amusing themselves with willing virgins, and then disappeared off the face of the planet. Popular theory is they’re hiding out somewhere. Or trapped.’
‘Hold on a minute,’ Maggie says. ‘They were originallysent to hell because they hooked up with human women, and then as soon as they saw the light of day, they did the same thing again?’
‘Guess they were slow learners.’
Jason’s chair creaks as he shifts position. ‘What makes you think they weren’t caught and dragged back to hell?’
‘Because the demons are still looking for them,’ Rafa says.
‘The demons?’ Maggie swallows. ‘God, you’re serious, aren’t you? You really believe this stuff?’
Rafa ignores her.
I dig my fingers into my arms. ‘And where do Jude and I fit into this?’
‘Like I told you, we’re all part of an association.’
‘The Rephaim?’ The word brings a flutter to my chest. ‘Daisy mentioned it,’ I say, before he can ask.
‘Yeah,’ Rafa says slowly. ‘We hunt for Semyaza and the two hundred.’
‘Why?’
He looks at me like I’ve just asked why he’s wearing pants. ‘What else are we going to do?’
‘But, you said…’ I’m trying to remember our conversation in his room.
Rafa shrugs. ‘There’s a difference of opinion about what we should do if we find the Fallen.’
‘What’s that got to do with—’
‘The story doing the rounds is that you and Jude disappeared because you’d found them, and it cost you both your heads.’ He pauses. ‘So, you see, now that you’re back from the dead, everyone’s going to be more than a little curious about what happened. Your crew, our crew, the demons…’
‘But I don’t know anything.’
‘And I’m sure if you politely explain that to the hellspawn, they’ll just leave you alone.’
Daisy wasn’t kidding about the questions I’d have.
‘So, Taya and the other one last night…they’re on my side?’
Rafa scoffs. ‘No, you were on theirs. When you and Jude took off, your crew thought you’d joined us. And ours thought Jude had joined you. Everyone’s been a little twitchy ever since. You reappearing like this…Let’s just say there’ll be a frenzy going on at the Sanctuary right now.’
The only noise in the kitchen is the slow drip from the tap over the sink. Maggie’s attention has drifted to the window. Her face is pale, eyes distant. I rub my temples.
‘Gabe,’ Rafa says. ‘Gaby.’ He waits until I’m looking at him again. ‘Demons exist. The hell-spawn you wrote about, they’re real. And sooner or later all this chatter about you being alive is going to reach their deformed ears and they’ll come for you. I can’t protect you here.’
It’s hard for me to argue with him when I have no ideawhat he’s talking about. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to try. ‘But why do I care about fallen angels? And who the hell are the Rephaim?’
Rafa glances at Jason and Maggie. I’m not sure she’s even listening, but Jason is hanging on every word.
‘Just spit it out,’ I say.
‘Those forty-eight hours the Fallen spent on earth, they got busy. They seduced about a thousand women between them.’ He waits, as if that should mean something to me. It doesn’t so he continues. ‘More than a few of them fell pregnant. To the Fallen.’
‘But what does that have to do with me or Jude, or these crews you keep talking about?’
The corners of Rafa’s lips turn up just a little. He’s enjoying this.
‘Because, Gabriella, we’re the result. We’re the offspring of the Fallen.’
AND EVERYTHING KEEPS SPINNING
‘You are such a prick.’
‘What?’ he says, laughing. ‘You wanted to know.’
I shove my chair back from the table and walk out of the house. When will I learn? Every time I start to trust him, he makes me the punchline of a joke. I expect Maggie and Jason to follow, but I’m out the gate now, and I’m alone. Disappointment flares. I push it away.
It’s only anger that gets me back up
‘Hold on a minute,’ Maggie says. ‘They were originallysent to hell because they hooked up with human women, and then as soon as they saw the light of day, they did the same thing again?’
‘Guess they were slow learners.’
Jason’s chair creaks as he shifts position. ‘What makes you think they weren’t caught and dragged back to hell?’
‘Because the demons are still looking for them,’ Rafa says.
‘The demons?’ Maggie swallows. ‘God, you’re serious, aren’t you? You really believe this stuff?’
Rafa ignores her.
I dig my fingers into my arms. ‘And where do Jude and I fit into this?’
‘Like I told you, we’re all part of an association.’
‘The Rephaim?’ The word brings a flutter to my chest. ‘Daisy mentioned it,’ I say, before he can ask.
‘Yeah,’ Rafa says slowly. ‘We hunt for Semyaza and the two hundred.’
‘Why?’
He looks at me like I’ve just asked why he’s wearing pants. ‘What else are we going to do?’
‘But, you said…’ I’m trying to remember our conversation in his room.
Rafa shrugs. ‘There’s a difference of opinion about what we should do if we find the Fallen.’
‘What’s that got to do with—’
‘The story doing the rounds is that you and Jude disappeared because you’d found them, and it cost you both your heads.’ He pauses. ‘So, you see, now that you’re back from the dead, everyone’s going to be more than a little curious about what happened. Your crew, our crew, the demons…’
‘But I don’t know anything.’
‘And I’m sure if you politely explain that to the hellspawn, they’ll just leave you alone.’
Daisy wasn’t kidding about the questions I’d have.
‘So, Taya and the other one last night…they’re on my side?’
Rafa scoffs. ‘No, you were on theirs. When you and Jude took off, your crew thought you’d joined us. And ours thought Jude had joined you. Everyone’s been a little twitchy ever since. You reappearing like this…Let’s just say there’ll be a frenzy going on at the Sanctuary right now.’
The only noise in the kitchen is the slow drip from the tap over the sink. Maggie’s attention has drifted to the window. Her face is pale, eyes distant. I rub my temples.
‘Gabe,’ Rafa says. ‘Gaby.’ He waits until I’m looking at him again. ‘Demons exist. The hell-spawn you wrote about, they’re real. And sooner or later all this chatter about you being alive is going to reach their deformed ears and they’ll come for you. I can’t protect you here.’
It’s hard for me to argue with him when I have no ideawhat he’s talking about. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to try. ‘But why do I care about fallen angels? And who the hell are the Rephaim?’
Rafa glances at Jason and Maggie. I’m not sure she’s even listening, but Jason is hanging on every word.
‘Just spit it out,’ I say.
‘Those forty-eight hours the Fallen spent on earth, they got busy. They seduced about a thousand women between them.’ He waits, as if that should mean something to me. It doesn’t so he continues. ‘More than a few of them fell pregnant. To the Fallen.’
‘But what does that have to do with me or Jude, or these crews you keep talking about?’
The corners of Rafa’s lips turn up just a little. He’s enjoying this.
‘Because, Gabriella, we’re the result. We’re the offspring of the Fallen.’
AND EVERYTHING KEEPS SPINNING
‘You are such a prick.’
‘What?’ he says, laughing. ‘You wanted to know.’
I shove my chair back from the table and walk out of the house. When will I learn? Every time I start to trust him, he makes me the punchline of a joke. I expect Maggie and Jason to follow, but I’m out the gate now, and I’m alone. Disappointment flares. I push it away.
It’s only anger that gets me back up
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