Bittersweet Darkness Read Online Free Page A

discovered that she was as unforgiving as any demon.
    “Do I go to these meetings alone?” Ryan asked.
    “No,” Piers replied.
    “So…?”
    Piers looked around the room and a small smile settled on his face. “Asmodai will go with you. He’ll be your partner. He can dress up smart and play nice and human. It will do him good, teach him restraint.”
    “Hey, I am smart.” Asmodai peered down at himself. He was dressed pretty much the same as Piers in black leather pants and a black T-shirt, a leather duster coat covering him almost to the ankles.
    “Right,” Ryan said. “I’m going in there with a fucking demon. Great. Just great.”
    “It could be worse,” Asmodai replied. “You could be going in there with a fucking fairy.”
    “Good point,” Ryan murmured.
    “And at least I blend in a little,” Asmodai pointed out. “I mean, I could have worn my sword if I’d wanted to look like a total asshole.”
    Everyone turned to the Walker, who shrugged. The Walker was a fae assassin as well as an asshole. While Asmodai could pass for human if he made the effort—albeit a pretty scary human—the fae never tried to blend in. The Walker looked like he was wearing fancy dress, in tight pants, long boots, and a sword at his side. Dickhead.
    Asmodai forced down his revulsion. The world was changing. His people knew that and the old hatreds had to be set aside. At least until they had sorted out the new and growing threat of what to do about mankind.
    “Can you do that mind-wiping thing like these two?” Ryan nodded toward Christian and Piers.
    “Not quite the same but something similar. Enough to stop you from getting thrown in the loony bin if things go bad.”
    “Great.”
    “Okay,” Piers said. “The other things we need to talk about are angels.”
    “Do we have to?” Roz muttered.
    A month ago, they had discovered that Roz was quarter angel. Angels hated any beings with mixed blood. They knew of Roz’s existence and wanted her dead. The Order was breaking the rules by not handing Roz over, and war could erupt at any moment.
    “Have any been seen?” Piers asked.
    “Not so far,” Asmodai said. “But there’s a rumor that Raphael is on the move.”
    “Shit,” Piers said.
    “Maybe you should take Roz and go away,” the Walker suggested.
    “Hide?” Piers sounded as though he didn’t know the meaning of the word. But he paused, obviously thinking about the option. As far as Asmodai was aware, the vampire had never had someone he cared for before. It was a whole different mind-set and while he was sure Piers wouldn’t hide for his own safety, he was obviously considering it for Roz. “Not yet. We’ve sent messages asking to talk. We’ll wait until we hear back. That should at least mean they won’t zap us without warning.”
    “Good luck with that,” Asmodai said.
    Maybe now was the time to hand over his present. He pushed himself away from the wall and took a step toward Tara. She’d been talking in a low voice to Christian, but she glanced his way with a vaguely hostile expression in her clear green eyes. Okay, maybe the “vaguely” was wishful thinking on his part—definitely hostile.
    As he came to a halt in front of her, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the talisman. “I have a present for you,” he said.
    Tara eyed the jewel as though it might reach across and bite her.
    “What is it?” Christian asked.
    “A talisman. It will protect my daughter against the white fire of the angels.”
    “Give it to Roz,” Tara said. “She needs it more than me.”
    Asmodai shook his head. “The white fire won’t harm Roz—her angel blood will protect her. They’ll have to find another way to kill her. But you’re half demon—the fire would burn you.”
    “Take it,” Christian urged.
    She peered at it dubiously. “Why don’t you keep it?”
    Christ, she was suspicious. “I can take care of myself. The fire won’t kill me.”
    Piers took a step closer. “But I’m