To Seduce a Demon: The Relic Defender, #2

By Cassiel Knight

Reluctant allies; dangerous lovers.

 

Fallen angel, Marisol Asheni, Fell when she unwisely chose to follow Lucifer. Unlike many of her fellow angels, she has no desire for redemption. Instead, she prefers fighting the followers of the Dark when they step over the line. Except, in the deepest part of soul, she longs for a reason to stop fighting.

 

Jackson's only loyalty is to himself and his mother, but even he has boundaries he won't cross. When his last job threatens the life of a young woman, he tossed aside the lucrative pay and finds himself fighting evil. He's attracted to Mari, despite her hard, seemingly emotionless edge. And while Mari finds the tall human reluctantly appealing, nevertheless, she has no intention of finding herself in a relationship with a human.

 

Brought together by the Archangel Michael, they must find and destroy the crystal Mayan Death Skull before the son of Lucifer uses the skull to destroy the world's leaders and throw the world into chaos to begin Hell on Earth.

 

Their search for the Death Skull takes them from Chicago to Central America to the lost city of Lubaantun in Belize, the heart of the Mayan civilization and into a battle for their souls.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Champagne Book Group
• Release date: Feb 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781771553049

Book preview

A person and person posing for a picture Description automatically generated with medium confidence

To Seduce a Demon

The Relic Defender, 2

CASSIEL KNIGHT

CHAMPAGNE BOOK GROUP

To Seduce a Demon

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Published by Champagne Book Group

