as you don’t interfere with our actions, you can stand there, right?”
His head bobbed. “Yeah.”
“Good, go then. We’ll be there as fast as I can drive it.”
“And leave you and him alone in a car together?” Ramiel barked. “Do I look like I was drawn from the ether yesterday? Helping us or not, Jerry’s still a demon, still a minion of Hell. Using Dee’s biceps and his own demon enchantments, he could overpower you in a second.”
Blanching like a slivered almond, the witch spluttered to explain. “I know, but I don’t think he will. I think… I trust him, Ramiel. I can’t explain why. And if anything does happen, I trust myself to be able to handle him, even if he is scum.”
“I’m standing right here, you know,” Jerry reminded them, his arms crossed over his chest. “I can hear everything you’re saying.”
Ramiel’s eyes shifted, first to Riona, then accusingly back at Jerry, then to Riona again. With a huff, the angel took a few steps away from the car, glaring in the demon’s direction. “You hurt one hair on her head, and I will personally redeliver the plagues upon your ass and send you packing back to Old Nick with a big red bow and a bottle of Dom, you got it?”
And with that, he was gone.
Shifting the car into fifth, Riona looked at the demon via the rearview mirror. “What kind of defenses will he have up?”
“The mother of all Morgana Boxes. Probably around the whole building.”
“Am I going to be able to break Lucifer’s Morgana Box?” Despite her determination, she knew Jerry could hear the doubt in her voice.
“Like you said, he won’t be blocking you out. You’ll be able to get through the box just fine. That’s not what I’m worried about, though,” Jerry admitted. “He’ll have some of his private guard there, too. Demon soldiers, very lethal, but not too bright. I’m worried whether they’ll recognize you as off limits.”
“And if they don’t?”
He coughed a laugh. “Fortunately for me, I’m wielding the body of a demigod and have an archangel working with me. Ramiel can’t use his angelic charms, but he can use that mean left hook he has when things turn physical.”
“Will that be enough?”
She couldn’t help hearing the doubt in his voice. “It will have to be.”
It was as good of an answer as she could hope for. “Okay, what else can I do?”
“Is there a back entrance to your building?”
“Of course.”
Jerry nodded. “Good, we’ll avoid that and go in the front.” Her confused grimace forced him to clarify. “Lucifer will plan on you trying the less obvious thing. The best hope, then, is to do the most obvious thing. Reverse psych, and all that. Hopefully, that means the guard is lighter by the front. Damn, if only you could make yourself invisible.”
Finally, a bit of a break. “But, Jerry, I can!”
His eye roll would have put any teen drama queen’s to shame. “No, you can’t.”
“Yes, I can,” she insisted. “I did it a few weeks ago at the club when Marc and I were in the hot tub together.” His eyes flashed confusion and jealousy. “It’s not what it sounds like. We were both naked and...”
“You were what?!” Red specks covered his cheeks. “You sure Marc’s still pure?”
“Yes, we didn’t do anything, not that it’s any of your business. Anyways. Invisibility? Si, se puede.”
“If that’s true, Riona, you and Ramiel need to have a heart-to-heart soon. Invisibility? Fuck, this is all beginning to make a whole lot more sense.” Jerry’s eyes flew up the direction of the heavens. “I’d like to know which one of you celestial bastards is responsible! See what you fucking wrought?”
“Jerry?”
But he only shook his head wildly. “We need to stay focused. Fine, you can be invisible? Prove it to me. Do it now.”
Without hesitation, she pulled the charm over herself. Looking down at the driver wheel, she saw the edges of her hand and arm becoming pale, then turning transparent. A few moments later, only the sleeve of her shirt was visible, looking as though it were floating in suspension.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Each profane utterance was accentuated with a pounding of Jerry’s fist against the door. “Shit. This just got a whole lot more serious.” He swallowed like he was trying to take down bad medicine. “Okay, okay, let’s just… not worry about that part right now. Focus, focus, focus… Riona, lose the clothes.”
“You never give up, do you?”
“Like the demons are going to miss a pair