a puff of smoke. Gabriel waved his hand in front of his face. He hated it when his brother did that, and the bastard knew it.
Gabriel strode back to the street, enjoying the way the humans stared at him as he passed. Some were drawn to the power they sensed in him, others to his looks. All he cared was that they were in awe of him.
He lived to be worshiped and adored.
Everything was arranged. All the players had to do was to follow their instincts, do what their natures dictated.
So much was riding on this. Maccus had always been a problem—too honorable, too much the straight arrow in Heaven, blocking Gabriel’s path to power without even trying or knowing he was doing so.
Maccus was supposed to have perished in Hell. Problem solved.
But his former friend had surprised him by becoming so powerful that even Lucifer had kicked him out of Hell.
Things were at a tipping point, and he was determined to push the scales in the right direction, which, of course, meant in his favor.
As he strode down a street in one of the most exciting cities in the world, a sense of purpose, of destiny filled him.
He tilted his upward. Heaven was his domain, and he’d do whatever it took to protect it. He wasn’t giving up an ounce of power or sharing it with anyone.
…
She was still alive. That was a bit of a shocker. Her entire life had flashed before her eyes. Several times. And neither time was any better than the one before it.
Lucifer scared the crap out of her. She wasn’t afraid to admit it.
Why had Maccus stopped Lucifer from taking her? “You could have been done with me.” Easier for him to let her boss take her, rip up Gabriel’s contract, and go back to his life.
With his hand still shackling her wrist, they made the quick trip back to his home and rode the elevator. It was surprisingly quiet for a mechanical device. He remained silent until they stepped back into his home.
“I need to do some digging around, see if anyone knows anything.”
“Is that even possible?” Her contact with people and demons was limited by choice. Anything to avoid remembering the endless days of torture and pain she’d lived through.
It had taken her years to stop having flashbacks every single day. As it was, she still had them during times of extreme stress.
Talk about PTSD taken to the max. It didn’t get any worse than Hell.
“Doubtful, but it’s always better to check. There are others out there who bow to neither Heaven nor Hell.”
That was news to her. She was ignorant of so much regarding the paranormal world at large. Keeping to herself might have protected her, but it also left her in the dark.
Information was key in any situation, and she’d deliberately cut herself off.
Maybe someone out there knew a way out of her contract.
Hope bubbled inside her, but she ruthlessly shoved it down. Better to be realistic and concentrate on survival.
“How do you contact them?” Were there some arcane blood rituals to summon them? A secret meeting place? Whatever was necessary, whatever it took to get the information she needed, she was prepared to make the sacrifice.
“Internet.”
He dropped the word so casually her mouth fell open in shock. “Internet?”
He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it onto the sofa. “There are places online if you know where to look.”
“And you do?”
“Yes.”
Maccus had layers she hadn’t even imagined. But it made sense. He’d been around a very long time. And he was intelligent. Gathering data, gaining knowledge would be second nature to him.
He strode down the hallway. Annoyed at his ignoring her, she followed him into what was obviously his office. A huge desk dominated the center and floor to ceiling shelves ringed the entire room.
“Wow.” All her irritation fled at the sight of all the books and artifacts. The room was alive