A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

that’s
my dad.”
    Her father was the devil himself? I
blinked. Why not? I was willing to take on vampires, so why not believe in good
old Lucifer too? “This is too weird. Talk about getting all wrapped up in your
new guy’s world.”
    “The shock will wear off soon.”
    I accompanied Cass to the door and gave her
a brief hug, murmuring a thanks.
    “No problem, but you owe me,” Cass
whispered. Waving, she jumped into her huge, black truck and sped off.

Chapter 14

 
    Terrified, I leaned against the gate to
wait. A strong gust of wind blew my hair in my face. It’d rain any minute now. I
wished I had brought an umbrella because, whatever the Shadows were, I wanted
to see them clearly, not half-blinded by water pouring down my front.
    Cass left only minutes ago, but it already
felt like hours. I wiped my damp hands on my coat and peered around, listening
for any sounds. Were the Shadows nearby? How long would it take before they
arrived?
    Devon’s tall figure, appearing out of
nowhere inches away from my face, made me jump. I balled my fists. A shriek
remained trapped in my throat.
    “Amber.” He held out his hand as if to
shake mine through the thick metal rods. I regarded it, unsure whether to
squeeze my hand through the rods and touch him. Then decided against it in case
he had some sort of magical power up his sleeve. Devon pulled back. If he was
annoyed he didn’t show it. “I understand your hesitation. You’ve probably heard
nothing but bad things about our kind.”
    I raised my chin, the memory of the failed
kidnapping still vivid in my mind. “I haven’t heard much about you. My opinion of
you is based on a previous encounter.”
    Devon’s eyes locked with mine, the black of
his iris shining unnaturally bright. “Fair enough. I must apologize for my
brother. He’s too heated for his own good. He acted without our queen’s consent.
He’s received his punishment already.”
    There was something strange about Devon
that I couldn’t quite pinpoint. He was too charming, too perfect, and I didn’t
believe a word he said. I curled my lips into a fake smile, hoping it looked
genuine enough. “I’ve a proposition to make. You want my gift, and I’m willing
to share it with you if you do something for me in return.”
    He didn’t hesitate with an answer. “If it’s
in my power to grant your wish, I’ll do it.” No blink, no sudden movement,
nothing. He was plain eerie. And probably lying.
    I quivered inwardly as I forced myself to
meet that liquid black gaze. “Aidan’s disappeared. We suspect Layla’s locked him up. I know you can help free him.”
    Thunder roared across the sky, making me
flinch. Dark clouds gathered in the distance. Devon’s face remained expressionless.
“With a boss like that, he needs to consider a career change. He used to be her
favorite pet. What did he do to piss her off?”
    “It doesn’t matter.” I squeezed a hard edge
into my voice. “Are you going to help or do I need to take my proposition to someone
else?” I crossed my fingers in my pockets, praying he’d take the bite. Truth
was, I had no idea who else to contact. The Shadows were my only option.
    “We’ll do it.” A smile crossed Devon’s
lips, disappearing just as quickly. “He’ll be free by tonight, but you’ll have
to come with us.”
    I shook my head. “No way. I’m not going
anywhere with you. I’d rather be struck by lightning. Just take the gift out of
my mind. Put your hand on my forehead and just zap it out, or whatever you do.”
I shuddered at the thought.
    Devon hesitated. “It’s not that simple.”
    I didn’t like the sound of that. Were they
going to whisk me off to some laboratory and have a mad scientist cut it out of
me, turning me into a modern-day Frankenstein? A chill ran down my spine. Oh,
Dallas, messing up as usual. If I died, I silently vowed to come back and haunt
my brother for the rest of his life. I gripped the metal bars as I inched
closer. “So how does it work then?”
    Devon shook his head. “It’s complicated,
but I can assure you that you won’t be harmed. Why don’t you open the gate and
come out so we can talk face to face?”
    How stupid did he think I was? “Trust is
earned.”
    He raised his brows. “It goes both ways,
sister.”
    Tiny drops of rain started to pour again,
soaking my clothes. Devon winced as though the water hurt him. I pushed my wet
hair out of my face and yelled over the howl of the wind, “Are you okay