“You’re Koldo?” Laila asked, her tone incredulous. She had zero color in her cheeks, and fatigue dulled her eyes. “But you look just like—uh, never mind. There’s no way I can say that and not insult you. And I’m rambling. I’m sorry. It’s just that you’re so big and...well, never mind.”
He had been mentioned by name. He wondered what all had been said.
“Wait. Hold everything.” Frowning, Nicola turned in a circle. “I think I was robbed. My pictures are gone. And so are my vases and blankets and pillows. Everything but my couch.”
I can have a conversation without raising my voice. I can. A tiny human female could not anger him more than his mother and his father ever had. “You weren’t robbed. I moved everything to my house in Panama. Now, I want you sitting at the kitchen counter in the next two minutes. Or else.” He didn’t wait for her reply, just stomped into the desired room.
To his surprise, she dogged his footsteps, even caught his wrist. He could have easily tugged from her grip. Instead, he reveled in his first contact with her in three days. Far too long. He had to feel this soft, soft skin, and those hands—no longer cold, but warm—every day or he would not be content.
“Or else, what? And what’s going on?” she demanded. “Why did you move my stuff to Panama?”
He swung around and anchored his hands onto her waist. He lifted her up, swung back around with her as she yelped, and placed her on the nearest chair. There. He had her where he wanted her, the tattoo equipment on the counter and ready to use.
As he put the pieces of the gun together, he said, “I don’t want you living here any longer. It isn’t safe.”
She searched his face, and sighed. “Apparently, it isn’t safe anywhere.”
Not the reaction he’d expected. “Why do you say that?”
“We were at the park and several demons chased us.”
His instincts had been right. She had been in danger. And he had failed to protect her. He could have lost her. Stupid, foolish, unwise, ignorant man! Yes, that’s what he was. He should have searched more diligently. Should have done something. Anything. “Did they hurt you?”
“No,” she replied, and he was able to relax. “You told me to call upon the Most High, and I did. He sent in the troops. Whoever was closest, I guess, just like you promised.”
Thank You, Most High.
“Alleged demons.” Laila strolled into the kitchen. “All I saw were giants. And I’m the twin sister, by the way. Just so you know, I’m not quite as gullible as my darling Co Co. Sorry, honey,” she said. “I don’t mean any offense.”
Nicola offered a small though genuine smile. “I know. I also know that you’ll come to eat those words one day.”
“Demons are very real, I assure you,” Koldo said, opening the packages of ink.
“Yeah, and you’re a Sent One.” Laila anchored her hands on her waist. “Listen, you’re taking advantage of an innocent—humph!”
He’d dropped the gun and grabbed her, tugging her into the hard line of his body. With a final look at Nicola, who jumped from the chair, possibly to attempt to free her mouthy sister, he flashed to the roof of a training facility in Germanus’s realm of the skies.
The huge building was perched atop a mile-long cloud, the edges of that cloud dipping into an aqua sky, stars twinkling even during the day. Laila looked down, down, down at the earth so very far away, and screamed with bloodcurdling fear.
“Still think I’m taking advantage?” He didn’t wait for an answer but flashed the girl inside the building, to the room where Sent Ones were taught how to fight demons. Once there, Koldo remained in the spiritual realm, forcing Laila to open her inner eyes and finally see.
A young trainee swung a sword of fire as two envexa darted from floor to ceiling, ceiling to wall. The warrior had wings of white with thin strips of gold, an indication of his warrior status. Joy-bringers possessed wings of solid white. The Elite, like Zacharel, possessed wings of solid gold.
Though fully grown, the demons were the size of ten-year-old boys, with thick humanoid bodies and skin as green as toxic slime. They had hooks rather than hands, and long, thin tails with barbs.
Laila trembled against Koldo, her mouth opening and closing, small gasping sounds emerging.
“They’re real,” he said, “and they’re evil. They roam the earth, stalking humans like you, and would love nothing more than to ruin your life and cut it short. And you have been letting them.”
“I—I—”
“Can overcome them, yes. I’m here to help you.” Taking pity on her, he flashed her back to Nicola’s living room and gave her a little push toward the hall. “You may go to your room now.”
“R-room. Yes. Thank you.” With her arms wrapped around her middle, she tripped her way around the corner. A door clicked shut.
“What did you do to her?” Nicola demanded, stomping forward and banging her fists into his chest.
As slight as those fists were, he barely registered the impact. “I proved that demons do, in fact, exist.”
“You should have eased her in. She had a tough day, and that kind of stress couldn’t have been good for her toxin levels.”
“Some people can be eased. Some must be shoved. Now we will return to the kitchen. I’ll tattoo your arms and you’ll tell me everything that happened at the park.”
“Wait. What? Tattoo my arms?” she squeaked.
He urged her forward. “For your added protection against the demons.”
A little dazed, she flopped into the chair. “I’ll tell you about the park,” she said quietly, “but first you’re going to tell me about this move. Then we’ll talk about the tattooing.”
“My home is fortified against evil.” He owned a cloud of defense, and that cloud now surrounded the property, acting as a barrier against the rest of the world. “Yours isn’t.”
“But—”
“No buts. I was attacked the last time I was here. That’s why I’ve been gone. I was recovering.”
A gasp slipped from her. “You were hurt?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, Koldo. I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” She placed her hand over his, a gesture of remorse, kindness.
A gesture that caused his blood to flash-heat to white-hot.
“It wasn’t your fault,” he said, his voice rough. He was responsible for his own distraction. “Now, what happened at the park?”