So, the killing had to happen on Earth…where an angel had full access to their abilities.
The other catch was that demons couldn’t handle consecrated weapons—it felt like sticking a hand straight into a bonfire—and only a rare few knew how to draw the Empyrean sigil to summon heavenfire. Even fewer could actually make it work. It was generally accepted that demons couldn’t use Empyrean magic, but there were always exceptions.
In this case, the exception was Belial.
Since Bel was actually a fallen angel, he was immune to consecrated weapons,andhe was capable of summoning heavenfire—albeit with difficulty, since he was very much a demon now.
And there was a way around the teleportation problem too. Angels could be trapped within a special type of Sheolic sigil. It was so complex and difficult to cast that most demons weren’t capable of it, but again, Belial was.
And Belial really hated angels.
If he arranged things just right, Raum was pretty sure he could pull this off.
He would agree to help Sunshine steal the book, and then he’d find a way to destroy her and take it for himself. Murmur would swear to anything to get his precious grimoire back, and there would be no more angels that knew where he and his brothers were hiding.
Two birds, one stone.
He was rather fond of birds and would strangle anyone throwing stones at them, but the saying worked in this case.
First, however, he had to cover his bases. And no one was better at hashing out the terms of a contract than a demon.
6
The Devil’s In The Details
Sunshine spent the rest of the night—theentirenight—negotiating the finer terms of her ‘deal with a devil.’ Dawn had begun to lighten the sky, a pink glow appearing on the horizon between the buildings.
She had come into this situation prepared, but it still surprised her how precisely every detail had to be examined before Raum would agree to anything.
Human lawyers ought to try drafting a contract with a demon. It would be the ultimate test of their abilities.
But even most humans knew better than to make such bargains. In this, however, she knew it was her best option. She could not traipse into Hell by her lonesome, her angelic aura like a beacon of purity amidst the tarnished landscape. She wouldn’t last five minutes before she was discovered, and then…
Well, she already knew what demons did with an angel at their mercy.
“And what happens in the event of my death?” Raum asked. “If I’m killed while working for you, the contract should hold.”
He currently sat cross-legged on the floor in the center of the sigil. During their negotiations, he altered between his current pose and stretching his legs out while leaning back on his hands. Despite the circumstance, he managed to look relaxed.
Sunshine, on the other hand, sat on a chair from the dining table and kept shifting from cheek to cheek. After so many hours, her rear end was quite numb.
“You will not die completing this task,” she felt the need to say, disturbed at the thought. “I assure you, I want assistance, not sacrifice.”
Raum shrugged. “Death is always a possibility. And if it occurs, or if I’m permanently compromised in some way, you have to keep up your end of the deal.”
How casually he discussed his possible demise. Was that what life was like for a demon in Hell? Constantly surrounded by violence and suffering? It seemed a dark and miserable existence.
But she had to remain cold. Her eyes narrowed. “Why should I owe your family protection if you’re incapable of fulfilling your end?”
“Because I’d only be killed because of our agreement. Sacrifice deserves recompense.”
She couldn’t argue that, nor could she reveal how the thought of it horrified her. “Fine. But you can’t seek a way to compromise yourself as a means of escaping your duty.”
His brow cocked. “I agree not to attempt suicide over one measly bargain with an angel.”
“Good.”
She studied him. There was a glint in his golden eyes that made her suspicious. He wasn’t cooperative—in fact, he was quite sullen and argumentative—but she had to wonder if he hadn’t formed some hidden plan of his own for how to make this arrangement benefit him.
