Chapter 24

Twenty-Four

Joaquin eyed Gideon's hand before lifting his gaze to their little witch's eyes. With the immediate threat gone, all the anger returned, his gut tight with it. All he had to do was let it go and reach out for Gideon's hand. He wanted to. Desperately. Yet…

The vision of Gideon lying across Haman's chest played over and over in his mind.

"You protected a demon. A demon who you laid with."

Gideon's eyes widened. He dropped his hand. "Haman… he's not like other demons."

"Yet it's still a demon. The very thing who massacred bothof our families." Joaquin took a step back, disgust bringing bile to his tongue. "Esau and I have spent our entire life killing demons, and you… slept with one? Laid your life down for its. How are we supposed to accept that and move on? Every time I touch you, all I'll be able to think about is its hands on you. Its mouth on you." He shook his head. "Or Lucifer's mouth on you." He lifted his face to the ceiling, drawing air into his burning lungs before returning his focus to Gideon.

"I needed to shock Lucifer. Pull down his defenses so I could break inside his memories," Gideon replied. "I did not want to kiss him."

"And what's the excuse for Haman? Other than… he's not as evil as the others."

"Haman is my past. You can't use that against me."

"The fuck I can't!" Joaquin spat. "Any other bedmate, I'd let it go. But you knowingly lay with a demon and then lay over it to protect it life, Gideon. That's not a small thing."

"Soulless or not, tortured for two thousand years, and he's still held on to some shred of his humanity." Gideon inhaled slowly and released a shuddering breath. "I never set out to be with a demon. Had you told me I would before I met him, I would've called you crazy. But, he's… different. He was an enigma, and my curiosity got the better of me. Things went too far and after, I was disgusted with myself for giving in."

"Was it only the one time?" Esau asked.

Gideon's face darkened, and Joaquin knew the answer. "You've been fucking him for years, haven't you?"

"Off and on," Gideon admitted. "But I didn't care about him. It was just sex."

"You didn't care about Haman?" Esau asked. "You lay down over it to protect him from Joaquin."

"It,"Joaquin reminded Esau. "Not him. It's a beast, not a man."

Gideon watched them both, dragging his hand from Esau's. "How did you all get into Hell so quickly? I suspect it was with Haman's help."

Joaquin met Gideon's challenging stare.

"He led you to me, didn't he?"

"Itdid," Joaquin said.

"But opted out of the final fight in fear of Lucifer," Esau added. "You laid your life down for it, but it wouldn't do the same for you."

"Did you force him to show you the way or did he offer freely," Gideon asked, ignoring Esau's comment.

Joaquin growled.

"So, he offered," Gideon murmured. "And you all chose to trust him enough to follow him in." He cocked his head to the side. "Why?"

Joaquin narrowed his eyes.

"Because you all sensed he was different. That he could perhaps be trusted, not a lot but enough," Gideon said. "Had he not shown you the way, I'd likely be dead or bound to Lucifer for eternity, and you would still be looking for a way in—and would've likely died in the attempt once you found one."

Silence hung heavily in the air as they scowled at one another.

"I'm deeply sorry for what happened to your families, and I know I would want vengeance, too, if I were in your shoes, but I won't beg you to forgive me for something I did before we ever met. Especially knowing that my sin isn't as great as you make it out to be," Gideon said. "Haman is a demon, sure, but he's not like any I've ever encountered and I'm sure I can say the same for you. While he is a curiosity, my feelings for him stop there. I don't love him, nor have I ever. It was transactional, at best. Moments of weakness."

"Moments of weakness?" Joaquin asked.

"Would you prefer if I had said the nights I needed a big dick he was there to provide one?"

Joaquin growled at Gideon's last words, suspecting they were meant to injure.

They had. Joaquin felt the urge to vomit.

"Is that why you saved him from Joaquin?" Esau asked, jaw tight. "For that big dick?"

Gideon chuckled, but there was no humor in it. Tears glistened in his eyes. "He removes the metaphorical loopholes and ensures the worst of us burn. That's why I saved him. He may be an ethical gray area, but the work he does improves our world and I think he deserves a chance to continue that." A tear slipped down his cheek. "But you two can clearly only see the world in black and white. I live a colorful life and have no room for that kind of thinking. If you're unwilling to meet me where I am, then perhaps we're not meant to be."

"What of your power?" Esau asked. "It seems you might need us to wield it."

Gideon's bottom lip wobbled. "Then I lose it along with the mates who could not let go of the past."

