The Price of Exorcism by Dakota Brown (sneezy the snowman read aloud .txt) 📗

on the floor precededMayhem and three other hellhounds as they barreled down the corridor toward us.

Chris held out her arms and Mayhem crashed into her,amazingly not throwing her to the ground.

"Who's a good boy," she said as she huggedthe hound.

His rumbling purr filled the room.

She pet the other three and then we headed down thehallway.

I was amazed at how comfortable she was acting withall of this. Chris pushed open a beautifully polished wooden door and we walkedinto Ezra's study.

The four horsemen were seated around his fireplace,along with a few other hellhounds.

Ezra himself handed Chris a plate loaded with food anda mug when she walked in.

"Okay, no longer mad." She went over to siton the floor by the fireplace, leaning against Mayhem since the regular seatingwas a bit crowded.

Ezra looked relieved.

The dynamics had certainly shifted in the last fewweeks, and he was obviously just as smitten with Chris as I was. That shockedme more than just about anything else that had changed. Ezra was not one to getinvolved with others.

Chris was focused on eating and I expected to beignored so I hung back, but Ezra shocked me again. He pointed toward a chair he'dpulled up. I sat, wondering if Ezra had realized exactly how uncharacteristicthat was.

He might have caught my thought because he glanced atme and shrugged.

Ezra sat in his office chair after a quick glance atChris, who was content with her hellhound backrest.

Then Ezra surprised me even more and gave me a quickupdate about everything that had happened since I'd been captured by Lott. Myhead was nearly spinning with the events I'd missed, and from the expression onChris' face, Ezra might not even know all of it.

"Right, so we gotta let old Lucifer know his palMammon is behind all this. If he doesn't already know. And then we gotta figureout what Brennan's angle is in all this, and my old mates." Chris wrinkledher nose.

"I would guess that this may be two-fold,"Azrael said. "I can almost see the apocalypse angle as a distraction whileMammon makes his bid for hell. Perhaps it's even part of an agreement he has withanother entity in exchange for support. He helps start an apocalypse, the otherentity supports his bid for hell. Even if he were able to defeat Lucifer, hewould need considerable support to maintain his position as the new ruler."

"Great, so we're dealing with Mammon and someoneelse." Chris groaned.

"It looks that way," Ezra agreed.

"Okay, so what do we do now?"

"Now, I get you and Sabian home, and you try tostay safe while I and a few others do some investigating."

She snorted. "Safe, right."

"Between you and Malak, you should be reasonablysafe," Ezra said.

I wasn't sure how I felt that Ezra didn't count me inChris' protection. I wasn't much use in a fight. That didn't seem to botherChris, however, or Mal, but I wasn't completely useless.

"Aaron isn't useless, either," I pointedout. "He may not know much about fighting but if he learns to use hisother abilities, he'll pack a punch against demons."

"Mal's teaching him the sword. Seems to havetaken to it pretty quick," Chris explained.

"What abilities does this Aaron have?"Azrael asked me.

Having the angel of death turn his attention on me wasdisconcerting, to say the least.

"He's Nephilim," I supplied.

The horsemen exchanged a look. "We should speakwith him," War said. "We might be able to help him learn hisabilities."

"Great, well, we should head out soon then,"Chris suggested before glancing at Ezra. "I think I need a tour first."

Ezra shook his head. "Later. This is more urgent.Just promise you'll come back. At the very least, I want to show you myhellhounds."

She scratched the one nearest her under the chin. "Deal.Okay, how are we getting back to Santa Fe?"

"We will use the gateway in New York, but ourspirit horses will save you the flight and it will be much quicker as we canreturn directly to your home," Azrael said.

"How are we getting Sabian out?" Chrispointed at me. "I was under the impression using the gateway requiredpermission and some sort of pass."

"I will summon him once we are in New York,"Ezra said, glancing at me.

Though I hadn't expected him to ask my permission, Inodded my agreement.

"Great. Let's go." Chris stood. "Um,where are my things?"

"Just call them to you," Ezra suggested.

"Right." She held out her hand and the strapof her duffle bag appeared in it. "Nothing contraband in here now, so Iguess I can just carry it."

"Or you can leave it here and summon it once you'rehome. Consider it good practice," Ezra offered.

"Okay." She set the bag down and we allheaded for the door. I would wait here and try to convince myself that Ideserved to be in Chris' life.

She stopped and turned to glance at me. "We'regoing to discuss that in a few, mate." She grabbed my shirt and pressedher lips to mine. I couldn't help but melt into her kiss.

Chapter 17

Price

I stared at the nightstallion, who stood patiently nextto War's red mare. Death's pale horse, the ribby gray, and Plague's black stoodon the other side of her. The mare was nuzzling the stallion's flaming mane.

War giggled. "I'll see if I can get you your ownflames," she said to the mare.

The horse nickered happily and came over to her rider.

The nightstallion turned his attention to me and weeyed each other. "You sure he wants me to get back on? I mean, I'm a shitrider. A couple of lessons when I was younger doesn't make me ready for a horselike him."

"The spirit horses, of which he is a demonicversion, choose their riders," Azrael explained. "He wouldn't stillbe standing here if he'd simply offered you an assist earlier. You will ridewith us again, Chris Price. You will need a mount. Accept him and let us getout of hell. I'm not particularly fond of this plane."

I muttered under my breath but held out my hand to thestallion and tried not to flinch away when he snuffled my hand with his softnose. His whiskers tickled my skin and I tried to ignore the dagger sharp teeththat made me think this horse's diet