Summon Toren(65)

Toren insisted Skylar ride in the front with them, not wanting her around those other two for now. The only thing good he sensed about the Ezekiel guy was his name. The end. There was a brick ass wall around his heart he’d have to hammer through to get to the rational man he needed for this operation. And he didn’t have a lot of time to do it now. In addition, he somehow, more than ever, wanted to call a time out and make passionate love to Samantha before going a step further.

Ludicrous.

“I cannot tell you what a miracle it was that I came across your ad on the computer. I mean I rarely am on it and something just told me to go to the email account I scarcely get on and check mail. That’s where I got the notification. Perfect timing.”

“Yes, for me too. Us, actually.” Samantha's tone remained carefully distant.

Skylar leaned a little toward Samantha. "Um, Miss Samantha?" she whispered. "I don't want to be rude, but you got a little something…" Delicate hands fluttered in the general direction of her throat.

Looking puzzled, Samantha raised one hand to her neck. Her cheeks flushed deep red. "Oh my God! Oh wow. Can't believe…"

Curious, Toren leaned to see what the commotion was about, having restrained himself from eavesdropping on Samantha's thoughts. A white substance had dried and begun to flake away… Oh. In a rush, he ransacked the glove compartment, desperately searching for the miniature bottle labeled 'hand sanitizer' he'd seen there before. And the little pack of facial tissues. Trying not to be too obvious about it, he saturated one tissue and passed it to Samantha, then followed with a couple of dry ones after she'd wiped his essence from her face and neck.

Time to change the subject. Fast. “Do you believe in God, Skylar?”

She hesitated briefly. “Yes, why, is that a problem?”

Samantha laughed a little too loudly. “Nooo, not a problem. You doin this now?” She leaned and glanced at Toren while bouncing them down the road to the shack.

“I thought I might. Seems like as good a time as any. Considering.” He reconsidered a moment. “How do you like Ezekiel?”

She leaned away a bit and looked at him. “How do you mean?”

“I mean…”

“He means would you want to like…be his girlfriend kind of like?”

She turned to Samantha now.

“Just…hypothetically speaking,” Sam said.

“Absolutely not. The man is a completely arrogant chauvinist and an intolerable moron. I'm certain he's incapable of speaking beyond monosyllabic grunts when he’s not pretending to understand whatever intelligent words he does muster. And just because he’s so hot he makes the ground sizzle, the fact that he clearly hates American women,” she emphasized the words with hand quotes, “sort of…well it just pisses me off, to say the least.”

Sam snickered. “Ouch.” She worked the clutch and downshifted to make the final turn to the shack. “Got your work cut out for you sweetheart.”

Yeah. And the woman had pegged Ezekiel perfectly. Well at least he had one positive component to work with. But there would be no wooing time. He’d have to play hard ball with both of them and pray for the best.

Toren got out of the truck, searching the horizons for stray visitors.

Sam climbed out too. “Come on in guys, let’s get warmed up before we…we figure out what we’re uh, we’re gonna be doing.”

Toren kept his eye on the demon shuffling awkwardly with shifty eyes toward the cabin. Once inside, Sam rattled on about nothing in particular while a plan formed in Toren’s mind.

Uriel had given them each two miracles to use before both couples consummated to seal the quadumvirate. Regretfully, he might have to use his to convince his human couple instead of to save their asses. He also might have to combine them for a time-saving wow effect. Just what kind of miracle was still not clear. Whatever he did, he’d have to keep a close eye on that demon.

“Sam, you mind talking to Skylar about our newest job position while I speak with Ezekiel? Hey Rufard,” Toren turned to the jittery man. “You mind going fetch some more firewood in the shed behind the cabin? We’ll be here a bit.”

“Uh, yeah. I’ll do it.”

Toren ushered them all outside and as soon as the demon left he turned to Ezekiel, assessing his attitude. Meeting his cocky arrogant gaze, Toren stood just before him and put his palm on the wall next to his head.

Ezekiel met his gaze with his own unflinching one.

Open challenge. Hm. His mercury raced, eager to crush it. Toren realized as he looked into his skeptical gaze that he’d have to use Truth for his first miracle. “I have an issue that I need your help with. I’m an archangel and I need you to marry the girl inside so that I can use your consummation to form a half human half angel warrior to fight against demonic abominations that are taking over the world.”