Entanglement

“What is that?” Azlynn asked.

“It’s some kind of tracking device,” Miller said grimly, starting at the little black thing with distaste.

“Did he bug the car?” Charlotte asked.

“Maybe.”

Azlynn absently reached up to toy with her amulet, and gasped in horror when she realized that it wasn’t there. It must have come off while she was wrestling with the basilisk. Without even thinking, she ran across the sand, back towards the flaming beach house.

The others called her name, but she ignored them. She dove through the gaping hole belching smoke that used to be the front door. She got down on her knees and scrabbled around on the floor, fingers grasping wildly. Finally she caught sight of something glinting silver and she wriggled over to the basilisk’s body. She shoved the dead creature aside, and her fingers closed over the amulet. It was hot but she barely noticed, her palms barely even registering the burns before they disappeared.

She crawled back through the smoke. Just as she reached the door, strong arms caught her and yanked her up and out of the house. She flailed and kicked at first, thinking it was Morrison or another one of his minions.

“Quit squirming!” Dante shouted, and Azlynn quieted. He carried her away from the flames just as the roof caved in the rest of the way.

“Goddammit, woman, never do that again!” Dante said, setting her gently on the sand.

“Sorry,” Azlynn said quietly.

“What did you run back in there for anyway?” Dante demanded. Azlynn reached up, clasping her amulet around her neck. Dante stared at her. “You ran back into a burning building for a necklace.”

“It has a lot of sentimental value.”

“We should go,” Charlotte said. “We should go back to town and let Will know that we’re okay.”

“I’m taking my car,” Dante said immediately.

“I’ll go with you.” The words came out of Azlynn’s mouth before she could stop them. Everyone stared at her in surprise.

“Fine with me,” Dante said after a moment. She followed him while Miller and Charlotte climbed into the SUV. Azlynn slid into the passenger seat, buckling her seatbelt and leaning her head against the head rest.

“You’re one crazy chick, you know that?” Dante asked as he started the car. The engine roared to life. He flicked on the headlights and followed Miller away from the ruined beach house. Eventually the fire department would get there to put out the fire, but Azlynn was worried that more TFS goons would arrive first. Plus she had seen no sign of Morrison when she had gone back into the house, and she didn’t want to stand around, vulnerable, on the beach.

“I’m a lot of things,” Azlynn murmured.

“I can attest to that,” Dante agreed, his gaze flicking away from the road to linger on her. Warmth crept up her neck, and she avoided his eyes.

“Is your stomach okay?”

“What?” Azlynn stared at him in confusion.

“The basilisk stabbed you.”

“Oh. Right. Um, it’s fine, thanks.” Azlynn involuntarily covered her stomach. The wounds were gone, and she definitely didn’t want Dante to notice. That would for sure ruin her human charade. She thought she saw Dante smirk, but when she turned to face him his expression was neutral.

“Dante?” she whispered.

“Hmm?”

“Thanks. You know, for saving me, back at the house. From the basilisk and the fire and all.” Granted, she didn’t really need any saving, but it made her heart melt a little that he had bothered to come to her rescue.

“You’re welcome.” His voice was surprisingly serious; there was no trace of his usual cockiness or sarcasm.

“That’s all?” she teased. “You’re not going to say I owe you one or something?”

“Well, if at some future date you feel the need to repay the favor, I won’t protest it,” Dante replied lightly. “But, you know, that’s totally up to you.”

Azlynn was surprised when a laugh escaped her lips. She shook her head, studying Dante’s profile as he drove. He seemed at ease on the road. Happy, even. She smiled to herself, stretching her legs out in front of her.

“Can I ask you a question?” Dante suddenly blurted.

“Yes,” Azlynn said cautiously.

“Earlier…when we were on the porch…”

“Yes?”

“Well, what was that all about? I mean, what brought on…all that?”

