My heart stopped at the mention of the Succubus Queen. I had met her only once, when I first joined the ranks. That encounter, rather like seeing Carter in all his angelic glory, was not an experience I wanted to repeat anytime soon.

 Do you understand?

 "Y-yes."

 Are you sure?

 The pressure increased, and it was all I could do to manage a weak nod. The psychic cage abruptly dropped, and I slumped forward, taking in deep breaths. I could still feel where his power had touched me, rather like a tactile version of the afterimage one sees with a camera flash.

 "I'm glad you understand, and I'm sure you'll also understand if I don't entirely believe you. It's part of the nature of our side."

 "Is this... is this the part where you stash me somewhere?"

 He chuckled softly. Menacingly. "No. Not yet at least. Frankly, I think you just need a little supervision to stay out of trouble. I'm also not entirely convinced you and the nephilim merely have a passing relationship."

 A retort was on my lips, but I bit it off, my skin still burning.

 "I'd have one of your friends do it, but I don't doubt you could wrap any of them around your smallest finger. No, you need babysitting by someone who won't bend, who won't fall for your tricks."

 "Tricks? Who then?" For a minute, I half thought he referred to himself until I noticed Carter's smug smile. Oh man. "You can't be serious."

 "It'll ensure you toe the line, Georgie. What's more, it will keep you alive."

 "You're practically our best lead at the moment," Carter explained. "This nephilim has some interest in you, even though that interest seems to have shifted a bit from note-passing to assault."

 "Carter will be ready if it tries to finish what he interrupted. He can also shield your apartment from prying eyes."

 "But it'll sense him when we go out—" I tried weakly.

 "No more than you can now," Carter reminded me. "And I'll be invisible. A ghost at your side. An angel on your shoulder, if you will. You won't even know I'm around."

 "Jerome, please, you can't do this—"

 "I can, and I will. Unless, like I said, you want me to have a chat with Lilith ?"

 Damn him. The threat of Lilith was stronger than any potential stashing, and he knew it.

 "Good. If there's no further discussion then, I'll take my leave and let you two get situated." Jerome glanced between us, dark eyes resting on me a moment. "Oh, by the way. Do check yourself out in a mirror at some point."

 I scowled, thinking of Cody's scrutiny of my injuries. "Thanks for reminding me."

 "What I'm reminding you of is that you're a succubus. Those bruises are a manifestation of believing you're human. You are not. You have to feel them, but you don't have to wear them."

 With that, the demon vanished in an eye blink, leaving a faint smell of brimstone in his wake that I suspected was pure showmanship.

 "So, do I get the couch?" Carter asked me cheerfully.

 "Go to hell." I left the room to go check out my reflection.

 "Hardly a nice way to treat your new roommate."

 "I didn't ask for your—"

 I stopped halfway down the hallway. I'd spent the last couple of weeks suspecting Carter of murder and other terrible things; I'd spent the last half-century hating him as a person. Yet he'd just saved my life, and I hadn't uttered one word of thanks.

 I turned toward him, dreading what I now had to say.

 "I'm sorry."

 He wore a look similar to the one Jerome had had when I asked his permission earlier. "Really? For just now?"

 "For not thanking you earlier. For saving me out there. I mean, I'm not happy about you shacking up here, but I am grateful for what you did then. And I'm sorry, too, if I haven't exactly been... nice to you."

 The angel's expression was unreadable. "Glad to have helped."

 Not knowing what else to say, I turned and kept walking.

 "What are you going to do now?" he asked.

 I paused again. "Look at the damage and then go to bed. I'm tired. And I hurt."

 "Aw, no slumber party games or popcorn? No makeovers?"

 "Don't take this personally, but you could use a makeover. You look like a refugee. Why..." I swallowed and rephrased my words as I studied him. "When I saw you out there, on the street, you were... you were so beautiful. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen." My voice came out as a whisper.

 Carter's face turned grave. "Jerome's the same way, you know. In his true form. Just as beautiful. Angels and demons come from the same stock. He chooses that John Cusack wannabe shape by choice."

 "Why? Why does he do that? And why do you choose to look like a junkie or a bum?"

 The edges of the angel's lips turned slightly upward. "Why does a woman who claims she wants to avoid the attention of nice men choose a form that makes everyone around her do a double take and stare?"

 I swallowed again, lost in the far reaches of his eyes, but not in the same way I had been lost in Roman's or Seth's eyes. It was more like the angel could see all the way through me, through all of my facades, down to my soul or what remained of it.

 With great effort, I broke that scrutiny, turning back toward my bedroom.

 "No one is punished forever," he told me gently.

 "Yeah? That's not what I hear. Good night."

 I went into my bedroom, closing my door behind me. Just before it clicked, I heard Carter call, "So, who's making breakfast?"

 CHAPTER 18 

 Around ten the next morning, the phone jolted me out of a dream I'd been having about jellyfish and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Rolling over, I picked it up, discovering in the process that I ached a lot less than I had last night. Immortal healing in action.

 "Hello?"

 "Hey, it's Seth."

 Seth! Yesterday's events rushed back to me. The birthday party. The ice cream. The perfume. I again wondered who he'd had to meet after dropping me off at the bookstore.

 "Hi," I gushed, sitting up. "How are you?"

 "Not bad. I'm, uh, over at Emerald City, and I didn't see you... they said it's your day off."

 "Yeah, I'll be back tomorrow."

 "Okay. So, um, do you want to maybe do something today? Lunch? Or a movie maybe? Unless you have other plans..."

 "No... not exactly..." I bit my lip, silencing the immediate acceptance that wanted to spring forth.

 I still had that strange, inexplicable attraction and sense of comfortable familiarity with Seth. I would have liked to hang out with him more, but I had already tried walking the line of friendship and dating with Roman, only to have that blow up in my face. It would be far better never to get started with Seth, despite my longings. Besides, I hadn't forgotten about my angelic bodyguard; I didn't really want him tagging along. Best to keep Carter indoors as long as possible.

 "But I'm sick."

 "Really? I'm sorry."

 "Yeah, you know... just that kind of run-down feeling." It wasn't entirely a lie. "I don't really feel up to getting out today."

 "Oh. Okay. Do you need anything? Do you want me to bring you any food maybe?"

 "No... no," I hastily assured him, banishing images of Seth feeding me chicken soup while I lounged around in cute pajamas. Christ. This was going to be harder than I thought. "I don't want you to have to keep taking care of me. Thanks, though."

 "I don't mind. I mean, no problem."

 "I should be in tomorrow, if this doesn't get worse... so I'll see you then. Maybe we can have coffee. Or rather, I'll have coffee and you can... not have coffee."

 "Okay. I'd like that. Not having coffee, I mean. Would you mind... that is, can I check on you later? Call you again?"

 "Sure." The phone was safe enough.

 "Okay. If you need anything before then..."