is now sitting in a cell…elsewhere. He’ll talk. Most renegade vamps don’t amount to much when you get them alone and start hurting them.”

She winced, ever so slightly. Compassion, Phenex decided, was her weak spot. It disgusted him less in her than most, but he still didn’t understand such sentiment for those so unworthy of it.

“Don’t feel bad for him, Sofia. He would have had a lot of fun killing you.”

“Oh, I know,” she replied, a frown creasing her forehead as she stared into her coffee. “I just… Hurting people in general doesn’t really appeal to me. I’m a nurse, remember?”

“Then you probably hurt people all the time,” Phenex said, amused by the dirty look she gave him.

“Keep it up and you’ll find out.”

“That a promise?”

She wasn’t in the mood to play. Disappointed, and fascinated in spite of himself, Phenex watched various emotions flicker across her face as she struggled to keep her cool. There didn’t seem to be any guile to her. That stunning face was an open book, and it was more refreshing than he’d imagined to find her so easy to read. He was used to deception. Sofia had already proven herself terrible at it.

“This isn’t funny. Not to me,” she finally said, her voice strained. “I can’t have you staying here with Amy and my job and… Look, what if I leave DC? I have some time off saved up. If I took a trip home, I’d be less of a distraction.”

It was bizarre, how little he enjoyed dashing her hopes.

“You want to endanger your family, too? They’ll chase you, Sofia. Good and bad, vamps enjoy the chase, and we’re talking about people who have all the time in the world. Until this group is wiped out, you’re not safe anywhere.”

“What about Amy? Is someone watching her, too?” she asked.

Phenex shook his head. “Not necessary. She was outside the bathroom, remember? And obviously thralled when she was escorted out. Unlike you.”

Sofia looked so crestfallen that, for just a moment, he wished he could take it back.

Which was stupid. She belonged here. Within reach.

“Look, don’t worry,” he heard himself saying, common sense overridden by his strange instinct to soothe her. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

She shook her head, then locked eyes with him. He was as startled by her sudden intensity as he was by the flash of white heat he felt in that instant, accompanied by an inspired fragment of song that flickered through his consciousness. It was gone as quickly as it came, impossible to catch hold of, but as sweet as spreading his wings in the moonlight. He didn’t know what to make of it. He hadn’t composed in centuries. That part of him had gone as dead as what passed for his heart. Unnerved, Phenex shifted on the couch, hunching a little as though he could defend himself against the strength of this attraction.

He wanted, needed to be in control here. Floundering around like some…well, like some human was out of the question. He was a supremely powerful being, damn it.

And her words burned right through him.

“I don’t want to die,” Sofia said quietly.

“You won’t.” The words came out more harshly than he’d intended, but that didn’t seem to faze her.

“Can you promise me?” she asked. “Can you absolutely guarantee, give me your word that I’m going to survive this?”

It was a struggle to conceal his surprise. Nobody ever banked on his honor. It was assumed that he had none. His word had meant nothing for eons. He ought to be amused by Sofia’s naïveté. But he wasn’t.

Truth be told, he didn’t know what he felt. With Sofia, he was still stumbling around—willingly—in the dark.

“You did catch the part about me being a fallen angel, right?” he finally said. “My word isn’t worth much to people.”

Sofia’s glaze was intense. “You helped save my butt twice already. If your word is still worth something to you, then it’s worth something to me.”

He found himself nodding. “Fair enough. You’ve got my word, Sofia. I’ll keep you alive.”

She exhaled harshly, and it was only then that Phenex realized how badly she’d needed his guarantee. That she was actually depending on him. He couldn’t quite remember the last time he’d been in a similar position. His most important relationships worked because of mutual self-interest. They sure as hell weren’t grounded in honesty and integrity.

He had a sudden, overwhelming desire to jump out the window and take wing until he got his head back on straight. Instead, he forced himself to stay put.

“I still can’t quite believe that this is happening.” She sighed, and he finally realized just how tired she looked as she shoved her hair out of her face, propped an elbow on the arm of the chair, and rested her head in her hand. The coffee didn’t seem to be helping with alertness…there were shadows beneath her eyes. What she’d seen had been eating at her, he realized. And why wouldn’t it? Not everyone was as accustomed to seeing—and causing—gore as he was.

The guilt that hit him was sudden and unpleasant. Guilt was one of those things he’d been glad to leave behind millennia ago. He didn’t intend to pick it back up now.

“You need to go to bed,” he grumbled. And he needed some space. Sofia’s green eyes were instantly wary. He would have laughed, if his mind hadn’t gone into the gutter right along with hers. That was a good start, as far as he was concerned.

