“Where did you find the clothes? I haven’t seen any evidence of demons.”
“That’s not something to complain about.”
“I’m not complaining,” I muttered under my breath. Though Iwasgetting tired of walking through the damp, muggy air, skirting around pools and trying not to break an ankle as my boots sank into the grass.
FOURTEEN
Laila
We stoppedto spend the night in a cave set into the side of one of the mountains, taking turns sleeping and keeping watch.
The next morning, when we were about to set out again, I saw my first demon since leaving the prison realm.
The fight—if you could even call it that—didn’t last long. Joriel shoved me behind him as he faced off with the demon. He used the same tactic he had in the caves, waiting for the demon to come to him and then wasting no time going for the kill shot.
“Where did you learn to fight?” I asked when the demon was nothing but a cloud of red smoke.
Joriel’s expression darkened, shadows creeping into his eyes. “That’s a story for another time.”
I bit back the hundred questions that rose to my lips. I wanted to understand what made him get that haunted look in his eyes, but I wanted to pull him out of whatever dark place he’d slipped into more than I wanted answers.
“Will you show me how to use the dagger now?” I asked, pulling the blade from the holster on my thigh.
Joriel’s gaze roved over me for a second before he nodded. “The most important thing is understanding that the blade isn’t magically going to protect you. It’s a weapon that will work just as well for your enemy as it will for you.” He took the dagger from my hand and slid it into his boot. “You need to learn how to use and trust your own body first. Then you can worry about adding sharp objects.”
Joriel was a tough but patient instructor. I had the distinct impression that I wasn’t his first student. He explained everything with ease, never stumbling over his words or getting frustrated with my questions.
I didn’t get to use my dagger during our first training session. Or the second or third either.
Days went by and the marshes turned to an open desert where the sky was the same tan color as the sand.
“I think I finally understand where the burning rumors come from,” I said, dropping onto the sand in a rare spot of shade beside a large rock. The desert was freaking hot, and there wasn’t a drop of moisture in the air.
Joriel shook his head. “We haven’t gotten to the fire part yet.”
“How do you know so much about Hell?”
“Do you ever run out of questions?”
I shrugged. “I’m just trying to get to know you, figure out what makes you tick. You’re always welcome to ask me anything.”
“Okay. Tell me something about your childhood in God’s court.”
“My childhood wasn’t very exciting. I spent most of it with my mother, learning from her. I don’t see my parents all that much anymore. Not since I was old enough to have my own duties. It’s kind of a relief. I think my mother’s still worried I’ll reflect badly on her. We’re really different.”
“Different how?” Joriel asked, dropping to the ground beside me.
I fiddled with the hem of my shirt, unsure exactly how to explain my mother. “She’s very… elegant. In her mind, angels of the first order exist to serve, and I agree with that part, but I don’t have the same definition of service as she does. She feels that an attendant should be put-together to the point of being unnoticeable.”
“I’m sure she loved your hair then,” Joriel said dryly.
I grinned at him. “Oh yeah.” The colors had washed out during our trip to the sea, and I already missed them.
“What about your dad?”
“Well, I look more like him, but honestly I don’t know what his opinions are on most things. It was my mother who taught me what I needed to know.”
“I think the seventh order was similar,” Joriel said. “Though I don’t remember much from my early years.”
