Rebel Angel: A Sainted Sinners Novel (8 page)

Rising to her feet, Aurora straightened her spine and promised herself to do better.

“
J
ust come
out and let me see it,” Ezra called.

“I don’t want to!” Aurora yelled. The door to her bedroom slammed, and Ezra sighed.

He stood in the living room, putting on his onyx cufflinks and black tie.

When he came back to the safe house the night before, Aurora had been calm and quiet. Distracted, almost. So after a near-silent dinner at the kitchen bar, he’d cleaned up and gone to bed.

Thus, he’d skipped the reveal of the jaw-dropping outfit he picked up for Aurora at the Gray Market. When he handed her the black garment bag, she unzipped it, asked where the rest of the costume was, and glared at him when he answered.

Then she banished him to the living room while she dressed and primped. For
two
hours
.

Ezra looked at his watch. The sun was high over the desert dunes, but in the human world it was twilight. He supposed it didn’t matter what time they went to Paradis. It wasn’t as if demons kept day jobs like humans did, after all.

Sin was a twenty four-seven business, and demons took advantage of every minute of it.

Ezra pulled out a kitchen stool and sat down, wondering if he should have a cup of coffee while he waited.

The second the thought occurred to him, he heard footsteps. The very top of Aurora’s head peeked out from around the corner.

“I can’t wear this in public,” she said, her blue eyes blazing.

“Why don’t you come out here and let me be the judge of that?” Ezra asked.

More of Aurora’s head appeared. Half of her fiery hair was braided around her crown, the other half tumbling in loose waves down her shoulders and back. She wore dramatic makeup: black kohl around her eyes to make them brighter, rouge on her cheeks to highlight her fine cheekbones, pink on her lips to make them more tempting.

“This is embarrassing,” she said, pulling a face.

“If you can’t even show it to me, you can’t very well parade around pretending to be a mistress,” Ezra said.

Aurora’s expression hardened, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Fine.”

She straightened and stepped into the room. Ezra’s jaw dropped.

Aurora wore a tight, see-through corset made of white lace. The boning of the bodice criss-crossed strategically to obscure her nipples, but otherwise every single curve was visible. Not just visible, but flaunted. The corset pushed her breasts high, showed off her slender waist and the curves of her hips.

The corset was paired with a voluminous floor-length skirt made of transparent, filmy peach-colored silk. The skirt was slit high on both thighs, and when Aurora stepped forward Ezra got a glimpse of creamy pale skin and a white garter belt.

Ezra pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his heart thundering.

“Is it that bad?” Aurora asked, the apples of her cheeks gone redder than her hair.

“It’s…” Ezra started, then stopped. “No one is going to look twice at me, that’s for sure.”

She produced a silk fan from her skirts, opening it to obscure her face.

“Is this really what mistresses wear in Hell?” she asked.

Ezra raised a shoulder. “Close enough. I’ve never bought an outfit for a mistress before, so I had to trust that the woman who sold it to me knew what to pick.”

“You had a mistress?” Aurora blurted out, sounding confused.

She crossed her arms over her chest, as if unable to resist the urge to cover herself.

A soft sound escaped Ezra’s throat, the smallest expression of regret. He hadn’t meant to open himself to this topic. Not with Aurora. Not with anyone, ever.

“I did,” he admitted after a moment. “It’s not what you think, though.”

“No?” Aurora asked, a definite note of bitterness in her voice.

“I didn’t have much of a choice. Every Fallen has a mistress, it’s just… what is done.”

Aurora scowled. “Some defense.”

“They do these… auctions…” he said, shaking his head. “All these women, vying for a powerful master so they’ll be well cared-for. It’s inhumane.”

“And yet, you participated.”

“I rescued a twelve year old girl,” Ezra shot back, crossing his own arms.

“Taking a child into your bed is hardly rescuing!” Aurora said.

“I didn’t…” Ezra stopped, calmed himself. “She lived in my household. I never touched her.”

“You made her dress like this?” Aurora asked, still looking furious.

