“I’m not trying to.”
“Well, you are.”
“It’s a little hard to relax.”
“Feel free to fly then if that’s what you want. I’m trying to make this easier for you.”
“Try again.”
Blowing out a breath, she gripped his arm once more. This time, when his stomach flipped, he pretended he was the one throwing himself off the building and not someone else.
The sensation consumed him, and for a split second, he was weightless. But not like a body falling through space. Weightless as inbodiless.
And then he opened his eyes and found them right back in Sunshine’s apartment.
She immediately dropped his arm and stepped away.
He headed toward the kitchen where he saw an open package of sidewalk chalk. Perfect for sigil drawing. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Where will we link the hellgate to?” Sunshine asked as he carried the chalk over to the living room area where there was another patch of clear floor space.
Hellgates worked by opening a portal of sorts, but they had to link to another hellgate at the desired destination. Unfortunately, Raum hadn’t left any open hellgates in safe places when he’d left Hell. He really hadn’t intended to go back any time soon.
There were public hellgates open in the center of the Blood Market for demons to come and go at their convenience, but the Blood Market was days of travel away from Murmur’s domain and Raum wasn’t keen on landing in the middle of a bustling crowd with an angel at his side.
There was one more secluded hellgate that he knew of, however.
Iris and Meph had used it to escape Valefor, the demon who had captured them thanks to Murmur’s betrayal. Valefor was dead now, and while Raum was sure there was an ongoing battle nearby to claim his territory, he also figured there was a pretty good chance that the gate was still intact.
Only one way to find out.
* * *
Mist heardRaum’s bedroom door shut and stood frozen, a plate in one hand and a soapy cloth in the other.
Then he shook himself. He returned his focus to washing, assuring himself he was imagining things. He wasn’t the Hunter anymore. Not everything unusual was a clue, part of a long trail he followed to his prey.
But the prickle of unease didn’t dissipate. He washed several more dish items before he couldn’t ignore it any longer. Dropping the cloth into the water and setting a clean pot on the rack, he stalked down the hallway, promising Lily he would return shortly. He didn’t explain where he was going, still certain he was imagining things.
He cracked open Raum’s door and crept in, inhaling deeply and scanning the sparse furnishings. He didn’t scent any traces of what he thought he’d smelled when Raum had spoken to him earlier. He must have imagined it, just like he’d thought.
The scent had changed after his shower, and it was highly possible he’d mistaken—
Unless…
Mist’s gaze landed upon a pile of black clothes on the floor beside the closet. He crouched beside it, lifted the clothing to his nose, and inhaled deeply once more.
His spine stiffened, and his eyes widened. He sniffed once more, but there was no mistaking it. But how…? And why had Raum not explained?
Unless…he couldn’t.
Mist dropped the clothes and went back to the hall, only to stop short as indecision halted him. His tail flicked restlessly. His first instinct was to tell Lily and ask for her opinion. But perhaps that wasn’t the best course at present.
He did not keep secrets from Lily, but she might not understand the severity of this matter without some explanation, and he had to act quickly. He would consult with her later, but first…
His head swiveled toward the closed door at the end of the hall.
Stalking toward it, he opened it and peered into the dark room. Heavy drapes had been pulled over the tall windows to block the sunlight streaming in, but he could still discern the sizable bulk sprawled across the mattress. Belial lay on his stomach, head turned to one side, arms spread out above his head. He must have awoken sometime in the night since they’d deposited him here, because his shirt was missing.