2373 NE Evergreen Avenue, Albany OR 97321 U.S.A.

~~~

Second Edition 2021

Previously Published as The Death Skull

eISBN: 978-1-77155-304-9

Copyright © 2021 Cassiel Knight All rights reserved.

Cover Art by Robyn Hart

Champagne Book Group supports copyright which encourages creativity and diverse voices, creates a rich culture, and promotes free speech. Thank you by complying by not scanning, uploading, and distributing this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher. Your purchase of an authorized electronic edition supports the author’s rights and hard work and allows Champagne Book Group to continue to bring readers fiction at its finest.

www.champagnebooks.com

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Other Books by Cassie

The Relic Defender

To Seduce a Demon, 2

To Tempt a Demon, 1

Blood on the Moon

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Chapter One

The last place Jackson McKay thought he’d meet his maker was the rugged, snow- covered Himalayans. He slid feetfirst down the steep mountain. Pain pierced his right knee as he ricocheted off boulders. Skeletal shrubs snagged his clothing and tore his arms. His fucking useless arms, as they were currently occupied with a huge-ass Buddhist idol. He slammed his bootheels into the soft ground as he tried to find purchase in the slick slope. No good.

He heard shouts. He didn’t have time to listen as the lip of the Singalila Ridge came rushing toward him. Not too much farther and he’d be flipped out into the deep gorge between the ridge and adjacent mountain, and then it was bye-bye Jackson.

A black leather-clad arm shot into his peripheral vision and snatched at the collar of his jacket. With a wrench that strained neck and back muscles, Jackson came to a forced stop a few inches from the edge. The rigid denim of his coat cut off his air for a moment before his rescuer released him. Jackson flopped backward, lungs expanding as he took deep breaths. He lay on the sun-warmed slope, forcing his heart rate to slow.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, he muttered. That had been much too close. He fancied he heard the devil screaming in rage that he’d been cheated of Jackson’s soul.

After lifting his head and squinting into the noonday sun, he dropped his gaze and glared at the gold statue, which stared back at him with blank, innocent eyes. Hope you enjoyed that, you son of a bitch.

Come now, mortal, it is not the idol’s fault you fell. The melted-dark-chocolate voice poured over him, heating more than his skin. His savior shifted between him and the sunlight bursting through white clouds after days of snow.

Jackson lifted his gaze to the speaker. Because she was haloed by the eye-burning glow, he could only make out the curves of her body and the flash of white teeth which peeked from the slight smile he knew played upon her full lips. The same smile that held a not-so-subtle look of derision when she was around humans. From the cock of her hip and tilt to her head, Jackson read quiet satisfaction.

Yep, the reason he wasn’t flattened like a pancake on the rocks below was because a badass demon had saved his life.

Before he could respond to Mari’s taunt, rattling sounds came from behind him. Pebbles kicked up by Lexi and Mikos’s arrival bounced around and off Jackson before taking a dive into the gorge that yawned like a great beast for something to eat.

Damn it, Jackson, that was too close. First to slide to a stop nearby, Lexi stood beside Mari and loomed over him. Lexi peered down and demanded, What the hell happened?

Lexi, my dear, language, please, chided Mikos.

With an impatient flip of her hand, she waved off her lover’s admonishment, but not before sending Mikos a hungry look that tugged at something deep within Jackson. Not that he wanted that for himself. Hell no. Such sappiness was not for him. Anything he felt now had to do with his near-death experience.

So what the heck happened? she continued. You trip over a rock?

The dubious note in her voice said she didn’t believe he’d done any such thing. With good reason. They all had skills and talents. His was being quite light on his feet. In his line of work, it paid to be quick and quiet.

The human seems to believe the idol had something to do with his misfortune, Mari, the she-demon and former angel—now fallen—drawled.

An eyebrow arched. Oh? Lexi said. How so?

Lord in Heaven, he wished Mari hadn’t heard him talk to the Buddha. Jackson had been staring at the statue, straight in the face, when he was struck from behind. Next thing he knew, he was flat on his ass, sliding to his death.

If not for her fast reaction in snatching him back from cliff’s edge.

His gaze switched back again to Mari. Suddenly feeling very exposed and vulnerable on his back while the others surrounded him, Jackson said, You all mind if I get up before the third degree begins?

Do you think you can without falling again, human? I may not be as inclined to save you a second time.

He shot Mari an aggravated look, then climbed to his feet, brushing off Mikos’s extended hand. He’d get up on his own, damn it. Being rescued by Mari was a slap in the face of his manhood, even though Jackson appreciated not dying. Fucking idol.

Now that he was standing, he felt confident facing his three partners. Matching skeptical looks shadowed their faces.

Okay, you’re up, Lexi said. Now spill it.

First, he shoved the idol at her. Take the little bastard, will ya?

