know who the fuck you are.” Archer made sure his eye contact didn’t waver. “So, tell me. Who are you and your buddies, and why are you in my city?”
“I am Crux. The redhead is Silver, and the one with the goatee is my brother, Sin. We’re here visiting. We didn’t know you lived here.” Archer didn’t need powers to know he was lying.
“Vacation?” he inquired, raising a brow. “I thought we had an arrangement, Crux. I don’t want to have to use more creative ways to make you cooperate. I assure you, I have some gifts that the rest of you could only dream of.” Archer was pleased to see Crux shiver.
“If I tell you, he will kill me,” Crux said, his cerulean eyes pleading.
“If you don’t tell me, Malachi won’t need to. I’ll be more than happy to do it myself,” Archer countered.
Crux seemed shocked that Archer knew Malachi’s name, then appeared to weigh his options.
“If I tell you, will you give me and Sin safe passage out of here?” Crux asked.
“Not your buddy Silver?”
Crux shook his head.
“No, I only met him this week, and he scares the shit out of me.”
Interesting , Archer thought. It wasn’t often you met such a docile Nephilim, but Archer wasn’t complaining.
“Very well. Provided Sin cooperates too, you can both leave unharmed.” Some of the tension left Crux’s body, and he took a deep breath before beginning.
“Okay, I don’t know as much as Silver does about everything, but Malachi is paying a lot of money to any sons of Kokabiel to help with a ceremony. He needs them because of their ability to see spirits, or something. That is what Sin and I were here about. We were wondering what the conditions were. He is also hiring Nephilim to kidnap some human chick,” he added, stopping when he saw Archer’s rabid expression.
“Why does Malachi want the girl?” Archer demanded, fighting not to shake Crux.
“He needs her for a sacrifice in the ceremony. He said it’ll take too long to find another,” Crux said, confused by Archer’s strong reaction.
“Over my fucking dead body. When you leave here, Crux, you are going to tell everyone you know that this human girl is protected by the sons of Samyaza. Any harm that comes by her will be reciprocated tenfold.”
Crux’s eyes widened, and he nodded rapidly, feeling the power that was spilling from Archer’s words.
“What line is Silver from?”
“Azazel is his father.”
Great, another crazy fucker , Archer thought.
“Is that all you know?” Archer asked, daring Crux to lie. Crux nodded his head, and Archer believed him.
Archer left the room and moved to the one that contained Sin. Original name, Archer mused.
Sin was sitting with his back against the wall, knees to his chest, and arms wrapped around them. He looked weary and rather annoyed, but unlike his brother, he didn’t look scared shitless.
“So, Sin, your brother has bargained for both of your freedom,” Archer said in greeting, and Sin’s head shot up in alarm at the words. His eyes were identical to his brother’s. “Are you going to cooperate, or do I need to persuade you like I did your brother?”
Sin shook his head in dismay. “What has he done?”
“He chose life. Now tell me why Malachi wants the human girl, and how he plans to get her,” Archer demanded. He knew there was more to it; he wanted to know why Addison was needed specifically.
“I know only what Crux did, cousin. Silver is the one Malachi confided in,” he said, before adding, “I told them I want no part of that. If it was just a ceremony, fine. But I do not, and will not, be there when they hurt a woman.”
Archer actually thought that under different circumstances he might have liked Sin. As it was, it just meant he wouldn’t kill him.
“Take your brother and go. I advise you leave town,” Archer suggested.
Archer knocked on the door, and Quinn opened it for him. He told him to release the brothers. Quinn looked rather disappointed, as if
“I am Crux. The redhead is Silver, and the one with the goatee is my brother, Sin. We’re here visiting. We didn’t know you lived here.” Archer didn’t need powers to know he was lying.
“Vacation?” he inquired, raising a brow. “I thought we had an arrangement, Crux. I don’t want to have to use more creative ways to make you cooperate. I assure you, I have some gifts that the rest of you could only dream of.” Archer was pleased to see Crux shiver.
“If I tell you, he will kill me,” Crux said, his cerulean eyes pleading.
“If you don’t tell me, Malachi won’t need to. I’ll be more than happy to do it myself,” Archer countered.
Crux seemed shocked that Archer knew Malachi’s name, then appeared to weigh his options.
“If I tell you, will you give me and Sin safe passage out of here?” Crux asked.
“Not your buddy Silver?”
Crux shook his head.
“No, I only met him this week, and he scares the shit out of me.”
Interesting , Archer thought. It wasn’t often you met such a docile Nephilim, but Archer wasn’t complaining.
“Very well. Provided Sin cooperates too, you can both leave unharmed.” Some of the tension left Crux’s body, and he took a deep breath before beginning.
“Okay, I don’t know as much as Silver does about everything, but Malachi is paying a lot of money to any sons of Kokabiel to help with a ceremony. He needs them because of their ability to see spirits, or something. That is what Sin and I were here about. We were wondering what the conditions were. He is also hiring Nephilim to kidnap some human chick,” he added, stopping when he saw Archer’s rabid expression.
“Why does Malachi want the girl?” Archer demanded, fighting not to shake Crux.
“He needs her for a sacrifice in the ceremony. He said it’ll take too long to find another,” Crux said, confused by Archer’s strong reaction.
“Over my fucking dead body. When you leave here, Crux, you are going to tell everyone you know that this human girl is protected by the sons of Samyaza. Any harm that comes by her will be reciprocated tenfold.”
Crux’s eyes widened, and he nodded rapidly, feeling the power that was spilling from Archer’s words.
“What line is Silver from?”
“Azazel is his father.”
Great, another crazy fucker , Archer thought.
“Is that all you know?” Archer asked, daring Crux to lie. Crux nodded his head, and Archer believed him.
Archer left the room and moved to the one that contained Sin. Original name, Archer mused.
Sin was sitting with his back against the wall, knees to his chest, and arms wrapped around them. He looked weary and rather annoyed, but unlike his brother, he didn’t look scared shitless.
“So, Sin, your brother has bargained for both of your freedom,” Archer said in greeting, and Sin’s head shot up in alarm at the words. His eyes were identical to his brother’s. “Are you going to cooperate, or do I need to persuade you like I did your brother?”
Sin shook his head in dismay. “What has he done?”
“He chose life. Now tell me why Malachi wants the human girl, and how he plans to get her,” Archer demanded. He knew there was more to it; he wanted to know why Addison was needed specifically.
“I know only what Crux did, cousin. Silver is the one Malachi confided in,” he said, before adding, “I told them I want no part of that. If it was just a ceremony, fine. But I do not, and will not, be there when they hurt a woman.”
Archer actually thought that under different circumstances he might have liked Sin. As it was, it just meant he wouldn’t kill him.
“Take your brother and go. I advise you leave town,” Archer suggested.
Archer knocked on the door, and Quinn opened it for him. He told him to release the brothers. Quinn looked rather disappointed, as if
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