Demons Undone: The Sons of Gulielmus Series by Holley Trent Read Free Book Online

Before she retired, I mean.”
    “Hard to imagine someone as glamorous as you had such humble origins.”
    She scoffed and tipped her suitcase onto its wheels.
    After switching off the television, he walked over and took the handle from her. “Let me.”
    “Okay, but I don’t see where you’re getting glamorous.”
    “How about sophisticated?” he asked as she gave the bathroom one last check for personal items before shutting off the light.
    She shook her head and wanted to kiss him for that curious expression he wore. He was being dead serious. If he thought
she
was sophisticated, he’d really be shocked when they made it to the East Coast. She cleaned up okay, but didn’t consider herself to be particularly elegant.
    “At best I’m a little preppy, but I’m a country girl at heart. I’m in my element when I’m barefooted with grass between my toes and my hair is unbrushed.”
    “I think I like you, Ariel,” he said as they trekked down the hall toward the elevator.
    “That’s good to hear.” She stabbed the
Down
button.
You might be the only one.

Chapter Five
    When Ariel walked into the gas station somewhere in North Texas to get snacks, Gulielmus materialized behind the gas pump John was using. His expression was grim.
    “What’s going on?” he asked, crossing his arms over his barrel chest and setting the full intensity of his blue gaze on his son.
    John looked through the store windows and couldn’t see Ariel’s head, so he turned to answer. He figured eventually his father would show up, so he already had a lie prepared. “I didn’t know what to do. Logistically, I mean. How does one taint a soul? Is it just an instantaneous thing, or … ”
    Actually he knew damn well what he should have done. That was apparent the previous night when they were wrestling each other’s tongues. All he had to do was make a psychic
grab
of what she was offering and it would have been so easy because she was so trusting, but … he hadn’t wanted to. He was having too much fun getting to know this unusual woman, and she thought
he
was amusing. If she was going to be the first he escorted down the brimstone-lined path, he wanted it to be memorable.
    Gulielmus sighed. “Why don’t you just move on to the next one? It’s all right to fail the first time. You haven’t had any practice. Maybe if you feel what it is that’s the same from one encounter to the next, you’ll understand what it is you’re supposed to be aiming for.”
    John released the pump handle and extracted it from the tank. “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve never been a quitter. Don’t want to start now. What’s the hurry?”
    Gulielmus gave him a look of abject incredulity. “Do you know how many women there are on this Earth compared to how many demons and half-demons? I may be more fertile than most of my ilk, but there’s only so big an army I can manage. You kids have a lot of work to do.”
    John stuffed the nozzle into the pump’s receptacle and snatched the receipt as it ejected. “Perhaps you should explain to me why the goal is to taint every soul on the planet. Doesn’t seem very efficient.”
    “You wouldn’t feel that way once you took one.” Gulielmus walked around the pump and placed his hands on John’s shoulders, giving him a little
wake-up
shake. “It’s
amazing
the power, son.” His eyes rolled up into his head as he said it. “You’ll get hooked from the first taste.”
    “I see.” John ducked out from under his grip and leaned against the front passenger door. “So, I get something. Team Hell gets something. You get props from your boss, I’m guessing. And Ariel gets eternity in a dark pit.”
    Gulielmus rolled his eyes. “It’s not a
pit
, remember? It’s just … ennui. Your personalized version of it. And you’ve memorized her name?” He blew out a scoff. “Don’t worry, you’ll break that habit soon enough.”
    John ground his teeth. He didn’t
want
to break the habit. He wanted to know