Demon Bound

your heart to a demon, and so they maintained a physical and emotional distance that was almost painful. So much of their future depended on the minutes after the sarcophagus was opened, and yet she could not spend the minutes leading up to them with Jake.
    Perhaps it was a small price, however, compared to the prize of success.
    She busied herself with sketching some of the less intimate friezes: a group of Guardians in Caelum, battle scenes, a celebration. Either Michael had worn a smile more often then, or Zakril had preferred to carve him that way. And yes, she thought as she filled in a shadow at the curve of his mouth—there was something a little wicked about it.
    The sarcophagus was not any different than those in the nephilim prison, and the same frustration rose up in her as she looked at it. How very maddening those symbols were. Given their potential power, she understood why Michael had never taught Guardians to read them—but it seemed such a waste. How much time had they lost, how many missteps could have been avoided if they’d only had the ability to read them?
    At the very least, to speak the demon language. It was the height of foolishness to have two demons talking in front of a Guardian, and the Guardian ignorant of what was said.
    And she would tell Michael so at the next opportunity.
    Or, perhaps, slightly after. She glanced back at Jake when he sent out another pulse of his Gift. He would disappear when Michael’s psyche was no longer shielded, and lead the Doyen back. She wiped a drop of water from her cheek and turned back to the sarcophagus. Hopefully, it would not be too long—
    Another drop. Then a fine mist. Oh, dear God.
    She looked up as the burst of power slammed through the chamber. Alice staggered, caught herself before she fell.
    A crack split the dome. Chunks of marble rained down on a thin sheet of water.
    Teqon was in the air, his wings holding him aloft. “Earthquake?”
    Alice met Jake’s eyes. No. No, they’d felt this before. The nephilim’s ritual opening—not a burial chamber this time—but the temple.
    The psychic thrust of Jake’s Gift hit her, harder and harder, as if desperately trying to find Michael. Then chunks of marble became slabs, the noise of the water and breaking stone deafening.
    Jake appeared in front of her; they jumped to Teqon, and then again.
    Cold water surrounded her; a current pushed at her back. Below them, a female nephil lay dead inside a ring of four. Her body suddenly rolled over, buoyed by a bubble of air escaping the cracking bedrock beneath.
    Horror clutched at Alice’s throat. The bubbles were a steady stream now. Her fingers tightened on Jake’s. That wouldn’t have to matter. They didn’t have to breathe. The chamber could fill with water, and they could still return for Anaria.
    The crack became a fissure.
    It was my Gift, Jake said against her hand. His profile was hard as stone as he stared at the ground. They found us because I was pulsing my goddamn Gift.
    The bedrock tilted at a drunken angle. The nephil’s body rolled into the fissure. Air belched from the crevice, and the ground collapsed.
    Through the cloud of debris and churning water, Alice could make out the edges of a sinkhole as large as the temple beneath.
    Numbness settled into her limbs, her chest, her mind. Her horror was gone. There was nothing but cold despair.
    The nephilim swam into the murky depths.
    Teqon’s eyes glowed crimson as he turned to them. If the sarcophagus survived, it is buried under tons of rubble. There is only Michael’s heart now, Guardian.
    She looked up at Jake, her fingers squeezing his. Do you see any way? I will do it. I will cut Teqon to pieces and leave only his heart. I must try.
    No, goddess, he said, and touched his lips to hers. Not that way. I’ll fix this.
    How?
    Jake turned to Teqon, and signed, I will bring Michael to you. You will soon have a heart, demon.
    Alice yanked on his arm. Jake!
    He touched Teqon and, a moment later, left her alone with him in the demon’s courtyard.

    The problem with Guardians was that they’d stop. Each one of them cared about Alice too much to really threaten Teqon—and Teqon knew it. They killed him, and she was fucked.
    And the only way to win this was to make sure Teqon knew he was fucked twice as hard.
    Jake strode through Caelum, his Gift ripping through the realm so hard that Guardians were flying over him to see what was happening.
    Nothing was fucking happening. They