And if he was the second Upper Level demon spotted in the same area where Bael had been, that had to mean something.
I was on my feet before I realized I was standing. Soon he would be at the intersection, and I wouldn’t be able to keep track of him. If I waited for Zayne to return, I’d lose him.
Zayne had told me to stay here, but I was thinking that was more of a suggestion than an order.
Mind made up, I hurried around a group of people who were waiting to cross the street and hung back from Suit Demon. I stuck close to the buildings so that I wouldn’t run into anyone, hoping that Suit Demon stayed under the glow of the streetlamps.
When the pedestrian light turned green, he crossed to the next block. A non-jaywalking demon. How unexpected.
I had no plan as I followed him past a shuttered bank and several closed administrative offices, but that didn’t stop me.
Suit Demon hung a sharp right, disappearing from my view. Cursing, I picked up my pace and realized he’d entered a dimly lit, narrow alley between two buildings that were dozens of floors tall. I hesitated at the mouth, scanning the relatively clean breezeway. It was empty—
My gaze lifted. “Holy crap.”
I caught a glimpse of a blurry shape pulling a Spider-Man, scurrying up the side of the building. I looked over my shoulder, but no one was pointing with their mouth hanging open.
That was a good thing. Even though the general public was aware of Wardens, the vast majority had no idea that demons were real. Due to a whole set of celestial rules about free will and blind faith, humans weren’t supposed to know that there were most definitely consequences in the afterlife for deeds committed while alive.
People thought Wardens were some kind of genetic crossbreed between humans and who knew what. I had no idea how they convinced themselves any of that was even remotely possible, but human nature demanded logical answers, even if the answer was, in fact, illogical.
To humans, Wardens were like legends and stone come to life, superheroes who often helped law enforcement. But Wardens weren’t out there hunting criminals.
I entered the alley, stumbling over uneven pavers I couldn’t see. Halfway down, I spotted a fire escape several feet off the ground.
“Ugh,” I muttered, glancing back at the mouth of the alley and then to the fire escape, judging the distance between the ground and the bottom landing.
Smart Trinity demanded that I head back to where Zayne had told me to wait. I didn’t have a plan, and if someone saw what I was considering doing, it would be hard to explain.
Impatient Trinity screamed DO IT like a battle cry.
“Double ugh,” I growled as the latter won out.
I ran across the alley and launched myself into air with a prayer that I didn’t face-plant the building, because that was sure to sting.
My palms smacked onto the metal rung. I swung forward, muscles in my arms stretching. I planted my feet on the side of the building and pushed off hard. Swinging back, I twisted as I let go, springing over the railing.
I winced at the sound of rattling metal as I landed on the base of the fire escape. I stayed still for a moment, waiting to see if anyone started yelling, and when there was nothing but silence, I was kind of disappointed that no one had witnessed my gymnastic feat of awesomeness.
Story of my life.
I quickly climbed the fire escape, which had to have about a hundred different code violations. With only the moonlight to guide me, instinct took over, and I didn’t let myself think about how I couldn’t really see where my hands or feet were going. If I let doubt creep in, I could fall, and I was high enough I would end up with a couple of broken bones.
A warm, sticky wind caught the loose strands of hair that had escaped my bun as I reached the rooftop. Placing both palms on the cement ledge, I scanned the area. Luckily, bright floodlights shone from three different maintenance sheds, each complete with its own massive antenna. I didn’t see Suit Demon, but I knew he had to be up here. I could feel him.
I pulled myself over the ledge. The breeze was more of a wind up here, which I welcomed as it rolled over my sweat-slickened skin. Daggers secured to my hips, my fingers twitched with the desire to unsheathe them as I walked across the roof.
Near the second shed, I caught sight of Suit Demon. He was on the ledge opposite the area I’d climbed up, crouched in a manner that was so Warden-like, I frowned. He’d gotten rid of his suit jacket at some point, and his white dress shirt billowed in the wind. The demon appeared to be watching the world down below. Was he waiting for someone? Maybe he was up here waiting for the demon Zayne had followed.
Maybe even Bael.
A plan quickly formed, thank God. Catch the demon off guard, gain the upper hand and make him talk.
Sounded legit and well-thought-out.
I stepped from behind the shed, keeping my hands open at my sides. “Hi!”
Suit Demon whipped around, rising with unearthly fluidity. He was on the narrow ledge and then one heartbeat later, he was a few feet from me.