“Of course not. I just told you I never bought a mistress’s wardrobe before. She wore what she liked. Silk pajamas, mostly,” Ezra said. His voice softened a little. “She still slept with a stuffed animal. A horse.”

“Where is she now?” Aurora asked, her expression softening.

Ezr froze, his face smoothing into a careful mask of calm. “Dead.”

“Oh… I’m sorry, Ezra.”

Her soft words were like a knife twisting in his gut. It was all he had in him not to lash out, to keep himself under control.

“Don’t pity me, pity her. I had an argument with Lucifer, and he seized her to punish me.”

He kept his face blank, but his voice shook as he spoke, unable to keep the emotion from his voice.

“He killed her?” Aurora asked, moving closer. Drawn to Ezra’s weakness, it seemed.

He turned toward the window, not wanting to face Aurora just now. The story spilled from his lips, each word bringing him shame.

“Not directly. He made her his mistress. She lasted less than a week. She threw herself off a cliff in The Void, this sort of…” Ezra waved his hand. “A big endless space. It’s one of the only ways that human servants can kill themselves in Hell. It’s terrifying, actually. But she jumped, rather than face whatever Lucifer planned for her. Or did to her…”

“I’m so sorry,” she said. Shyness seemingly forgotten, she moved closer to Ezra. “What was her name?”

“Priya,” he said.

He glanced away, his chest rising and falling as he took a deep breath.

“Ezra—” she said, reaching out to him.

She was a little too close, and wearing far too little. Her faint floral scent, her inviting curves so very exposed, just a hand’s breadth away now. She lured him in, without even knowing it.

Even after his story about Priya, she only moved closer, as if to comfort him.

Hadn’t she heard a word he’d just said? Hadn’t she heard that he’d already failed to protect one innocent woman in his life?

Some guardian I am
, he thought to himself.
Lusting after her, knowing I can’t have her.

At the last moment, he stepped out of her reach and rounded on her, needing to retreat from the intimacy of the moment.

“I brought you a cloak,” he said, changing the subject.

“What?” Aurora asked, puzzled.

“A charmed cloak, to cover you and help divert attention away from yourself,” Ezra said. “While we’re in the streets of Paradis. I’m not sure how well it will work, given that you’re a Null, but I got the strongest concealing charm I could find put on it.”

Aurora blinked. “Oh. Right.”

The tense moment between them broke and bled away, and Ezra relaxed.

“At least on the street, you won’t be quite so exposed,” he said.

He glanced at her. Her arms came up again to cross her chest, which he found humorous.

“I still can’t believe you get to wear a black tux,” she said, waving her hand at his outfit. “And I have to wear basically nothing.”

“There are worse things,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, for you,” she said, playing along.

“Do you have everything you need?” he asked.

“I haven’t figure out how to hide my sword yet,” she said.

“Ah. I actually got you a pair of blades that go with your costume,” he said.

She wrinkled her nose. “Like knives?”

“Normally, a mistress wouldn’t even be allowed to speak, much less carry a weapon. I borrowed these from the arsenal at the Alpha Guardians’ manor.”

“Who?”

“The group of shifters that patrol New Orleans, keep the peace,” he said. “Mere Marie watches over them, so I’ve met their leader a few times. Big Scottish bear named Rhys. Makes me look friendly by comparison.”

“Sounds like you were productive yesterday.”

“Yeah, well.” Ezra moved to the kitchen counter, picking up another garment bag to reveal two thin golden blades sheathed in white leather. “They reminded me of your sword, a little.”

Aurora’s brows rose a little. She came over to examine them, each with a slim leather holster that attached to her garters and suspenders.

“Elaborate,” was her only comment.

She spent a minute examining them. Then, giving Ezra a rueful glance, she pulled back one side of her skirt and secured the knife on the outside of her thigh.

Ezra tore his gaze away as she worked on the second one, pulling a long silver and white cloak from the second garment bag. He shook the cloak out and straightened the hood unnecessarily, just waiting for Aurora to be done adjusting her stockings and garters.

“Here,” she said after a minute, holding her hand out for the cloak.

