Chapter 9

"The angels have seen it,"Levi said as he used his phone to rent a different car. "Plus, my Ferrari is a two-seater. We wouldn't all fit in it."

So, he left his Ferrari behind at the inn, where according to him, his demons would come to pick it up, and we got a Range Rover from the nearest rental place.

Lacey used her magic to make the guy forget we were there and that we had rented the car. If the angels came looking, they would see the car had been rented by an old guy to take his family for a road trip along the east coast.

On the other side of the country from our destination.

Once we were settled in the car—Levi driving, me in the passenger seat, though I had insisted on sitting in the back, and Lacey behind her brother—I grabbed the small vial of potion and drank half a dose.

The damn thing was almost empty and this trip was already taking longer than I had expected.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath.

"What?" Lacey scooted closer to the front seat.

"This potion." I showed her the almost empty vial. Levi glanced at it for half a second before returning his attention to the road. I sighed. "Ever since I lost my magic, the angels have been able to see my aura and find me. Thankfully, I found a witch who could make me potions to act as an aura suppressant. But the main ingredient, Mage Bloom, is rare and expensive and she hasn't been able to get enough of it."

"That's why they found you at the gas station," Levi said.

I nodded. "And I'm running out now. Unless you have a stash of Mage Bloom lying around and can find a witch who is versed in potions, we'll deal with more angels until I find my wings."

Until I got my magic back, actually. My wings were a missing limb and I desperately missed them but recovering them wouldn't do much for me other than make me feel like an angel again. And allow me entrance to Elysium again.

"Actually, I know a witch who might have this plant." Lacey leaned back in her seat and grabbed her phone.

"What?" I twisted in my seat to look at her.

She pressed a couple of buttons then put her phone to her ear. "Hi, it's me. Yeah, I know. Listen, do you have Mage Bloom?" Her face fell. "No? Damn it. We really need it." Her eyes met mine. "But you can get it. A lot of it? Then get it. We're coming your way." Beside me, Levi groaned. "Yeah, me, Levi, and a friend. All right. I'll let you know when we arrive. Bye."

"What happened?" I asked. I mean, I had heard it, but I needed confirmation.

"I found you a witch who can get Mage Bloom, and she's talented with potions," Lacey said, sounding proud. "If you know what else goes in the potions, or the gist of it, I'm sure she can do it."

She had mentioned having a lot of Mage Bloom, and unless Sylvie was abusing me and my desperation, this plant was expensive. But I wouldn't say no to this, even if I had to get there, buy the quantity I could pay for, and arrange to buy the rest later.

"That's amazing. Thank you."

Lacey shrugged and leaned over Levi's seat again. "We have to change course."

He met her eyes through the rearview mirror, fuming again. "You didn't even ask me. I'm not willing to go there. It'll add two days to this fucking trip."

My shoulders sagged. Two more days?

"But you heard what Ariella said," Lacey countered. "If she doesn't have more of the potion soon, the angels are going to find her. Do you prefer adding two days of boring travel or dealing with a handful, maybe a dozen angels by ourselves? I know you're powerful, but I doubt you can take a dozen angels, especially high-ranked ones, by yourself."

Levi glanced at me, and for a moment, I thought he would strangle me. "This wasn't part of your wish, sweetheart. I expect some kind of payment for this."

Shit. "I'll figure something out."

Though we had left yesterday, we hadn't gone far because of my wound. We were about thirty minutes north of Dallas, which meant, we still had a twenty-four-hour drive to San Francisco.

Levi reached to the car screen and pressed a couple of buttons, changing our destination to Durango, Colorado—about seven hours northwest. "I hope you have a thicker jacket, sweetheart."

Damn, Colorado in February was a lot colder than Houston, but from the map, I could see it was on the southern border, so maybe it wasn't so bad.

Without anything else to do for that long, I leaned back in my seat and tried to sleep.

Try being the important word of that sentence.

Despite yesterday's fight, I was wound up and couldn't shut off my brain.

The angels had found me again.

Had they erased the humans' memories already? I opened the browser on my phone and searched for news about the gas station. I found some, but all the articles mentioned a freaky accident where a pump exploded and they didn't know why. A few humans were hurt, but nothing critical.

Yup, they had done their homework already.

What would they do the next time they found me? Because they would find me again unless I could get plenty of potions.

How would I pay this witch? I had only a couple thousand dollars left. I would need to go back to Houston and fight three times per week, if not more, to pay for it.

But I couldn't do that and retrieve my wings. I hoped this witch accepted what I had. Maybe I could find a fight club in Durango and earn some money.

Hm, not sure I liked the idea of fighting with Levi and Lacey around.

Maybe I could rob a bank.

I sighed.

