Demon Fire (The Angel Fire Book 3) by Marie Johnston (best authors to read .txt) 📗

possession of my father during my conception. He watched me and reconnected later—and hooked my mother up with Jameson.” Andy spread his hands but kept the gun loosely trained on Sierra. “Thus my takeover of Fall From Grace.”

Gerzon grunted a laugh. “The arrogant bastard thought he was duping me. He was my puppet for years.”

Andy nodded toward the man holding Boone’s Glock on him and Harlowe. His gut throbbed with the memory of the last time he’d been in this position. The weapon hadn’t been his sidearm this time, but he’d still lost control of it. This situation was going to turn out better. It had to, or Boone would die trying.

“Zanda is Gerzon’s right-hand female. And, well . . .” Andy’s slick smile sent tight prickles all over Boone’s skin. “You all know my sister.”

Silence fell in the room. What did Andy mean?

Harlowe was the first to speak. “What are you talking about? Sierra’s an angel, not from some human knocked up by a possessed soul.”

Andy’s grin widened. “Is Sierra an angel though?”

Sierra flinched and refused to meet his gaze or Harlowe’s.

“In fact,” Andy continued, obvious glee filling his voice, “the angel Gerzon managed to capture and keep in the Gloom until she escaped right before birth was—”

“Andy, stop,” Sierra said, her blue eyes tormented.

Boone braced for what was coming next, even as his mind tried to comprehend the secret Sierra had nearly killed to keep.

“Now, Sierra, Harlowe should know her mother’s treasured place with Gerzon.”

“She was a feisty wench,” the demon growled and the female one chuckled.

“You’re a fucking liar. There’s no way an angel can be half demon,” Harlowe scoffed. “No way.” She pinned Sierra with an earnest stare. “Right? Sierra?”

Sierra’s face had drained of all color and she swallowed. “It’s true,” she said in a ragged whisper.

So that was the big secret. Boone understood enough of the world now to know why it was a doozy. He also understood enough of Sierra to know why she’d continued to keep it to herself. Her truth hurt others, and she’d gladly absorb the pain to save them.

Andy’s laugh rang through the room. “Did none of you know? Truly? Not one of you even suspected that she was different than you?”

“Where are the fangs?” Harlowe challenged. “The horns? Leathery wings?”

Sad confirmation wrote itself through Sierra’s expression. “My wings passed for normal. The tips of my canines were filed off and my horns were dissolved with angel fire.”

Her sorrow tore through his heart. Did no one else comprehend what she’d gone through to protect herself and those she loved?

Gerzon bared dull human teeth. “Who dared tamper with the natural fighting tools of my daughter—”

“I’m not your daughter.” Sierra shoved the empty tubes away from her. They rolled in multiple directions across the tabletop. “I’m not a demon. You’re not getting my fucking blood and you’re not getting my baby.”

“You have less say than your mother, female.” Gerzon rose to tower over Sierra.

And his fallen angel was ready. She used Andy’s distraction to swat the gun out of Andy’s grip. It clattered against the wall. Gerzon lunged for her, but Boone dove across the table, sliding until he tackled the host around the belly.

A grunt behind him was Harlowe taking on Zanda. A squeak of hinges didn’t give him pause. Boone didn’t have time to figure out the hows. He was tangled in overturned conference chairs, wrestling an enraged demon. Teeth snapped against his cheek. He leaned as far away as he could, his hands wrapped around the man’s neck.

The host under him lashed out with the dagger, but he wasn’t aiming for Boone. The tip grazed Sierra’s calf.

She hissed.

The demon solidified under him. Boone’s hands were wrapped around a fleshy neck, but the skin texture changed under his fingers. A putrid stench assaulted his nose.

A shadow loomed over them.

This is it. I’m going to die by my own gun and Sierra will be killed. I’ve failed.

But it was Jagger who leaned down, his lips moving. Boone heard nothing. Rage filled Gerzon’s eyes and he redoubled his efforts to get free of Boone. Then Jagger was gone and there was no sign of the demon. The host gasped. Boone let go of his throat. The man’s mouth gaped before he passed out.

Boone rolled off the host and jumped to his feet. An inhuman scream rang out.

“Don’t move.” The other host. The gun that’d been taken away was trained on him. Harlowe was gone. Boone couldn’t tell if Zanda was in charge of the host or not.

He put his hands up, a sense of déjà vu trickling down his spine.

Andy had a black object in one hand, his arm around Sierra’s neck. Her belly stuck out as she wriggled in his grasp, not making it easy to hold her. “I’ll light the place up. I swear I will.”

Everyone stilled.

“What are you planning, Andy?” Sierra’s voice was shaky.

“He’s going to blow the place,” Boone answered for him.

Andy’s panicked expression managed to look smug. “What’s upstairs will destroy the stash of weapons Jameson managed to get his hands on and burn the place down. All we need is your blood to rule the demon world.”

“Why ruin the weapons?” Sierra asked, her voice calmer than she looked.

“So demons can’t use them to roam free.” Andy’s lips thinned. “You have so much to catch up on. This Mist doesn’t want fallen blood in it. If a demon has the metal, with your blood coating it, the Mist will expel it. I assume the Gloom will do the same.”

Boone shook his head, a detail not making sense. “You knew that and didn’t tell Gerzon?”

Andy’s frantic gaze swept the room. “Where is—where is he?” His arm tightened around Sierra’s neck and she made a strangled sound, her nails digging into the sleeve of his pinstripe suit jacket. “If my father dies, you lose someone too. Zanda.”

Boone’s body tensed, his old scars throbbing. He’d feel the impact first, then blinding pain.

But the shot didn’t happen.

“Zanda?”

The man who was Zanda’s host jerked his