Kastros, who smiles as he takes my hand as my feet touch down on a feather-soft cloud landing that breaks up a massive, winding stairwell.
My giant demon’s smile only lasts half a second before he presses us both into the cloud wall, which is as soft and bouncy as a mattress, so that the others can sneak in.
“No alarms. No hellhounds? No booby traps?” Raz scoffs. “Pathetic.”
But as he expresses his negative thoughts out loud, a black cloud appears above him.
“Hush!” I whisper-yell through my teeth, horrified that something awful is going to come out of that cloud.
Raz follows my gaze and looks up. “Huh.”
Akor pokes the cloud, which immediately sends a nasty miniature lightning bolt shooting out at him. He barely jumps out of the way before the bolt hits the floor, creating a singed spot on the lavender steps.
“Okay, so now we know. Heaven rule number one—stay positive!” I give a fake grin and a jazz hand—only one, because Kastros won’t let go of the other.
Akor starts to sing, “Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side, keep on the sunny side of life…” in a honky-tonk voice.
I watch Raz grit his teeth and struggle not to spit fire at Akor. Kastros breaks up the tension by taking the lead and brushing between them with me to head down the stairs. He goes down two and then turns back, making me stand on the step in front of him. His arms extend on either side, and he lets me watch his hands as he uses demon signs to communicate with them.
Thankfully, he’s been teaching me, so I understand a little.
I definitely know he tells Zolroth and Akor to guard the rear, partially because Akor says, “I always guard my rear, especially after the time Van tried to stick his horn up—”
“Shut it. I hear something,” Zolroth tells him.
I’m not allowed to look, because Kastros suddenly yanks my hand and Raz fills the space behind me. I’m mashed between them, face turned sideways as they step closer, as though squeezing all the air out of me will somehow keep me safer.
Two sets of wide, strong pecs press against me. Two heartbeats sound in my ears. Two sets of hands drag up my sides, curling around me, trying to tug me in opposite directions.
Is it wrong that I’m totally turned on right now?
Because, despite whatever looming danger is out there, being the center of a Kastros and Raz sandwich is somehow this perfect fantasy that I never even knew I wanted before now.
But now…oh God.
Wait.
Can I think that in Heaven?
That won’t, like, summon him, will it?
Definitely do not want company right now.
I try to shove away my completely out-of-control thoughts and listen in case my other demons are in trouble. Because if they are, I’ll…bore the angels to sleep with economic facts from the Great Depression.
I gulp when I hear Van whimper, and my heart feels like that bolt of lightning that just hit the floor has hit me instead. Anxiety lights me up. Fuck.
“What’s going on?” I whisper.
But Raz and Kastros don’t answer. Kastros flips around, still holding my hand. They shuffle down the steps with me sandwiched in between them like it’s second nature. They’re so fast, we practically fly down the stairwell.
I crane my neck, trying to see what’s behind us, but Raz has his wings up. When we round a bend in the stairs, one of his dark wings drops slightly. That’s when I see it.
A damned llama. The thing is so white that it practically glows as its tall ears flick forward. It’s barreling down the stairs and curls its lips back over its teeth.
And then, I shit you not, that fucker spits fire.
24
Katrina
I duck back behind Kastros, clinging to him, trying not to shriek and give us away. But I do whisper viciously at them, “What the fuck is going on? Heaven has attack llamas?”
“Apparently,” Raz replies, spreading his wings to block a new jet of flame.
My heart flares up, but the flame doesn’t burst through his wings. His face contorts a little, but just like with the sunflower field, he’s able to stop the fire from reaching me.
“I can make them go splat!” Akor cheerfully offers from behind us.
“No, we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves! We don’t have time to hide bodies, dimwit!” I hear Zolroth say.
“There’s a second one! I can lust them?” Van offers.
“Do it!” Raz orders as we sprint past a landing with an open archway