Joaquin didn't want to walk away yet knew he couldn't stay there with the knowledge that one of the very beasts they waged war on had warmed Gideon's bed. His gaze flipped to Esau who seemed equally torn.

Silence filled around them, weighted by agony. The air was thick, and Joaquin struggled to breathe.

"Just go!" Gideon yelled, tears streaming down his face. "I know you want to! I know you think I'm tainted goods, ruined by a demon, so go."

Joaquin couldn't move, frozen to that spot on the floor. He could feel Gideon's pain, every word dripping with it and the tears running down his beautiful face. The need to console Gideon roared through him, but in that moment, his own pain and anger got in the way.

He spun and stalked toward the elevator. After punching the button, he waited for it, his back to them. He assumed Esau would move beside him, but it didn't happen.

Closing his eyes, he wondered if he was losing two mates that night.

The door opened, and he paused before stepping inside and turning to face them. Esau stood midway between them both. He looked from Joaquin to Gideon and back again, anguish in his eyes. The doors began to close, and Esau ran toward the elevator and slipped through at the last second.

"Are you really sure this is what you want?" Esau asked. "Because I can't breathe right now."

"Go back to him," Joaquin whispered.

Esau sobbed. "How do I go back to him without you?"

"Before we left San Diego, I sensed your need for vengeance was fading. Mine? It still roars inside like an aching tooth, the pain always there, always demanding satisfaction." He grasped the sides of Esau's face. "But that tooth rotted, and it spread. I'm the problem here. Not him, not you. Me. I've always been the one who consumed too much air and took too much space, and I can't do that anymore. Gideon is the one who needs you more than I do now."

"No," Esau sobbed, tears shining in his eyes.

"Go back to him," Joaquin murmured, pressing his lips to Esau's for one last kiss to remember. "Make sure he knows I do love him, but I… I have to work out my shit. For you both."

Esau shook his head. "You can do that with us."

Joaquin smiled wryly. "No." Tears burned his eyes. "I can't."

The elevator's bell sounded, and the doors opened inside the tattoo shop. Joaquin swept out without another word, racing to the outer door.

"Joaquin," Esau murmured, following him out. He chased Joaquin outside and onto the sidewalk. "Stop!"

Joaquin took a few steps closer and saw a hint of relief in Esau's eyes. He reached into his pocket and removed the magically imbued ring and pressed it into Esau's hand, breaking inside. "Keep it safe for me."

"What? No."

Joaquin shifted there on the street, under the cover of night, and raced away in jaguar form. Every step was a stab to his heart, but he knew he had to get himself right or else lose everything he loved.

"Joaquin!" Esau screamed behind him. "Joaquin!"

The screams grew more and more distant the farther he traveled into the unknown.

The minutethe elevator doors closed behind Joaquin and Esau, Gideon's legs went out from under him. He crashed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. He couldn't breathe from the pain of their loss. They'd cared enough to walk into Hell to save him, yet couldn't forgive him for his past? It didn't make sense.

He collapsed to his bottom and let the tears fall. When no more would fall, he rose and climbed the stairs to the garden roof. He walked to the edge and looked out over Salem and up at the stars above. It was cold, but he didn't feel it. Numbness… that's all that enveloped him. Gideon sat on the edge of the roof, dangling his feet over, and stared out into the darkness, wishing it would swallow him up within it.

He wasn't sure how long it was before Luca wrapped a blanket around him and sat down.

"We've all been looking for you all over, worried sick," Luca said.

"Sorry," Gideon whispered but he couldn't summon any true remorse.

"Wanna talk?"

"No," Gideon said, knowing he would break apart again if he did.

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" Luca asked. "I'd rather not leave you here like this, but I'll go if you want."

Gideon turned to Luca, the emotions bubbling up. "They left me."

Luca dragged him into the crook of his arm. "I know."

Gideon's sobs rose, and he found himself crying again. After a few minutes, he pulled away, wiping his face. "They can't get over Haman. I wasn't with them when I was with Haman."

"Do you want me to simply listen, or do you want my honesty right now?" Luca asked.

"Honesty," Gideon said, unsure if that's what he really wanted at all.

"If it was just some dude you'd fucked, it wouldn't be a thing. A demon? Even if he isn't all evil, he's still a demon. I'm struggling with understanding how you could've been with him myself and I'm not your mate."

