Jegudiel (Deadly Virtues 2)

Their attention on one another seemed obsessive, somewhat possessive.

“You’re coming home,” Gabriel said to Diel, trying to break through whatever strange connection was building between them.

“Let him out, Noa,” Dinah said, coming to stand beside Gabriel.

The pink-haired woman, Noa, hesitated, studying Gabriel, but then she stepped into the van and unlocked the cage. She moved back quickly, and Diel slammed the cage door open. He flew from the cage, diving straight toward Noa. But before he reached her, Gabriel pressed the button on the collar, and Diel dropped to his knees on the cold, damp ground.

Diel snarled in defiance against the crackling surge of electricity, rolling forward to slam his palms to the ground. His limbs shook, and even with the moon as their only light, Gabriel could see the dried blood of Diel’s victims still on his skin. He felt those deaths like a tornado of punches to his face.

“Breathe.”

Gabriel whipped his head to Noa as she spoke. Diel froze at the sound. Then, to Gabriel’s complete surprise, Diel began to do what she instructed. Despite the raging volts tearing through his body, the monster’s evil sinking into his battered soul, Noa’s command seemed to hit his ears, and Diel overrode it all and began to calm.

Several seconds of slow and controlled breathing passed, then Diel raised his head, and Gabriel saw the true Diel looking back at him, not the monster that often took him away from his brothers.

Gabriel leaned down and wrapped his hand around Diel’s bicep. He hoisted Diel to his feet. Diel’s head twitched, showing his inner fight against the urge to bring the monster back to the forefront. Gabriel kept the collar switched high. He couldn’t risk him attacking the women. However, when Diel looked at Noa again, he was beginning to see why Diel hadn’t killed them all on the spot when they had met.

She held his attention somehow.

Just as he turned to leave, he noticed a makeshift remote in Noa’s hand. Gabriel took in a deep, exasperated breath when he realized it could control Diel’s collar. He held out his hand. “May I take that, please?”

Noa narrowed her eyes, clearly wanting to refuse Gabriel’s request, but then she reluctantly placed the remote in the palm of Gabriel’s hand. He placed it in his pocket. He would destroy it once he was home.

Gabriel rounded the van, Diel still beside him. He saw the Coven and his brothers glaring at one another; trust appeared to be nonexistent between them. Sela came forward from the shadow of the mausoleum toward his best friend. But as he stepped into the light, one of the women broke from the Coven and ran at Sela, knife in hand.

Sela turned just as the small hooded woman pushed him back against the mausoleum wall. She lifted her knife as if to strike, not a single word spilling from her lips, but another one of the Coven raced behind her and yanked her arm back, wrenching her away from Sela.

“Naomi, no!” The one who had attacked Sela thrashed in the other woman’s arms. The frenzy pulled back both their hoods. The attacker had bright red hair, not too dissimilar in tone to Bara’s. The other woman looked to be of South Asian, possibly Indian heritage, with rich brown skin and chocolate-brown hair.

“What the fuck is this?” the brunette hissed in Gabriel’s direction. The Coven went on high alert, legs bent and knives drawn and battle-ready. Diel fought against Gabriel, trying to break from his grip and charge at the women near Sela. Gabriel kept tight hold of him. “You have the General. Why the fuck do you have the General?”

“Who the flying fuck is the General?” Bara came forward. Uriel was close behind, his gray eyes sharp. Tension built, and Bara’s attention flew to the petite redhead. He smiled wide. “A fellow redhead.” He bit his lip, the flesh dragging through his teeth. “A feisty little fire witch.”

“Enough!” Dinah rounded on Gabriel, her eyes darting around the Fallen. “Why do you have him?” Gabriel realized they suddenly believed their meeting him and his family to be a trap.

Sela stepped away from the mausoleum wall, straightening his shirt. The Coven watched him with pure hatred in their stares. Sela combed his long brown hair from his face with his hands. “From your greeting, I take it you’ve met my brother. Father Auguste.”

Dinah’s breathing audibly hitched. “Brother?”

“I’m still fucking stuck on ‘General’? What and who the fuck is the General?” Bara asked.

“The Witch Finder General,” Noa informed them, moving to her sisters nearest Sela and pulling them back by their arms. Diel’s collar hissed as she moved past him. Diel watched her again, like he couldn’t look away, like his eyes were glued to any move she made.

Noa ignored it and addressed them all. “Father Auguste is the Witch Finder General for the Brethren. He deemed us all witches and heretics as young girls and sentenced us to a life of horrific witch trials.” Noa’s eyes narrowed on Sela. “You’re twins?”