A rational person would’ve experienced some level of fear at that point, but that wasn’t what I was feeling.
He was close enough that I could tell he was handsome, which wasn’t surprising. Demons rarely appeared as anything other than someone who would be viewed as universally attractive. What hid pure, unadulterated evil better than a comely face?
Cocking his head, the demon frowned. He stared at me as if he’d ordered a tender marinated filet, but instead had ended up with a cheap flat beef patty. I was sort of offended.
I was 100 percent organic Angus beef, thank you very much.
But the demon didn’t realize that because to him, I appeared like any ordinary human who’d foolishly stumbled into his path...on a rooftop.
The frown smoothed out, and while I couldn’t see his eyes, I could feel his gaze drift over me, as if he were sizing me up. I felt the exact moment he dismissed me.
Big mistake.
Suit Demon smiled. “What are you doing up here, girl?”
Surprised that he hadn’t tacked on little in front of girl, I shrugged. “Was about to ask you the same question.”
“Were you?” He chuckled, and the sound grated on my nerves. It was patronizing. “You look a little young to belong to the official roof police.”
“And you look old enough to not say words like official roof police.”
The humor vanished as a blast of hot air streamed over the roof. “Well, you’re obviously not smart enough to sense when to watch your mouth.”
“Funny you would insult my intelligence when you had no idea I was following you.”
His upper lip peeled back in a snarl that would’ve impressed a cougar. “Following me? If that’s true, then you’ve made the stupidest mistake of your life.”
“Well.” I drew the word out, taking a small step back. I was careful to keep some distance between us so that he didn’t get outside my center vision. “I don’t think this would even make the top ten stupidest mistakes I’ve made.”
He hissed, and yep, he no longer sounded like a cougar, but like a very ticked-off lion. “You’re going to beg for my forgiveness.” He sunk into a crouch, hands clawing. “And pray for your death.”
I tensed but planted a smile on my face. “So unoriginal. I’m experiencing secondhand embarrassment on your behalf. Why not get a little more creative?”
Suit Demon stared at me.
“Like how about ‘you’re going to beg me to stop chewing on your entrails’ and ‘pray that I toss you off the roof’? Now that paints a not-so-pretty picture, don’t you think?”
Suit Demon blinked.
“Why don’t you give that a try?” I suggested helpfully. “And let’s see if I move this encounter to the top twenty on my stupid list?”
The demon let out a keening growl, a cross between a wailing infant and rabid hyena. Tiny hairs all over my body rose at what had to be one of the most obnoxious sounds ever. “I’m going to rip out your tongue,” he promised. “And then shove it back through your throat.”
“There you go!” I clapped excitedly. “That’s so much better—”
Suit Demon launched into the air, just as I’d expected, and I bet he thought he looked fearsome enough for me to wet myself. I wished I could see his expression when I rushed into the attack, but alas, I was just going to have to pretend he had an oh snap look on his face.
Dipping down, I slid under him as I reached up and grabbed ahold of his legs. The demon’s momentum and strength worked in my favor as I yanked his legs down. Hard. Harder than I realized. Letting go, I popped up as he slammed belly down onto the roof several feet away, the impact rattling the door on the nearby shed and causing the lights to flicker. Inky liquid sprayed out across the rooftop—from his face.
Damn.
I didn’t realize I was that strong.
Unsheathing the daggers, I stalked toward the demon. I had a different weapon—a far better one. My grace. But it was too risky to whip out here, in the heart of the city, even though it was burning through my stomach like acid, demanding I let it out.
That I use it.
The demon flipped onto his back, leaving the facade of his human form behind. The fair hair disappeared as his skin shifted to a burnt orange marbled with swirling streams of black. He lifted his hand, and the inky substance on his skin flowed to his palm, forming a shadowy ball.
Oh, Hell to the no.
I fell forward, slamming my knee into his midsection as I leveled the business end of one of the daggers to his throat and the other above his heart. Either area would be fatal.
“These are iron daggers,” I warned him. “Whatever you’re about to do with the little ball of nightmares, think twice. You will not be as fast as I will be.”
His pitch-black pupilless eyes widened, and I guessed he was shocked by my strength and general awesomeness. He had no idea what I was, but if he did, he would be trying to devour me the way I’d happily dig into a hamburger. Consuming my grace would not only give the demon untold power and strength, it would be the closest it would ever get to Heaven.