“Brion.” So she’d been told. “Not that I ever met him. He died right after I was born.”
“Died?” Now Sam was the one pushing.
Whatever. So she’d strip bare what was left of her soul. Maybe then he’d let her walk away, because she sure needed to get out of there. It felt like she was suffocating right then.
“He killed my mother, so, in turn, he was killed. By Rogziel.”
She heard Keenan whistle.
“Who was your mother?” Sam’s eyes had never looked so dark.
“Don’t you mean . . . what was she?” Seline laughed then, but no humor filled the hard sound. “She was an angel, one charged with the task of punishing an incubus who’d been seducing human women.” The shame was there, just as it always was when she thought of her father—and how like him she truly was.
Addiction.
“But instead of punishing him”—the words came quickly now because she wanted this story over—“she fell for him.”
Literally. Her mother had traded heaven for a night in her demon’s arms.
“Too bad for her,” Seline whispered. “She trusted the wrong man. He killed her.”
Just like I trusted the wrong one.
A bit of blue bled back into Sam’s eyes.
“Rogziel was sent for Brion then. He succeeded at his job.” And he’d kept her alive. All those years . . . Rogziel had always been around. Watching. Monitoring her as she grew up. He’d placed her with a family, the O’Shaws—humans who guarded her but reported directly to him.
Then he’d come for her and begun to train her.
Time to punish. Make your mother proud. Earn redemption.
At first, she’d tried for that sweet promise of redemption. Only later, she’d realized that Rogziel’s punishments weren’t always just, and she’d wondered how much of her soul he was stealing away with each kill.
She looked at her hands, expecting to see blood. Two months ago—when she’d found the woman he’d “punished”—her blood had dripped onto Seline’s hands.
She glanced over at the vampire. Unlike many of Rogziel’s flock, Seline didn’t think all vamps were evil.
And that poor girl that Rogziel had “contained” . . . she’d barely looked twenty. H-help me . . .
The girl had been past the point of help. Seline had only been able to hold her hand as death came.
“So now you know,” she told Sam, and forced her chin to rise. “I’m the daughter of an incubus, made for sin, and the child of an angel who fell for her addiction.” She stepped back. “I’m not controlling a hellhound. I’m not betraying you. All I want, all I’ve ever wanted, was to just get away from Rogziel and my past.”
Why was that so much to ask?
She stared into his eyes. “Our partnership”—was that what it had been?—“is over. You think I’m betraying you? That I’m setting you up? Then when I leave, I guess you won’t have to worry about that anymore, will you?” Her lips twisted in a smile that she knew wasn’t pretty. “Wish I could say it’s been fun, but really, I guess it’s just been hell.”
Then she turned on her heel and walked for the door. The vampire’s gaze met hers. Would she have to fight her way out? It would be hard, especially with the memory of another vampire weakening her.
But Nicole’s head inclined slightly toward her, and the vampire pushed the one called Keenan aside, clearing Seline’s path.
She left, and didn’t look back, not even when she heard Sam whisper her name.
Yeah, it’s been hell, but for a moment there, I was hoping for heaven.
She should have known better. Demon half-breeds didn’t get to glimpse heaven. They spent too much time tasting hell on earth.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Sam lunged forward, only to find his path barred by Keenan. He leveled a glare at the Fallen. Old ties would only bind so long. “You don’t want to come between me and Seline.”
“She wants to get away from you.”
“We don’t always get what we want.”
The black shadow of Keenan’s wings stretched out behind him.
Sam fought for patience, something he’d never really had. “If she goes out there alone, she’s just a target. Rogziel will find her, or Az will go after her. Seline needs me.”
“Bull,” said the pretty little vamp who had a possessive hold on Keenan. “I think you’re the one who needs her. She’s your addiction, right?”
He almost winced. “Bad f**king word choice—”
“If she controls a hound . . .” Keenan rolled right over his snarl. “Then I don’t think she needs a Fallen watching her back.”
The front door slammed. Seline was gone.
He hadn’t actually expected her to leave him. And she was hurt. He’d done his best to repair her shoulder and tend the cut on her head, but she still had to feel weak. She couldn’t just prance up and down the town of Monclova without expecting to attract attention. The woman attracted attention wherever she went.
“Unless you’re using her as bait,” Nicole murmured.
His mouth tightened, and that was definitely guilt that bit into him.
“Ah . . .” Keenan nodded. “Already done that, have you? And how’d that work out for you?”
Worse than my nightmares. “Az had to pull her out of a burning motel.”
Nicole’s eyes raked him. “No wonder she’s so eager to get away from you. I would be, too.”
But Keenan was frowning. “Az saved her? Az doesn’t save anyone.”
Enough of this shit. Sam shoved Keenan out of his way. “Not without an ulterior motive, he doesn’t.” Seline wouldn’t have gone far. He was sure she was just pacing outside and cooling down. Seline knew she needed him. She’d said herself there was no way she’d be strong enough to defeat Rogziel.
He kicked open the front door. “Seline, dammit, let’s both just—” Calm down. She wasn’t there. The street looked deserted. No, no damn way could she vanish that quickly.
Then he saw the disappearing taillights at the end of the road. Sonofabitch.
A hard hand slammed down on his shoulder. “I’ve been thinking about this . . .” Keenan began.
He was going to hurt the guy. “Think later. I’ve got to track Seline.” Good thing Keenan had brought him a motorcycle. He’d cut through the narrow streets and alleyways of the town in no time.