And the sickeningly sweet scent of flowers hung in the air around him.
Jade sucked in a fast breath. “Az!” She screamed his name as loud as she could. “Get that angel ass of yours in here!” Hurry!
Brandt’s fingers sank into her hair, and he wrenched her head up. “The angel’s not coming.”
Her blood chilled. The screams from outside had nearly died away now. She hoped that meant all of the humans had gotten out.
As for Az . . .
“Did I ever tell you,” Brandt asked as he tilted up her head and forced her to meet his gaze. “Just how my father killed my mother?”
She didn’t want to know this story.
“He cut off her wings.”
Like Brandt had cut off Marna’s wings?
“Then he ground them up until they were the finest dust. It felt like silk on my fingers.”
She swallowed the bile in her throat. He’d touched that dust?
His expression tightened as he stared at her. “I learned then that wings are full of magic. Full of power.”
She did not like where this was going.
“When I saw the pretty little angel coming for you in the swamp,” he said, “I knew I had to get her wings. I just couldn’t let that power go to waste.”
It felt like he was about to rip her hair right out of her head. “Let me go,” she managed.
But he didn’t. Not even when Tanner lunged up at him. Brandt just drove his fist into Tanner’s jaw and the shifter fell back.
“That fine powder . . . some call it Angel Dust. It can kill demons, and it can trap angels.”
No.
His lips kicked up in a grin, and she knew that Brandt was enjoying her fear.
“If you surround them with the dust, angels can’t move. They’re trapped in a prison, one made of their own power.” His grin slipped away and shadows chased into his eyes. “My father trapped my mother in the dust. Then he used his claws to cut out her heart.” He leaned toward her and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Just like I’ll cut out your Fallen’s heart.”
Fear was choking her. Not Az.
“Unless you come with me now.” He eased away from her. “Come with me, and I won’t take his heart tonight.”
He could be bluffing. Totally bullshitting about the Angel Dust.
But his eyes told her he wasn’t. And if Az had been free, he would have been in that room by now. He would have come to help her.
“D-don’t . . .” She made sure her voice held a weak, trembly edge. Brandt always felt stronger when she was weak. She wanted the guy to think he was in control. Right until the moment she ripped that control away from him. “Don’t hurt Az.”
She caught the faint hardening of his eyes and knew she’d made a mistake. He always hurt those she cared about.
Jade reached over Tanner’s body and fumbled in his pockets. He groaned beneath her, and his eyes began to open. “Jade?”
Her fingers curled around the key.
“Stay down,” she whispered, but she knew Brandt would hear. With his shifter ears, there’d be no way for him to miss her order.
She pulled back. Her hands were shaking as she unlocked the cuff on her wrist. She dropped the key onto the floor.
Brandt caught her arm and yanked her away from Tanner. His gaze darted between them.
“Don’t,” Jade said, voice hardening despite her efforts to play weak.
But Brandt just smiled. “Death should have come for him long before.” His claws sliced down as Jade yelled and grabbed at his arms.
Tanner lunged up in the same instant. His hands caught Brandt’s wrists, and he held those razor-sharp claws away from his face.
Fury beat at Jade. Brandt had taken so much from her. Too much. “No more,” she gritted and the fire seemed to burn beneath her skin. Burn, burn . . . Her fingers heated where she touched Brandt.
He slowly turned his head to look at her.
She lifted her hands and stumbled back. They were so hot they burned. I’m burning. “No. More!” She yelled and a ball of fire shot from her fingers—and flew right at Brandt. The fire slammed into his chest and the scent of burning flesh stung her nose.
He fell down, flames eating at his flesh, screaming.
She grabbed for Tanner and hauled him to his feet. “Get Cody!” That demon had better be alive. He’d saved her before, and now they’d damn well save him.
Tanner nodded and hurried toward his brother. The cuff banged against his wrist as he lifted Cody and rushed for the door.
Jade followed on their heels, moving as quickly as she could—
“No,” Brandt’s growl. His fingers, blistered, singed, curled around her wrist, and she felt the lick of heat scorch her from his touch. “You’re not getting away from me that easily.”
Body tensing, Tanner glanced back at her.
“Get him out of here!” She yelled at Tanner. She could summon more fire. She could attack Brandt again. Dammit, she wouldn’t be afraid.
Not anymore.
Tanner slipped away with Cody.
At least they’re safe.
Brandt yanked her against his chest. The fire had melted away his shirt and the flames had charred his flesh.
But—but that flesh was healing before her eyes.
“Aren’t you full of surprises?” he murmured as he bent his head toward hers. His breath, carrying the scent of ash, blew lightly over her face. “Since when can my human play so well with fire?”
“Since someone was willing to risk his life for me. Since he gave me life.” And didn’t just try to destroy everything she had.
The faint lines around Brandt’s eyes tightened. “You think he’s so damn special, don’t you? But I know what he’s done. I followed the blood. He’s hurt you.”
“No.” Her chin lifted. “Never him. He wouldn’t. Az isn’t like—”
He yanked her up against him, and her toes left the floor. “Me?” Brandt finished, the word a savage snarl.
She nodded.
“So I’m the f**king bastard?”
Yeah, he was.
Brandt shook his head as if denying something to himself. To her? “You loved me once.”
This was it. The moment that she’d known would come. Jade stared him in the eyes, refused to let the fear take her, and said the words she knew would break him. “And now I love him.”
She expected an eruption of rage. An attack. Jade would take the pain. It would buy Tanner and Cody the time to flee. Buy Az time to get out of that Angel Dust trap.