“Seen anything like that voodoo magic, or whatever you call it, that you just performed with my hand,” Zuureth explained.  She just did it.  Didn’t she remember a sort of ritual she completed mere moments ago?  Wishing to remind her even more, the demon continued, “You sliced my palm with your fingernail, licked the blood and it healed.  And then you said you found him.”  He warily glanced at Orias, where skepticism danced all across his features.<br/><br/>Oh yeah, Juniper remembered, alright.  Whoever “he” turned out to be was in a hotel, or possibly a casino.  Damn, she even supplied them with a name of his location,<i>Desert Satin.  </i>Apparently, what she’d done came with a price.  Blood trickled from her nose, and the fallen angel stumbled backward, away from the pair of demons, before succumbing to whatever force was consuming her.  She now lay prone on the carpet.<br/><br/>The stunned demons looked at each other, both sporting<i>what the fuck </i>expressions.  Before either of them could move, however, an intoxicating scent filled the room.  He couldn’t speak for Orias, but Zuureth felt a buzz envelope him.  A buzz that dramatically reminded him of how worthless he was to be in proximity of such a pure creature.  As if to hammer home this point, Juniper’s wings decided to make an appearance.  Awestruck, he noticed how they weren’t strictly white.  Black was also part of the equation.  Once again, he peeked at his mentor, whose mouth now hung open, unable or unwilling to look away from the unconscious angel.<br/><br/>Regathering his wits, Zuureth stepped toward her while reaching into his back pocket.  All the while, the tattoo over his heart thrummed steadily, but not obnoxiously so.  He noticed that whenever he and Juniper were near each other, such as now, the beat remained consistently steady, never frantic like when Bridget and her blonde friend were nearby.  The tattooed demon steadfastly refused to bring this to Orias’s attention.  There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that his guide would demand he puncture her skin with their Dark Prince’s pen, had he known her name was amongst the other targeted individuals.<br/><br/>Zuureth knelt next to Juniper’s petite body.  With handkerchief now in hand from his pocket, he dabbed at the blood on her upper lip.  Once that was taken care of, he winced at what he was about to do next.  The demon loathed the thought of placing his filthy, demonic hands on such purity.  But there was no way else for him to do what he wanted to do.  His left arm slid under her neck, while his right slipped under the backs of her knees.  Gently lifting her, he slowly made his way toward the couch, depositing her body on the soft cushions.  He hurried to the closet in the hallway, returning with a wool blanket.  After covering her, he quickly turned away, because if he didn’t, he knew he’d stand by her side and do nothing but stare at her.<br/><br/>With jacket on and zipper zipped halfway, he announced while heading for the door, “Alright, I’m outta here.  Hope to be back soon.”<br/><br/>“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Orias protested.  “Where the fuck you think you’re going?”<br/><br/>Smirking like a lunatic, Zuureth replied, “Well, unless your head’s been up your ass in the last half hour or so, I’m off to<i>Desert Satin.</i>”<br/><br/>“I know, wise ass, and I’m coming with you,” Orias stated, with his jacket halfway on.<br/><br/>“The hell you are!” Zuureth exclaimed, the irony of his words not lost on them.  Orias appeared to be mentally preparing himself for a fight.  Until his heavily tattooed friend said, “You gotta stay with her!  If we leave her alone, those prick demons will make toothpicks outta the door and haul her away.”<br/><br/>Orias knew the wisdom of his words, and that Juniper was a definite asset.  He nodded in agreement, but before Zuureth could take his leave, the elder yanked on his sleeve.  A question soon followed.  “You, uh, you ever feel like, um, like less than a piece of shit when you’re in her presence?”<br/><br/>Zuureth smiled at his companion, happy to know that he, too, saw and felt the same as he did.  Following a wink, he said, “All the time.”