A long time ago, that thought would never have crossed my mind, but I had been on Earth for so long, and around so many supernaturals and humans with their complicated feelings and actions, it was rubbing off on me.

I didn't like it.

"Pretending to sleep, hm, sweetheart?"

I fixed my seat and looked at Levi. "I know you'll say no, but I mean it: If you get tired, I can drive."

"I like driving, sweetheart. It gives me time to think."

I forced a gasp. "Demons think?"

"Ha-ha-ha." He spared me a quick glance. "Are all angels this funny?"

He was teasing me, because I knew that hadn't been funny at all. I heard a soft breathing and looked back. Lacey was turned sideways in the backseat, sleeping with her back to the door.

If only I could sleep like that.

Not even after a fight did I sleep like that.

I folded one leg under me and twisted my body so I was half-turned to Levi. "So, you have a sister."

He glanced at me again. "I only do small talk if I have something to gain, sweetheart, and what I could want from you, I doubt you'll give me."

My brows knotted down. "How do you know if you haven't asked?"

Levi shook his head. "There's no reason to complicate things, sweetheart."

I groaned. "Can we stop with this sweetheart thing at least."

He flashed me that half grin. "Why, sweetheart?"

I rolled my eyes. "You probably use that on all women who fall into your bed, and hell, I'm not like those women."

"One, you don't know the kind of women I take to bed, and two, see, I told you you wouldn't give it to me."

I stared at him, my jaw slack. Was it sex he wanted from me? In exchange for small talk, he wanted to sleep with me?

His statement appalled me, but a sliver of pride filled my core. He found me attractive. I mean, I hoped he was the kind of guy to only sleep with women he found attractive, right? Or at least hot enough to bed.

I shook my head, clearing my mind of such thoughts.

"Seriously, stop calling me that," I said.

"Will you stop calling me Levi?"

"Not a chance."

"Then get used to it, sweetheart."

I stared at his perfect profile for a moment. "Why don't you like us to call you Levi?"

"I don't do small talk, remember?"

"You're impossible."

"I've heard worse." He adjusted his grip on the wheel, barely touching it. "I'll say this, though: You know Levi bothers me, and that's why you're calling me that. It's the same for me. The more I see it bothers you, the more I'll do it." He stared at me for a long time. "Sweetheart?"

I punched his arm. "Pay attention to the road!"

"This car practically drives itself. All I need to do is keep my hands on the wheel."

"Still!"

With a small chuckle, Levi moved a little on the seat, and focused on the road.

This wasn't good.

Here I was in a car with two half-higher demons and joking with one. Or whatever this was.

I knew the world wasn't as black and white as they had taught us at the Guardian Academy. I had lived in it a long time now to be friends with all kinds of supernaturals, even to know and respect other half demons.

But this felt different. It was like Levi, Lacey, and I had suddenly formed our own gang and it was us against the world. Or rather, us unified in my mission: to buy more potion and get my wings.

It all kept changing. I went to Levi to get my wings and magic back. If I found the higher demon who had taken my wings in the process, great.

Hazel and I accidentally bound Levi to me, and then he told me he couldn't get my magic back. My wings and revenge on Molraz were already a lot better than nothing.

Now, we were running from the angels who had found me, and going to see a witch who supposedly could make more potion for me.

What else could happen?

Maybe I would find another dragon in some random mountain when we stopped for gas and we would need to save it from evil supernaturals who only wanted its power—it had happened before!

We drove in almost completely silence for the next two hours. Lacey woke up and tried to talk to Levi, but he shut her down. Around one in the afternoon, we decided it was time for gas and lunch. Levi stopped the car beside a diner across the street from a gas station and told us to start ordering while he filled up the tank.

Lacey and I got a booth by the windows, from where we could see Levi. It was already a little colder here and I was glad for the heating in the diner.

The server came up to us the moment we sat down, and we ordered three burgers with fries and sweet tea. When she walked away, I glanced at Levi again.

Dressed in slacks, a button-down shirt, and an open jacket, so crisp and sharp, beside that fancy SUV, he looked like a millionaire entrepreneur on important business.

Not a demon.

Oh, I was sure he was a millionaire, if not a billionaire, but if I had walked by him in Houston, I would never have guessed who he really was and what he could do.

Lacey cleared her throat and I snapped my head to her. "So, how did you get mixed up with my brother?"

I almost laughed. "Didn't he tell you while I was unconscious?"

"He told me you summoned him and bound him to you so he would grant your wishes."

My mouth fell open. "That makes it sound so bad."

"Oh, don't worry, I know it isn't. Levi is either way too charming for his own good, or too cold and stoic. He gives an abridged version of any situation and usually from his point of view."

That did sound like him.

For some reason, Lacey didn't feel like a demon to me. She was much more like a witch, and I could deal with that. I had plenty of witch friends and I liked them all.