Azlynn bit back a smile. Dante actually seemed nervous. She had lain awake long after she’d gone to bed, asking herself the same question. She had reached two conclusions. One was that the demon in her genes was finally starting to rear its head. Being raised as an angel, she had repressed any traits she had noticed that seemed less than angelic. But being away from Heaven for so long, surrounded by humans and trying to be one of them had apparently started wearing down her defenses. Her demon was showing. It certainly accounted for her behavior at the club.

But her impromptu, and rather passionate, kiss with Dante felt like something else entirely. Nothing she had experienced before, but it didn’t feel dark and dangerous like the sensations in the club had. No, she had a distinct feeling that what had prompted her to kiss Dante was simply the attraction she had felt for him from the beginning and had tried to ignore. The wild thing in her at the club had just given her the confidence and recklessness to finally express it.

“You look cute when you’re pouting,” Azlynn said finally. She wasn’t about to explain all that to him right now. He looked at her incredulously. “I was not pouting!”

“You were. You were pouting because I took your cigarette away.”

“And that made you feel compelled to glue your lips to mine?”

“Apparently.” Azlynn shrugged. “If you would prefer that I not do it again, I understand.”

“No, no,” Dante assured her quickly. “I would definitely not prefer that.” He paused for a moment. “Are you planning on doing it again?”

Azlynn laughed softly. “Possibly.”

“What a tease.”

Azlynn was about to reply, when suddenly Dante slammed on the brakes, sending the car skidding in a half-circle with a loud shriek of tires. Miller’s SUV was in front of them, stopped dead in the middle of the road.

“The fuck?” Dante muttered. He got out of the car, and Azlynn followed suit.

“Stay behind me,” Dante said. Rolling her eyes, Azlynn complied, following close behind him as he approached the SUV. Azlynn gasped. Miller and Charlotte were standing in front of the SUV, a group of massive creatures that faintly resembled Frankenstein, only much more terrifying, had them surrounded. And standing just outside the circle of monsters was Morrison.

“You son of a bitch,” Dante growled.

“Oh don’t worry, DeMarco,” Morrison drawled. “We’re most likely going to let you go, for the moment. We just want her.” He nodded toward Azlynn, and she stiffened.

“You keep your filthy hands off of her,” Dante snarled.

Morrison laughed. “My, my, isn’t that precious. The big, tough Weredragon has a soft spot for the cute receptionist. I can’t hardly blame you, I suppose, she is rather a beauty, isn’t she? Ah, but she only looks like a porcelain doll. She is far from it. Isn’t that right, Azlynn?”

Her heart pounded. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Morrison laughed again, then snapped his fingers, and two more of the black magic-made creatures surged forward, gripping Dante’s arms and dragging him into the circle to join Miller and Charlotte. He cursed and struggled.

Azlynn stood tense in the road, suddenly feeling very exposed and vulnerable.

“She’s human; leave her alone Morrison,” Miller demanded.

“Ah, so you still haven’t let them in on your little secret, I see.” Morrison addressed Azlynn. She didn’t respond, fists clenching at her sides.

“If Stanton was right about you, and I assume he is, then you’re certainly something special, aren’t you?” Morrison approached her, and Azlynn reflexively slid into a fighting stance. “Yes, quite special,” Morrison went on. His eyes roved over her. “What a charming…outfit,” he leered. He reached out a hand to touch her face and Azlynn jerked away.

“Morrison! I’m going to rip out your throat!” Dante shouted, fighting to get through the circle of Morrison’s dark magic. “Keep your hands off of her!”

“My employer is very interested to meet you,” Morrison said, ignoring him.

“What would McNitt want with me?” Azlynn asked, feigning ignorance.

“Oh, not him, pet, and I think you know it,” Morrison replied, his grin cruel. “No, I’m speaking of someone much higher up than Stanton McNitt.”

Her breath hitched. This is exactly what she’d been afraid of.