"It wasn't as if I planned it. I crossed his path one night and I wasn't even sure he was a demon with the vibe he put off. I knew he was other, but what, I couldn't figure out. By the time I did, I was intrigued. My danger warning alarm never went off. I sensed he wouldn't truly hurt me. There was just something about him… something I didn't understand and wanted to figure out." Gideon sighed. "While I was trying to understand him, he seduced me. I mean, he is an incubus, and I knew not to play with fire, but I did… and I got burnt."

"Did he use his powers on you? Is that it?"

"He tried… but they didn't work on me." Gideon smiled. "I wish I could say that it was all his fault, but it wasn't. I was lonely. He was unusual, an outcast of some sorts, just like me. The first time, I raced out after, beating myself up for being so stupid. Months later, I ran into him again and declared there wouldn't be a second time—yet ended up in bed with him again. And again. In all of these years, he never once harmed me. He was never cruel. My soul is intact."

"He claimed to love you," Luca murmured.

Gideon scoffed. "No. He might think he does, but he doesn't. It was always about sex. That's all. Love can't be built on that."

"And you have no feelings for him?"

"Other than curiosity and some lust? No." Gideon said. "I don't want to see harm come to him as long as he's not causing harm to others." He chuckled. "Others who don't deserve it, I mean."

"Daniel said he had devil horns, but that his aura was white with little rainbows in it," Luca said.

"Really? White?" Gideon chuckled. "The last time I saw him. Before tonight. He told me he only takes the souls from those with true evil. He claims there's a loophole that means an evil man might end up in Limbo instead of Hell. He ensures they go to Hell… and they're the only ones he focuses on. He refuses to claim someone who doesn't truly deserve to burn."

"Do you believe him?"

"I do," Gideon replied. "Especially now, after hearing what Daniel said. If that's who he is, then I was right to save him from Esau and Joaquin, regardless of if they hate me for it now."

"We don't hate you."

Gideon looked over his shoulder. Esau stood a few feet away, Joaquin's clothes in his hands. He rose and crossed the gap. "Where's Joaquin?"

"Gone," Esau whispered. "I've spent the better part of the last two hours trying to find him, but…" Esau smiled wryly. "He shifted and he left. After telling me to come back to you." He laid the clothes over one arm and lifted his gaze back to Gideon. "Can we talk? Somewhere warmer, perhaps?"

Gideon nodded. He glanced over at Luca and saw the hint of the rising sun in the distance. "I'm going inside."

Luca nodded, silent.

Gideon led Esau to the elevator in silence, words failing him.

He would not beg.

No matter how much his soul plead for him to do so.

Esau stoodbeside Gideon in the elevator, unsure what to say. They never spoke a word until they were inside Gideon's apartment with the door locked firmly behind them. He dropped Joaquin's clothing in a pile at the edge of the couch. "Can I sit?"

"Yeah," Gideon murmured.

He plopped down and scrubbed both hands over his face before looking up at Gideon. "I was eight when the demons came for us. We were in Mexico, visiting my abuela—my mother, my father, my younger brothers, and me. It was near Christmas, and we were gathered around the table, eating this massive feast my mother and abuela had prepared. I still have no idea why the demons came for us. I assume they were after my grandmother because of her power. I know she'd once said she'd made a trip to the Hellmouth nearby to gather some herb that tends to grow around them."

"Hellmouth hyssop," Gideon murmured as he sat down on the coffee table in his usual yoga-like pose. "It's used in potions to ward off evil."

"Well, if that's what she used it for, it didn't work out too well for us," Esau said. "They broke through the door. My mother and father each grabbed one of my younger brothers. My grandmother grabbed me and led us all through the house, outside, and ran toward a chamber below the hacienda I'd never seen before. They got my mother first, whipped her and my brother right off the ground. I could hear their screams above my head and watched when my little brother's lifeless body fell and hit with a thud."

Gideon wiped tears from his cheek, but Esau didn't stop. Gideon had to hear his story.

"My father was next. They were gone in the blink of an eye. I never even saw which demon got them, it moved so fast. But I heard their screams. I heard them in my nightmares for a long, long time, too." He paused, catching his breath. "My grandmother made it down into the earthen room and forced me into this little hole in the wall. She told me, ‘you stay here until I come back for you. Don't open the door for anyone but me.' And I listened. I sat in that little hole in the wall and listened to her screams and I did nothing. I listened to every single one of them die and did nothing."

"You were eight," Gideon whispered. "What could you have done?"

