And then they were standing in the middle of an alley in Paris with his back against a brick wall and a seething angel before him.

7

Bloodlines

“You bastard!” She slapped him across the face. Twice. “Now I have to mist back to your condo to talk to him, and he’ll probably be gone already. At least I can grab my knives.”

“Don’t mist,” Sethios managed before she could disappear. He put all his effort into that single command, forcing her to remain. It served them both to keep her alive right now.

She punched him, causing him to keel over into an uncharacteristic heap onto the ground. Fuck. That teleportation trick took a lot out of him.

He shook the ringing from his ears while reaffirming his persuasive grip. She fell to her knees beside him on a shriek as he forced her down to the ground and held her there. He’d keep her like that until he could breathe properly again.

Threats graced his ears as she listed all the clever ways she intended to castrate him once she had her weapons again. His lips curled despite the discomfort radiating through him.

Note to self: I dislike misting.

Ezekiel’s gift turned the world black, and in the blink of an eye, a new scene materialized.

Caro’s transportation left him feeling sick and disorientated. Almost as if it’d been wrong to travel with her. No wonder his father rejected that part of his nature.

Sethios shook his head, forcing it to clear.

They needed to start moving. His maker would call on Ezekiel to track them. It was only a matter of time before his best friend located his whereabouts and reported them back to Osiris.

Sethios loved his ability to compel but hated how it could be used so effortlessly against him.

He forced himself upward, his legs shaking with the effort. They needed money, clothes, and transportation. Preferably in that order.

And he required Caro’s participation, something she would not be giving willingly, if her continued threats were anything to go by.

Compelling her required energy, and he needed all of his strength if they were going to survive. He had no choice but to convince her to work with him or leave her behind.

“If you go to him…” Sethios paused to clear his throat. He sounded like hell turned over. “He’ll destroy you.”

“I’m not afraid of him.”

Sethios seriously doubted her intelligence in that moment. “You should. I can control you, angel. Which means he definitely can, and unlike me, he won’t just use it to fuck you.”

She glowered up at him. “He can’t hurt me.”

“What makes you so sure of that?”

“I’m a messenger from the High Council of Seraph. Harming me is an immediate death sentence.”

Sethios grinned, though it lacked humor. “That won’t scare Osiris. Ask your council what happened to the last one they sent here with an edict.” His father didn’t care about repercussions, and he certainly didn’t fear the beings that cast him out.