to get this over with.
“Your majesty,” she said, bowing. She was being smart.
“Enough of that,” Amish snapped at her. “There was a mistake in your record. It said you weren’t sorry for the bad stuff, but you are, aren’t you?”
She met his gaze. “Well, I—”
“Aren’t you?” he insisted.
“Yes,” she said, smiling. “So, so, sorry.”
And so, so insincere.
“If you don’t mean it, we’ll see each other again,” Amish whispered. “If they send you back, I will catch hell for it. I will pass my punishment onto you. Is that understood?”
She actually shuddered, nodding without a word.
“Good,” he said.
Her fear disappeared, and her flippant attitude returned. “When do I leave, handsome?”
Amish picked her up in his arms and flew upwards. He took her to the upper door and left her there. “You need to wait. It will open soon.”
The minute he was back on the surface, demons surrounded him, dark, scaly, and just more than a little pissed off. “She was ours,” they said with a collective voice. “Since when do you play with the books, Amish?”
Shit. “Well, you win some, you lose some.”
No one laughed.
“Look, she’s one little person.” Amish shrugged. “She was sorry for what she did.”
One of the demons stepped forward. “No, she’s not sorry. She played you. She’s ours. Go up and get her.”
Amish gave him a skewed smile. “You go and get her.”
“You know we can’t go there,” he said. “Bring her back. Now!”
“Or what?” Amish asked, crossing his arms. “You have no power here. I’m the Lord of this world. Kindly go the hell back, pardon the pun, to where you came from.”
The demons stepped forward, merging into one big demon. Amish withdrew his sword, a special sword that the priest, Frank, had given him. The sword of Gideon. The demon slayer.
“I’m not worthy,” he had told Frank. “There is no angel left in me.”
“My dream told me differently,” Frank had said.
As the demon came closer, Amish raised his sword. He swung, cutting off its long tail. The demons screamed and separated, attacking from all angles. Amish kept swinging, slaughtering one after another. They vanished. Amish lowered the sword, dripping with demon blood. He dragged the sword behind him, feeling weak suddenly. He sunk down into a dark corner and closed his eyes. “Liam,” he whispered. “I miss you. I miss you every moment. I hope you are all right.”
He slept. In his sleep, he said Liam’s name, reaching out and touching nothing.
Someone called to him. When his eyes opened and focused, he saw the beautiful demon, Ravish.
“My friend,” Ravish murmured, leaning down to touch him. “What have they done to you? Where is your precious Liam?”
Amish began to cry. He sobbed and sobbed for what seemed like forever. Then he just ran out of tears.
Ravish knelt in front of him. “My poor Amish.”
“What are you doing here?” Amish asked. “Where is Azrael?”
Ravish didn’t answer for a minute, as if he’d lost his voice. There was such sadness in his face.
“Ravish?” Amish prompted. “What happened? The two of you were so beautiful together.”
Ravish and Azrael, demon and angel, had been in competition for Amish’s soul once. They were in love, a forbidden desire. They gave up competing for Amish’s soul and ran away together. Now, like he and Liam, the universe didn’t want them together.
“Azrael is above, on earth,” Ravish said, his eyes filling with tears. “He’s on probation. He must accomplish many good deeds before they’ll give him back his wings.”
“And you?”
“Below with that bastard!” He made a face, hastily swiping at his tears. “Azrael and I are forbidden to ever see each other again.” He looked away.
“I’m so sorry.” Amish reached out and touched his shoulder. “There has to be a way. What are you doing here now?”
“I was sent. He’s not happy with you slaying his boys,” Ravish explained, “and he wants to know why you sent one of ours upstairs?”
“She gave me a dream, a vision. I was able to communicate with Liam in that dream. They are trying to convince Liam I never existed.” He bit his lower lip.
“Then she could reach Azrael,” Ravish said, speaking rapidly now. “Amish, Azrael could find Liam.”
“What good would that do?” He hung his head.
“Look, the only one who can help us is Azrael. He is up there with Liam, and he has the most freedom. We only want to be together and—”
Amish grabbed him, looked him in the eye. He knew they were thinking the same thing. “We need to get Nanya back here.”
“How