Despite the doubt darkening her expression, she took the Buddha and carefully put it into a carrying case lined with some kind of woo-woo padding that was supposed to prevent the evil within the statue from leaking.

Wish they’d thought to put the damn thing in there the minute they’d found it.

When he’d first been told the tale of the idol, he’d found it hard to believe that an object which was supposed to represent something good could be so nasty. Guess the problem had more to do with the cult that had called forth a demon than the object.

The cult—made up primarily of youth in their early to midtwenties—thought they were getting some kind of sex demon so they could indulge in weeklong orgies without a loss of stamina. What they hadn’t realized was that the idol was playing host to a death demon from Hell imprisoned in the statue. In liberating the gold Buddha from a Shaolin temple, the young men and women activated the damn thing.

Fucking idiots. Jackson could imagine the shock etched on their faces when—instead of nonstop sex—the demon attacked and killed many of them. Now he had the bastard in his sweaty palms. The bastard that, even locked within the statue, had enough power and freedom to try to send him to an early grave.

Jackson swiped his hand across his jaw. I don’t know what happened. I made the rookie mistake of looking into the creepy thing’s eyes and felt as if I were drowning. Someone hit me from behind and, next thing I knew, I was flying over the edge and snowboarding down the side of the mountain. I swear the little bastard pushed me.

After a last glare at the idol, he looked around. Both females still possessed a skeptical lifted brow or tilted head. From Mikos—the fallen angel redeemed by the love of a mortal—he received a speculative expression.

Jackson’s lips twisted as he focused on Lexi and Mari. Well, shit, girls. Haven’t we seen enough weird things in the last few months to at least consider the possibility I’m telling the truth?

Lexi shrugged. Sorry, Jackson. It’s not that I don’t believe you. Just wondering why you were affected and we haven’t been.

His turn to shrug. Beats me. Must be the notorious McKay luck.

A joke, ‘cause there was little in his life or his family’s life that resembled luck. Most times, the McKays experienced the exact opposite. If he were the suspicious sort, he’d think the universe had it in for him.

Well, whatever happened, Lexi said, I’m glad Mari was there to stop you from going over the edge.

Yeah, I’m glad she was there too. There it was again—she’d saved him. Chapped his hide. His male pride dictated that he thump his chest and shout he was the protector of fragile womanhood. He didn’t. Figured that doing such a thing in front of the two strongest kick-ass women he knew would get him shoved over the edge.

Instead, he growled, then said, Now that we have the blasted critter, can we get off this damn mountain?

As if his words were a catalyst, a roar of sound filled the air. A red-and-white helicopter, a Bell 412 by the look of it, rocketed upward from the gorge, soaring high into the blue sky before diving back down to hover in front of them. Powdery snow and tiny chips of stone pelted their skin. Not soon enough, the crazy pilot backed off.

Show off, Lexi muttered. Then, with her lips drawn tight, she moved around Jackson and headed for the copter.

He couldn’t stop his smile. Gordon Reynolds. Gordie to his friends, pain in the ass to Lexi, was a twenty-one-year-old master at everything he did, including driving the woman who’d recently saved the world batshit insane.

Reckless, beyond smart and a total charmer, Gordie was discovered shortly after the four of them—Lexi, Mikos, Mari and Jackson—teamed up to protect mankind from the world’s dangerous relics. It hadn’t taken Gordie long to become an important part of the team, even as his risk-taking stunts tended to piss off Lexi. If he had a Bible, Jackson would swear the kid did it on purpose.

Speaking of pissing off the Defender… Lexi reached up and touched the earpiece curling around her ear. Knock it off, Gordie, and get your ass down here. We have the Buddha. We’d like to leave now.

You got it, Boss. Give me a minute—the winds are pretty strong here.

As though in recognition of his warning, the copter wobbled, rocking from side to side and dipping down below the ridgeline. Jackson eyed Mari while Gordie forced the copter to stop mimicking a seesaw. Lines crossed Mari’s forehead, and her mouth turned down. The she-demon did not understand why humans flew in metal boxes, as she liked to call helicopters and planes.

She and Mikos didn’t need to fly. They could blink in and out of existence anytime—they called it apporting—they wished and went anywhere with a mere thought. Not that Mikos did this often when he was with Lexi. Mindful of her human status, he traveled the usual ways mortals did. By car, train or plane. Sometimes he carried her. For herself, Mari refused to go anywhere near the human contraptions.

After Gordie lowered the copter enough and the Buddha was settled firmly on Lexi’s back, she and Mikos leaped from the ledge and landed inside the copter with ease. Jackson looked at Mari. A mocking smile pulled at the corner of her lips as she stared at the Bell.

You coming? he asked, even though he already knew the answer. The she-demon would not give up control to anyone—human or otherwise, but especially human. For someone helping to save the human race, she had a rather low opinion of his kind.

Not in that thing, she said and jerked her head at the hovering helicopter.

Jackson, let’s go, Lexi shouted in his earpiece. Gordie says a storm is coming. Fast.