"Die with them?" he asked. "There was a long time where I wished I had." He closed his eyes, noticing the wetness on his cheeks for the first time. "The morning came, and my abuelita never came back. Not until the following night. I could see through her, yet I could feel her too. She took my hand and led me out of that chamber. There were policemen outside, and they took me—and my abuela was gone. The police questioned me. They said I was lying or making it up. The ramblings of a traumatized child. They assumed it was drug runners. That's what it says in their files." He wiped his cheeks. "I went to a Mexican orphanage first, while they handled things with the US government, who tried to leave me there in Mexico. Since I was a US citizen and had no family there, the Mexicans deported me." He laughed, though he didn't feel it. "Funny, hmm? A half Mexican deported to America." He paused, the irony still stunning after all those years. "My father's mother was too old to care for me. She was in a nursing home herself. She didn't last long after her only son was murdered. So foster care it was. House to house to house to house, until I landed in the one with Joaquin. He became my family, bonded by the fact we'd lived through nearly the same, exact horror."

He eyed Gideon, wanting to make sure their mate understood their pain.

"After that night, I developed a gift. I can see non-human beings at a glance. Your eyes glow purple. All witches do. Shifters like Joaquin have a silver glow. Demons? Their eyes glow red. I walked this world, immediately knowing a demon on sight, and it terrified me just how many roamed completely unbeknownst to other humans." He wiped his face again. "When we were old enough, and angry enough, Joaquin and I decided to use my power. I found them, he hunted them. Together, we killed them. For years, we've hunted demons, getting our revenge for what they did to our families. Hundreds of them, and we told ourselves we were saving other children from having to witness what we had."

Gideon wiped tears from his face. "I can't ever know what the two of you went through, but I'm sorry you experienced that."

"I don't want your pity," Esau whispered. "I want you to understand why you protecting a demon hurt us so deeply and why it's not something we can just let go of without a little work. When we left San Diego, I was weary of the fight. I was working all day, hunting all night, but Joaquin wasn't tired of it. The need for revenge still burned bright in him. Consumed him. I feared telling him I needed to stop." He let out a strangled breath. "I was almost happy when we had to pack up and leave. At least out on the road, we weren't hunting."

Esau searched Gideon's face. "Logically, I understand that Haman is—unique—and this happened before we came into your life. You could not have known the pain we endured at the hands of demons. But that little boy inside me that lost everything?" He tapped his chest. "He's still in here, and he's still hurting. I want to let this pain go and move forward, but I need time and grace. Can you give me that?"

Another tear slipped down Gideon's face. He nodded. "Of course I can. As long as you're willing to give me the same."

"I'll do my best," Esau murmured. "I don't want to lose you. Fate bound us together for a reason. Maybe it's so Joaquin and I can learn to let go of what happened and move on to a new place in our lives, with you. I'm willing to try, if you'll give me the space."

"Space?"

Esau reached for Gideon's hand. He offered it quickly, and Esau dragged Gideon into his lap. "Not space apart. Time. I already care for you so much, Gideon. I wasn't lying when I said I loved you down there. I do. I know it's so soon after we met, but you've had a hook in my heart since the first night I laid eyes on you."

Gideon nodded and pressed his forehead to Esau's.

Esau leaned up, capturing Gideon's lips, needing that visceral connection to chase away the coldness inside. The slow, easy kisses heated, Esau ravenous to fill himself with an emotion other than pain. Their kisses turned primal, and, in that moment, he felt Joaquin's loss. He dragged his lips away.

"We can't," Esau whispered against Gideon's lips. "Not without Joaquin."

"Where is he?"

"He told me he was far too broken and needed time to get himself right. He told me to go to you because you needed me more, but I'm not completely sure he was right. Not that you don't need, but he's hurting. Deeply."

"Do you think he'll come back?"

"I hope so," Esau said. "We've never been apart more than a day or two in nearly twenty years. I don't know how I'll endure much more than that." Esau broke at the thought Joaquin would never come back. "He's my other half." He chuckled. "Strike that… a third of me."

Gideon smiled softly and caressed the side of Esau's face. "I know he holds a larger space in your heart than I do. You've experienced so much more with him than me. Your bond… it's intense."

Esau nodded. "I just wish I knew he was somewhere safe."

Gideon pressed a kiss to his forehead before he yawned, the sun already rising. It felt like years since he'd last slept.

"Why don't we try to get some sleep?" Gideon asked.

"I can't sleep not knowing if he's okay."

"And you can't help him or yourself if you're completely drained. A few hours. I'll alert the coven to keep feelers out for him."

Esau nodded. "Okay. I'll head back to the hotel. You have my number."

"Esau?"

