Could I really have been so lucky? Did all of the buildings have luxurious penthouses on top of them?
The music must have been loud enough to mask the sound of my fall. I pad over to the partition made out of thick, black fabric. The white pots and vibrant green plants seem at odds with the desolate landscape of the Gates of Hell.
I lean in and hear more kisses and a few growls. Slinking over to where the partition ends, I peek over… and find another partition. The light makes it possible to just barely glimpse two forms moving together, becoming one. I scoff. For all the male’s complaints, he certainly doesn’t seem unhappy about his current situation.
In the face of such blatant wealth, all my guilt over thievery evaporates. I scan the rest of the roof, searching for stairs leading me to the apartments below.
The clock for the DaePolice is still ticking, and I don’t want anyone pounding on the door while I am slipping into someone else’s clothes.
My eyes catch on the domed building that must house the stairs to go down, and I do a triumphant dance inside. The only problem is that bolting across the way will put me in the amorous couple’s direct line of sight. And a red leotard is not exactly inconspicuous.
It is a risk I will have to take. I screw up my courage and run. I run like I haven’t been running for hours before. Holding my breath for as long as possible, I try not to make any more sound than necessary.
I’ve just ducked under the cover of the walls when I hear, “What was that?”
“What was what?” the female replies breathlessly.
“Something red over there.”
Fabric rustles, and I hold my breath again. As quietly as I can manage, I move down the cool, marble tile steps. I only make it down two when the male says, “I promise you, I saw something.”
My heart is pounding in my chest, my lungs tight. He is much closer now.
“You are paranoid. Maybe it was a bird,” she offers.
“A bird, Luella? I know you’re not from here, but seriously? These skies are inhabited by Daemons and Angels, nothing else.” he scoffs. The tone in his voice makes me flinch. He’s a condescending bastard.
Then I hear Luella stand up. Dread coils in my stomach.No, no, no. If she leaves, then they will both go downstairs. My plan will be ruined before it even begins.
“You're insufferable, you know that, Dragnium?” Luella spits.
His footsteps halt. “I thought you liked that about me.”
“Absolutely not. You are despicable, and I wish I had never laid eyes on you my first night here,” Luella says. Her voice is rising.
“But Lue—“
“—don’t you dare. I have been ensnared in your trap long enough. I take back what I said earlier. Go downstairs and wait for your wife,” she says. I start down the stairs again, taking them two at a time.
Luella continues her tirade, “Go back to her expensive jewels,” my breath hitches, “and her bitchy designer clothes!”
My mind is reeling. I am near the bottom, where the door to the apartment lies open. Both of those beings are assholes, but I appreciate the information.
I won’t even need to set foot in a store! No security and high potency wards—just a man and his overpriced penthouse.A slow grin creeps along my face. I’m sure this male won’t have any protection except on the doors and windows. I can work with that.
Luella is still screaming at her presumably Daemon partner when she lets out a little yelp of excitement.
He makes a guttural sound. “Your excitability has always done it for me, Lue.”
She laughs. “Ugh, this is why I can’t stay mad at you.”
I blush at the way her voice sounds. The noise of their resumed lovemaking fades away as I rush into the apartment. Guilt for the Daemon's wife bleeds into all my emotions. Having been betrayed recently, I didn't want other women to suffer the same heartbreak. Especially not when I could do something to let her know.
I stop dead in my tracks when I reach the TV room. On the long, pristine white couch sits a chimera. I’ve never seen them in real life, and it looks far more imposing than I had ever imagined. The creature’s long fangs poke out under its furry lip. A panther's head is mixed with a serpent's tail and a small hippogriff's body.
That long, serpentine tail flicks back and forth as it eyes me. Cold sweat begins to bead up along my spine. It isn’t as if I can use my voice to soothe the beast, so I must use my demeanor. My mind races with all of the useless facts I have learned about chimeras in the past.
It takes a few moments—seconds that feel like hours—but eventually, I remember. Chimeras communicate through feelings and thoughts. That’s why they make such good houseguards—they can sense ill intent and warn others off.