Feeling gentlemanly for the briefest moment, Ezra unclasped the single front hook and held it open for her. Aurora’s eyes flashed for a second, but then she turned and allowed Ezra to drape it over her shoulders. She shrugged off his touch immediately, moving away and pulling the hood up to cover her head.

She closed the cloak about herself, hiding the scandalous outfit beneath and enclosing her whole body in layers of bright brocade fabric.

A few wisps of copper hair escaped the hood to frame her face, and of course there was no disguising her beautiful face or those shining ocean-colored eyes. Ezra began to wonder if this ploy of passing her off as a flashy mistress might be a little too successful… and more dangerous than he’d anticipated.

“What do you think? Am I well hidden?” she asked.

Though he knew that she meant to ask if the cloak’s spell was working, Ezra only shook his head.

“There’s no hiding you,” he said.

Her astonished blush, the way her eyes went wide at the compliment…

Ezra turned away from her again. “We should go.”

Aurora trailed behind him, the cloak swishing softly as she moved.

“How are we getting there?” she asked.

“Normally we’d fly, but…” he paused, throwing a glance over his shoulder. “I had Mere Marie set up a jump point for us, so we can flash from here to a spot close by the entrance of Paradis.”

Aurora took a big breath and blew it out. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

Ezra took a small piece of black velvet out of his pocket, unfolding it to show her a gleaming silver key.

“This is the jump point. I’m going to grab it and bring it along, so you have to touch it first.”

“Okay.”

He gave her one final, steadying glance. “On three. One, two, three—”

Aurora’s fingers touched the key. Her whole body went pale, then she disintegrated as she was sucked into the key’s vortex. Ezra carefully grabbed the key with one hand, the velvet with the other. As he felt himself being tugged toward the key, his body growing light as air, he released the key and gripped it with the velvet cloth.

He felt a few nauseating moments of freefall, the world around him flashing light and dark and light again. And then he was on the other side of it all, his feet suddenly heavy, Aurora stumbling against him and clutching his arm for balance.

He steadied her, looking around. “Who puts a bolt-hole in a snowy forest?”

Aurora pulled a face, tightening the cloak around her shoulders. They stood in a frigid clearing, snow falling on the trees all around them.

“I don’t know, but I’m willing to bet that we’re not walking far,” she said. She nodded toward the other side of the clearing, where a bright ball of molten gold hovered above a white marble pedestal.

“Tasteful,” Ezra joked.

“I guess you don’t make the entrance to paradise an old boot or something, huh?” Aurora said, moving closer.

She gave him an apprehensive glance.

“Nervous?” he asked.

“Nervous, yes… but I’m ready,” she said. “Besides, it’s cold here.”

Ezra walked over to the golden orb, which appeared to be a small rotating sea of gold liquid, hanging in the air. Faintly, he could make out a few images in the surface. The outlines of a villa house, perhaps. The sun high above the water, like a beach almost.

“So overdone,” Aurora murmured, echoing his thoughts.

“Yes, well. Should we go on the count of three again?” he asked.

She glanced up at him, her blue eyes wide and bright. “On three.”

“Alright,” he said. “One, two, three—”

They both reached out and stuck their hands into the warm gold. It sucked at Ezra’s fingers, splashing out and spreading across his skin.

In a flash of gold, the snowy white world before them disappeared.

E
ven before his
feet hit the ground, Ezra had to shade his eyes against the blinding sunlight. He squinted as he checked to make sure Aurora had made the journey intact. She winced at the bright sunlight, drawing her hood up further against the invading sun.

To their left and right the ground trailed out to sandy beaches. Perfect azure water lapped at the shores, the waves just the color of Aurora’s eyes. Before them rose an enormous sandstone wall, a wide opening cut in the stone, beckoning entrance. Above the arched doorway, the word PARADIS was engraved in the wall.

“Very Tuscan,” Aurora said as she stared up at the wall.

“Indeed,” Ezra said. “We should go in. Try to be inconspicuous. As quiet as you can, and stay behind me whenever possible.”

“Of course,” she said rolling her eyes. “Lest we forget your role as my protector.”

