Letting out a breath, I hurry down as fast as I can without falling and round the corner in the foyer to see Lucas standing in the kitchen, still stark-naked, and Ruby just a few feet from him.
Her hands are over her face, and she’s stumbling over her words.
“Ah, there she is.” Lucas, who knows he’s completely gorgeous and has no issue with nudity, raises the water glass he filled up in my direction. He leans against the counter, waiting for me to come get the water.
“What are you doing here?” I ask Ruby, tying my robe around my waist.
“We tried calling you after Evander saw your text about the demon. You didn’t respond and we were worried.”
“Oh,” I say as I cross the kitchen, taking the water from Lucas. I stand in front of him, feeling a bit possessive over my incredibly sexy, naked vampire. Though another part of me almost wants to show him off. I take the water from Lucas, and he puts his hands on my waist, bringing my butt right up against him.
Ruby slowly lowers her hand, making sure it’s safe to look. She hasn’t taken a single step, making me wonder if she can. She was never good at astral projecting, and it was one of the things she resented the most about me.
Suddenly feeling like I’m dying of thirst, I down half the water and then take a breath. “I, uh, didn’t realize my phone was ringing. I’m fine.”
“I can see that.” Ruby smiles tightly. “You’re sure it’s that particular demon?”
“Yes,” I tell her and finish the water. I want to turn and refill my glass, but that would expose Lucas, though it’s not like he’d care. “So…he might be working on his own or Ruth might have summoned him.”
“I thought you were certain she was going after you.”
“Oh, I am. But I can’t be certain this new demon—B for short—is directly connected to her.” The dizziness comes back, and I lean against Lucas to keep from losing my balance. He tightens his arms around my waist, and Ruby gives me an incredulous look. I close my eyes for a few seconds and wait for the dizziness to pass. “But I’m pretty sure B is trying to see if I’m the nephilim, like the other demon was.”
Ruby’s lips part, and she shakes her head. “So this new demon, B…what is he going to do if he figures out you’re the nephilim?”
“I don’t know. Kill me? That’s what the other demon wanted, though…” I trail off. Though other demons have said things to suggest they want me to storm the gates of Hell with them. I’m half an archangel. I possess the power to do so. “Though I don’t know.”
“It’s nothing good,” Lucas says. “We know that for sure. But whatever it is, he’s not getting it. I won’t let anything happen to Callie.”
Ruby shuffles back, projection shimmering a bit. She stills, refocuses, and appears solid before us again. “You were right there, though, in front of him. And he didn’t attack you.” Her brows furrow, trying to make sense of it all.
“I don’t think he was really there,” I say. “Which doesn’t make this a whole lot better.”
“What do you mean?”
I bite my lip, thinking back to the night we were attacked. “I think he was projecting somehow.” I go to take a step forward and stop, remembering Lucas is naked behind me. I grab a rag from the side of the sink and hand it to him.
“That’s not going to cover much,” he says with a cheeky grin. My face flushes. He’s right. I hold out my hand and telekinetically open the cabinet where I keep my towels, bringing a larger towel to him.
“Put your pants on, get the book, and come back.”
Lucas kisses my cheek and goes into the living room, holding the towel over himself.
“I can see why you’re into vampires now,” Ruby laughs. “He’s, uh, very handsome.”
“He is,” I agree, cheeks still flushed. I refill my water, quickly drink it all, and then go to the table. Ruby’s projection shimmers again as she turns around. Lucas is back in just seconds, wearing his jeans from before and carrying the book. He sets it down and opens it to Bael’s page.
“Scarlet couldn’t smell him, and when I threw an energy ball at him, it passed right through.”
“That does sound like astral projection,” Ruby agrees. “But why project? Why not go in for the kill?”
I scan the words in Latin, trying to find the part I’m looking for. “He was trapped in a vessel and locked away in Hell. It would take some major magic to bust him out. And as much as Ruth has it out for me, I can’t see her with that kind of clout.”
“You mean power?” Ruby asks, eyebrows going up.