Pure & Sinful (Pure Souls) - By Killian McRae Page 0,76

the all-human clause of the Hell-Heaven Accords of 1533? Is this something that has come up in conversation before?”

Riona shuffled in place. “When I first learned about the whole Moral Right truth Thing, I had lots of questions. Being that I did sleep with a demon, and all.”

“But that’s not quite the situation here,” the angel interceded. “The intention, and seeing it through, is a sin under church doctrine, even if the act isn’t technically by agreement of the accords. Marc superseded MRT when he took vows. Even if he sleeps with Lucifer, thinking it’s you, he’ll be just as damned as if he did the real you.”

Riona’s hands became the epicenter of her own personal tremor. “Ramiel, shift yourself to him! Stop them before it’s too late.”

“You know I can’t do that,” he ground out, revealing the depth of his sorrow at that sad fact marring his features. “Angels can only guide and tempt, we can’t fight or force with the use of our angelic abilities. Free will, babe, it’s the unbreakable rule. And I can’t touch Lucifer. He’s way above my pay grade. He’d vanquish me in a second.”

Riona gaped. “Vanquish? Angels can be vanquished?”

Ramiel nodded. “Not permanently like demons, but temporarily, yes. I think it’s also safe to assume that Lucifer wouldn’t leave the area open to access. He’ll have some powerful magic wrapped around that place to make sure no one gets in without a fight.”

“Except me,” she realized. “Because I’m the one he’s after.”

The angel nodded. “Bingo.”

“You know the worst part of this?” Jerry spit out. “Marc’s going to be ruined for you for the rest of his mortal days on Earth, once you guys do hook up.” Both Riona and Ramiel glared at the demon, but he simply shrugged nonchalantly. “What? If he’s damned anyways, why wouldn’t you jump him? It’s not like sinning kills him instantly, and you can’t damn him again once the deed is done. Lucifer is still going to have to wait for his mortal body to die before he can reincarnate Marc’s soul in demon flesh in Hell. Assuming you still find a way to make it out of this and stay earthside, that is. You could… Well, you could really be with him then, build a life together.” Jerry’s voice and hope grew small. “If that’s what you want, I mean.”

“It wouldn’t be right,” Riona breathed out. “I respect his commitment to the church, and even damned, I don’t think his love for the role he serves there would be diminished. His commitment would probably grow even stronger.”

Jerry pushed himself off the desk and paced to Riona. He reached out, and though she flinched, she kept her place as his fingers trailed over her cheek, his fingertips tracing over her lips. “Then frankly, my dear, I don’t think he deserves you. Anybody who’d forgo the love of a woman like you for the sake of a fucked-up organization like his isn’t worth your time. Don’t look at me that way; it doesn’t change my mind. I’ll still help you save him, but you should know that half of me wants to see you in Hell. Then I can be with you and show you what a real man does for the woman he loves.”

Her eyes rolled like dice on a Vegas crap table. “You expect me to wilt or something? Oh, Jerry,” her voice mocked him as she acted the part of a swooning, lovesick Southern belle, “how sweet. You tried to get me damned so we could spend an eternity in Hell making love... Get real.”

Ramiel had seen and heard enough. Standing around listening to Jerry and Riona’s verbal sparring wasn’t doing shit to help Marc. He pulled them both by the arms and dragged them into the hall.

“Enough flirting, kids. We have a job to do. And since I can’t shift you there under the circumstances, I expect a lead foot, Riona.”

Outside, Riona’s hands flew up over her eyes, shielding them from the setting sun’s glare. Jerry sucked oxygen in through gritted teeth like he was a five-year-old, eating lime-flavored gelatin. For all his tough guy talk, he shriveled like a daisy as he fell into the passenger seat, inviting a very reluctant Riona into his lap.

“It’s not like the angel and Dionysus’s hulking body can both fit on this side of a Miata, darling.”

But she was so not having any of that. “Ramiel, shift yourself to my building. You can do that, right? As long