Page 36 of Indecent

“Danny?” A complicated frown crossed Chaol’s face, and he raised a hand to cradle Daniel’s cheek. “Where’d you go? Are you having trouble remembering things? Thinking straight?”

Daniel frowned. “Yes, but I remembered something. A place where we can go to rest and find my friends.”

“Oh? I don’t suppose you remember how to get there? You can teleport, did you know?”

He didn’t know that, but it would certainly come in handy. They didn’t have a car or money for public transportation. He could call one of his friends, but they had no phone. And he didn’t remember any phone numbers. Frustration pulsed through him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so helpless. They didn’t have time for him to be hamstrung by logistics. Chaol wasn’t safe.

“Daniel,” Chaol said, calling his attention back to the present, and Daniel admonished himself for drifting off again. Chaol’s expression softened with concern. “Maybe we should’ve waited on the sex.”

Daniel scowled. “No way, I wanted that.”

Chaol huffed. “Fine, you animal.” He looked around, blowing out a breath. “Do you have any idea where we are? I was a New Yorker the last time I was topside. None of this looks remotely familiar.”

An unfamiliar voice answered. “Los Angeles.”

They turned to face the newcomer. Daniel stepped in front of Chaol, reaching into the empty air beside him and drawing the hellblade from the aether. It appeared in his grip, crackling with heat, and Chaol’s hand fisted the back of his shirt with a quiet curse.

He didn’t recognize the stranger, but was that because he was truly unfamiliar or could Daniel just not remember him? His long black hair was pulled back in a loose twist, and his black eyes held a familiar ethereal orange glow deep within the pupil. He was broad-shouldered, wearing a simple black T-shirt and dark jeans. His skin was so pale that veins were visible underneath.

“Holy shit,” Chaol breathed, like he recognized the stranger.

“Who are you?” Daniel demanded.

The stranger smiled. “My name is Draego. I’m a harbinger—like you.”

Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Could they trust him? He glanced back at Chaol, who gave him an encouraging nod.

“Put that thing away.” Draego waved a dismissive hand at the blade. “If I came here to fight, you would know it. I felt your arrival, and curiosity got the better of me. I’ve never seen another like me, after all.”

Warily, Daniel released the hellblade, which winked out of sight, and Chaol’s hand slowly loosened from the back of his shirt.

“Did I hear you say you have allies in the area?” Draego asked. “I’m inclined to meet them.”

“Why?” Daniel asked bluntly. If the rumors were to be believed, Draego was incredibly powerful. Giving him access to the Rink could be dangerous if he wasn’t trustworthy. Daniel couldn’t remember much about it right now, but he knew it was worth protecting.

“I’ve heard rumblings that a war is coming with the paladins. Consider me interested. The guild has been a thorn in my side for many years, and… I’d like to see it through.” His hooded gaze held a galaxy of secrets.

“There’s something you’re not telling us,” Daniel said.

“There are many things I’m not telling you,” Draego agreed.

“Then how can I trust you?”

Draego lowered his gaze, his lips pursed. “Is it true demons and humans are working together? Demons and paladins?”

“Yes. I was a paladin.”

Draego’s dark brows rose in surprise. Inclining his head, he said, “Therein lies my true interest. There is someone within the guild that I… am protective of. If a war is coming, I’d see that he survives.”

There was no point in asking who, because Daniel wasn’t sure he’d recognize any names right now. It was enough that Draego had told him this much. He was no stranger to the strength of that fated connection.

“Okay. I’ll take you to the Rink, then.”

Draego brightened, strolling closer. He circled around the hole in the ground where Daniel used to be buried, casting a long look at his headstone, and then asked, “How long have you been a demon, brother?”

Brother. The word snagged in his mind, and he couldn’t shake it. “Um. Not long.”

“Do you know how to teleport?”