Redemption (A NOVEL OF THE SEVEN SIGNS) Read Online Free Page B

that in centuries, that the lithe play of her athletic body under his made him shudder with poisonous desires long forgotten. If it were just a hard-on, he could atone.
    But for a fateful instant, when she lay at his mercy with his sword’s edge thirsting for her blood, he’d felt sorry for her.
    Deep in her bottomless eyes, beneath all the rage and vitriol, he’d seen guilt. Self-loathing. Bitter longing for forgiveness.
    His hand healed, a swift crunch of bones. He wanted to smash it again, punish himself bloody. A demon’s wicked slave would never be forgiven. She’d made her choice open-eyed. Too late to pretend she was sorry for it now.
    He closed his eyes, and retreated into his icy darkness, letting it enfold him, encase his heart like armor, pushing earthlytemptations to a safe distance…and the glitter in his wings faded. His skin cooled, his heartbeat slowing. Detached, remote. Untouchable.
    He opened his eyes. The red-stained moonlight glinted on glass windows, gloated over his skin, like demon voices cackling softly from the darkness…but frost settled in his veins, and he flexed cold fingers, satisfied.
    Yeah, he’d messed up. No getting out of that. Lust, he could atone for. Pitiful and disgusting, but a simple sin. He’d make penance, maybe stop eating for a few weeks. Work himself to exhaustion on the battlefield, chalk up a few hundred dead vampires for heaven.
    But compassion for hellspawn? Holy mother of mercy, he was lucky he hadn’t gotten himself killed on the spot…and then, he’d let her go . The Angel Slayer. And a Chosen. A demon’s willing slave…
    His ringtone shredded his thoughts. He yanked the phone from his pocket, flushing. “Yeah, Dash. What?”
    “You still alive? Was expecting you ages ago,” Dashiel shouted, whiskey-rough over party noise and vapid electric trance music.
    “Very funny. Do I sound like I need to get drunk and laid right now?”
    “Sound like you could use both to me.”
    Japheth sighed. He always walked right into that one. “Yeah, piss off, wiseass.”
    “Always glad to help. You coming down here or what?”
    “So I can watch you pick up girls? What an education.”
    Dash laughed. “C’mon, man, it’s a brave new world since the Apocalypse went public. Chicks dig us. How can I disappoint them?”
    “How, indeed,” Japheth said sardonically. “I love being famous. Guys picking fights, teenage girls putting my photo on the internet. I’d rather peel my eyeballs with a toothpick.”
    “Right. You just miss the old days, where they all fainted and groveled.”
    “Now that you mention it? Yeah.” Japheth raked his bloody hair, itching. “What do you want, Dash? You’re interrupting my slaying here.”
    “Ariel’s back in town.” Dash named another of the Tainted, a bad-ass warrior with a fiery temper to match. “The ugly bastard asked after you, fuck knows why. Maybe he wants to restart your little heaven-screwed-me-and-I’m-pissed-about-it club.”
    Japheth halted in mid hang up. Ariel had been sent by Michael to hunt for the remaining vials of wrath, hidden away centuries ago by their nameless guardian angels and lost. All very well to slaughter the demon princes once the wrath was already spilled. Better to recover the vials while they were still full, put a stop to the whole demon-cursed business. “Does that mean he found one?”
    “You’ll have to ask him. Tight-lipped son of a jackal. Hey, you sound a little edgy. Is something going on?”
    Japheth gritted his teeth, for once wishing he had a lie handy. Dash was uncanny at seeing through him. “Like what?”
    “You tell me. Everything okay?”
    Yeah. I just practically raped a hell-cursed vampire bitch. Everything’s peachy. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
    “Hell, I don’t know. Because you’re not giving me a straight answer?”
    “Don’t start.”
    “I’m not starting. Just calling it like I see it.” Mercifully, Dash let it go. “So are you coming, or what? The