Demon Fire (The Angel Fire Book 3), Marie Johnston [books suggested by bill gates TXT] 📗

the office, cursing the weak human eyes as he blinked in the light. Andy sat at the head of a long conference table. The spot Jameson used to sit in. Empty chairs lined the table. Andy wore a perfectly tailored suit, likely acquired with Jameson’s money.

Andy barely spared him a glance. “Sandeen.”

“Andy.” The man didn’t go by Andrew. Andy threw people off, gave them the impression that along with his wiry build and nondescript looks, he wasn’t a threat, that he was quite the opposite, when in fact, he was a giant threat.

Sandeen wouldn’t care. He’d be more than happy to go about his business, but Andy had dragged him into it, and to fly under the radar, he’d act like a good boy and stall. Andy might forget that he was an archmaster, powerful in his own right, and the son of one of the biggest bastards in Daemon.

“You’ve failed.” Censure filled Andy’s voice, and for such an unimposing man, he could radiate immense rage.

“I just haven’t succeeded yet.”

Andy’s brow cocked and his eyes narrowed. The guy couldn’t kill him. But he probably had some corrupt Numen in his pocket who could yank him into the Mist and kill him. The Numen would likely die trying. Many had. But the possibility was there. Sandeen walked a tightrope of risk until he could figure something else out.

Sandeen had to give him more, explain why he’d been doing nothing and making it look like he was doing something. “Randomly asking around risks drawing Numen attention. The safe house Sierra used in town netted nothing. I’ve been working the crowd here, but no one has information on her.”

“You’re fucking around.” More judgment, but all truth. “You know as well as I do that they wouldn’t put Sierra anywhere near Las Vegas.”

“Neither would they put her anywhere near any of the cities her team has worked in before. You asked me to find a needle in a stack full of seven billion pieces of hay. I’m not an angel, but even Numen can’t work miracles. Those are for divine angels and I doubt they’d help me.”

Andy’s jaw clenched and anger flashed in his eyes. Was Andy angry at him or angry because he was right? “I got a tip that Winger returned covered in snow.”

“That narrows it down,” Sandeen said dryly.

An unholy glow burned in Andy’s eyes but nothing about it was supernatural. Sandeen came from a realm teeming with evil, but this human? He was a bad one. He expected results and Sandeen might find himself accidentally covered in angel fire like Jameson.

“Get the fuck out of Las Vegas, find some snow, and make sure it’s not near anywhere she’s ever been in her life.”

As if Sandeen had access to records that told him where Sierra had worked and stayed during her time on Earth.

Andy tapped on some keys in front of him. “I’ve set up a network that my spies can report to. Anything hits and I’ll get the information to you.”

“Looking forward to it.” Sandeen rose. He might as well drop this human sack and get back to his realm. He might want to mind his own business, but he wasn’t stupid. It was time to find a host who lived in a snowy climate.

“Sandeen.”

He met Andy’s steady, unconcerned gaze.

“If you don’t produce results, I might have to get a message to Zadren.”

Sandeen ground his molars together. Another flash of pain forced him to loosen his facial muscles. Zadren wouldn’t play games like Andy. Unlike the human, his dear old sire would kill him as soon as he set a foot back in his realm.

Snow piled on the sides of the roads but did nothing to detract from the postcard-perfect view of the town. Green Valley was mostly white, surrounded by green trees, but it had to be breathtaking in the summer.

“This place is cute.” Sierra had seen a lot in her time. She’d only been a warrior for the last twenty years, but they’d traveled far and wide for work. The beauty of a small Montana town in the mountains allowed the first pang of regret to infiltrate her heart. She’d always sat behind computers, only venturing out to get what she needed for work. Her teammates were the ones roaming among humans, pretending to live as them to hunt demons.

She’d been good at her job, but she’d done nothing but work. Trying to prove herself for a reason only she’d known. But everyone knew she’d failed.

Pushing away those memories, she concentrated on her new life. Clothing was the first item of business and Boone had said he didn’t mind paying. She minded, but her options were limited. The stubborn man bypassed the thrift store and parked on Main Street in front of a sports shop.

“They’ll have cold weather gear for sure. I think they have clothes. If they don’t, I’m sure they can help us order some and get it shipped.”

Just the anticipation of a shirt she didn’t have to tie was enough to keep her spirits riding high. This was it. Her new life. The fledgling steps of living as a human.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and smashed one of Boone’s black stocking hats on. “Ready.”

He glanced over, then did a double take. His lips twitched. “They’ll definitely have sportswear that fits.”

She wrinkled her nose and hopped out of the pickup that was much newer than she’d expected. The front was spacious and the back seat could fit three people. The vehicle gleamed silver with black accents and it was so completely Boone, she’d laughed when she’d seen it. Even Boone had seemed amused at her reaction, but there’d been a sense of loss too. She had no idea why a vehicle would cause it.

Hitching up Boone’s borrowed sweatpants so she didn’t flash the few people rushing between businesses and vehicles, she caught a glimpse of herself in a store window.

Laughter sputtered out of her. She looked like Dopey from the Snow White