And when he smiled, it was like the sun had finally decided to shine down on something so beautiful and wicked, it was impossible to cast light anywhere else.
I hated the hitch of attraction in my gut. But this demon had that level of once-in-a-lifetime Hollywood leading-man gorgeous that could turn anyone’s knees to jelly.
Demon.
Handsome, conniving, amoral, selfish, cruel.
Even knowing that didn’t take the thrall off his beauty.
So, whatever. I was attracted to a gorgeous image. Most humans were. It didn’t mean I was going to act on it. Or rather, not in the way he probably wanted me to, if that smirk and wink he gave me meant anything.
“Why is he here?” I asked Dad. “Is he keeping you here, trapping you against your will?”
Every word came out steady, like I was bored with this whole thing already and willing to throw my authority around to get my way. I was good at this. I’d been taught by a master.
The corner of Dad’s mouth quirked. I saw the pride in his eyes, the love.
Damn right, Dad. You and I can totally take this joker down.
“Not against my will.”
That surprised me.
The demon chuckled. Yes, it sent happy shivers over my skin.
I turned my “ignore” up to eleven.
“I don’t understand.”
I wanted to touch Dad. To hug him, feel him solid and real again. But he was holding still in a very careful way, as if a line had been drawn between us. A line he couldn’t cross.
“Your father gave himself to me,” the demon said. “Willingly.” The demon’s eyes flashed red for a second, then faded to watery green.
“I’m sure there’s quite a story behind that. Do I have to figure it out in three questions or are you going to fill me in?”
He paused, his lips parted as he considered me, then his smile came back in full force.
The handsome. It burned.
“I like the idea of making you work for it, Delaney Reed, but as time is sliding away, and I have needs to be fulfilled, we’ll make this quick. Your father traded his soul to protect you.”
“You did what?” I nearly shouted at the same time Dad said, “It wasn’t just you, honey.”
I glared at the demon. “You, shut up.”
The demon opened his mouth, that same surprised look crossing his features before he smiled and pointedly pressed his lips together.
I glared at Dad. “You, talk.”
“I was driving back from picking up a package from the casino. The package, a small padded envelope was addressed to me, just my name written across the front. I thought that was odd, but it wasn’t the first time it had happened.”
If I could shiver, I would. That had happened to me too. I’d picked up an envelope addressed to me, and it had warned me about Heimdall’s murder.
“I opened the envelope and a stone fell out. A green stone with cracks of black and red.”
“The one I’m holding.”
“Yes. I didn’t know who it was from or what it was, so I put it back in the envelope. I was going to put it in lock up. Make sure it was warded. The car…I lost control of the car.” He frowned. “I don’t remember it very well. The moment, the reason.