Esau lifted his gaze, frowning.

"I know we're working through things here, but there's a bed right here," Gideon said. He rose and offered a hand. "Let's go."

Esau stared up at Gideon a moment. A part of him worried it was too much, too soon, but he was bone-weary. He reached for Gideon's hand and was led to bed. Gideon sat him on the edge and knelt, removing his boots, lace by lace. Once they were gone, Gideon pushed him back on the mattress.

"Sleep."

When Gideon rose and turned, Esau reached for his hand. Gideon paused and looked over.

"There's space for another," he whispered, lifting the sheet.

"Hold on," Gideon murmured. He reached for his phone and typed away. "I let the others know to keep an eye out for Joaquin."

"Thank you."

Gideon eyed him a moment before tossing his phone. He took off his own boots and slid into the curve of Esau's body. Esau held tight and closed his eyes, thoughts of Joaquin filling his head as he drifted off into the ether.

Joaquin wasn'tsure how many hours he'd run when he finally stopped in a wooded area well north of Salem. It was marshland, something he wasn't very accustomed to, and it had slowed his speed considerably. He had no idea where he was, only that the sun was up, which spelled danger for him in that form.

After scenting the air for danger and sensing none, he lay over some soft grasses and caught his breath, listening to the sounds of working boats in the distance. He soon grew cold without the luxury of movement and contemplated his next move.

A popping sound rended the air before Haman appeared nearby.

Joaquin roared and leapt, knocking the demon to the ground and slashing with his claws. Yet Haman didn't fight back. He lay there and took Joaquin's attack, tears sliding from his eyes.

Joaquin leapt off, confused. He shifted, using a bush to cover his lower body from sight. "What the fuck are you doing? Fight back, asshole!"

"Not in the mood to fight," Haman murmured from where he lay. "Have you gotten it out of your system?"

"No," Joaquin spat. He stood taller. "If you're not here to fight, why are you here?"

Haman sat up, crossing his legs. "To beg you to forgive Gideon. What I said last night made things worse for him, I know that. When I saw you run off into the night and Esau's pain, I knew I was likely the cause behind it."

"Are you stalking us?"

"No!" Haman shook his head. "I was doing what I could to keep others out of the throne room. When I sensed you'd all left Hell, I returned outside of Enchanted Ink. I figured I could see if everyone had made it back in one piece." He sighed. "Gideon is okay, right? I thought I got a glimpse of him but I'm not sure."

Joaquin considered not answering just to cause pain but for some reason, he lacked the desire. "Yeah. He's as okay as he can be, considering."

Haman's eyes closed, and he sighed. "Good."

"You really care about him, don't you?"

"If I answer that, will the claws come back out?"

Joaquin chuckled. "Maybe."

"I do care. I know you and your mate said it wasn't love, and maybe it isn't. Maybe it's simply the fact that he was willing to see me as a man and not a beast. He saw my humanity… what little fraction of it might be left… and I felt like Hell didn't exist when I was with him. Maybe that's what I loved, not necessarily him." Haman paused, lifting his face to the sun and closing his eyes for a few seconds. "Forgetting what I had become and all the torment I had endured, if just for an hour or two was as close to Heaven as a man like me can expect." He flipped his gaze to Joaquin. "If that makes any sense."

"I suppose it does."

Haman chuckled. "You can come out from behind the bushes."

"I don't have my clothes," Joaquin said. Why he'd been so stupid to run out into the middle of nowhere without, he didn't know. All he'd known was pain and he'd needed to get away from it. Nothing else had mattered.

"I've seen a million naked bodies. Another won't make a dent."

"You haven't seen my body, thank you very much."

Haman flicked his wrist and suddenly Joaquin was covered in a thick black sweater, pea coat, and dark jeans—as well as boots on his feet.

Joaquin mumbled a strained "thanks," and slipped out of the bushes.

"Glad to be of service," Haman mumbled back. He chuckled. "I'm usually taking clothes off people. Not putting them on."

Joaquin sat on the ground with his back to a nearby tree, a few feet away. He stared at Haman, and Haman stared at him.

"I don't know how to let go of what Gideon did with you."

"Can I ask why it bothers you so? I mean, I get it. I'm technically a demon, but… it seems a particularly sore spot. I'm guessing you've had some altercation with demons before."

"They killed my family as I watched. I was six."

Haman winced.

"And Esau lost his, too. He was about the same age."

"Oh," Haman said. "I'm sorry. I know it doesn't mean anything, but I'm sorry you lost them like that. It couldn't have been easy."

