“Yes, I’ll go,” I say with a measure of bitterness. “You’ve got help.”

I slip past her halfhearted attempt to stop me, and she doesn’t come after me. I’m too angry to listen anymore. I don’t want to hear them talking, even though I’m dying to know every detail about the whisperers.

The footsteps coming down the dim stairs behind me are too heavy to be Anna’s. I flex my fists as I turn to face Kopano at the bottom of the stairs. Rain is falling in torrents around us, and we’re barely protected by the edge of the stairwell’s awning.

“Let us go somewhere and talk,” Kopano says.

“We can talk here. She never uses her senses.” It feels good to throw that fact at him—there’s loads about Anna he doesn’t know.

“Do not be upset, Kai,” he says calmly. “I feel only concern for her.”

Right. If by concern he means attraction and awe. “I’ll bet you do.”

“Even you are willing to risk yourself for her, brother.”

Okay, so he can tell I feel attraction and awe, as well. So what? “That’s because I actually know her. What’s your reason? I suppose you’d like to get to know her, too?”

“You have made it very clear that she is not available in that way.” And yet, he has pursued. “Be reasonable. There is plainly more at stake here. I only wished to help.”

Bullfuckincrikey. How is he going to help? By being her shoulder to cry on? He’s just as powerless against the Dukes and whisperers as I am. He can lie to himself, but not to me. He wants her. “There’s nothing you can do, Kope!”

He tries to calm me, which makes me more furious.

“There is no stronger weapon for Pharzuph to use than your concern for each other. If he learns you were here to console her, you will lose all leverage with him. Do not fool yourself into thinking he will not discard you.”

“Yes,” I say with pure malice. “Some of us have to worry about such things. Thank you for the reminder.”

I’ve been taken off guard by this conversation, and I catch the sound of heavy footsteps too late. Kope’s eyes widen as he peers over my shoulder, and I spin, whipping out my switchblade with a zing and holding it in front of me where Duke Belial stands mere feet away, looking lethal as a bomb.

He smiles down at my knife, water dripping from his face.

“Put it away, boy. Sorry to break up the testosterone party.”

With a shaking hand, I slide the blade back in and slip it into my pocket. Anna comes racing down the stairs barefooted and stops herself just short of us.

She looks up at Belial and yells, “Dad!” Her hands cover her mouth as she looks between us. When Belial faces her full on, her hands fall to her side and her face goes slack.

“It was you,” she whispers. “You sent them.”

My head snaps to Belial to see his jaw set. Everything suddenly makes itself clear, and I nearly sag where I stand. He sent the whisperers to haunt her. Anna is not under suspicion, and her father does not want to hurt her. He’s trying to smarten her up. He’s forced her to acknowledge and see the demons. It’s admirable and heinous all at once.

Belial turns on me and Kopano, stepping closer, and we both stand taller under his intense scrutiny. This is obviously a man who wants to protect his daughter, and right now he’s staring us down like we’re threats. Shame burns me as I realize what fools we were, standing out here arguing when larger issues are at stake.

“This little thing,” Belial says, pointing between Kope, Anna, and me, “isn’t gonna fly. Don’t worry yourselves about Anna anymore. You hear?”

I nod, but there’s no way in hell I can stop worrying about Anna. I’m in too deep.

“Then get on out of here,” he says in that low voice. “And keep your heads in the game.”

Anna is watching the ground where the rain falls next to us. I don’t look at anyone as I turn to leave, climbing into my vehicle, driving straight into the storm, head on.

“Love Letter” by Kaidan Rowe

Staring at this paper

Tryin’ to write a “love letter.”

This is not my thing,

Yeah, it’s just not me.

My mind turns instead

To a wicked beat in my head,

And I bang out the lyrics to a song.

Yeah, I bang out the lyrics to a song.

You’re soft to my hard,

You’re sweet to my salt.

If we both end up naked

It’ll all be my fault.

Yeah, I’ll take the blame,

That’s it, say my name.

You’re gorgeous, you’re stunning,

Let me win at this game.

CHORUS:

Gimme, gimme, gimme,

I’m Greed when you’re near.

I want more, I need more,

Ignore all of my fear.

Heat me, scald me, burn me,

I’m Lust for your touch.

You kill with a smile

And I refuse to be rushed.

How’s this for a love note?

Do my words rock your boat?

If not, I’ll try harder

Take things a bit farther.

You bet your ass I’ll do that,

Raise the bar, sexy cat.

So step closer to me, turn up the AC.

You’ll be singin’ the chorus in 1, 2, 3 . . .

CHORUS

Roses are red and violets are blue,

That played-out shit isn’t for you.

I got your love letter right here in my eyes.

If you look deep enough, you’ll see through the lies.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Good Witch, Bad Ape

“Baby, you’re beautiful, and there’s nothing wrong with you.

It’s me, I’m a freak.”

—“Whataya Want from Me?” by Adam Lambert

I’ve always lived life like a game, moving my piece along the board, taking pleasure where I can, but feeling otherwise numb. Until a surprise came along and fucked it right up. Life is still a game now, only the rules have changed. Each move I make lands me on a mystery space, and I’m forever unsteady.

Over and over I imagine her as she was that night, sitting on the bed in the hotel room, like a still shot captured in my brain—her fluorescent pink aura, shockingly beautiful, surrounding her skin as she held a pillow to her nearly naked chest.

That image. It does me in every time. It slices me to pieces.

She’s safe now, in her father’s care—or as safe as a Nephilim can be. I resist the urge to drive over and check on her each time Father leaves for New York. I remind myself the whisperers could see us, and I’ve already tempted fate enough by spending far too much time with her in the past. It’s made me careless.

I only work the days Father is in Atlanta. I know it’s bloody dangerous to limit myself to only a few halfhearted hookups a week, but Anna has ruined me with a craving for something far more substantial. She possesses the only thing that can fill the deep void within me, and nothing else comes close.

It’s been over two months since I’ve seen her. When I caught sight of Jay at a party last week I was caught in a moment of desperation.

“Heard about the Halloween field party, mate?” I’d asked. Good ole Jay lit up at the invitation, just as I’d counted on. I’m not certain he’ll bring Anna, but it’s worth a try.

She probably won’t come, smart girl that she is. Halloween is one of the demons’ favorite nights of the year to whisper their sweet nothings.

I didn’t let Father see the Halloween costume I’d rented. It’s the ultimate way to hide from people. Only one girl will be able to recognize me in this giant gorilla costume. She’ll see an ape with a red badge.