Better get going, human. You would not want to be stuck up here by yourself.

With a shrug, Jackson took off for the helicopter and leaped inside. As he grabbed the handle to pull the door shut, he stared at Mari. She stood motionless, her head lifted to the darkening sky. The wind buffeted her body and whipped her fiery red tresses into a tangle of curls, and she still didn’t move. The defiant expression on her face was almost a dare to the storm to try and take her down.

Damn, she was one fine filly. Wild as hell but beautiful.

He slammed the door and sat back in the seat, ignoring the questioning lift of Mikos’s brows. To Lexi’s pursed lips, Jackson said, She’s going to get back on her own.

Lexi nodded and turned to Mikos, sliding along the jump seat until she was nestled snugly against him, her head tucked under his throat. The fallen angel bent and touched his lips to her forehead. In return, an intimate smile softened her mouth. Molded by the harshness of her youth, when Lexi relaxed and smiled at Mikos, her true beauty shone.

Jackson pulled his gaze away and looked back out the window as snow whisked around them. He could no longer see whether Mari still stood on the desolate ridge. A place that seemed to fit her air of solitude. And rugged strength.

The woman, demon, angel—whatever—was as unyielding as hell. Larger than life. He’d never seen anything or anyone affect her. What would she be like if she allowed herself to feel? To allow herself to be emotionally engaged with a man?

Additionally, she never seemed to share herself with others. Male, female, demon or angel. She’d disappear for days with no one having any idea of where she was, what she did or who she was with, since she didn’t even tell Mikos.

The she-demon was a complete enigma with deep, complex layers. What would a man find if he could get close enough to peel apart those layers to reveal her core? And how many times had he considered being that man?

Chapter Two

Jackson leaned against the gymnasium door. He flexed his right knee, which was still sore and tender from his near-death slide down a mountain a couple of weeks ago. Once off the slopes and in the hillside city of Nagarkot, he’d been pronounced fine by the local doctor. The little joyride down the mountainside had left Jackson with a banged up kneecap and strained and bruised neck and shoulder muscles. Not much more severe than the normal scrapes and cuts he’d gotten over the last six months since he’d turned over a new leaf and joined a band of do-gooders to save the world.

How had his life changed so fast from the neatly roped-and-tied, orderly affair to the messy, knotted circle it had become? Six months for a complete turnaround was fast for a man who had been perfectly content as an unscrupulous mercenary working for the rich and powerful.

Especially the rich.

Now, instead of traveling the world to work for men willing to part with their ill- gotten money, he lived in a goddamn huge mansion with an angel who turned down Heaven, an ex-exotic dancer with a sassy mouth and a destiny to save mankind, a shape- shifting rock with aspirations to be a 1920s mobster, a cocky tech expert and—

Her.

The woman currently kicking the crap out of the poor punching bag. Correction. Not a woman. Fallen angel. Demon, actually.

Christ. Jackson swept a hand through his hair. When he found trouble, he went all the way. Said woman, Marisol Asheni—a flowery name for a hard-ass demon—struck the bag, the force of her blow rocking the heavy sack violently. He half expected the damn thing to crash to the floor.

Even as she pounded the hell out of the bag, her body flowed in lovely symmetry. Much like the woman herself, each of her movements was precise, effortless and made with minimum motions. And a helluva lot of grace.

Her taut ass flexed and smoothed under the formfitting tight shorts women—God love them—seemed to favor. Long legs, tanned and straight, looked silky under the soft lights. Her waist was bare, and when she moved he thought he caught a glimpse of something flashing at her navel.

Holy hell, the woman had a belly-button piercing. When had she gotten the damn thing? He sure hadn’t noticed it the last time he’d seen her work out. His appreciative gaze tracked a path up her body, flowing past her curved hips to her uptilted breasts, up the smooth column of her throat. Despite her features being too austere for true beauty and marred only slightly by the iron determination in her square chin, she possessed a wildness he found fascinating.

Her auburn hair, woven into a tight braid, swayed back and forth as she moved. The glowing strands flickered with fire—filled with gold, rich coppers and hot reds.

Any adjective used to describe fire fit Marisol Asheni to a T. As in trouble.

His momma used to say hell hath no fury like a woman with red hair. What she didn’t say was that he’d be drawn to said woman as a moth is to light. Frighteningly tempted to reach out and touch the fire. Maybe that’s why he’d always gone for blondes. Safety in the cool, calm shades. Aw hell, might as well get this posse on the trail. They had a job to do. He and the demon.

Jackson strode over to Marisol. The closer he got, the more his groin tightened. He swallowed as a glistening bead of sweat traveled down the sensual lines of her neck, past the soft curves of her breasts to drop into the deep, shaded valley. His tongue ached to follow the path.

Before the mere thought of what he was doing crossed his mind, Jackson touched Mari on the shoulder. To get her attention. And that’s exactly what he got.