“There are still a lot of things we need to work out about this,” Sofia said. “And I’ve got a lot of questions.”

“I bet,” Phenex replied. “They can wait until tomorrow.”

“You’ll actually answer them?”

He smirked. “Probably not. But you can ask them.”

“Great,” she said flatly. “Look, Phenex, you’re welcome to the couch, I guess, but I have no idea what Amy’s going to think when she comes back. She’ll be home around four, and she isn’t going to recognize you in the dark.” She frowned. “Actually, she won’t remember you at all, will she?”

“No,” Phenex replied. “Justin said they wiped her memory pretty clean. She didn’t need those images in her head. You, though…not that it would have changed things if you’d wanted to forget, but it helps that you remember the big, dangerous-looking yet incredibly handsome guy following you around. Saves me ducking a restraining order.”

The hint of amusement at the corners of her mouth had his jaw tightening. The woman had no idea how appealing she was. He wished she’d tone it down, just a little, so he wasn’t quite so tempted to put her to bed himself and then crawl in after her. He already knew they’d both enjoy it. But he was pretty positive he wasn’t invited. Yet.

“Somehow I doubt a restraining order would work on you,” Sofia said. “And that doesn’t tell me what you’ll do when Amy shows up.”

“She won’t even look at me,” Phenex said. “She’s being intercepted on her way home from work. Amy’s about to get a burning desire to take a trip to her parents’ house for a few days. By the time you wake up, she’ll be gone. Her schedule at the hospital’s already been adjusted.”

Sofia turned her head to stare pensively out the window. “I hate that you can do that. It’s wrong, messing with people’s heads.”

“We can agree to disagree there, but you’ve got the wrong you. Only vamps use the thrall. I fly and stab things. Totally different skill set.”

She looked sharply back at him. “That’s an interesting way of putting it.”

Phenex chuckled, unable to help himself. “It’s the truth. Look, Sofia, it’s late. I’ll still be here when you wake up. Why don’t you try to get some rest? You look like you’re ready to drop.”

Her look was withering.

“Thanks. Maybe I look tired because I work for a living.”

“So do I.”

“I think we might have different definitions of work.” Sofia shook her head. “No, forget it. I’m going to make some more coffee. We need to get a few things hammered out before I’m comfortable with you just being here. I mean—”

Phenex watched her, tuning out her voice in favor of the graceful dance of her hands as she gestured at him, the weary but determined look in her eyes. The woman needed sleep and was too stubborn to allow herself to rest. Lucky for her he had no compunction about helping her along.

Underhanded tactics, in most circumstances, were his favorite kind.

In a blur of movement he retrieved his guitar from where he’d leaned it against the wall in the corner. Sofia stopped in mid-sentence, staring at him.

“What are you doing?”

Phenex situated the guitar across his lap, feeling it as though it were an extension of himself, and let his fingers fall across the strings to play a G.

“Sorry. Q & A time is over for tonight. Looks like you’re going to make me sing you a lullaby.”

Her eyebrows shot upward. “I hope you’re joking.”

“I’m offended. I have people beg for private shows.”

Sofia snorted. “I don’t think you’re capable of being offended. And I don’t want a lullaby. I’m not five.”

He didn’t even try to hide it when he drank her in from head to toe. Her cheeks were flushed when his perusal worked back up to her face.

“No,” he agreed. “You’re not.”

She opened her mouth to protest just as he began to sing a sweet, only faintly mocking version of a traditional lullaby. Phenex poured all of his will into the melody, winding the simple song around Sofia like a warm blanket. Sleep, the music whispered. Sleep.

By the second verse, she was slumped sideways on the couch, curled into herself like a child. Phenex put the guitar aside, stood, and lifted Sofia into his arms the way he’d wanted to the first time he’d seen her, even spiriting her away to a bed the way he’d imagined. He just wasn’t invited to join her.

So he consoled himself with her warmth, and the feel of her against his chest as he carried her into her bedroom. After a short debate with himself, he left her in her scrubs, only slipping off her shoes before he pulled the comforter over her, smiling a little when he caught the sound of a soft snore.

His eyes swept the room only once, seeing trinkets from places she’d been, pictures of people he would never know. All the trappings of a human life, full of sentiment, a temple of warmth to remind him he had none. He couldn’t have the things he sang of, only inspire them—it was something he’d come to terms with a long time ago, right about the time he’d cut out and let his wings go black.

But something within him—maybe the empty place where a heart should have been—ached anyway as he stepped away from her.

“Good night, Sofia,” Phenex whispered.

Then he headed back to the couch, ready to resume the watch.