"Ly, I thought you were immortal," I said later at the motel, pulling my clothes back on.
"We are," he corrected.
"Then why was Ace scared of Dale? Why did Dale say she could take me, and us, out?"
"Because, she can. She's the only one who can. Much like we're infused with the blood of the devil, she is infused with the blood of the Almighty. We're pure evil. She's pure good. And she is the only one with the power to end us."
"But... wouldn't you go back to hell?"
"No. She erases us entirely. Relax," he told me, his wing moving out to embrace me. "We've known half a dozen demonslayers. We are all still standing. None of them are. It will be fine. We will be fine," he said, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. "I am going to jump in the shower. Can you watch for the food?"
"Yep," I agreed, giving him a smile as I dipped into his wallet, grabbing the cash, then moving out onto the covered porch that connected all the motel rooms.
All the rooms on each side were occupied by the others. Ace, Drex, Seven, Bael, Daemon—who, from the sounds of things, had a whole harem of happy women in his room with him—and...
Even as I was about to think his name, the door to Minos's room opened.
But instead of Minos emerging, it was a woman.
A very familiar woman.
With sex-mussed hair and pink cheeks, still pulling her shirt down to cover her body.
"Don't," Dale said, looking over at me, eyes going hard. "Don't you dare judge me after what you've done," she said.
"Minos?" I asked, the pieces starting to fall together.
"I break real, human men," she said, jaw tight. "And we all need release. That's all it is," she insisted before running off, jumping on her own bike, and peeling out.
My head turned, finding Minos standing in his doorway, his gaze following the disappearing bike.
His wings were out.
"Oh, Minos," I said, my heart aching in my chest as he turned, letting me see his tortured gaze.
That was why she'd been at the party.
To sleep with Minos. Because he was the only man she could know on a carnal level without seriously hurting—or killing—him.
That was why she rushed out without trying to kill any of the demons.
Because that was not why she was there.
"How?" I asked, as he tried to control the Change, the Claiming. But there was no use. He couldn't control it anymore than Lycus could. "How is that possible?"
"It's not supposed to be," he said, shaking his head. "She hates me," he added. "She needs me, but she hates me. And I can't fucking help myself."
"Oh, Minos. I'm so sorry."
"One day, she is going to kill me."
"Minos..."
"Or they will try to kill her, and have to go through me to do it. There's no good end to this."
"I don't know what to say," I admitted.
"For right now, can you say nothing?" he asked, eyes pleading with me. Even knowing the ugly fate ahead, he couldn't help it. He wanted her to keep showing up, to keep using him, to take what she needed and leave. Because his nature ached for any contact with her, no matter the outcome, and the pain after.
"I, ah, okay. For now," I added, knowing there might come a time when I had to say something.
"Thank you," he said, ducking quickly inside the door when mine opened behind me.
"Everything alright?" Ly asked, hair dripping onto the shoulder of his white shirt.
"Yeah, just thinking," I told him, giving him a smile.
"About?"
"Just that you were right."
"About what?" he asked, stepping out, and closing the door behind him.
"About how interesting our eternity is promising to be."
"That it will, witch, that it will," he agreed, coming up behind me, pressing a kiss to my neck.