Demon Forged

Lilith had put Irena on this investigation to watch his back—and then Taylor’s, after hearing about Khavi’s prediction. Was she regretting that as she watched this recording? For Christ’s sake, she thought him reckless?
    He couldn’t tell what Lilith thought now, but Irena was pleased with herself. She watched the video with a sharp smile, her eyes glittering.
    Waiting for a lie.
    Her voice on the recording caught his attention again.
    “Because when we find Anaria, I’m going to cut out her heart and eat it.”
    Kill Michael’s sister.
    The tension in the room suddenly thickened. Alejandro rose up on the balls of his feet, ready to put himself between Irena and Michael. His gaze swept to the back of the room.
    The tension became a hot lead weight. Michael was frowning at Irena, his brows heavy over his eyes. Not obsidian anymore, but amber, almost human.
    Alejandro looked over at Irena.
    She steadily held Michael’s gaze. Alejandro couldn’t see any tension or fear in her. It was only in the rest of them.
    Dear God, was she foolish in this, too? While they’d been waiting for Castleford and Lilith to arrive, Alejandro had told her about his encounter with Michael and the Doyen’s strange behavior. Irena had seemed to take his concern seriously then. Did she have no sense of self-preservation now?
    “Why does that anger him?” Michael asked.
    Lilith paused the video. “That’s what I want to know.”
    Know what? Alejandro frowned, wondering what he’d missed. Realization swept over him.
    He’d been so focused on Irena and Michael, he hadn’t questioned the demon’s response. But Rael should be trying to kill Anaria, too.
    “I didn’t think to ask,” Irena admitted. “I was too pleased that I’d angered him.”
    She didn’t look amused now, Alejandro saw.
    Taylor sighed. “I could’ve asked, if I’d known. Why isn’t it supposed to anger him?”
    “Rael is Belial’s lieutenant,” Michael told her. His frown was thoughtful, Alejandro realized. Not upset. “Rael and all of Belial’s demons at Legion have been allying themselves with vampires, because Khavi’s prophecy says that vampire blood will destroy the nephilim and will be followed by Belial’s rise to the throne in Hell.”
    “Okay, we got that earlier when we read the prophecy,” Taylor said, flicking a glance at Alejandro. “But Anaria?”
    “Considering Michael’s relationship with Anaria, Rael might not have known what the Guardians intended to do when we found her,” Alejandro said. When he saw that both Taylor and Preston still looked confused, he added, “Anaria is Michael’s sister.”
    Taylor’s mouth fell open, and she glanced from Irena to Michael. “Oh. Boy.”
    Michael smiled faintly.
    “And so when Irena said she’d kill Anaria, we expected a different response from Rael,” Alejandro said.
    “Anaria’s death should please him.” Michael’s gaze remained on Taylor. “She is the nephilim’s mother—they are loyal to her. She has to die before Belial can ascend to the throne; it doesn’t matter who slays her.”
    Taylor seemed unnerved by Michael’s flat acceptance of his sister’s eventual death. “Do you believe that prophecy?”
    Michael didn’t change, but the sudden psychic heaviness in the room reminded Alejandro of the terror he’d felt earlier. He saw Irena’s fists close. Sir Pup’s heads lifted. The hellhound’s eyes glowed red; his hackles rose. Lilith placed her hand on his back, murmuring to the hellhound in the demon tongue.
    “I believe we need to change it,” Michael said quietly. His gaze on Taylor was fiercely protective—or threatening. It was difficult to determine. “But not for Anaria’s sake.”
    Taylor swallowed. “Okay. That’s just super.”
    Silence fell, uncomfortable, as charged as static.
    “All right,” Lilith said, restarting the video. “We’ll follow up on this, but unless it relates to Julia Stafford’s murder, it’s not a priority.”
    Alejandro met Irena’s gaze across the room. She was not listening, he could see, but thinking . . . and unhappy with her thoughts.
    What is it? he signed.
    Her jaw tightened. Rael deserves my hatred, but I am stupid to let it blind me. She sneered and added before he could respond, Do not say I should not hate demons so much.
    I would not say that.
    He wouldn’t have. He’d done the same here in this room: let himself be distracted by concerns outside of the investigation.
    Her eyes narrowed at him,