“I must say, I’m terribly curious to see if McNitt was right about you.” Morrison’s fingers twitched, and Azlynn knew he was just itching to hurt her. Morrison was a sadist in the worst way. His hand moved abruptly, and a knife buried itself in Azlynn’s stomach. A scream tore from her throat. Even though she knew it wouldn’t do any irreparable damage, it still hurt.

“Morrison!” Dante’s voice was filled with raw fury, and then he was there. He somehow broke through the guards and he tackled Morrison to the ground, fire lighting his fingertips.

“Dante, no!” Azlynn cried, covering her stomach with her hands, pretending to staunch the bleeding when really she just wanted to hide the rapid healing. Their brawl was interrupted when the almost overwhelming scent of sulfur filled the air, and a tall figure loomed out of the shadows.

“Making friends, are we Morrison?” the figure asked. He was dressed in a dark suit, his bluish black hair slicked back, not a strand out of place. And his eyes were entirely black. He flicked his hand, and Dante and Morrison flew apart. Dante landed hard on the hood of Miller’s SUV. Azlynn darted over to him, her feet seeming to move of their own accord. She reached for him, but the tall man appeared at her side, grabbing her outstretched hand and dragging her away to study her face.

“Little Azlynn,” he murmured. “You’re certainly just as beautiful as your mother. Though I imagine you got those dark features from the other side of your family tree.” He smirked, and anger flashed through Azlynn’s being.

“Yes, child, I can see the hatred in your eyes,” he chuckled. “Those fools made sure to raise you up just like them, didn’t they? Especially that Gabriel. I remember him charging in, trumpets blaring and guns blazing, so to speak, to rescue your darling mother all those years ago. Never have I seen a man so smitten.”

“Don’t talk about my mother and Gabe!” Azlynn fairly shrieked. “You’re not fit to say their names!”

“Now, is that any way to talk to your own father?” The man tsked reproachfully. “I didn’t come here to fight with you, girl. I came to ask you, father to daughter, to join me. You have so much potential; you could rule the world with my help.”

“Never,” Azlynn spat. “I don’t want to rule the world.”

“Ah, so you’ll need some convincing. What a pity. I had hoped you would see reason, but I have plenty of time to sway you. And I certainly have the leverage to convince you…” His eyes moved slowly to Dante, and then to Miller and Charlotte, who were rooted in place, watching their exchange with wide-eyed confusion.

White-hot fury such as she had never felt before streaked through Azlynn’s blood.

“You will not touch them!” She shed her glamour; losing any resemblance she had had to a regular human. Her wings shifted, rising out of her back, spreading behind her in a spectacular display of jet and ivory. She felt her top and bottom canines sharpen; turning into deadly little fangs similar to those of a vampire. Leviathan was a powerful demon, but she caught him off guard.

Azlynn slammed hard into him, sending him flying down the empty highway. The ground crumbled beneath him, creating a large crater in the road. Azlynn beat her wings, lifting into the air and soaring to where he’d fallen. He was getting up, but she swooped down, ramming her fist into his jaw and sending him flying again. She curled her wings close to her body and rocketed through the air, raining blows down on him. She had always been one of the fastest angels.

Finally her father opted to fight back. He punched her in the chest, sending her crashing into the road. She got back on her feet, keeping herself in a crouching position.

“So strong already,” Leviathan mused. Azlynn spat at him. “Yet so disrespectful,” he added. “No matter. I have time to improve upon your behavior.”

“I will never join you,” Azlynn said, her words slow and her tone deadly. “Never.”

“We’ll see, daughter, we’ll see.” The demon snapped his fingers, and in a blink he, Morrison, and the monsters he had made were all gone. Azlynn ruffled her wings irritably. Then she tucked her wings around herself, and slowly turned to face the others. They all gawked at her.

“You’re a demon?” Charlotte asked, her voice laced with fear and distrust.

“No,” Azlynn whispered. “I’m half demon…and half archangel.”