Joaquin eyed the demon, unwilling to show appreciation for the apology.

"Not that I valued my family when I was on earth as a human. No, I wanted power. I was hungry for it. I treated my wife with disdain and rarely saw my children." He sighed. "What I wouldn't do for a chance to do it over again. To be the husband and father they deserved."

"How long ago was this?"

Haman smiled. "Current historians now call it 450 BCE."

Joaquin's eyes widened.

"I was a member of KingAhasuerus' royal court. Most call him Xerxes the First these days." Haman shook his head. "I even show up in the Bible, though I'm not exactly proud of what I did to get there."

"What did you do?"

"I was a proud man. Too proud. I demanded respect instead of earning it. I was born from kings and expected others to bow. A foreigner living in our realm disrespected me and, in return, I pressured my king to wipe out all of his kind."

"Shit,"Joaquin murmured. "So, you were responsible for a genocide?"

"I didn't get what I demanded. A woman named Esther used her wiles on the king to stop me, and she won, fortunately. Unfortunately, I was hanged for my misdeeds, and I ended up in Hell." He pursed his lips. "Although, it's where I belonged after all I'd done."

"Yet you wormed your way out of it," Joaquin said. "Convinced Lucifer to make you a demon."

"If you think what I do now isn't another form of torture, you should think again. Is it better than where I was? Absolutely. But I'm not free. I follow a rocky path, attempting to make up for what I did and yet still keep Hell satisfied, somehow. I figured out a way to do that, so I will until…"

"Until what?" Joaquin asked, eyes narrowing.

Haman shrugged.

"Earn your way out of Hell?"

Haman gaze flicked to his.

"You actually think that you can offset a genocide with good deeds?"

"A genocide that did not happen, I will remind you."

Joaquin scoffed. "Not from lack of trying on your part."

Haman lowered his head. "You're right. I'm likely an idiot for thinking I might earn some kind of reprieve."

"A demon is never getting into Heaven."

"I'd take a do-over here on Earth. Live as a mortal once more. Prove I can be a good person."

Joaquin rested his head back against the tree. "Don't get your hopes up."

"I haven't." He looked to the sky. "I just keep trying. If nothing else, I can find peace in my attempt." He glanced at Joaquin. "Which is why it's important for me to make it right between you and Gideon. If there is a scorecard for me, I don't need to lose any points. I've worked too hard to gain them."

Joaquin held Haman's stare. "Gideon made that choice." He cocked his head. "Or did you use your demon wiles and force him?"

"If I said yes, would you forgive him?"

Joaquin looked away, scoffing.

"You can use those claws of yours some more if it makes you feel better."

"I prefer someone who fights back. Or at the very least acts like it hurts."

Haman smiled. "What you did cannot compare to what they did to me down below. My tolerance for pain is immense now."

Joaquin watched the man.

The demon.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head. Fuck. He's not human. He's a demon.

It's a demon.

Joaquin let out a feline roar. "Get the fuck out of here, Haman."

"Something I said?"

"Something you did."

Haman frowned but said nothing. He quietly rose and dusted the back of his tailored pants off. "My apologies for whatever it is I did to offend. I did not mean to add more sins to my list."

"I'm pissed because I want to hate you and I'm suddenly finding it harder to."

Haman fought a smile.

"Fuck off," Joaquin spat, fighting a curl to the edge of his lip. "Wait!"

Haman eyed him.

"How well do you know Buer?"

"Not well. Incubi report to Lucifer, so I rarely interact with him. Why?"

Joaquin wasn't sure how much he should trust Haman, but they needed a way in. "I need information. Can I trust you to provide it?"

Haman's eyes widened. "On Buer?"

"Yeah. Whatever he was recently up to in San Diego."

"I can't make any promises, but I can try."

"It might help protect Gideon and his coven, so it's important you try hard."

Haman's eyes widened a bit, and he nodded. "I'll do my best." He bowed and was gone.

Joaquin tugged at a piece of grass and twirled it in his fingers, realizing that if he couldn't hate Haman, how could he hate Gideon for being with the guy?

The demon.

He growled under his breath. Rising, he realized he had no phone and had no idea where the fuck he was. There was no civilization in sight, so he'd have to walk back however far he'd run. He couldn't shift in the light of day. It was going to be a long walk back, but it would give him time to figure some shit out.

Fortunately, he had boots and warm clothes thanks to Haman, not that he wanted to be in the guy's debt.

Not a guy.

A demon.

Fuck!