Angel in Chains (The Fallen #3)(24)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“Trust me,” Az’s words. Az’s hand around hers. And she did trust him. How could you not trust an angel? That was probably some kind of rule someplace. Must trust angels.

Everything she’d ever heard about them said they were the good guys, if anyone was ever really good. They protected humans, just as Az was trying to protect her.

Now the deep scars on his shoulders made sense. Wings. His wings must have burned away when he fell.

But why had Az fallen?

“I’ll arrange the meeting,” Heather said as she opened another door. The thick scent of incense filled the air. This room was filled with old books, glass vials, and some stuff that Jade didn’t want to stare at for too long. A heavy mirror sat on the table to the left. And, yes, it looked like blood stained its surface.

She guessed that answered the question of good witch/ bad witch.

Jade didn’t have tons of experience with witches, but she’d heard whispered stories. Some witches could scry with mirrors to see the future. But whenever they looked into that future, they had to use the darker magic.

Jade didn’t want any part of that kind of magic. As it was, she had more than enough darkness to deal with on her own.

“So here’s the deal.” Tanner pulled out a chair, flipped it around and straddled it. “We’ll make the exchange at dawn.”

She still wasn’t loving this plan. But Jade could admit it was better than nothing. “So Az and I just stroll in as your big, fat bait? What guarantee do we have that you won’t just leave us there for them?”

Before Tanner could answer, Az spoke. “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Once I get close enough to Brandt, I can take out him and his men.” He stood next to that bloody mirror. She saw his gaze drop to the glass.

Right. Big, tough, immortal badass angel. She could count on him.

Tanner cleared his throat. “And you don’t know me from Adam . . .”

Az snorted at that.

“But believe me, I want to stop Brandt. I want to stop them all.”

Her gaze dropped to his chest. His shirt covered the scars, but she wouldn’t be forgetting them anytime soon. So much pain.

Enough to fill a man with fury.

Her breath exhaled on a rough sigh. It looked like whether she wanted to or not, she was in as bait.

But it was time for Jade to issue a warning. “If you screw us, I’ll make sure that you pay.” Tanner and the witch probably thought she was just making some tough threat without any substance. They were wrong.

Brandt had just thought she was bullshitting, too. Until he walked into his home and found the trail of blood that she’d left for him.

Don’t think about that now. Don’t.

It had taken hours to wash the blood away from her hands and body.

“Don’t worry,” Tanner said, rolling his broad shoulders. “If this plan goes to shit, Brandt will be the one who takes his pound of flesh from me.”

He’d take more than a pound of flesh. Brandt would kill him. Slowly.

She glanced back at Az. His gaze was still on the mirror. And the witch had sidled closer to him.

Jade’s back teeth clenched. That skinny chick was just pissing her off. She might have to trust Tanner, but that woman—no way, Jade wouldn’t trust her for half a minute.

“Want to know what the future holds for you?” Heather asked Az softly. “All you have to do is bleed for me.”

Oh, seriously, hell no, the woman hadn’t just said that.

Az kept staring at that glass as if he were hypnotized. Not good. “You can’t see my future,” he finally said, voice rumbling.

“Because of what you are?” Heather asked, and then she laughed.

Jade hated that grating sound. The woman laughed like a hyena.

“Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re the only angel I’ve met.” Her hand brushed down his arm.

He was the only angel that Jade had ever met. And the witch was standing too close to him. The witch also needed to stop that touching bit. Now.

“I told you why I turned you over to those men before.”

Being in the dark sucked. Jade wished she knew more about what had happened between Az and Heather. Hello, jealousy. She recognized the feeling for exactly what it was.

“Poor Azrael. You think your job is to save the world.” Heather’s lips twisted as she turned her focus on Jade. “When you’re really just here to destroy it. Bit by slow bit.”

Bull. Az had done nothing but help since—

“Isn’t that what the legend says about you?” Heather taunted. “You and your brother Sammael—the two who fell from grace so they could wreck the world.”

Az lifted his brows. “That’s not exactly the way the story goes.”

“Close enough,” she murmured.

Eyes narrowed, Jade began to stalk toward the witch.

“The legend says that one day, a brother will be slain by another. When that day arrives, hell will come to claim the earth.”

Wasn’t that just a lovely tale to share? “Most legends are no more than lies,” Jade said, shrugging. “Good to scare kids and fun to entertain bored bitches—I mean, witches. Witches who don’t have enough power to see what will really be coming in the days ahead.”

“I already know his future.” Now Heather was talking to her, not Az, and her cheeks flushed red. “I saw it when he fell. I took his blood, and I saw what could be.”

Jade noted the phrasing. “There’s a big difference between what will be and what could be.” She could yank that clawlike hand off Az. Or she could be a lady for a few more minutes.

The witch inclined her head. “Angels are harder to read, they take a whole lot of power, but humans, ah, humans I get right every time.” And her hand fell away from Az.

Good move, but . . . “I’m not bleeding for you.” They were wasting time with this talk. She’d come to the voodoo shop for one reason—weapons. Tanner had promised Jade that he could give her what she needed.

No way am I going into an ambush without power.

But Tanner wasn’t speaking, and Az—well, at least he’d managed to look away from the mirror.

“Sooner or later, you will bleed.” Heather seemed absolutely confident. The red had begun to fade from her cheeks so the woman must have been getting her control back.

The crazy witch could be as confident as she wanted to be. But Jade was getting out of there. The incense in the place was driving her crazy and making her temples pound.