Ezra reached out and snagged her wrist, pulling her close and staring down at her.

“Don’t forget who you are today,” he said, squeezing her wrist firmly. “You speak when I give you permission. You follow me wherever I go. You eat what I give you, drink from my cup. Do you get my meaning?”

Aurora’s eyes flashed with annoyance, but she nodded. “Yes.”

“Just stay out of the way and stay quiet, let’s get in and out as fast as we can with all our limbs intact. Yes?”

“Fine.”

Ezra didn’t like the stubborn set of her jaw, but he released her and turned toward the entrance.

“Aurora,” he said, leading her toward the entrance.

“Yes?”

“Try to appear content with having me as your master,” he said, glancing back. “Or you might start getting overtures from other Kith creatures.”

She paled a little, but Ezra just kept going. His words were true enough, and it would be better if Aurora was at least a
little
afraid of drawing attention to herself.

“Onward and upward,” he said, more to himself than to her.

Ezra strode through the entrance, Aurora right on his heels. Before them, a miniature city spread out for perhaps half a mile. The dusty beige streets and sandstone villas seemed to rise in straight lines, from where Ezra stood all the way up to the topmost building in the city. Aragoth’s personal villa was dead center, if Ezra had to guess.

With the city laid out on the hill, Ezra could see practically the whole of it from the entrance. Thus, Aragoth could look out from one of his balconies and do the same.

Smart, especially for a hedonism demon. They weren’t known for their spectacular planning or organizational skills, to say the least.

Eight smaller villas settled in a circle against the back wall, and below that was a haphazard mishmash of pueblos. In the center was a large and bustling marketplace, just as Aurora had described it.

Two humans pulled a rickshaw down the main street, heading straight for Ezra and Aurora. He pulled her to the side, ignoring the annoyed glare she shot him. The rickshaw slowed as it passed, giving red-skinned demon inside plenty of time to stare Ezra down.

Ezra shooed Aurora down the street, ignoring the fact that the rickshaw stopped, the demon standing to watch him as he moved toward the marketplace.

They walked unheeded for a minute, then two short, froglike demons appeared in Ezra’s path. Three feet tall, slimy green skin, wide warty mouths… except their mouths were filled with razor-sharp teeth.

“Fallen,” one of them croaked, his voice low and sibilant.

“Fallen in Paradissssss,” the other agreed, blinking his big yellow eyes. “Why?”

Ezra heard Aurora’s sharp intake of breath. He caught her hand before she could go for one of her knives.

“I am a Destroyer,” he said. “Lucifer sent me to cull three souls that are overdue.”

The two demons made identical burping sounds, looking at each other with alarm.

“Who Fallen cull?” one asked.

“Not Rathnu,” the other said, presumably naming himself.

“No demons, only human souls,” he said, crossing his arms. “One was sent here by Lucifer, for safekeeping. I must go to your dungeons and cull it.”

“Must see Master,” not-Rathnu said.

“Master Aragoth,” Rathnu supplied.

“Fine. Where is he?” Ezra asked.

“We take Fallen to Master, yes,” Rathnu said. “Come with, Fallen.”

The two fat toads turned and toddled off. Ezra glanced at Aurora, who looked more nervous than ever. Releasing her hand and taking her by the arm instead, he followed the two demons straight through the marketplace.

All around them, demons were moving through the riotously loud market. Some buying simple things like cloth or vegetables, some hawking drugged-looking human slaves as casually as someone might sell a puppy.

Aurora kept tensing up, and Ezra was forced to tow her along, gripping her arm hard to remind her of the role she played.

As they went, many demons stopped and stared. Were they staring at Ezra, unsure about seeing a powerful Fallen in their midst? Or were they watching beautiful Aurora, jealous and wanting?

Ezra couldn’t be sure. One tall, humanoid demon with near-translucent yellow skin darted into their path, clearly drawn to Aurora. Ezra summoned his sword, ready to run the creature through without a second thought.

Before he could even make a move, one of the froglike demons turned and hissed at the interloper. The intruder stepped back with a hateful glare, but it didn’t stop him from trailing behind them.

