Company of Angels 02 - The Demoness of Waking Dreams

mouth, the demon women laughed louder. Some of them gripped on to the banisters, as if they might fall right off the balcony above.
    Carlotta laughed, too. “It is a nickname she used here. It means ‘firefly.’ If you’re trying to catch her, maybe you should try a net,” she said, drawing her silk scarf teasingly across his face. When he swatted it away, she said, “You, my dear, could use some lessons on how to treat a woman. You might loosen up if you stick around long enough.”
    “Enough!” Brandon shouted.
    Beneath them, the floor shook. The damask-covered walls and the antique furniture rattled. The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling trembled in a precarious circle, threatening to fall, sumptuous tiers of crystal shaking in a jangle of sound.
    “Do you doubt the power of the divine to raze this madhouse to the ground?” he bellowed, bluffing. It was unlikely such a thing would actually happen. But none of these demon women knew that. “Tell me where she is!”
    The entire group fell silent.
    Terrorized.
    The clink of the crystal chandeliers overhead was the only audible sound in the room, before even they lapsed into stillness.
    Carlotta’s lip trembled.
    “ La baronessa would hardly sully her reputation in here,” said the brothel keeper. “She hasn’t been seen in here for years.”
    “But she was, once…”
    “Yes. That bitch worked here once. She was once even more of a whore than she is now.”
    Now that’s an interesting bit of information that wasn’t in her file, was his first thought. His second thought was that it came as no great surprise. Yet, strangely, it stirred something in him, a sadness for her. Empathy for a demoness was not something he had ever thought possible before. Yet Luciana was a woman with some deeply hidden secrets, and despite his better judgment, they intrigued him.
    How did she end up here? Did she work here of her own volition? A thousand questions flooded into his mind, but there was only one that was relevant here and now.
    “Where is she?” he asked.
    “In the deepest reaches of hell, for all I care,” Carlotta spat.
    “I’ll give you one more chance to answer my question. Where is Luciana?” he said.
    She smirked.
    And he grabbed her by the throat and squeezed.
    There are rules governing the interactions between angels and demons. Arielle’s words rang in his ears as he watched this demon struggle as he held her by the neck. Rules that must not be broken.
    Killing a demon without just cause was one of those rules.
    He might not be allowed to kill her, but he could certainly take her as close to the precipice of death as his own conscience would allow. He tightened his grip a little more.
    Human lives are at stake, he reminded himself. If I don’t track down Luciana, who knows how many people could die.
    Carlotta choked and grasped his wrist, trying to pry herself out of his hold.
    None of the other girls rushed forward to save her. They stood frozen, but did not dare interfere.
    Finally, he released Carlotta and she stumbled away.
    “Tell me where to find Luciana,” he said, looming over her.
    “I didn’t know you angels could be such bullies. Aren’t you supposed to be a harbinger of peace?” she said, narrowing her eyes at him, rubbing at her throat.
    “Now!” he thundered.
    “Luciana’s home is nearly impossible to locate.”
    “Why?” he demanded.
    There was a hush in the bordello. Not a soul moved.
    Carlotta swallowed, and the sound seemed to echo in every corner of the room. “Because it was erased from human memory.”
    “How did that happen?” he asked, relenting a little.
    “Luciana was the daughter of one of the noble houses of Venice. The Rossetti family was once very well-known, as esteemed as any of the others inscribed in the Libro d’Oro, the Golden Book of the city’s nobility. She was the last of her line. After she died and became a Rogue demon, she made a deal with the devil to protect her home. By his hand, her family’s name was erased from the city’s records. Her palazzo was hidden from the view of ordinary mortals.”
    “So how do I find it?”
    “It is in plain view on the Grand Canal, although it is protected by dark forces. Any human who tries to remember the house simply cannot hold the details of its history in mind. Some of them may sense its demonic vibrations, but their minds are too weak to fully grasp what that house holds. However, we demons here in Venice know it well.”
    “You