eyes with deep grooves of strain. Such physical manifestations of emotion were rare in
mal’akhs
andwere only caused by the loss of a beloved. Les’s Mark had meant a great deal to him.
Affairs sometimes formed between Marks and their handlers, since they shared a connection that transcended the physical. A Mark could share fear and triumph and a handler could reassure and offer comfort across many miles. Also conducive to work-related romance were the isolated lives led by Marks and the lure of their Novium, which was brought on by the thrill of their first hunts. Even
mal’akhs
weren’t immune to a Mark awakening to full power.
“We appreciate you taking the time to answer our questions,” Reed murmured, thinking of Eve and his own growing connection to her. God help him when her Novium hit, which would happen soon after she finished training and began hunting in earnest.
He glanced at his Rolex. It was early evening in California. She would be in Monterey now. By the end of the week, she would be three weeks away from graduation.
Les’s jaw tightened. “I’ll do anything necessary to catch that demon. I’ve never seen anything like what happened to Kimberly. I pray I never see anything like it again.”
“Did you see the Infernal?” Mariel asked in a soothing voice.
“Yes.” A haunted look came to the handler’s blue eyes. “It was built like a brick shithouse. Nearly six meters in height and two meters wide at the shoulders.”
Reed looked at Mariel with both brows raised. She had described the demon far differently.
The high-pitched whistle of a teakettle came from the back of the house. Les motioned them to follow him.
“Come along.” His booted steps thudded heavily across the hardwood floor. “We’ll talk in the kitchen.”
They settled around a scuffed linoleum-topped table. Les turned off the gas stove and poured boiling water into a waiting teapot. His domesticity contrasted starkly with his rugged appearance—worn flannel shirt, faded jeans, and large belt buckle.
“The Infernal I saw,” Mariel began, “was a little over seven feet tall, nowhere near as large as the one you describe.”
Les set the pot on the table, then returned to the counter to retrieve a paper bag. He shook the contents—scones—onto a plate.
“Well, here’s the thing.” He glanced over his shoulder at them. “It wasn’t that big before it killed my Mark.”
Reed’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He withdrew it quickly. He normally kept the damn thing off, but with Eve in training he wanted to be accessible. Glancing at the caller ID, he cursed silently.
Sara.
He hit the button that sent the call to voicemail.
Sarakiel was both an archangel and his ex-lover. She helmed the European firm, her flawless angelic features fueling the sales of the multimillion-dollar Sara Kiel Cosmetics empire. She was also on his shit list, so he had been avoiding her calls for the last few weeks. That wasn’t going to change right now.
“You’re saying the Infernal grew in size?” Reed asked, returning his full attention to the conversation.
“Yes.” Les set out three teacups, then pulled out a spindle-backed chair for himself.
“Did you witness the attack?” Mariel asked.
“Just barely. If I’d blinked, I would have missed it. The blooming thing was fast. Impossibly fast. It rushed at Kim in a blur. Ran on all fours—fists and feet to the ground. Almost like an ape, but graceful like a canine. Kim screamed and the Infernal leaped into her open mouth, just disappeared inside her. I couldn’t believe it. By the time I figured out what happened, it was over.”
“What did happen?” Reed asked the question, but he already knew the answer.
“She . . .” Les swallowed hard. “She
exploded.
But it was wrong. All wrong. What was left behind . . . there wasn’t enough. There wasn’t enough
of her
. No bone, no blood . . .”
“Just muscle and skin,” Reed finished, declining Les’s silent
mal’akhs
andwere only caused by the loss of a beloved. Les’s Mark had meant a great deal to him.
Affairs sometimes formed between Marks and their handlers, since they shared a connection that transcended the physical. A Mark could share fear and triumph and a handler could reassure and offer comfort across many miles. Also conducive to work-related romance were the isolated lives led by Marks and the lure of their Novium, which was brought on by the thrill of their first hunts. Even
mal’akhs
weren’t immune to a Mark awakening to full power.
“We appreciate you taking the time to answer our questions,” Reed murmured, thinking of Eve and his own growing connection to her. God help him when her Novium hit, which would happen soon after she finished training and began hunting in earnest.
He glanced at his Rolex. It was early evening in California. She would be in Monterey now. By the end of the week, she would be three weeks away from graduation.
Les’s jaw tightened. “I’ll do anything necessary to catch that demon. I’ve never seen anything like what happened to Kimberly. I pray I never see anything like it again.”
“Did you see the Infernal?” Mariel asked in a soothing voice.
“Yes.” A haunted look came to the handler’s blue eyes. “It was built like a brick shithouse. Nearly six meters in height and two meters wide at the shoulders.”
Reed looked at Mariel with both brows raised. She had described the demon far differently.
The high-pitched whistle of a teakettle came from the back of the house. Les motioned them to follow him.
“Come along.” His booted steps thudded heavily across the hardwood floor. “We’ll talk in the kitchen.”
They settled around a scuffed linoleum-topped table. Les turned off the gas stove and poured boiling water into a waiting teapot. His domesticity contrasted starkly with his rugged appearance—worn flannel shirt, faded jeans, and large belt buckle.
“The Infernal I saw,” Mariel began, “was a little over seven feet tall, nowhere near as large as the one you describe.”
Les set the pot on the table, then returned to the counter to retrieve a paper bag. He shook the contents—scones—onto a plate.
“Well, here’s the thing.” He glanced over his shoulder at them. “It wasn’t that big before it killed my Mark.”
Reed’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He withdrew it quickly. He normally kept the damn thing off, but with Eve in training he wanted to be accessible. Glancing at the caller ID, he cursed silently.
Sara.
He hit the button that sent the call to voicemail.
Sarakiel was both an archangel and his ex-lover. She helmed the European firm, her flawless angelic features fueling the sales of the multimillion-dollar Sara Kiel Cosmetics empire. She was also on his shit list, so he had been avoiding her calls for the last few weeks. That wasn’t going to change right now.
“You’re saying the Infernal grew in size?” Reed asked, returning his full attention to the conversation.
“Yes.” Les set out three teacups, then pulled out a spindle-backed chair for himself.
“Did you witness the attack?” Mariel asked.
“Just barely. If I’d blinked, I would have missed it. The blooming thing was fast. Impossibly fast. It rushed at Kim in a blur. Ran on all fours—fists and feet to the ground. Almost like an ape, but graceful like a canine. Kim screamed and the Infernal leaped into her open mouth, just disappeared inside her. I couldn’t believe it. By the time I figured out what happened, it was over.”
“What did happen?” Reed asked the question, but he already knew the answer.
“She . . .” Les swallowed hard. “She
exploded.
But it was wrong. All wrong. What was left behind . . . there wasn’t enough. There wasn’t enough
of her
. No bone, no blood . . .”
“Just muscle and skin,” Reed finished, declining Les’s silent
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