the topic until it was too late to send her back. I wasn’t about to let that happen. I banged on the front door and then issued Aedan a challenging glare. “She can’t go.”
His shoulders fell, and for a moment, I thought maybe he’d been defeated. “Ash, I made a promise to her father.”
Un-freaking-believable. What kind of Dad would send his kid to the fiery pit? It must have been a Murphy thing for all of the men to lack paternal instincts. “Her dad actually asked you to take her to Hell?”
“Yeah, and I owed him one, so I couldn’t refuse.” Aedan’s features seemed to transform before my eyes. Gone was the strong and self-assured man. In his place, I saw the vulnerability of a child. That same child who’d been orphaned at age sixteen.
But it still didn’t make sense. The Murphys had already lost Katherine. Why would they risk losing their other daughter? “What kind of a parent willingly lets his kid go to Hell?”
“The kind of parent who wants to see his other child freed from damnation.”
I’ve never had kids, and since Aedan told me women couldn’t conceive in the afterlife, it was obviously too late for me to try now. But I knew my mom would have never let me go. If I’d insisted, she’d have gone in my place.
“Then why doesn’t he do it?”
“Mar thinks she’s the only one who can get Katherine to repent,” he answered, but I could read the uncertainty in his eyes.
Repent? Wasn’t it a bit too late for her? I thought about my few encounters with Katherine in Hell. She’d beaten me after I refused to have sex with her, then she stabbed my nettle through the chest with a poisoned blade. Yeah, Aunt Kate was a real gem. I shook my head. “She deserves to be there, Aedan.”
He shrugged. “I know it.”
The door to Delta House creaked open, revealing Basil’s wide eyes, smooth pale hair, and nothing but darkness behind her. “You demons?” she asked in her usual raspy, haunted voice.
“Basil, it’s me, Ash.”
She squinted. “How do I know you’re not demons?”
“We’re not demons.” I crossed my heart. “I swear.”
“Ha!” she cried. “As if I’d believe the word of a demon.” She slammed the door in our faces.
What the heck was that all about?
I banged on the door. “Basil, let us in!”
I heard grumbling and the shuffling of feet right before the door swung open again. This time a beautiful Nordic God stood on the other side. Sweet mercy! He looked just like the Swede, yeah, Mr. Tall, Blond, and Drop-Dead-Gorgeous, only this guy had luxurious shoulder-length hair, and if it was at all possible, even bigger muscles. I had to work to shut my jaw as I admired his beauty.
He flashed a knowing look, as if he was somehow reading my mind. “Ashley MacLeod and Aedan O’Connor?”
“Y-yes,” I stammered.
He smiled and stepped back. “Come on in.” That’s when I noticed the dazzling gold star hanging from a chain around his neck.
I continued to gape up at him as I walked beside his broad shoulders. “We’re not demons. I swear it.”
“I know.” He smiled down at me. “You had a meeting with His Holiness this morning, right?”
“Yeah,” I breathed and smiled back. Something about this guy was so mesmerizing. Could have been his scent, which was like a combo of fresh rain and spring air rolled into one. Could have been his large blue eyes as pale as the summer sky. One thing I knew for certain, his presence was like a drug. And, no, I wasn’t turned on by him in the physical sense. My libido had calmed since Hell’s horny water. Besides, I wasn’t that unfaithful, despite Aedan’s loyalty to Mar. I was simply in awe of this man’s beauty.
Speaking of beauty. I brushed a wayward strand of frizz behind my ears, lamenting the fact that my electrified hair had turned into a kinky mop again. Ugh, of all the times to have a bad hair day. Not that I cared what this guy thought of me. Okay, maybe I cared a little bit.
He turned toward
His shoulders fell, and for a moment, I thought maybe he’d been defeated. “Ash, I made a promise to her father.”
Un-freaking-believable. What kind of Dad would send his kid to the fiery pit? It must have been a Murphy thing for all of the men to lack paternal instincts. “Her dad actually asked you to take her to Hell?”
“Yeah, and I owed him one, so I couldn’t refuse.” Aedan’s features seemed to transform before my eyes. Gone was the strong and self-assured man. In his place, I saw the vulnerability of a child. That same child who’d been orphaned at age sixteen.
But it still didn’t make sense. The Murphys had already lost Katherine. Why would they risk losing their other daughter? “What kind of a parent willingly lets his kid go to Hell?”
“The kind of parent who wants to see his other child freed from damnation.”
I’ve never had kids, and since Aedan told me women couldn’t conceive in the afterlife, it was obviously too late for me to try now. But I knew my mom would have never let me go. If I’d insisted, she’d have gone in my place.
“Then why doesn’t he do it?”
“Mar thinks she’s the only one who can get Katherine to repent,” he answered, but I could read the uncertainty in his eyes.
Repent? Wasn’t it a bit too late for her? I thought about my few encounters with Katherine in Hell. She’d beaten me after I refused to have sex with her, then she stabbed my nettle through the chest with a poisoned blade. Yeah, Aunt Kate was a real gem. I shook my head. “She deserves to be there, Aedan.”
He shrugged. “I know it.”
The door to Delta House creaked open, revealing Basil’s wide eyes, smooth pale hair, and nothing but darkness behind her. “You demons?” she asked in her usual raspy, haunted voice.
“Basil, it’s me, Ash.”
She squinted. “How do I know you’re not demons?”
“We’re not demons.” I crossed my heart. “I swear.”
“Ha!” she cried. “As if I’d believe the word of a demon.” She slammed the door in our faces.
What the heck was that all about?
I banged on the door. “Basil, let us in!”
I heard grumbling and the shuffling of feet right before the door swung open again. This time a beautiful Nordic God stood on the other side. Sweet mercy! He looked just like the Swede, yeah, Mr. Tall, Blond, and Drop-Dead-Gorgeous, only this guy had luxurious shoulder-length hair, and if it was at all possible, even bigger muscles. I had to work to shut my jaw as I admired his beauty.
He flashed a knowing look, as if he was somehow reading my mind. “Ashley MacLeod and Aedan O’Connor?”
“Y-yes,” I stammered.
He smiled and stepped back. “Come on in.” That’s when I noticed the dazzling gold star hanging from a chain around his neck.
I continued to gape up at him as I walked beside his broad shoulders. “We’re not demons. I swear it.”
“I know.” He smiled down at me. “You had a meeting with His Holiness this morning, right?”
“Yeah,” I breathed and smiled back. Something about this guy was so mesmerizing. Could have been his scent, which was like a combo of fresh rain and spring air rolled into one. Could have been his large blue eyes as pale as the summer sky. One thing I knew for certain, his presence was like a drug. And, no, I wasn’t turned on by him in the physical sense. My libido had calmed since Hell’s horny water. Besides, I wasn’t that unfaithful, despite Aedan’s loyalty to Mar. I was simply in awe of this man’s beauty.
Speaking of beauty. I brushed a wayward strand of frizz behind my ears, lamenting the fact that my electrified hair had turned into a kinky mop again. Ugh, of all the times to have a bad hair day. Not that I cared what this guy thought of me. Okay, maybe I cared a little bit.
He turned toward
Similar Books
