Demon Marked

Ash to update her passport photo to include her tattoos than asking about the years she’d spent in England. After they verified her status as a U.S. citizen, she followed Nicholas to their waiting rental, a black luxury SUV.
    Outside the terminal, the air hit Ash with an icy blast to her face, far colder than London had been. She gritted her teeth and shoved her hands into her pockets, only to yank them out again when Nicholas tossed the SUV’s key fob at her. She caught it and stared at him over the hood of the vehicle.
    He moved to the passenger door. “You know how to drive?”
    “Yes,” she responded automatically. But did she know how to?
    She supposed they’d soon find out. He got in, and after she climbed into the driver’s side—yes, all the controls and pedals felt familiar—he reclined his seat and closed his eyes.
    “You don’t need sleep. I do. So you drive.”
    So he knew Ash didn’t need sleep. How much more did he know but hadn’t yet told her? Maybe she’d catch him, after all.
    And she had to admit, he did look tired. Nicholas St. Croix couldn’t conceal everything he felt. Shadows darkened his eyes and stubble roughened his jaw. Though it was only just past midnight in New York, given the time change, he’d essentially remained awake until dawn.
    “All right.” Ash turned the key. With a few beeps and chimes, the dashboard computer started up.
    The screen had a map. She didn’t know how to use that.
    “Where do I go?”
    “West on Interstate 80, then north to Minnesota. We’ll stop in Duluth before we head up to her parents’ house.”
    It would take a full day to drive that distance. “Why not just fly there?”
    Nicholas opened his eyes and scanned her expression, as if to determine whether she was serious. He must have realized she was. Tiredly, he scrubbed his hand over his face and closed his eyes again.
    “Why not just e-mail our destination to the Guardians and save them the trouble of trying to find us?”
    Ah, yes. The Guardians. He hadn’t had time to tell her about them before, but they had twelve hundred miles to kill now—and a tired man could still talk.
    She checked traffic and pulled out into the lane. “So who are the Guardians?”
    “Warriors with angelic powers. They were all human once, but they were transformed after sacrificing themselves to save someone else. I don’t know the full story—I just know what matters: Guardians kill demons.”
    Oh, fun. They sounded almost as likable as Nicholas. “I can’t wait to meet one,” Ash said dryly.
    A low, rough sound made her glance over. Was that a laugh? She hoped he hadn’t hurt himself.
    He caught her look. The laugh receded into a wry nod of acknowledgment. “I’m tired.”
    “I’ll remember that exhaustion makes you more vulnerable.” Just like a good demon would, surely. “So, Guardians kill demons. Why?”
    “Because you’re determined to destroy everything human.”
    Ash shook her head. “But I’m not . I don’t recognize anything of myself in that description.”
    “Your memory—”
    “That doesn’t mean anything. I don’t remember learning to drive, either. But some things feel familiar—and destroying humanity doesn’t.”
    He rubbed his face again. “Look. This is what I know: Demons are evil. You were angels, but you rebelled, went to war in Heaven, and got your heads smashed in by the good angels. After that, you were transformed into demons and thrown into Hell. Now you all fuck with human souls, trying to damn us to the Pit, and follow Lucifer.”
    Lucifer.
    Memory surfaced, hot and sharp as a blade. A dark figure. Raging pain. I name you Ash—
    Then he’d ripped her apart. Lucifer had ripped her apart.
    Terror closed her throat. She remembered that. His horrible voice. Ah, God, she could almost hear it now. Shredding everything she was, everything she’d been.
    A scream clawed inside her chest. She bit it back, suppressing the tremors, her hands clenching on the steering wheel.
    “Does it sound more familiar now?”
    Nicholas’s voice dragged her out of the memory. She glanced over and found him watching her, his eyes tired, but just as sharp.
    Ash struggled for breath to reply. It took several tries. Finally, she admitted, “A little.”
     
    The Special Investigations warehouse in San Francisco housed their official law enforcement offices and less-official novice training quarters. Though Guardians could travel directly from Caelum using a Gate that led