Demon Angel

he said, pleased that he could be the one to tell her. "You are probably the strongest, fastest human woman on Earth."
    She smiled, but dipped her head as if to hide her surprise. "I like that. A lot," she added thickly, and he laughed.
    "How do you think you survived a trip through the bay? And you recovered from it within hours. Did you think I was speaking metaphorically of your strength? Of your quickness?"
    She lifted her shoulders, and said with a note of embarrassment, "I thought it was your idea of a pep talk, your supportive teacher role. 'Believe in yourself,' or some other twenty-first century self-esteem shit."
    "No." He laughed softly, trying to imagine himself saying that to Lilith—or to anyone else. "And your strength is not anything near what you had before; it isn't enough to defeat a nosferatu should you have to wrestle one," he said. "But you won't be helpless."
    Her eyes narrowed. "What did you refer to earlier—the nosferatu not biting into your jugular? Don't tell me you fought one."
    It was his turn for embarrassment. "I did not intend to fight it; I misjudged the control Beelzebub exerted over them." Her brows lifted in a mocking gesture, and she gestured with her wineglass for him to continue. Hugh quickly recounted the flight to the basement, focusing on the hellhound's victories to direct her attention from his own idiocy; she grinned and tossed Sir Pup cheese from her plate. "He killed the nosferatu who attacked me, and finally Selah was able to teleport us out," he finished.
    "She can 'port?" Surprise in her voice, then realization. "That's how she got the kid out of the tomb in New Orleans— and why Michael allowed her to return with him. She can get to safety without a Gate."
    "Yes. She went back for Colin," he added, his eyes troubled. "They could have made it out, but I don't want to raise false hope."
    "Was Sir Pup there?" She turned when he nodded, and threw another piece of cheese. "Did they make it out? The vampire and the Guardian?" The hellhound whined and barked, wagging his tail. Lilith's mouth relaxed into a smile. "Yes. More difficult to tell without feeling his emotions, but I'm certain that was 'yes.' And Michael had said he was looking for someone in the Pit. It might have been Selah and Colin—though, if they were there, he did not find them. Perhaps Colin made her teleport to Paris for a shopping expedition," she said dryly.
    Hugh knew she didn't believe it, but made no comment. He briefly described Beelzebub's attempt to bargain Savi's life for his, and her expression became pensive.
    "I agree with your assessment; he needs you for the ritual," she said, shaking her head. "But what use could you be?"
    His lips quirked at her blunt phrasing. "Moreover, why would Lucifer strike the bargain with Michael? If you kill me, Beelzebub and the nosferatu would not be able to use me. Which leaves three possibilities: Beelzebub is betraying Lucifer in some way; Lucifer thought you would be persuaded to perform the ritual when you killed me; or, the ritual and the bargain with Michael have the same end."
    "Caelum," Lilith said, and Hugh nodded. "But I don't see how including you in the ritual would secure Caelum for them. Nor do I think Beelzebub would betray Lucifer."
    "Does he think you would perform the ritual on me?" His eyes locked with hers.
    "Perhaps," she said slowly, and looked down at her plate. "I tried once and failed; it's possible he thought that with the proper incentive, I would try again. Before Sir Pup came for me, his demons were conditioning me."
    "Conditioning?" Hugh stiffened. "Torture?"
    "Of a sort—they couldn't physically hurt me, of course; the Rules prevent it. But I was in a dark chamber, and they continually spoke of how you don't care for me, but only for your own success in saving me; that it was your life or mine—" She must have seen his expression, for she paused. "I wasn't hurt."
    He could barely speak past the rage clogging his throat. "It was something Vlad might have done. In a few more days, you would have been starving, dehydrated—hallucinating. You might have done anything at that point, out of your mind and hardly aware of it."
    "Yes. I'm certain that's what they planned."
    Unable to have it separating them any longer, Hugh pushed away from the counter, circled it. He tamped down his anger— and in truth, should he not direct it at himself as well? Had he not manipulated her, forced her to face Lucifer without defense?
    And so he