Demon Bound

of where she and Jake had been, without requiring a word to be spoken.
    Beside her, Jake tensed. She listened, heard the mutterings, the raised voices. The ebb of conversation told her there were several groups, large and small; other Guardians had broken off into pairs.
    “I think they’ve finished,” Jake said quietly. “And I don’t think everyone likes what they’ve heard.”
    “Did we?”
    “I’m reserving judgment. I’ve still got questions.” The set of his face was grim. “I’m hoping Michael has answers.”
    “Yes.” She called in Khavi’s scroll, opened it. “I hope that some of them are here—Oh, blast. I’d also hoped it would be in Greek.”
    Jake glanced over at the demonic symbols. “At least it’s not a bunch of stick figures miming the prophecy.”
    Yes, there was that. “I hesitate to ask Michael for the translation. Will you—?”
    “Yep.”
    Though he could have vanished the scroll from her hand, he closed his hand over the parchment, his fingers brushing her palm.
    “Promise me,” she said. It was difficult to breathe, as if she’d been tightly laced into a corset. “Even if you find something that will free me, you will wait. And that you won’t face Teqon alone.”
    There was a question in the ultramarine glow of his eyes, but he only said, “And deny you the pleasure of kicking his balls in? Not in a million years.”
    She nodded and continued to the square, pausing at the edge to assess the mood. Almost everyone was shielding emotions, but there were aggressive stances, uncertain expressions. Several Guardians surrounded Michael; half spoke with hostility, the others trying to calm.
    The novices huddled together, signing quietly. Alejandro stood alone, as still as the column he leaned against, his dark eyes focused on someone across the square.
    She followed his gaze, saw Selah and Ethan sitting on the steps to Michael’s temple and Irena standing in front of them, impatience and anger in the taut line of her shoulders. The giant doors of the temple were closed, the frieze of Michael and the dragon carved into the marble unbroken.
    Ethan met her eyes. Slowly, he unwound his long body from the steps and formed his wings.
    Half of the Guardians in the square quieted and turned to look at him, then around to see what had captured his attention. Several gaped.
    Perhaps she should have braided her hair.
    “Do you think,” Alice murmured, “that Ethan is so tall on purpose?”
    Before Jake could respond, Selah touched Ethan’s hand and they appeared in front of her. Selah drew in a breath, gasped.
    Ethan tipped his hat back, his mouth smiling. But there was something else—fear? relief?—in his voice as he drawled, “Well, sure it’s on purpose. The air’s a bit fresher up here.” His gaze moved to Jake. “We figured you must have gotten lost. Once Michael got done jawing, we were heading on out to find you. It would have been an awful shame if you missed your party.”
    “Yeah, I can’t think of anything much worse than that. Listen, Alice needs Michael to heal her.”
    Selah vanished, reappearing next to Michael. Alice gave Jake her most withering stare, but he only gazed steadily back. Relenting, she looked away just as Irena pushed through the novices that had gathered around them.
    She stopped, her nostrils flaring. “You were in Hell ?”
    The square fell silent.
    Alice sighed. Her gaze locked with Michael’s as he strode across the marble pavers. His healing Gift slipped over her, searching.
    The ache in her shoulder flared. Alice gritted her teeth to keep from crying out against the unexpected pain.
    In an instant, his eyes changed from amber to obsidian. “What was done?”
    “Symbols,” Jake said. “Carved into her skin with your sword. Belial said they prevented her from teleporting out of Hell.”
    “Then how did you return?”
    Though his voice and touch were gentle, Alice hissed in a breath when his fingertips skimmed over the symbols. She saw Irena’s eyes narrow into green daggers; they were, she thought uneasily, directed at Michael’s back.
    “We found a Gate. And Khavi.”
    His fingers stilled.
    “Who?” Irena asked, her voice sharp.
    “One of the grigori. I briefly spoke of her; she is Zakril’s sister,” Michael said, stepping back. His gaze didn’t leave Alice’s face. “I cannot heal this with my Gift. It has to be removed—and cleansed.”
    Jake sucked in a breath. “Tell me you’ll do it with water.”
    “I