So, I told her the truth. About having lost my wings, my sword, and later my powers—though I didn't go in detail how—about having to flee from the angels—again, didn't explain why—and how I needed a potion to hide my aura. I also told her about the witch who made the potion for me and the lack of Mage Bloom.

"I got desperate," I told her. "I went to your brother to ask for my wings and magic back, but his price was too high. When I talked to the witch, she told me the prices have gone up even more. I didn't think twice." I had actually thought twice, thrice, four times. "I asked a friend to help me summon him. He would grant my wishes, and in return, I would free him from the summoning circle. That would be the price. But something in the spell went wrong and Levi ended up tied to me."

"Summoning spells aren't easy, and Levi is a strong higher demon. He must have fought it like hell."

I nodded. "I feel bad about putting him in this position, but I don't regret it. I want my wings back. I need them."

What kind of angel didn't have wings? Though my magic was what would protect me from the angels, I wanted my wings more.

"I understand. I would probably do the same thing." She glanced at her hands. "I can't imagine not having what makes me a witch." Her blue eyes softened. "I'm sorry."

I nodded, and changed subjects since I wasn't great at talking about my problems and feelings. "Have you and Levi always gotten along?"

"In a way," she said, her tone turning sad. "Levi and I lost our mothers when we were young, so our father took us in. But he was never there. As a higher demon, he's as bad as you can make them, and he was like that with us. He didn't have patience with us, and he was always yelling and punishing us for the silliest things." She shook her head. "At least, that's how I remember it."

"That doesn't sound good."

"It wasn't bad, though, because he was almost always gone, so it was Levi and me for a while. We had nannies and housekeepers, but they never lasted. When my magic manifested at nine, our father said it reminded him of my mother, and he loathed her. So, Levi suggested he send me to my mother's coven. The witches would welcome me and raise me as their own. And that's exactly what he did."

"Levi stayed back. Alone."

She nodded. "I tried to go to him. Once, I succeeded, and my father was home. Whatever his deal had been that day, it hadn't work. In fact, I think it had gone terribly wrong because he took out his rage on me."

I pressed a hand to my mouth. "No!"

"Levi saved me. He was seventeen at the time, almost as tall as our father and just as powerful. He fought our father, rescued me, sent me back to the coven, and told me to never come back." Her eyes filled with tears. "Right after, Levi abandoned our father and started living by himself. Then, he allowed me to visit a couple of times each year. Our relationship isn't what we both would like, but I know he cares a lot about me, and I care about him."

"I know what you mean." I had never told this to any of my friends on Earth, but I had a sister back home, and I would do anything for her.

I glanced at the window again. Levi was parking the SUV in front of the diner. It was hard to reconcile the image I had of Levi with the picture Lacey painted.

"Please, don't tell him I told you all of this," she said quickly. "He always says I talk too much, and no one should know the truth about us."

"I won't say anything."

Relief flooded her features.

Levi slipped into the seat beside Lacey five seconds before the server came with our food. Even though she could be his mother, or at least a young aunt, she batted her fake lashes at Levi and asked if he wanted anything else.

He didn't even look in her direction. "No, thanks." But then he stared at Lacey and me. "Eat fast, go to the restroom, and let's go. We shouldn't stay in one spot for long, and we have a long road ahead of us."

"Yes, boss," Lacey teased.

Levi ignored her and took a bite of his cheeseburger.

"Lacey, how did you get here? Were you close by?" I asked before taking a bite of my food.

"No, Levi used one of the golden coins we spelled." He glared at her and she shrank down. "Sorry."

He shook his head. "Always saying more than you should."

"Hey, stop bothering her," I protested. "If you're afraid people will know how you get around, don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Levi stared at me for five seconds before saying, "The coins work one way, to portal her to me. That's all."

That made sense. Portaling was a difficult spell and using tokens to help out was a nice touch.

Levi munched on his food fast and furious. In less than three minutes, he was almost done with his burger. He took the final bite and stiffened.

I followed his gaze. On the other side of the diner, our server talked to another one, a young brunette.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Shhh," was all he said. We stayed in silence for a few seconds. "Fuck. They are talking about you."

"What? Why? What are they saying?"

"That you're the missing girl a group was inquiring about a couple of hours earlier." I froze. He went on, "Apparently, the angels came this way and pretended to be looking for their missing friend. They gave a good description of you and me, the kidnapper."

"Oh, shit," I muttered.

"We better go before they call the cops, or worse, the angels." Levi shot up.

I grabbed the rest of my fries, Lacey grabbed her drink, and we all bolted out of the diner.

"Wait!" the young waitress called out, racing after us.

We didn't stop. She grabbed her phone from her apron pocket and started calling someone.

We piled into the SUV and Levi peeled out of the parking lot, going as fast as the car could go.