I only saw three.”
“I could feel them. One was really strong. I got out just before he came in.”
“How do you know?”
“His presence was overwhelming and I smelled him—it was like sulfur. Then a voice told me he was coming.”
“A voice?”
I pressed my lips together. I hadn’t meant to tell anyone about the voice yet.
“What voice?”
“I don’t know. It started today. I don’t think it can hear me, but I can hear it and it knows that.”
He nodded and pushed me down the sidewalk. “Have you told Holden? What does he think?”
“Not yet.” I held up my hand to stop Baker from lecturing me. “I know how Holden is going to react and I want to figure out who it is before we go over the deep end with this. I just need a little time.”
Baker pursed his lips.
“Oh, don’t you give me that look. You’ve been dating his great-whatever niece for how long?”
“It’s not really the same thing.”
“I’m not doing anything risky. I’m pretty sure the voice is angelic, but I don’t recognize it—it’s too soft. I hear it better when the angel part of me is near the surface. I think whoever it is is helping. And right now we could use all the help we can get.”
“I don’t like it.”
Well, this wasn’t Baker’s problem. It was mine. It wasn’t like I planned on never telling Holden—I would. He had just been driving me crazy for the past year trying to be safe rather than living our lives. Right now, maybe being safe was the best idea, but having more people to depend on had to be better than fewer. If there were other angels willing to help, I had to explore that option. “I really don’t think it’s any of your business.”
“Exactly what did you feel when it talked to you?”
I sighed. “Nothing. It pointed out the demon possessing the guy. Then it warned me before the other demon came into the room. I didn’t feel anything. I think it wants me to meet with it, but I haven’t gone.” I omitted the yet part of that sentence.
“Don’t go until you know for certain what it is. And I think Holden should be aware of this.”
I held up my hands. “He will be. I won’t go until I know.”
“What else? What did you feel inside the church?”
“Four demons and something unholy. The voices on the phone said they were looking for a weapon to kill the angel.” I licked my lips. “I take it that’s me.”
“So they don’t have it yet, but they must be close or they wouldn’t be congregating. Call the boss.”
I rolled my eyes but opened my thoughts back up to Holden.
“Where have you been?” he asked immediately.
“With Baker.”
“And?”
“And nothing.” We were doing our thing. I knew you were with the jinn and I didn’t want to disturb you. I cringed, hoping he couldn’t sense the lie—well, partial truth. I had been with Baker and we had been working and I had known Holden was with the jinn. I would tell Holden about Baker and Maggie, just not yet.
Don’t shut down again. It’s worse not knowing how you are than dealing with the noise.
Okay, I said. Holden felt tense. What’s wrong?
We should probably talk.
“WHAT DID YOU find?” Holden asked as Olivia and I walked through the door.
“A church where the possessed are flocking,” I told him.
“How do you know?” Femi asked.
I hooked a thumb at Olivia, who was now standing by the boss, staring daggers into him. Something was amiss, but she wasn’t talking and he was stone. If they were having one of their silent conversations, I couldn’t tell. “She watched a demon possess a person in a bar and then we followed him to the church.”
“Did they see you?” Holden glanced between us.
Olivia sighed and tore her gaze away. “I don’t think so, but they know what I am. They’re looking for a weapon to defeat an angel. We figured that’s probably me, but at least we know they don’t have it yet.”
Holden nodded. “Do I even want to know how you came
“I could feel them. One was really strong. I got out just before he came in.”
“How do you know?”
“His presence was overwhelming and I smelled him—it was like sulfur. Then a voice told me he was coming.”
“A voice?”
I pressed my lips together. I hadn’t meant to tell anyone about the voice yet.
“What voice?”
“I don’t know. It started today. I don’t think it can hear me, but I can hear it and it knows that.”
He nodded and pushed me down the sidewalk. “Have you told Holden? What does he think?”
“Not yet.” I held up my hand to stop Baker from lecturing me. “I know how Holden is going to react and I want to figure out who it is before we go over the deep end with this. I just need a little time.”
Baker pursed his lips.
“Oh, don’t you give me that look. You’ve been dating his great-whatever niece for how long?”
“It’s not really the same thing.”
“I’m not doing anything risky. I’m pretty sure the voice is angelic, but I don’t recognize it—it’s too soft. I hear it better when the angel part of me is near the surface. I think whoever it is is helping. And right now we could use all the help we can get.”
“I don’t like it.”
Well, this wasn’t Baker’s problem. It was mine. It wasn’t like I planned on never telling Holden—I would. He had just been driving me crazy for the past year trying to be safe rather than living our lives. Right now, maybe being safe was the best idea, but having more people to depend on had to be better than fewer. If there were other angels willing to help, I had to explore that option. “I really don’t think it’s any of your business.”
“Exactly what did you feel when it talked to you?”
I sighed. “Nothing. It pointed out the demon possessing the guy. Then it warned me before the other demon came into the room. I didn’t feel anything. I think it wants me to meet with it, but I haven’t gone.” I omitted the yet part of that sentence.
“Don’t go until you know for certain what it is. And I think Holden should be aware of this.”
I held up my hands. “He will be. I won’t go until I know.”
“What else? What did you feel inside the church?”
“Four demons and something unholy. The voices on the phone said they were looking for a weapon to kill the angel.” I licked my lips. “I take it that’s me.”
“So they don’t have it yet, but they must be close or they wouldn’t be congregating. Call the boss.”
I rolled my eyes but opened my thoughts back up to Holden.
“Where have you been?” he asked immediately.
“With Baker.”
“And?”
“And nothing.” We were doing our thing. I knew you were with the jinn and I didn’t want to disturb you. I cringed, hoping he couldn’t sense the lie—well, partial truth. I had been with Baker and we had been working and I had known Holden was with the jinn. I would tell Holden about Baker and Maggie, just not yet.
Don’t shut down again. It’s worse not knowing how you are than dealing with the noise.
Okay, I said. Holden felt tense. What’s wrong?
We should probably talk.
“WHAT DID YOU find?” Holden asked as Olivia and I walked through the door.
“A church where the possessed are flocking,” I told him.
“How do you know?” Femi asked.
I hooked a thumb at Olivia, who was now standing by the boss, staring daggers into him. Something was amiss, but she wasn’t talking and he was stone. If they were having one of their silent conversations, I couldn’t tell. “She watched a demon possess a person in a bar and then we followed him to the church.”
“Did they see you?” Holden glanced between us.
Olivia sighed and tore her gaze away. “I don’t think so, but they know what I am. They’re looking for a weapon to defeat an angel. We figured that’s probably me, but at least we know they don’t have it yet.”
Holden nodded. “Do I even want to know how you came
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