Like viewing a slow-motion train wreck, he watched her spin around, grab his wrist and haul him forward. Goddamn, he had barely time to think again—the woman was Conan the Barbarian strong.

She pulled him around, yanking him off his feet. He crashed to the floor in front of her. His back hit hard and his breath exploded from his lips. While Mari held his arm up, she knelt on his chest, further pushing air out of his lungs. Red eyes flared. Moist pink lips stretched into a snarl. Her eyeteeth, the honking long ones, peeked through.

He should be terrified. Hell, he wanted to be terrified. Ought to be quaking in his Ariat boots. Instead, his blasted body completely found his situation a turn-on. A cock- swelling, balls-tightening turn-on.

When those red eyes widened, he figured she’d noticed his body’s betraying reaction. A shadow of annoyance crossed her face. Then a low sound rumbled from her chest. Christ, was that a growl?

Honey, he drawled, if you wanted to get me on my back, all you had to do was ask.

This time, he not only heard the growl, he felt it purring through his body. Shit. Human, you play a dangerous game. Her throaty voice also hummed through him. Merciful saints. At this rate, he’d never be able to move.

What are you doing? she continued, the weight of her knee easing off his chest.

He inhaled deeply, at first thankful for the cool, fresh air. When the scent of female musk and heady spices teased his nostrils, he stopped breathing. At least he stopped breathing out of his nose.

Marisol’s freaky red eye color faded, replaced with the lovely amethyst shade she normally spelled her eyes to be. Only when she lost control of her emotions, let anger rule, did the red show. With her head tilted, she studied him.

Her grip on his arm changed from hard to soft, and she let go of his wrist. After slowly lowering his arm to his side, he froze as a slow smile curved her lips. His stomach did a leisurely roll. What was the hot-tempered fury planning now? He didn’t believe she’d harm him. She’d had ample opportunity many times before and hadn’t. But there were other things she could do to torture him. From the wicked glint in her eyes, he wondered if several such things had crossed her devious mind.

Her head bent and she leaned in closer, her heated scent increasing until every breath he took drew her in. As she neared, the pupils of her eyes—now dark violet—widened further. She licked her lips and bent to his neck.

Jackson stiffened and, again, stopped breathing. But he still didn’t move to throw her off. Shit, was this what the stories always said about vampires? Their ability to mesmerize their prey so they didn’t know what was happening until it was too late? Even though she’d said she was not a vampire, he imagined he’d feel the same confronted by one.

If so, what a way to go.

She inhaled deeply, swinging her nose up along the edge of his neck until just under his jawline. Her breath was warm and moist. The rasp of her nose against his skin made him shiver. By this time, her damp chest pressed against his, the fullness of her breasts making his fingers itch to cup their softness.

He drank in her nearness, entranced by the feelings her touch evoked. Afraid that any movement on his part would frighten her, send her bolting like an unbroken filly, he remained still. Silent. Waiting.

This was a side to the fiery demon he’d never expected. She pulled back, her eyes so wide and dark they filled her face. Jackson sucked in a breath, staring at her pink, full lips as she moved in.

A door slammed. He jerked at the sound. Above him, Mari stopped moving, her body rigid.

Um, Mari? Jackson? You two okay? Lexi’s smooth, velvet-edged voice cut in.

Ah hell.

I don’t know, Mikos. Seems we might have interrupted something. The trace of laughter under Lexi’s words acted like a cold shower. And a reminder that no matter how attractive the woman above him was, Mari was still a demon.

Indeed, love, Mikos rumbled, an echo of amusement in his tone.

Before Jackson could move, Mari did.

Mari flung herself off the human, ignoring his grunt, not caring if she did any damage. Fires of Hell, what was she doing? Was she mad? To pounce on the mortal male as if he were necessary to her survival? She’d only meant to tease him. To show him she—never him—was in control. She hadn’t expected to feel the swell of attraction rising within. Hadn’t expected she’d want to run her tongue over every inch of him, tasting the sweetness of male sweat and sun-warmed skin.

Without a backward glance and sure her face was afire with red, something she rarely experienced, she hastened across the floor and snatched a towel off the table. She roughly rubbed at her neck and shoulders, seeking her calm center before turning back to face Lexi, Mikos and that cursed human, Jackson.

From under the dubious shield of the towel, Mari peered at Jackson. After struggling to his feet, he seemed to make an adjustment to the front of his jeans. Smug satisfaction crossed her lips for a brief moment before it faded. While she didn’t know a lot about the human act of sex, she knew enough to know what was going on with him.

She hoped he suffered.

So, what’s going on here? The humor in Lexi’s tone now included curiosity. When Mari turned her gaze on the Defender, Lexi’s amber eyes gleamed with interest.

While Mari would never call the mortal female a friend, over the last six months she had found grudging respect for the strong woman who not only defeated Beliel but also redeemed a fallen angel.

