URIEL: The Price (The Airel Saga, Book 6) (Young Adult Paranormal Romance) by Aaron Patterson, Chris White Page A

crown my man as Seer without it. You know that as well as I do, Jiki.”
    Jordan managed to control his anger, being very careful to keep his tone in check. “Okay, we have a deal. Bring him to the temple of Tengu. You know the place?”
    “Of course. I can hear its call even now, same as you. Word that the Seer has been found is beginning to spread; we all gather to see his glory. We’re already on our way.”
    Jordan suppressed a growl. “Good. I will meet you there. Keep him safe; do not let any harm come to him.”
    “I will protect him with my life.”
    Jordan slammed the phone down and called for his secretary. She sauntered in and sat on his desk. “You called for me, boss?” She reached out and fiddled with the handkerchief in his breast pocket.
    He poured himself a lowball of Scotch, flooding it all the way to the brim. “Get the pilot on the phone and tell him to file a flight plan for Dubai immediately.”
    “Yes, sir,” she said. “Anything else?”
    He chugged the whisky and slammed the glass down. “Yeah. How about you pack yourself a bag. It’s a long flight, and I’ll need a snack.”
    She giggled and scampered out. She didn’t know how literally he meant that.
    But as soon as she closed the door behind her, he had guests. Unwelcome ones. The kind that come right out of the walls.
    * * *
    THERE WERE ONLY TWO anticherubim twitching and jerking around in Jordan Weston’s office. He wondered offhand where the other one was.
    At length, they settled enough to speak, but Jordan could not understand them until he shifted into his alter ego, Jikininki. Theirs was the old language, one he could not understand as Jordan Weston.
    “We called the Alexander and hunted the assassin Valac, but he has escaped us.”
    “Well done, idiots.”
    They ignored him. “We need the Bloodstone. You promised it to us.”
    Jiki did not have time for this—he had a flight to catch. “You two were sent to help with the upcoming war, but so far all you do is get in the way.”
    “You betray us? Do you dare to change the terms of our arrangement?”
    “Why not? That kind of thing is going around lately,” he said, mostly to himself. “No matter. The Alexander is so much wind. He wrestles against the power of the Bloodstone; he harbors love in his heart. He is no longer needed.”
    The bigger one growled. “We only ascribe honor to the blood line of the Alexander. All others are fraudulent. You speak of the Other. The Prince will not accept him. Give us the Bloodstone. We are able to convince the boy Alexander.”
    This pus-bedecked, fungus-laden demon now confirmed his suspicions. The Prince wants the Bloodstone as well as full control of the Brotherhood. Jordan had hoped to avoid all-out war over the Bloodstone, but it seemed pointless now.
    “The Bloodstone will be at the temple of Tengu for the anointing of the new Seer. The Bloodstone will either choose him or it will reject him. Which, I cannot say.”
    The demons twitched and convulsed back and forth continually, flitting about the room as if holding still would kill them. “You refuse the Prince?”
    “I honor the Heir. The rest is politics.” Jiki turned his back to them. “The Prince was supposed to destroy Kreios and his halfbreed spawn, Airel. He was powerless to do so. Now I must do it for him.”
    “The Angel Kreios lives under El’s protection.”
    Jiki laughed. “Are you saying you are powerless to kill him? Is he is beyond your reach too? I thought the legendary three of the original kind were the right hand of the Prince, yet you cannot even bring me the Bloodstone. You need a little half-dead demigod like me to do it for you.”
    “You mock the Prince and your lords. Remember whom you serve, Jiki.”
    Jiki paused in thought. “I only want to see the true Seer anointed. If the Alexander can be convinced, as you say, then I propose an arrangement.”
    “We are listening.”
    Jordan smiled. “Bring the boy to me now and we will anoint him