“I agree.” Gage grunted. “Don’t talk about your dermises together.”
“That sounded even worse.” Callon sounded offended on behalf of Gage.
“Can we please stay focused?” Zeena scolded.
Katy nodded. “My bad. I’m easily distracted.”
Talbot ignored the entire exchange as he focused on Raphael. “You will be a little harder, so I will need to ask you questions regarding the situation.”
“Why will he be harder?”
Katy was glad Lola was as inquisitive as her, so she wasn’t the only one getting dirty looks from the impatient shifters.
“Because he’s a demon. Essentially,allhis intentions are evil,” Talbot explained, without any of the annoyance that was on Gage’s and Callon’s faces.
“Not all.” Nico’s tone was sharp.
The incubus smirked, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Just don’t ask me anything that has to do with the females present.” Raphael looked at Rose. “Yours included. I’d like to keep my head attached to my body.”
“Maybe don’t be so honest out loud then,” Katy offered.
Talbot gently pushed his mate slightly behind him as he took Raphael’s offered wrist. “Have you had any contact with the king and or queen of the Kingdom of Chaos?” Talbot asked the demon.
“No.”
“Have you had any recent dealings with Azure, the former king of the Kingdom of Venom?”
“No.”
“Do you plan to have dealings with him?”
“Yes.”
Talbot hissed.
Raphael lifted his chin, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “I plan to kill him … or applaud the one who does.”
Zeena sucked in a sharp breath but said nothing. She simply stared at Raphael.
The Venom King tilted his head, his slitted eyes narrowing. “Why do you want him dead? Why does a demon care for the affairs of the Damarians?”
Raphael slipped his free hand into the pocket of his slacks. Not exactly bayou attire, Katy noted, and he lifted his chin as he looked at Talbot. “It is well known that Azure acquired dancers for his clubs. And in the beginning, how he acquired them was through honest dealings, and the females had a choice. But he got greedy. And since incubi tend to be greedy as well, he began working with some of my kind. They, of course, could easily coerce females to work for Azure. Women become addicted to us.”
Katy bit her bottom lip as her hands curled into fists. She did not like where this story was going.
“I helped him briefly.” Raphael shrugged. “But I never cared for Azure’s personality. Sorry, Zeena, but he’s a dick.”
Zeena pursed her lips as she folded her arms across her chest. “I wish I could disagree with you.”
“But,” Raphael continued, “before I got out completely, I met a female.”
“Oh snap,” Lola muttered.
“I concur,” Katy whispered, her eyes still focused on the demon.
“I realize that you Damarians like to think yourselves experts on all things demon.” Raphael gave them a sharp smile. “But you are far from the experts you claim to be. Demons, too, can have mates. It is very rare. But it happens. And considering our nature, you can imagine how possessive we are of the one that is ours and ours alone.”
Nico rested a hand on the incubus’s shoulder and gave it a visible squeeze. His handsome features seemed severe as he frowned while watching Raphael.