The same angel who had fallen in love and sacrificed his return to Heaven to stay on Earth as Lexi’s companion. The notion that Mikos, or any of their kind, could love a human was foreign. And give up Heaven? Give up the majority of his powers? Mari didn’t understand.

Not that she wanted to return to Heaven. She didn’t. Her life as a warrior on the side of Heaven suited her just fine. Although she had to admit, she enjoyed what the humans offered. What they’d made for themselves on this little planet. The food, shopping and especially the places of Nirvana they called spas.

But, still, at times her soul longed for something else. Something solid. A means to feel. She could laugh, she could cry, but she didn’t feel. Those were just surface reactions, responses required due to special situations. Sometimes in release. But never real emotions. Not like the ones she saw in Mikos’s eyes when he looked at his human companion.

Mari switched her gaze to him. Mikos stood at Lexi’s side, her partner and lover, and also watched Mari, his gray glance sharp and assessing. She resisted the urge to duck her head. Companions since Before, Mikos knew her like no other. Not lovers, but family in a way many of the Fallen were before some decided to return to the Light. He’d never understood why she was willing to turn her back on Lucifer but did not want to return to Heaven. What did he think now? Now that, by his choice after being forgiven, he would never again enter through the pearly gates to face the Lord Almighty?

He certainly seemed happy. The restlessness that had plagued him for almost a century was gone. Contentment had taken its place. While he still went about on missions for the Archangel Michael, being at home with his human seemed to be enough for him.

Whereas she, Mari, needed the continual motion of something to do. Some relic to chase, some bad guy to fight. There’d been no lack of opposing forces, but nothing like they’d experienced before Beliel returned—not by his choice—to Hell.

My fault, Jackson said into the silence. His husky twang echoed in the cavernous room. Did anyone else hear the strain under the words? I’m afraid I startled her while she was training.

Mari shifted her gaze back to him and caught his wry grin. I grabbed her by the shoulder, he continued. She must have thought I was a bad guy.

She tightened her lips. He was a bad guy. Bad for her, if not evil. A former mercenary, working for the highest bidder no matter the details, the tall Texan mortal male had left his last employer to help them.

His last employer being the demon Beliel. Lucifer’s son. A surprise revelation for Mari and Mikos. How the secret had been kept so long was even more surprising. When Asher, Lucifer’s Slayer, had come to help Mikos, had he known of the familial relationship? If he did, why wouldn’t he have shared that little bit of information? But then, the Slayer had always been secretive.

As for the sandy-haired mortal male, she wasn’t sure if she trusted him, despite the past six months. It had taken her several months before she stopped expecting him to do something against them, but he hadn’t. Still, he seemed to have his own agenda, and she worried that one day it wouldn’t mesh with theirs. When that happened, would she have to kill him?

And why didn’t that give her pleasure like it once had?

Uh-huh. Doubt tinged Lexi’s tone. She stared at Jackson, and her eyebrows rose inquiringly. A faint smile crossed his lips, and he hitched his shoulders. When their silent conversation was finished, Lexi turned to Mari.

She simply returned the questioning look. Since tangling with Jackson in that way would not happen again, she was not about to enter into a discussion about her momentary weakness.

Lexi shrugged. Works for me. The Defender fidgeted, rocking from side to side. Mikos placed a calming hand on her shoulder. She swung her gaze up to him and smiled. At the slow smile he gave Lexi in return, Mari’s breath hitched.

The flush of passion she felt earlier returned. Not as much as before, but the look that passed between the mortal female and the once-fallen angel left Mari with an ache she didn’t understand. She clenched her fingers, barely feeling her nails dig into her skin.

Realizing what she was doing, she shook out her hands, then said, What’s going on? Is something the matter?

Mikos nodded. A little matter that requires our attention.

Ah yes, time to go on another mission for the Light. The surge of anticipation made her nerves twitch. Since the trip to Nepal for the Buddha two weeks before, things had gotten too quiet. Good. She tossed the towel to the table. When do we leave? She strode for the door.

"We do not leave. This mission is just for Lexi and me."

Mikos’s words stopped her as if she’d slammed into a wall. Turning slowly, she glanced between him and Lexi.

I’m sorry, Mari. Lexi gave Mari an apologetic look. Michael’s message was explicit. Just Mikos and I are to go.

Mari frowned. Where? What is the mission?

Lexi and Mikos exchanged another look. We are not permitted to speak of it, Mikos said.

Mari’s frown deepened. Not permitted? What game is Michael playing?

No game, Marisol. Michael doesn’t have that kind of humor. A smile twitched at the corner of Mikos’s mouth.

Then what?

Listen, Mari, we aren’t happy about this either, Lexi said. It’s not like Michael gave us a choice. You know how he is. She crossed her arms. ‘It is your destiny to battle the demons of Hell and save the world from darkness’, she intoned, sounding remarkably like Michael.

Even pissed, Mari couldn’t stop her chuckle from escaping. Mikos shook his head, the twist of