Page 234 of Evil Hearts

Chapter Five

Andras

O nce back at the flat we have been staying at, I head right for the shower. Raguel sweet-talked the lady that owns this flat to let us do work for her to stay here. The neighborhood is dangerous, and she has had a lot of trouble renting it out. So she agreed mainly to keep it from being vandalized again. Since we hunt in this area, it’s perfect. Being angels, or I should say fallens, we require only a little rest. Just a few hours a week unless we get injured. So, we hunt at night and help her during the day. She is so grateful she has been paying us, too. The money helps with food and clothing.

Once stripped, I step into the shower and turn it on as hot as it can go. The initial icy blast helps me get out of my head. As it changes from freezing to steaming hot, I feel the weight on me gradually lifting. Standing under the steaming water, I tilt my head up, allowing it to cascade over my face. Once I feel more myself, I even out the temperature and grab the soap.

After I’m finished, I turn off the water, open the door, and grab a towel. I briefly dry off and then wrap the damp towel around my waist. Nudity doesn’t bother us, but humans cringe at it. So we try to remain vigilant of them and what we expose them to. Walking

through the flat, I head to the drawer that has my clothes in it. It’s still strange, these human clothes, but I admit they are easier to fight in. They are, however, easily ruined.

Once dressed, I head to the kitchenette, where my cousins are murmuring. They stop and are staring at me when I turn from the refrigerator with the leftovers. “What?”

Evan looks at Raguel. “Oh, for the love of all things holy, spill it.” I turn and dump the leftovers in a skillet and turn the burner on. None of us can cook, but we can reheat what’s cooked.

Raguel clears his throat. “Alright, here goes. You are slipping, cousin. We all are, but you are… tipping faster. This demon… She kicked our asses just like our first day of combat training.” I interrupt him, but he holds his hand up, stopping me. “Let me finish… please.” I nod and turn back to stir the Chinese food from two days ago. He continues, “We knew this could happen, but… we can’t let you turn evil. We agreed to… not let that happen.”

Once warm, I dish out a serving for each of us and sit across from them. Evan must have gotten up and got us each a glass of water. He taps the table, getting my attention. “Talk to us. What do we do?”

Setting my fork down, I look at them a moment before I say, “We find the demon and try to get her to tell us if Puriel is in her realm. If he can help… I didn’t know finding a demon would take so long.”

Raguel sets his fork down. Oh lord, I will not like this. “And what if… we can’t find him before…”

“Before I lose my soul to darkness?” They both nod solemnly. “Then you do as we agreed. You kill me. You can’t let Lucifer get me. The knowledge and power I have…”

Evan stands so fast he knocks his chair over, causing a loud bang. Signing frantically, I can barely keep up. “No! We can not fail! We must find him! I lost Gabbie! I won’t lose you!”

Before Raguel or I can say anything, he turns and storms out the door. Raguel starts to stand, but I stop him. “Let him cool off. He will be fine. We trained him well.”

“Yes, we did. It’s just…” He drops his head into his hands. “How can I kill you both if we fail? Because you know it will send him over the edge again. We almost lost him once.”

Standing, I walk over and place my hand on his shoulder. Once he looks up, I answer, “Then we better not fail.”