The Demon's Song - By Kendra Leigh Castle Page 0,22
Sofia felt her jaw threatening to drop, but managed to hold it together. He was just so pretty. And in a completely different way from Phenex, who smoldered rather than sparkled. Somehow, she had ended up with two candidates for Sexiest Man Alive in her apartment, one of whom appeared to be cooking her breakfast. And all she’d had to do to get them there was nearly be killed by vampires.
Her life had gotten very messed up very fast.
“Well, well,” the blond said, his voice almost a purr as he got to his feet. “You’re Sofia? No wonder Phenex was so eager to volunteer for guard duty.”
Volunteered? That was news. And Phenex’s silent glare said it was also the truth. Sofia shook off the flattery and tried to focus on the issue at hand. She’d agreed to one bodyguard, not to running a boarding house for immortals.
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on here, but one of you is enough,” Sofia said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking between them.
“I agree,” the blond said. “One of us is more than enough, and sadly for you, it isn’t our resident songbird. I’m quite willing to switch places with him, though…and I promise, I’m very entertaining.”
This time, he was ready for it when Phenex took a swing at him. He caught Phenex’s wrist in midair, and the two men glared at one another, locked together, teeth bared. Despite what Phenex had said about not being a vampire, both he and the unwanted company were sporting long, sharp incisors.
“Hit me again and I start biting.” The blond’s words were a hiss, and something in his eyes changed, became reptilian just for an instant.
“You even try it and this songbird is going to enjoy ripping out your eyes with its talons,” Phenex shot back. “If you’ve got anything useful to say, Gadreel, then say it and take off. I’m not usually this far up on your list of people to annoy.”
“Because you’re not usually doing anything interesting. Or anyone.”
They glared at each other silently, and Sofia’s stomach clenched while she wondered which one would manage to strike first. But after a minute that seemed to last years, Phenex snorted, Gadreel gave a wry smile, and they stepped away from each other at the same time. It was almost…friendly. Not quite, but enough to assure Sofia that her furniture and walls were safe.
“You’re a lot more fun when you’re not doing all that broody musical moaning,” Gadreel said. “I suppose I’ll stay for coffee.” He headed into the kitchen without another word, leaving Phenex staring irritably after him. Sofia moved closer, drawn to him so strongly that she barely noticed what she’d done until she was standing right in front of him.
He lowered dark crimson lashes when he looked down at her, and for a few seconds Sofia could pretend that circumstances were entirely different, that he was just the gorgeous musician she’d met. That he’d been in her bed all night.
She had to stop herself before she started imagining all the things they might have been doing, glad that Phenex seemed too preoccupied to look at her as intently as he usually did. Those eyes seemed to see everything.
“I made breakfast,” he said quietly, jerking his head toward where Gadreel was fiddling with her coffeemaker. “I didn’t invite him, but he’s got a habit of inviting himself. Hopefully he’ll take off soon.”
“I heard that,” Gadreel said blandly as he finally figured out how her one-cup machine worked.
“Who is he?” Sofia whispered. “What kind of a name is Gadreel?” It sounded like Gabrielle, but more exotic, less feminine. Not that she had any intention of making the comparison to her newest visitor. She figured he probably had some kind of crazy weapon on him somewhere to go with the fangs. Though the fangs would be enough.
“One of my Fallen brothers,” Phenex whispered back, lowering his head so that his lips nearly touched her ear. The feel of his breath on her skin made her shiver. “Gadreel is a snake. Literally. Keep that in mind when you’re dealing with him.”
Fallen. That word, evocative and mysterious all at once.
“I don’t want a snake in my apartment!”
That seemed to amuse him, and the flash of a grin he gave her made her absurdly glad that whatever else Phenex was, he didn’t seem to have anything in common with the distant, shining beings she’d learned about as a child.
“Don’t tell him that. He’ll never leave,” Phenex said,