Ezra shifted Aurora around to walk in front of him, deciding that the two toads were the lesser evil. After they were through the marketplace, they passed lots of smaller buildings and lean-tos. Humans leaned in doorways and watched their progress, some openly smoking opium or hash, some already high out of their minds on who knew what else.

Aurora slowed and almost stopped when she saw two young girls sitting on the ground, drawing in the dust with sharp pieces of rock. Ezra put his hand on her shoulder and spurred her onward; this was not her fight, no matter what she saw here.

She resisted. Ezra squeezed her shoulder.

“Do not stop moving,” he commanded.

She didn’t even look at him this time, her gaze dropping to the ground. Once she started moving again, the march proceeded without incident, all the way up to the main villa.

Five stories high and cluttered with balconies and breezeways, it gave Ezra the impression that the architect had perhaps been a bit manic. In the center was a high set of stone stairs, leading to a main entrance on the third floor.

“Fallen, give name,” one of the toads said. “Must announce to Master, Fallen.”

“Grigori,” he bluffed, naming one of the Destroyers he knew to prefer solitude.

“Grigori!” both the demons croaked at once, as if trying the name out. “Come, Fallen.”

The two toads climbed the high stairs awkwardly, alternately using one another as support and pushing each other down. Inefficient, but what could be expected from demons that thrived in a massive drug den?

Once they made it to the main entrance, Ezra tugged Aurora back, indicating that she should stay behind him. She was quiet, her eyes on the floor. They strode through an austere beige foyer, reminding Ezra a bit of the safe house for its open windows and the brilliant blue skies beyond.

The party stopped before a large set of polished wood doors. Ezra knew that a bolt-hole could have any kind of impossible rules, but seeing the refined wood threw him off a little. Even down in the marketplace, any wood to be seen was ragged driftwood at best.

“Fallen wait here,” one of the frogs told Ezra. With the exception of defending her from the demon in the marketplace, neither demon had so much as acknowledged Aurora’s existence.

One of the frogs slid the door open and went inside, closing it after. Only moments later he came scrambling back out, flinging the doors wide in his haste.

“Master bids enter!” he groaned, looking distressed.

Ezra took Aurora’s arm and guided her forward. They stepped down into something straight from one of Scheherazade’s tales, a sunken floor covered with heaps of tasseled silk pillows. A dozen or more women reclined in the room, every different shape and skin color.

All with the clouded eyes of opium users, which made Ezra want to shudder.

In the middle was Aragoth himself, surprisingly human, except being only about four and a half feet tall and having not-quite-pink skin. He wore a loose caftan over his narrow frame, and silk slippers.

He glanced at them as if surprised by their presence, blowing out a heavy plume of dark smoke.

“Grigori,” Aragoth said, inclining his head to Ezra. His accent was curious, British mixed with something more exotic.

“Aragoth,” Ezra said, waiting.

“Seat yourself,” Aragoth said, setting aside an elaborate glass hookah. “Rathnu, take their jackets.”

Ezra shrugged his jacket off, watching Aragoth go bug-eyed as Aurora slipped out of her cloak. The demon eyes were wide as he took in her paper-thin white corset, translucent skirts, and garters.

Certainly, the attention was off Ezra now. The problem now was not his identity, but the start of something violent and dark beginning to rumble deep in Ezra’s chest.

“One of your mistresses?” Aragoth asked, not bothering to peel his eyes from Aurora’s chest.

“My only mistress,” Ezra said, trying to keep his voice mild.

Aragoth glanced at him, then cleared his throat. “She’s quite… unusual. Fine figure, nice enough face. That hair, though… that’s quite lovely.”

“One of the reasons I picked her,” Ezra said, glancing at Aurora. Her face was red, her eyes glued on her lap. Her hands were twined there, fingers gone white.

“Wild in bed too, I presume,” Aragoth said, looking her over again. “A pity redheaded humans are so rare these days. She is a real one, is she not? Upstairs and down? Not that I want to be able to tell…”

Aragoth waved a hand and called to a servant for drinks to be brought, saving Ezra from answering that question.

