The Sweetest Burn (Broken Destiny #2)(72)

"I know, boy, we're getting out of here," Adrian muttered.

He let me go and said something in Demonish. Brutus dipped down and grabbed Adrian with his clawed hands, then flung him high over his head. Before I had time to wonder if Brutus had lost his mind, he swooped down under Adrian, who landed on Brutus's back and grabbed the reins as if he were a cowboy stuntman. If I wasn't busy treading water while floating past the bridge, I would've given them a round of applause.

Then Brutus flew down and angled himself toward me, and I grabbed the arm that Adrian held out to me. He hauled me up with a lot less flair, not that I wanted to duplicate his aerial acrobatics. When he settled me in front of him, I gripped the base of Brutus's wings to steady myself, and hugged my legs to the gargoyle's sides to keep from sliding off.

"When did you learn to do that?" I asked, raising my voice to be heard against the wind.

Adrian's mouth touched my ear as he leaned down. "During one of the long, lonely nights when Zach kept me from you." Then he pulled the reins to the right, and Brutus turned, flying us back toward the large city across the bridge.

"Stay high," Adrian shouted to Brutus.

The rest of what he said was in Demonish, so I didn't understand it. Not that I was trying to translate based on the few words that I knew. I was too busy staring at the endless glittering cityscape beneath us. Some buildings were so tall that a quick swoop downward would've had Brutus brushing their roofs. Other, smaller buildings seemed to crouch next to the skyscrapers as if seeking shelter in their shadows. Brake lights and headlights colored the streets below with lines of red and white, and all the various noises were so loud that they drifted up to us as a dull hum even from our height.

Brutus flew us toward a large, darkened section within this brightly lit concrete maze. As he descended and I saw the tops of trees, I realized that this must be Central Park. Brutus landed next to a small bridge, and as soon as we slid off, he shook out his wings, expelling the last of the water from them.

By this time, I'd figured out why we were in New York. "You think the staff might be here," I said through teeth that were starting to chatter. Summer or not, being soaked in a cold river and then flown around at high altitudes was enough to make anyone chilly.

"Father Louis said that the chapel's first stop in America had been New York, although he didn't say where. Still-" he flashed me a quick grin "-five minutes on Google will fix that. We know that the staff used to be in the chapel's other, previous locations, and since the demons didn't beat us to it in France, it might be here."



       
         
       
        

"It's definitely worth checking out," I agreed.

Adrian's gaze swept over me, lingering in certain spots. "Plus, I know a safe place we can stay in the city, so after we check the chapel's old site, we'll go there. First, though, I need to call my friend to get you some dry clothes and shoes."

Dry clothes sounded so good. So did a shower. Not only was I wet and chilly, I could smell things that I didn't want to think about. That river hadn't been hygienic, to say the least.

"What about Brutus?"

Adrian patted the gargoyle. "He can fly around Central Park and then get some fish out of the bay. He's got to be hungry."

At the mention of food, my stomach let out a disturbingly loud noise, as if I needed reminding that it had been over a day since I'd eaten. Adrian heard it and he pulled me into his arms.

"Sorry this has been so rough on you," he breathed.

I let out a choked laugh. "Me? You're the one who's gotten slashed up, shot up and beaten to a pulp recently."

He waved a hand, as if those were only minor nuisances. "I've been through much worse, and for a lot longer."

That's right, Demetrius had spent decades training Adrian under extremely brutal circumstances, all so Adrian could become the most lethal Judian who'd ever lived. Half-Judian, a dark inner whisper reminded me. The other half was demon. His lineage literally consisted of "evil" and "more evil." What would Adrian do once he found that out? Would it change his determination to help me fight against demons and minions? Could he bring himself to stand with me against Demetrius, if he knew that Demetrius was his real father?

I pushed those thoughts back. Half, whole, whatever Adrian was, I trusted him. More than that, I loved him. That's why when he murmured, "Stay here, Ivy. Costa's cell is soaked, so I need to get to a phone to call my friend," and then left me alone in the park, I stayed.