Avenging Angel (The Fallen #4)(56)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“And while you freeze, while you are too freaked to fight,” Seline continued quietly as she walked slowly toward the bar and poured herself a drink, “that’s when a punishment angel strikes.” Her smile was sad. “It was one of the first lessons they taught me.” She pointed to the ceiling. “You know, before I decided the view down here was so much better.”

“I do make for an awesome view,” Sam said with a flash of his teeth.

Seriously—what the hell did that woman see in him?

But at least they’d given him some ideas. And at least now his brother wasn’t the only guy in town who could be listed as a suspect.

Except . . . a punishment angel?

“They’re one of the few types of angels who can walk right among the humans,” Sam said, eyes hardening.

“They walk with them,” Marna said. “The better to punish.” Her voice had lowered.

“Know your enemy.” Sam’s advice. “From the sound of things, you need to get to know him pretty f**king fast.”

Tanner cast a searching glance at Marna. The guy out there killing hadn’t come at either one of them directly. Not yet, anyway. He’d gone after the shifters. That cop, and—

“An angel couldn’t kill so freely. Only death angels are supposed to take lives. This guy isn’t a death angel”—Marna was definite—“so you’re wrong, Sammael. This isn’t one of ours.”

Ours.

“It’s someone else,” she insisted. “A demon, a—”

“Punishment angels can become corrupted, too, you know. All angels can be tempted.”

Marna’s gaze found Tanner’s.

“And we can all fall,” Sam finished softly. “I think that’s a truth you’re beginning to understand.”

Too late though. They’d sent Cody out to hunt for the killer, but how was he supposed to fight an angel? Tanner yanked open the door. He spared one glare for Sam. “Spread the word. Make sure the twisted freaks in this town who fear you know that she’s off-limits. They’re not getting her blood.”

Marna slipped through the doorway.

Sam inclined his head. “I’m already spreading that word. I think the dead demons and vamps I’ve left will make the fools think twice before any other attacks.”

Sam’s emotionless voice as he talked about killing reminded Tanner of the guy’s words from just moments before.

Not evil. Not good.

Clenching his teeth, Cody hurried after Marna. He didn’t like talking to Sam. Didn’t like it at all because—

He’s too much like me.

Not good.

And with more evil growing inside each day.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Tanner knew the bars that his brother would visit. You didn’t live in this town as long as he had without discovering the darkest of demon hells.

Once upon a time, Tanner had pulled Cody from one of those hells. Dragged his unconscious body out even as he raged at his brother.

The guy had been a screwed-up seventeen-year-old. So sure his dad was a twisted f**k because he’d had the colossal bad luck of being born. Tanner had tried shoving some sense down the guy’s throat. He’d had to break Cody’s addiction first and get him off the drugs that just confused his mind and made him even more desperate.

But I got him clean. And Cody had stayed clean.

“Tanner, slow down!” Marna called sharply, and Tanner realized he’d been running.

They were at the mouth of a narrow alley. Just a few more turns and they’d be—

He froze.

Marna bumped into his back. “I didn’t say stop,” she muttered, pushing back. “I just said—”

Tanner’s nostrils flared. “Blood.” Not just any blood either. Demon blood had a stronger scent than others. Almost like ash.

And shifter blood . . . it smelled of animal.

Only one guy in town had that mixed scent of beast and demon.

Fuck.

Tanner raced down the alley, shouting Cody’s name, but his brother wasn’t there. There was just a too-big pool of blood, looking black in the darkness.

Tanner bent next to the blood and his claws scraped the pavement.

“It’s . . . his?” Marna asked as she pressed closer.

Tanner’s gaze followed the trail of blood as it snaked around the corner. “Like bread crumbs.” A trail of blood splatter to follow.

And he could follow it. He had Cody’s scent. He could follow that blood trail all the way back to his brother—and to the fool who’d hurt him.

Was it one of the angel-blood-addicted paranormals? Or the actual punishment angel that Sam had suggested? Either way, no one was getting away with hurting his brother.

No one.

Tanner rose in a fast ripple of power. He caught Marna’s shoulders, pulled her close, and stared in her eyes. “When I shift, the panther’s gonna hunt.”

She nodded. “It’s Cody’s blood, isn’t it?” Marna didn’t give him time to answer. “I understand. We’ll find him. He’ll be okay.”

She didn’t understand. It wasn’t about finding Cody.

Tanner kissed her. Deep. Fast. Hard.

It was about destroying the one who’d attacked his brother.

Tanner spun away. He started to run, and with every movement, the beast inside stretched and growled. Bones popped. Snapped. When he bounded past the corner, he hit down on all fours.

And he kept running as the beast took over fully.

He’d find Cody, and he’d tear apart the bastard who had thought to hurt him. Angels weren’t immortal. They could bleed. They could die. You just had to use the right weapon against them.

His claws were the perfect weapon.

Marna ran behind him. The thud of her footsteps followed him. The blood trail led away from the lights of the bars and back into the darkness. Past the Square, deeper and—

Marna’s footsteps stopped. Even with the rage pumping through him, he heard that telling sound. He’d been so focused on the blood trail, he hadn’t let any other scents hit him, but now—

The panther’s head swung back around. Marna had frozen. She stared at him with wide eyes. And then she looked down at her chest. A blooming circle of red appeared right in the middle of her br**sts. Her mouth opened as if she would scream.

But Tanner’s roar drowned out the sound.

Marna fell to her knees. The knife that had been plunged into her, from back to front, slid out with a slosh of sound that enraged the beast and had the man inside screaming.