Page 69 of Paramour of Sin

“That was my original thought,” Valentino admitted with a flippant wave of his glass, “until I realized they weren’t in control of their own actions.”

I arched a brow. “Oh?”

Valentino nodded, leaning back against the nightstand with his glass cupped against his linen shirt. “So, apparently, anangelhas been compelling my demons to act out.”

Shock sizzled over my skin. “An angel? You’re sure?”

Val smiled, then turned to the Dargarian. “Tell Lord Zebulon what you told me, Burnz.”

Flames flickered in the demon’s irises as he looked at his Demonic Lord, then his gaze flickered to me. “I don’t… I don’t remember anything. What I did. I… I set some people on fire, I guess. But I don’t remember why I did it.” His shaky voice gained some steam. “I was prowling at a club, right? Looking for a hot lay. Next thing I know, I’m knee deep in charred corpses. Like I fucking blinked and it had already happened.”

I considered that for a moment, then turned back to Valentino. “Why are you coming to me with this information?”

“Because I hear you have a succubus problem, and killing humans without a thought for the rules struck me as eerily familiar.”

I frowned. “Except the succubus in question is innocent.” Something I knew with certainty, especially after the incident with my Tracker. “But I’ll agree the situations are vaguely familiar.”

“Reminds me of the trafficking issue from two decades ago, too. It’s like someone wants humans to find out about our existence.”

“Indeed,” I murmured, mulling over what I’d learned. That’d been part of Kalida’s plan with Geier—to essentially take over Earth and enslave humans. Had someone picked up that mantle and decided to see the task through to completion? “You mentioned an angel. Which one?”

“I’m still working on that,” he muttered, sounding a bit miffed with himself.

“Then how do you know it’s an angel?”

Valentino tipped his chin toward the open balcony doors—something he had clearly done upon his arrival, in addition to playing in my living room.

Prick.

But at least he was proving to be informative.

The two of us wandered outside, leaving the Dargarian still in his supernatural bindings on the bed. From the second-floor balcony, the sunset painted the sky red and the ocean stretched like a glittering sapphire into the darkening horizon. It really was no wonder this was the home Kalida had chosen for herself. It was beautiful here.

Apart from the balmy weather.

Alas, Chicago had its moments, too. Especially in the summer.

Valentino leaned on his elbows on the balcony railing, letting his glass dangle over the yard below. “There’s no aura.”

I shrugged. “In that case, it could be a Nephilim or an angel.”

As I uttered the words, I realized that this was why Ashmedai pushed for the Nephilim audit. He wanted to know what powers already lurked on Earth among the angel-human population. Could it be because Ashmedai knew a Nephilim was responsible for the antics in Lord Valentino’s realm? Or was it something else?

Valentino paused long enough to polish off the rest of the wine before he said, “Yes, but what would the Nephilim stand to gain?”

“What would the angel stand to gain?” I countered.

“Why, a place on Earth, of course. They’ve spent all these years lounging in Heaven while Hell has taken over this plane for ourselves. Perhaps not all of the angels agree with that arrangement.”

“An interesting assessment.” One I should take up with Xai and Evangeline. “I assume this information isn’t free?” I added, aware that Val never did anything without demanding something in return.

Valentino straightened and set his empty glass on a nearby table. “I want open lines of communication between us. You share what you know, I’ll share what I know. A partnership of sorts.”

The idea struck me as abnormal, and yet, oddly appropriate. Valentino had never been my enemy—unlike Tardís—but we’d never been friends, either. Perhaps that positioned both of us in the right spot for such a truce.

“I agree to your proposal,” I said. “I’m in the middle of a power audit with my demons. I’d suggest you follow suit, and consider extending your plan to the Nephilim, as well.”

As I recommended the audit to Lord Valentino, it somewhat solidified my earlier instincts about a Nephilim being responsible for the havoc in his territory. Ashmedai clearly knew this, as well, given his instructions to me. He suspected the same in my territory.