Ezra placed a hand on the small of Aurora’s back, running it up to nape of her neck. He gave her nape a gentle squeeze, trying to soothe her even as he showed dominance before Aragoth.

The gesture did not go unnoticed, but Aragoth was not dissuaded.

“I would trade you any number of girls, you know,” the demon said, accepting a glass of murky yellow liquid from a servant.

“I think not,” Ezra said, accepting a glass of the same and setting it aside.

“You hardly seem to have any affection for her,” Aragoth said, pursing his ruddy red lips.

“I cherish her enough to bring her with my everywhere I go,” Ezra said, leaning back. “It would not suit for a Fallen to have too much care for a human.”

“Are you sure you cannot be enticed?” Aragoth asked, wheedling now. “You have not seen Fatimah dance yet. Fatimah!”

A beautiful dark-eyed girl rose unsteadily to her feet, swaying.

“Bah!” Aragoth said. “That’s just the opium, she is very graceful. Moreso in bed, that I can promise.”

Aurora looked over at Ezra, fury in her eyes. He slid his arm around her waist, leaning down to nuzzle her neck.

“Just a little longer,” he whispered in her ear. She inclined her head.

“I’m afraid I want no other,” Ezra said, turning back to Aragoth. “Perhaps when I tire of her, an exchange could be made.”

“I would be interested. Perhaps,” Aragoth said, trying to play sly. “She’d need to be in the same condition.”

“I will think on it,” Ezra lied.

“Well, now that you are here, you must stay for the night’s entertainment,” Aragoth announced. “A feast, and music. And girls, many many girls.”

“I am here on a mission from Him,” Ezra said.

“The Dark One?” Aragoth asked, cocking his head.

“Is there any other lord you serve, Aragoth?”

Aragoth frowned. “Of course not.”

“I am here to cull three souls,” Ezra said. “I believe they reside in your dungeons.”

“Do you have a decree? I would need to see it in writing,” Aragoth said.

Ezra rose to his feet, letting his wings unfurl. Beside him, Aurora watched him in quiet amazement.

“Do you think I need a decree, demon?” Ezra thundered, releasing the full measure of the rage that had begun building in his chest the moment he stepped into Paradis.

“No, no! I… I am sure you know best,” Aragoth said. “It is only, Paradis rarely sees Fallen. Never a Destroyer, not once.”

“And you do not think you are overdue?” Ezra growled.

“Certainly, certainly,” Aragoth said, half rising. “It would be an honor to escort you to the dungeons. And of course I will insist on beginning the feast preparations, should you choose to stay after your work is done.”

Ezra glared at him until Aragoth sat back down. Only then did he vanish his wings.

“Do not attempt to deceive me, Aragoth. I will rain down punishment on you like you have never witnessed.”

“N-no, of course not,” Aragoth mumbled.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Ezra demanded to know, reaching down to help Aurora to her feet. “Servant, bring our coats!”

“I thought to have a lackey bring you downstairs, I rarely venture into the dungeons,” Aragoth said, getting to his feet.

“I tire of your explanations, demon.”

“Right! Right,” Aragoth said, clearly shaken. “This way.”

Stepping over the sleepy and unconscious women around him, Aragoth led them back out of the chamber. The two toads scrambled to follow Aragoth, leaving Ezra and Aurora enough time to gather their coats from a confused-looking maid.

Taking a sharp right in the foyer, Aragoth led them down a set of winding steps. Down and down they went in a tight corkscrew, sconces dotting the walls when the light began to fail. Though the villa had only seemed a few stories tall, the stairs went down much deeper.

“The dungeons are a bit damp,” Aragoth called back.

Damp was an understatement, as Ezra followed him off the stairs and into a dank cavelike floor. Every surface was wet, dripping, water running in seemingly every direction. Ezra’s head nearly brushed the ceiling, the walls seeming far too close for Ezra’s comfort.

Ezra stopped for a moment to check on Aurora, who surprised him by reaching out and taking his hand as she followed him. She gave him a blank sort of look, like she wasn’t taking in any more shocks. Like she was just following along after him, doing what he did.