I blinked. Blinked again. “Was that a joke? Did you just make a joke?”
“Did you enjoy it?” He looked terribly pleased with himself.
“I…uh…it was good.”
“Excellent. Shall we?”
We strolled into my house, and I smelled cinnamon. I wondered if Jean had found the leftover cinnamon buns I’d tucked in the freezer.
I dreaded every step into the living room. I half hoped Bathin wouldn’t be there. If he had found a way to break the trap like his mother, then I wouldn’t have to do this, see this, watch as Death shoved a weapon of demonic origin into his heart.
But then I pictured Delaney unconscious, strapped to the gurney, and loaded into the ambulance. All the soft, worried thoughts about the demon disappeared.
He had cheated his way into this town, he had used my sister, and he had done it with no regret or remorse. He couldn’t be trusted. Not really. If I forgot that, if I let him make me forget that, there would be no one to blame but myself.
Bathin raised his head as I entered the room.
“Myra.”
He stood right where I’d seen him last, at the fireplace, his back leaning against it, arms crossed over his wide chest.
“Than,” he added.
Bathin was power controlled, a fire burning in silence, steady as the heart of a distant star. When his gaze took me in, slowly, from head to foot, and then back, lingering on my face, my lips, my eyes, I could not look away.
Didn’t want to be away from him.
Didn’t want to be alone.
Here. This. This.
“Hey, boss.” Hatter strolled in from the kitchen.
I looked away from the questions in Bathin’s eyes and heard him sigh.
I’d forgotten we’d left someone here to keep an eye on the prisoner. “How long have you been here?”
“Just relieved Shoe.” He held up the cinnamon bun from the plate in his hand. “Hope you don’t mind. Jean said to raid the freezer.”
“I don’t mind. I’m here now, so you can go.”
“You sure?” he asked through a mouthful. He nodded at Than, who walked across the room to stand directly in front of Bathin. “Parade’s coming up, and I’m pretty sure you haven’t gotten any sleep. I could stay a little longer. Say an hour?”
“No,” I said, “I’m good. I got this.”
“All right. Good. Good. Just leave you and Death alone with the demon, that right?”
“That is correct,” Than said, never once looking away from Bathin.
To Bathin’s credit, he didn’t back down, didn’t move, didn’t stir under Death’s gaze. He just stood there, every line of his body radiating a mix of confidence and ease. Like he could escape at any moment if he wanted to. Like this was a picnic. A cakewalk. A breeze.
“Really,” I said to Hatter. “We have it covered, thanks.”
He nodded, then ambled out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
I stepped right up next to Than.
“You’re done here,” I told the demon.
